Ocean Dream & The Man at the Mall

I just ordered myself some Ocean Dream (now sadly discontinued) and it reminded me of my experience going to go buy it. It was back in 1996, and I had smelled a lovely sample of it in a magazine and knew I had to have it. I was never really much into buying fragrances... especially the kind that cost way too much... but this was an exception. So I went to the mall by myself and decided to buy myself a bottle of Ocean Dream.

I was walking around the mall for a while and then some man wearing an expensive looking camel jacket asked me for the time... and started talking to me. I was 17,. and he looked well over 30 (he was actually 29 so he said)... Being the nice person I am, I talked to him, too... he asked me what I was looking for and I told him I was here to buy a fragrance for myself.. and he asked which one... and I told him Ocean Dream... he told me he liked it but he recommended Pleasures by Estee Lauder, and asked if I wanted to go try it... so I did. So we went to the fragrance counter and I tried out Pleasures.... and ewww.. I really didn't like it.. it smelled kind of like Old Lady perfume... you would think it would smell a little more youthful or sensual with a name like that. I told the man that I thought it smelled okay, but I really wanted to get Ocean Dream. So we went over there and I tried it and LOVED it, and went ahead and said I'd buy the biggest bottle they had. The man, let's call him David, suddenly barged in and said that he'd buy it for me. I quickly told him that he didn't have to... but he insisted.. and he even said I should get another item like the body powder. I said that he was being too nice and that it really wasn't necessary, and he told me that he had plenty of money and buys stuff for people all the time. He started telling me he was a business owner and made a lot of money blah blah blah and told me about his jacket costing $700. So after enough convincing, I finally gave in, and let him buy it for me. It costed $113 bux for both items. Eek! That's when I started to feel uneasy. I thanked him and said I had to go home... he walked with me to the door and he gave me his phone number and said to call if I ever needed anything. I thanked him again and left.. and never EVER called.

Him and the situation really creeped me out... I'm glad I never saw him again... even though he bought something like that for someone he just met. When I think of a man buying something for a woman he just met for more than a nominal amount of money... it makes me feel like he's trying to make me feel like I owe something to him. Don't you agree, girls? I'm sure it's like that the other way around, too. Good looking or not... as a rule, when a person you JUST met and never talked to before buys you $113 worth of fragrance at the mall.... put him on your caution list. I should not have allowed him to, but I guess the only good thing out of this is that I didn't have to spend that money myself. *still shuddering at the thought*