So I have been working at a grocery store for about a year and 2 months now. We have a lot of different customers who come by, most of them are nice and all. Then, there is one who comes pretty regularly and he's been coming since maybe 3 months now, I think he started coming a little bit before the lockdown happened in March. At first you know, it was just this customer-employee dialogue, and he started to talk to me more. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Then one day, he tells me his name and he wants me to talk more familiar with him (in French we have different pronouns if you are talking to your friends or if you're talking with someone you don't know, it is just being polite.) So I am like okay, fine, some people don't like it when we are too polite with them. But then, he started to give me chocolate. Like small gifts. At first I was like okay, that's nice, whatever. But he does it every time he comes by and sees me. And he wants to talk with me, he even told me one day "Ah I wish you were more talkative." And I was like "well... what do you want to talk about? I need to work, I can't spark a conversation with customers, I have other clients to attend to." So he actually invited me to have a coffee with him once the lockdown is over so we can talk and get to know each other....
But yesterday, I was at work, and I see him in the store, so I am like fuck, and I try to avoid him. So I go downstairs to the bathroom and I take my sweet ass time, and once I come back to my cash, he is still there, and I know he will pass by my cash. So I tell my work mate "could you please pass that guy, I need to go talk to the manager." That was a lie, because the manager was not there at the moment. So I pretend to work and all, and then I see my work mate is back at her cash so I just tell myself the guy is probably gone.... nope. He literally waited 5 to 8 minutes at the cash, probably hoping I would come back, and when I didn't he went to look for me. As usual, he hands me a chocolate bar, and he even asks for my phone number....
Okay, guys, just so you know... that guy is probably 50 something years-old... he's probably 20 to 30 years older than me! And I know I look way younger than I am (I am 29 by the way), some people actually think I am still in high school, so that is even more gross. So when he asked me my phone number I was like "uuhh no, I don't give my number to random people." I don't really remember what he said, but it sounded along the line of "I am not random, you know me," whatever. So I mentioned my boyfriend, and apparently he just wants to be friends and he thought I would appreciate.... appreciate what? That a 55 year-old dude asks for my phone number and wants to be friends with me? Uuuhh no thanks.
So my managers know about the situation, and I think they will keep an eye on him. Because as employees, we cannot have long discussions with our customers, we try to be polite and all, but that just makes the bosses angry, so I am guessing next time, the managers are gonna be like "sorry, but can you leave the cashiers alone, they have to work."
The thing too is that he only does that to me, and he knows my freaking work schedule, because he always comes when I am working. I asked the other cashiers who work during the weekend if he ever comes, and one of them said "no, he really only comes when you work." And it isn't difficult to figure out when I work. So that is creepy. And just the way he tells me he likes me and appreciates me.... I don't even understand that, because I barely talk to him. The only things I say to him are hi and have a good day, like every customer I pass. He knows nothing of me. So I am guessing it is solely on my appearance and nothing else. And I am not the most smiling or talkative employee, I just want to do my job and go home.... one of my work mates is actually nicer than me. So I really don't know why he chose me. It isn't because I am nice, that's for sure. Cause I did nothing to lead him on.
The only concern that I have is if ever he decides to wait for me after my shift and he follows me or something. Hopefully, turning him down will give him a cold shower or something.
I just don't understand how people work, do you really think I will give you my phone number? To a 50 year-old guy? Especially that I look like I'm 19 or something.... I just find him pretty creepy. He got some balls though. And I just don't understand why a 55 year-old guy would want to be "friends" with a 29 year-old girl... like, you think I'm stupid? You think I will swallow that?
Anyway, I just hope the fact that I turned him down, he will stop after this. So to be continued...
