THE PLEASURE (December 12, 2000)

I get really annoyed in a restaurant or café when some smug cow begins giving me signals that she is not interested in my advances and that I should immediately drop my designs on her when, in fact, I have no interest in her whatsoever but am simply fascinated by her vapid mug, her hideous makeup, and her utter lack of feminine charm. On such occasions I may even start behaving as though I am indeed interested in the wretched creature just for the pleasure of leaving her in a lurch a short while later. Having given her a meaningful stare or two, I suddenly get up as though I could be coming over to her table. Instead, I head for the door. On my way out I make sure I do not give her any reason to doubt my total and complete lack of interest in her, and then I turn around just in time to catch her craning her neck to check whether there is any chance that I may still turn around, and perhaps even approach her in earnest. Ah, the pleasure!