matrixleap and I stopped by the local Salvation Army to see if anything nifty could be had (found the old animated The Hobbit for a buck-fifty!). As I stood in line to check out, I couldn't help but notice the lady in front of me.5'8", long brown hair with lighter highlights, excellent figure, dressed casually but with a hint of flair, gorgeous smile (funny, that's a lot like several people I know...). Being next to her, I couldn't help but hear her conversation with the cashier, and she was friendly and personable. Hell, even her perfume was nice, and perfume almost always gives me insta-headache. Frankly, the smile was infectious just being near her.
Ever see people like that? Someone that you don't know, aren't going to know, but they just have that quality of making you smile because they are smiling? I think I touched on that, long ago, but I may have lost that edge. Regardless, it's a good feeling.
Anyway, as she was about to leave, I wanted to say something. Nothing untoward, of course, but just a compliment, an expression of my appreciation for the happy aura she radiated. As I turned in her direction, a guy walked in the door and came her direction. At first he seemed lost, and he took the empty cart nearby and put it back in the cart area. As he turned back, he looked at her, then looked at me. Immediately, I knew he was with her. He made a point of stepping right up next to her and taking her bags, glanced once more at me, and walked out with the lady right behind him. They walked to a truck that had seen better days and left.
As they walked away and I bought my movie, I thought all this over. He'd obviously felt protective of her, though it felt less like chivalry and more like ownership. He'd given me 'the look' that clearly told me to stay away. Hell, he did all but curl his lip and growl. Frankly, he looked like he might have an IQ somewhere between 'doorknob' and 'floor wax'. It was an interesting few seconds in my head of 'oh, come on, you can do so much better than that, ma'am', tempered by 'who knows, you know nothing about either of them'. Just seemed sort of sad to see someone so apparently full of life and light to be connected to someone so dour.
Anyway, in the end, it was a pleasant experience to feel that vibe, and it put a small gleam on what has otherwise been a bit of a wet-blanket week.