Feb. 15th, 2009 06:05 pm
dear penthouse. . .
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heatray5dI swear to god this happened.
I've just now returned from doing my laundry. I'm happy that the laundry near my house, while it is farther away than I would like, is way less sketchy than other laundries I've had to use. The one in the trailer park where I grew up was, by far, one of the most unpleasant places I've ever been - you had to check the dryers carefully before putting your clothes in, because people used to shit in them. I'm totally serious.
So today, I was sitting on a washing machine (because there are no chairs in my laundry), reading yet another of Richard Sharpe's adventures, when I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and made eye contact with an Asian woman, heavy-set but not obese, in her late-30's or early-40's. Her voice was very deep, almost masculine, and she spoke softly enough that at first I wasn't entirely certain what she said.
What she said was, "You have a very nice body."
Now, my mom taught me that whenever you are complimented, you graciously accept it. So that is what I did, knowing that to do so was to walk into a conversational trap. "Thank you very much," I said. Then I looked back down at my book.
"I live around here," she said. I looked back up, not entirely certain I'd heard what I thought I had. I requested clarification. "I live near here," she said again. "Would you like to come by?"
"Uh," I said, "no thank you." I smiled again, hoping she wouldn't feel bad, and wondering if she was a hooker or what. She left without another word, and I spent the rest of my time in the laundry willing my clothes to dry faster so I could be out of there before she returned to get hers.
I've just now returned from doing my laundry. I'm happy that the laundry near my house, while it is farther away than I would like, is way less sketchy than other laundries I've had to use. The one in the trailer park where I grew up was, by far, one of the most unpleasant places I've ever been - you had to check the dryers carefully before putting your clothes in, because people used to shit in them. I'm totally serious.
So today, I was sitting on a washing machine (because there are no chairs in my laundry), reading yet another of Richard Sharpe's adventures, when I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and made eye contact with an Asian woman, heavy-set but not obese, in her late-30's or early-40's. Her voice was very deep, almost masculine, and she spoke softly enough that at first I wasn't entirely certain what she said.
What she said was, "You have a very nice body."
Now, my mom taught me that whenever you are complimented, you graciously accept it. So that is what I did, knowing that to do so was to walk into a conversational trap. "Thank you very much," I said. Then I looked back down at my book.
"I live around here," she said. I looked back up, not entirely certain I'd heard what I thought I had. I requested clarification. "I live near here," she said again. "Would you like to come by?"
"Uh," I said, "no thank you." I smiled again, hoping she wouldn't feel bad, and wondering if she was a hooker or what. She left without another word, and I spent the rest of my time in the laundry willing my clothes to dry faster so I could be out of there before she returned to get hers.