"..then a couple 'a guys, they were up to no good...started making trouble in my neighborhood."

(image from wikipedia)

Ok, so please know I am alright ahead of time.

Last weekend, on Saturday, I had just come from the movies. I had seen a 5:30 show of Dan in Real Life and it was great.
I went into a store and then was standing at 23rd street and 8th Avenue about to cross to take the A,C to Brooklyn.

I sensed a guy walk up behind me and one to my left and right. The guy to my left asked some random guy if I was "his woman." When the chivalrous bloke made it clear that I was indeed all alone, this man stood in my way in the crosswalk.

"Hey, how you doing?" he barked.

I said nothing, stood silently looking past his shoulder.

"I said HEY. Can't you HEAR ME?" he insisted.

I still said nothing, fully aware that there were 2 other large men surrounding me and all they had to do was push me or poke me and I would have been toast. Who knew what was going through their mind, they could have been drunk or high, or carrying a weapon. Lord knows why some girl who looked like she was sponsored by Patagonia was enticing, but that night, on that busy street it was me.

"Yo! I like what I see...there something wrong with that? You got a PROBLEM?!"

He steps forward so close to me that I could see his PORES.

I didn't give it another moment or so to think, so I turned right and walked 50 feet into the GAP on 8th. I knew nothing could happen in a huge public space, I was not that much of a target that they would follow me in there.

And they didn't. But as I turned, they laughed at me. Like I was some coward.

I got inside and turned to see that the three of them were waiting for me.

Panic.

Serious F*cking Panic.
(for the official record, it did cross my mind to call Roy, but I didn't)

So I looked for the nearest employee, and asked her to walk me to the subway because I realized that in my PANIC I didn't really see what the guy really looked like.

Although they were dispersed they could have been anyone.

She got the manager, who could have easily been Jack's body double from Will & Grace, and he walked me down to the turnstile and safely into the station.

For the first time I sat with other people while I waited for the train. I was a scared that I've never felt, like I was walking around naked and every man I saw that night seemed eerily threatening.

When I got to Brooklyn, I sat on the stoop and Roy called my cell worried that I was late for our date night. As I began to tell him what had happened, I could hear him running to the stoop to swoop down and give me the softest, strongest hug.

It was rough, but I am ok. Better, definitely better.