The restaurant was already half-full with early diners. A small Chinese waitress greeted me. "How many?" she asked in Mandarin. "Just for one," I said. A Chinese man who might be the owner looked up as I crossed the entryway and said, "Takeaway?" I shook my head. "For here." The girl sat me at the end of a long table in the middle of the room. I didn't like how it faced the door so I was the first person every passerby saw, but I couldn't complain. The man asked the waitress, "For how many?" The girl told him. He gave me a glance--pitiful?-- and smiled as I sat down.
I read a book as I ate dinner. I was just starting to dig in when a Chinese family took most of the long table. They were undoubtedly celebrating something as the father popped a bottle of champagne. They talked animatedly and ordered a lot. With a jab, I remembered my parents and buried myself in the book further. One chapter later I was finished. The meal was good and cheap-- everything the blog described it to be. As I paid at the counter, the lively man thanked me with a big smile and a wink.
The cool night air felt refreshing on my hot face. My insides were warm because of the spicy noodles. How nice it was to walk under the moonlight peacefully. Then...
"Hi." A man had appeared to my right. "Ni hao ma?" It was Greek Freak!
"Hi," I said curtly. We were already quite far from the mall. This was new. Where could he be going?
"Where in China are you from?" He was definitely walking with me.
"I'm not from China." Not technically. Anyway I wish I knew.
"Where are you from? You're gorgeous."
Heard that one before. But in my oversized uni alumni shirt, faded jeans and sneakers? I told him my country, hoping he'd remember we'd met before and to get lost.
"I'm from Greece. My parents migrated here when I was young."
We were approaching a parking lot. Please let him be on his way to get his car, I prayed in my head. But we passed it and he was still at my side.
"I've just had my dinner and am just taking a walk," he said cheerfully. Great. How long was he planning to walk with me? Should I change route to shake him off? It was likely I wouldn't be able to find my way home.
"My name is Paul. What's your name?"
"Rose."
"Hi Rose. You're gorgeous. Do you mind if I gave you my number?"
I hesitated. "Ok, if you want. Have you got a pen and paper?"
"Oh, don't you have a mobile?"
"No."
He told me all about the convenience of a mobile phone. "How long have you been in the city?"
"Three months."
He asked what I was doing, what I was studying. I could've lied with my answers, but it was too much effort piecing things together. He told me how I could get a sim and how cheap it was.
"So, you don't have a pen and paper on you?"
"No, I've just come out to do my groceries."
He asked who I lived with and how much I paid for my board. "I have a room if you're interested. It's just 8 minutes walk from the station...." He described it and its many conveniences. It was ten bucks cheaper than the phony figure I gave. Sure, if I was out of my mind, I thought.
"Thanks, but I'd rather live in the city if I'm to move." I said politely. He told me all about the disadvantages of living in the city.
After more small talk, we got to the part where he asked if I had a boyfriend. Same old story.
"I thought if you were single we could maybe go out..." I established that I wasn't interested. Then I felt sorry for him so I said gently, "You can probably find someone your age."
"My age? Why, do you think I'm old?" he said with good humor.
"Well we're probably not the same age." I'm guessing he's in his mid to late thirties.
"How old are you?"
"How old do you think I am?"
"I don't know. Twenty, twenty-five? It's hard to tell."
Twenty-five?? Fuck off. I was tempted to say 19. But I hate that age. I settled for twenty, although it probably didn't make much of an impact.
I finally got rid of him when we got to an intersection. I have a feeling he was going back to the parking lot and wasn't really going for a walk. When did he see me? The restaurant was across the mall. Did he spot me while I was in the restaurant? He came up to me from behind. Had he been watching me and followed me?? Note to self: don't do grocery at 6-7PM.
Seriously though, his method of picking girls up... it's pathetic.
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