Eight million people live in New York City. So one would think that the odds of running into people you know would be pretty slim, right? Wrong.
I bump into people I know all the time and not because I am always going to the same places. Quite the contrary.
Over the past few months among the most frequent have been an ex and guys I once dated or that one of my friends dated. I see them on the subway, on the street, random restaurants or bars, coffee shops and as I run in the park.
A few favorite recent encounters:
#3: guy I went on a few dates with.
He and presumably the current girl friend were walking on the running path I was running in the opposite direction. From what I could hear, she was not happy (sidebar: I hate people who fight in public). As I passed them, there was that glimmer of recognition, a quick smile and then I was gone.
#2: a guy my friend dated for a while before he pulled the “vanishing break up” on her. We’d met a couple of times and he’d been to one of my parties.
Heading to work, I spotted him standing by the doors reading “how to win friends and influence people”.
He saw me but kept reading neither one of us wanting to say anything.
#1 The ex. I was engrossed reading The Times and ignoring the world when he sat down across from me on the subway. When his voice cracked through to me and I looked up he said: love the shoes. (I was wearing a favorite pair of magenta suede pumps with a navy dress). We chatted amicably for a while before his stop. Once he exited an elderly gentlemen who was sitting nearby leaned over and with a strong West Indian accent said: young fool, nevermind the shoes, love the legs.
I chuckled, thanked him for the compliment and went about my day.
Another one for the quote wall.
West Indian gentleman knows the score…
NYC is the smallest town I’ve ever lived in, I swear!