Based on a true story.
I was a teenager working in a photo lab after school and on weekends. The money and the environment was better than fast food, but I didn't work enough or make enough yet to have a car. Usually, I rode my bike to work, but needed repair, because on this particular day, I found myself walking to the bus stop.
I had a half-mile walk to the stop that would take me to work without a transfer. As I got close to the stop, I saw the bus coming. I ran like a madman to get to the stop before the bus pulled away, but to no avail. I was mad I missed the bus but didn't want to wait for the next one, so I decided to continue walking to work.
About halfway into the remaining two or three miles, I saw a jogger approaching me, running in the opposite direction I was walking. As he neared, I made a point to stay to one side of the sidewalk to give him room to pass. When he got close, he said, "hi," and I replied back, "hi."
I thought nothing of it, really. Then, I saw him come back again. Apparently, he turned around behind me and came back. Out of the blue, he said, "How would you like to come back to my place?"
"What?" was all I could say. I was pretty sure I heard him, but I don't think my brain believed my ears. He repeated the proposition. I was so surprised and caught off guard, I found myself not knowing what to say. Though I wasn't at all interested, I was raised to be polite, so acting indignant or punching him in the face was not in my character.
All I could manage to say was, "I have to go to work." It was a pretty weak answer, and in retrospect I see where it could have been misconstrued.
"Where do you work?" he asked. I told him the name of the photo lab, probably because I wasn't quick-witted enough at the time to make up a lie. I was definitely off guard and off balance.
"Yeah, I know the place. What time do you get off work?" Again, I should have seen where things were leading, but I wasn't thinking very clearly.
"Six o'clock."
"Great, I'll pick you up then, so you won't have to walk home."
"No, that's o.k., I don't mind walking" was all I could say, finally showing some sign that I wasn't interested.
"Really, it's no trouble. I'll see you then." And with that, he turned and began running back in his original direction. I spent the rest of my walk to work and my time at work wondering what I'd done, questioning myself why I didn't tell him flat out to get lost. I wondered if he was going to show up, and if so how I would deal with him without making a scene at my work.
Six o'clock rolled by and he showed up. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. I thought about my options briefly and decided that it might be easiest if I let him give me a ride home. Only, I decided that I would have him drop me off a block or so from my real house so he wouldn't know where I lived.
"Yeah, thanks for the ride. It saves me from having to walk for an hour." And with that, I headed out to his car and we drove off. He made small talk along the way as he drove the route back to my house. Distracted with the conversation, I hadn't realized that I didn't tell him where I lived yet. And the thought didn't occur to me until he made a wrong turn.
"Actually, I live further up the street, you don't have to turn yet" I said.
"Oh, well, I thought we could stop at my place and grab a beer or something before you headed home." I didn't say anything, but the thought of getting to sneak a beer interested me.
When we got to his place, I followed him inside his house. "Would you like a beer?" he asked.
"Sure, that sounds cool" I replied. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed me one. He cracked his open, took a sip and set it down.