They Don’t Know Me Like That

Returning to my unit from bingo on Thursday, I became aware of the strong smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

So strong that, by the time I’d made it inside, a headache had developed.

The smell was coming from the unit of the recently evicted Smoker.

The door and windows had been opened by what I could make out as two people, evidently hired by management to get the unit ready for new occupants.

I only saw the one guy, but could hear glass breaking and see movement inside while the one guy I did see was tossing trashed furnishings out.

He wasn’t wearing protective breathing gear.

How anyone could work in that toxic air is beyond me, when just the minute or two I breathed it in affected me; and just image the Smoker and her cat breathing it in for years and years.

I’m guessing that just the regular paint job and new carpeting isn’t going to rid the smell of smoke from that unit.

A weird thing happened to me after yesterday’s workout.

I got hugged.

By a male who doesn’t know me well enough for that.

To my amazement, I didn’t knee him in the groin. Instead, I took the hug like a champ.

It was the second time in this past week that a male who doesn’t know me that well grabbed and put me in a bear hug.

WTF? Is it my perfume?

The first unsolicited touching was the day I ended up at Sprouts Farmer’s Market while out looking to change financial institutions.

Standing in the veggie section perusing kale, I all of sudden felt an entire body right up against my left side.

Turning my head to see what the heck, there was a resident from the complex that I’ve exchanged pleasantries with, but don’t know all that well.

As soon as I turned my head, recognized who it was, I suddenly found myself positioned facing him and embraced in a bear hug.

I was frozen, so I'm sure I didn't turn myself. I think he just grabbed, turned me around, put me in that bear hug.

I can’t explain why my reaction was not to knee him in the groin. Instead, I was chill, allowed the hug like we were old friends, the hug normal and, after he released me, got into a conversation about how he’d gotten so far from the complex. He’d driven.

I always see him walking. Didn’t know he had a car, but no matter as I don’t know a thing about him even though he’s lived here at the complex for just as many years as I.

As for the hug, it didn't feel or appear to be anything other than a friendly hug, not sexual and, inasmuch as there’s a reason for everything, I didn’t dwell on it.

How some ever, inasmuch as an unsolicited hug happened to me again, I’m beginning to wonder what the Universe is trying to tell me.

This time it was the Security Guard at the market.

This is not the Security Guard that was the reason I stopped shopping at the corner market, went out of my way to shop elsewhere because he kept leering at me the same disgusting way Homegirl recently said Meat Man leered at her. This current security guard presents as friendly in a non-flirtatious way and is often seen chit chatting with customers — both male and female.

The only time I took any notice of him was when he made the blog for leaving his post to chase tail.

Other than that, it’s been a polite "Good afternoon ma’am" when I come in and "Have a nice day" when I leave with friendly responses back from me.

Accustomed to seeing him, I did wonder what happened when I did not see him at his station last two weeks and no one in his place. I’d assumed the store had gotten rid of the security people but, walking in after Thursday's workout, there he was.

"Hey, you’re back. I thought they’d gotten rid of you guys", said I.

Before I knew what was happening, he came from behind his dais and put me in a bear hug.

Again, instead of kneeing him in the groin, I was chill, accepted the hug and, after he released me, had a conversation as to his whereabouts.

What is happening here?

Neither of these guys know me well enough for that.

It’s like a weird oreo cookie situation — first hug from a White guy, second guy from a Black guy, chocolate me in the middle.

The frosting on the oreo is that I've been feeling like our Karen’s Dream Lover has been acting differently towards me last three times we ran into each other. I convinced myself it was my imagination, that I was seeing something that wasn’t there, but now I’m not so sure if he too hasn’t been bitten by whatever weird bug is going around.

Maybe it’s my perfume.