I had a rather odd experience today. We decided to take a lunch break to Peter Piper Pizza-- we never get to go on family outings, so we thought we'd treat ourselves. Joe took Ethan to the play area as I was finishing eating (yes, I can be a bit of a pig, I know). As I got up to start cleaning off our table, I noticed a tall, thin, black man walk into the restaurant. I felt his eyes on me from the moment he walked in as he strolled down the isle. He walked over to me and said, "Hey, do you work here?" I'd been worried that he'd spotted me alone and was going to try to sell me something. "No," was my obvious reply. "So, uh, what's your name?" was his attempt at a smooth transition. "Bethany," I answered. "My name's Daniel," he said. I made a small attempt at a smile and continued cleaning our table, hoping he'd go away. "So, do you have a boyfriend?" he questioned. Really? Had this guy just randomly walked by Peter Piper Pizza, spotted me, then walked in simply to try to hit on me? How odd. "No," I responded. "But I have a husband." "Oh, sorry," was his sheepish reply. He then turned around and walked back out of the restaurant. At this point, though feeling a bit weird, I have to admit I felt a bit flattered as well. I finished cleaning up, then I walked over to my family. I told the story to Joe, thinking he'd be proud that his wife "still had it." Instead, he was a bit freaked out that I'd given him my name. Okay, he knows my first name. What the heck can he do with that? I don't think he can do much. Anyway, then he was all paranoid as we walked out to our car, saying he thought the guy might try to follow us home or something. Man, and I thought I was the paranoid one. Then, I got to thinking. What if this man was a bad man? What if he was intentionally seeking lone women in an attempt to somehow lure them outside and then take them? Why else had he randomly come inside, his whole intent obviously to talk to me? I was first thankful that I was married and could have that as my excuse, and second I was thankful that I was happily married and had the morals and standards that wouldn't even allow me to consider to stray. What could have happened to me today if I had not been married-- or said that I wasn't? Would he somehow have been able to persuade me outside? What could have happened to me? I know this is all purely conjecture. Maybe he really was a decent guy seeking a relationship with a decent girl (that being me, of course:). Who knows? But, maybe not. I guess I'll never know, and perhaps I don't want to, anyway.
