First, while most of the budget folks work with agencies safely ensconced in other buildings, my agencies are largely housed in our same building. This means I cannot park my car, ride the elevator, or go to the cafeteria without awkward conversations. If I decide to wear jeans on Friday? Of course I run into commissioners from my agencies. But the elevator encounters are definitely the worst--because there is no escape.
Second, our building is full of stalkerish creepy guys who enjoy the twenty-something budget ladies. And they seem to spend a lot of time in the elevators. Case in point: we were enjoying a rare lunch in the first floor cafeteria, when one of the ladies spotted a creepy stranger from another agency who had struck up an elevator conversation with her a few weeks prior.
Creepy stranger: Hi, how are you doing?
Budget lady: Uh, fine.
Stranger: So, how do you like working here?A few days later they shared another awkward elevator conversation, at which time she pointedly brought up her long-term boyfriend. Almost that same day, I had the following exchange in the elevator:
Budget lady, wondering how he knows where "here" is: Uh, fine. How do you like it?
Stranger: Well, I like it okay but I've been here six years already. You've only been here about two years, right?
Budget lady, now thoroughly creeped out: Yup.
Stranger: That must mean you're leaving soon--the young women around here usually leave after a year or two.
Budget lady: Oh, look, there's my floor.
Creepy stranger: Hi, did you get Lasik surgery?What I really wanted to say was, "So YOU must be the creepy guy that tracks our movements!" But since his name badge indicated he works for one of my agencies, alas, I did not.
Me: Uh, no. I'm just wearing contacts.
In related news, overly friendly IT guy stopped me in the hall today to say, "Curly! I like it!" in reference to my new hairdo. It was uncomfortable, and I'm pretty sure I heard two other budget ladies snickering about it in a nearby cube afterward.
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