Ferry Building Encounter

At the Ferry building earlier, at Cowgirl Creamery. Was trying to decide: green olives, black olives, mixed olives? I could tell I was about to drop one when a hand was extended and caught the falling plastic container of black olives. I was still engrossed in my selection process, so without looking up, I said “thank you” and continued my mental debate.

A voice came up: “What do you think of this cheese?”

The same hand that caught the plastic container extended a round cheese log to me.

Again, without looking up, I said, “Oh it’s really good. I have gone to their factory in Petaluma and sampled it and I really liked it.”

 “Good.” The voice said. Then it continued, “where did you get the bread? They look really good.”

At that point, I finally raised my head, I was getting really impatient, despite the stranger’s help in catching that falling container. There in front of me was a gorgeous, breathtakingly beautiful, smiling, tall young man with those impossible blue eyes.

Instead of answering his question, I said, “Oh, you are not from here aren’t you?” I was still annoyed that he interrupted my thought process of green vs. black vs. mixed olives, which by the way, is a rather important decision to make when you have a loaf of ACME sweet baguette and a sourdough ebi.

The gorgeous young man continued to flash his bright smile, exposing his white even teeth, “No, I’m not from here.”

I finally had to stop what I was doing, putting back the olives and then said to him, “ Down a couple of stores is ACME bread, they are based in Berkeley. Freshly baked bread on site. You can order a Salumi sandwich, or a cheese sandwich, made of sweet baguette, very good.”

He stood there, not leaving. “What are you doing later tonight?” He asked.

Seriously?!

So the ever-not-so-smooth me answered, “Going back to work and then go home.”

“Ah.” He said.

Then I went back to my olive mental debate. Ignoring the man who’s standing next to me.

“Well, then, thank you so much for the cheese and bread recommendation.” The man picked up the cheese and finally left.

I finally decided on green olives AND mixed olives.

As I walked out of the Ferry building, I wondered, “Did I just become the target of an ill attempted pick up? Did I just turn down the opportunity to hang out with a super gorgeous young guy just so that I could go home and enjoy my olives and baguette? Was he really not from here?” I have decided the answer for all three questions is yes. And I’m rather proud of it.