Kent, the Gentleman

I know I've been updating a lot lately, but all these interesting things keep happening. Physics is waiting, but... I just have to write this.

I just got back from a little adventure to Sam's at Sneed, a quest for apple juice and tea. After all the biking, aikido, and dancing, I was so thirsty.

As I left, a guy who was also leaving said "Oh, after you ma'am," and held the door for me. I thanked him and he said "Anything for a lady."

That was so surprising. I've heard strangers say some amazing things, such as "Mija," and "Have a beautiful day," but nothing like this. So I thanked him again.

Coincidentally, we walked the same pace, so he struck up a conversation. "Out for a bite to eat?"

"To drink, actually," I said. I might have left it at that, said an awkward goodbye, and come back to my room, but on a whim, I added "I just got done with a rehearsal, so I'm really thirsty." I had also just finished an incredible series of conversations with Laura, so I was feeling very happy and friendly.

"Rehearsal?" He asked with the most smoothly executed arched eyebrow I've ever seen.

So, since I already started, I told him it was a Celtic Ensemble rehearsal--both eyebrows arched--and tonight's was mostly fast dancing. I felt girly saying I was thirsty from dancing, a stereotype on my part, I suppose, so I added that I'd gone to aikido--confused expression--sorry, it's a martial art--before that.

He quite obviously lived in Bledsoe, and I in Gordon, so at that point we reached a separating point. "Well," he said, standing tall and composed. "I know you're tired, so please have a wonderful evening."

I thanked him and said it was nice to meet him because I felt like I'd met him. "Well... we didn't really meet exactly. Just talked a little," he said.

"Well... would you like to officially meet before we go?" I asked, again on a whim.

He smiled. "Sure."

So we each halved the distance and he said "I'm Kent," half extending his hand. "Tracey," I said, reaching in return. I expected a typical American male handshake, but instead... I'm not even sure how to describe it. It was a gentle handshake, and it was sort of sideways--exactly like holding hands for a waltz, but with added motion. And, of course, much more brief.

"You're very warm for a cold night," he said. That was odd. My hands are usually always cold.

"I've done lots of running around," I said. Aikido + dancing + biking = warm hands.

"You must be very tired. Well..." he said, as we both began to back away. "Do have a wonderful evening, Miss Tracey. I'll see you around?"

"Sure," I said, smiling. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And then I continued on, back to Gordon, thinking in my head how to describe everything that just happened.

I found just the right way: He was all British gentleman without the accent.

What an incredibly interesting character.

As I left, I was mostly thinking about it from a writing perspective, as I usually do, but then I considered it as a reality. Things like that don't really happen. That's out of a book. A perfectly in character British gentleman without the accent, a chance meeting and none of the mystery solved? Straight out of a book.

But we're not in a book. So how do I interpret this?

I don't really know. I think it must simply be his personality, because nothing about my appearance should have prompted him to call me "ma'am" and "lady." I was wearing layers of baggy clothes because it's cold, was recently sweaty, and my hair was in a messy ponytail. Nothing about me was lady-like. Yet after I left, I had a vague sensation that I might have been hit on, but the idea seemed ridiculous because... When I think the phrase "hit on" it goes with a typical American handshake and doesn't involve the word "lady" unless it's preceded by another word edging toward offensive.

I'm not worried about it at all. My ultimate conclusion is that it's his personality, and I'm unlikely to really see him again, which is just fine. I just think it was an extremely interesting scene, especially because it quite seriously happened, and I felt the need to write it.