I met eyes with a middle aged (40's?) woman outside of a restaurant-&-bar. Being charismatic and friendly as I am, I shot her a big grinning smile, which she returned. Then, she started walking towards me and I immediately thought "Okay, she's either going to ask me for directions or money, be prepared." I slowed to a stop and asked "Can I help you?", which in the German I used sounded less like a friendly greeting and more like a disgruntled employee (not what I had meant, exactly). She didn't seem to mind and laughed, saying (auf Deutsch) "Oh no, I'm just visiting the city to celebrate Valentines day," and something else which I couldn't catch. I laughed, in a friendly manner, and said "Oh, how nice." She reached up and stroked my arm, nodding and saying "Yea, it is."
At this point I realized she was completely wasted, and at 12:45 in the afternoon I might add. With the realization however I did not really know what to say or how to interpret her meaning; was she just a happy drunk? Was she coming on to me? Was she about to ask me to go somewhere with her? What polite ways of disengaging a discussion did I know how to say in German?
Saved by the bell, her husband (I assume) came out of the restaurant at that time and she took her hand away from my arm. I wished her a lovely day and the two of them strode away arm in arm. I immediately called Ellen to regale her with my story. I'm still laughing about it now, internally at least.
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