The first time she saw him she almost laughed. He was roly-poly, and wide-eyed, as if he was seeing the world for the first time. An image of the Pillsbury Dough Boy popped into her head and she chuckled all the way to work.
The second time she saw him was in her office parking lot and that surprised her; first because she had never seen him there before and second, because she had driven very fast, as usual, and he didn't even seem to have a car.
The third time she saw him was back at her apartment parking lot, after work. This time she was frightened. He was standing just a few feet away from her reserved parking spot and her front door. He still had that stupid look of amazement on his face, but she knew from experience that the world was full of weirdos, and this was probably one of them.
She got her can of chemical Mace out, checked that it was in working order, then waited for the DoughBoy to move. He didn't. He just stood there, lightly bouncing on his feet, like he had to go to the bathroom; that same silly look on his face. She judged the distance from the car to her front door. Ten, twelve feet at the most. The DoughBoy was about twenty to her right. He would be blocked by three cars and a hedge. She got her key out, opened the car door and dashed for her apartment.
"Hi, there!"
"Wha . . .?" she yelped in surprise. The doughboy was right by her side at the door! Suddenly startled, and genuinely scared, she dropped her keys; her back flush against her door. How did he get here so fast?
The Pillsbury Dough Boy smiled inanely at her. "Hi," he said again.
She fumbled for the Mace can, almost dropping that too.
"Don't come near me!" she ordered, the Mace pointed directly at him. "Keep away from me. I'll scream!"
His pudgy eyes blinked rapidly at her; his face a mask of incomprehension. He snapped his fingers and suddenly they were in the middle of her living room.
"Oh my God! How . . . what happened?" she asked aloud in a scared and shrill voice. The door was still locked and bolted from the inside. The windows were still closed.
"What's the matter?" he asked pleasantly.
"The . . . the door," she stuttered, "How did we get by the door? What did you do? Who are you? Don't come near me!" She pointed the Mace can at him again. He extended his hand, index finger pointed and she felt her grip on the Mace can begin to loosen. She squeezed harder, gripping it with both hands but couldn't hold on to it. Her fingers came loose and she gaped in disbelief as the Mace can floated free, across the room and settled in Doughboy's chubby hand.
She stood there, transfixed, eyes wide and staring. It was a full five seconds before she found her voice. "Who are you?" she said, softly.
"I'm Hubert. Your Guardian Angel!"
Oh, God, a fruit loop! I'm locked in with a loony!
"Don't be frightened," he said as he watched her eyes search desperately for a way out, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you."
"This is a trick, right? You've hypnotized me, or something. This isn't happening." She had backed herself up against the living room wall. There was no where else to go.
"Trick? This is no trick. I really am your Guardian Angel."
"Oh, Christ!" she wailed.
"Please, lets not get blasphemous." he said in a hurt tone, then asked in wonder, "Are you scared of me?"
"Oh, no! People make cans float in the air all the time. Going through walls is an everyday event. What the hell do you think?" she screamed at him, on the verge of hysteria.
"Please forgive me," he said, in that soft cherubic voice of his, "They were such small things, I didn't think they would frighten you. Please sit down. I really don't mean you any harm."
She realized that she was over her initial panic; her breathing almost normal now. Slowly, cautiously she sat on the sofa. "You sit over there," she said. It was an order.
"Thank you," he said politely. "Let's start over again. My name is Hubert and I'm your Guardian Angel."
"You said that already. What's this all about?"
"Oh, yes, dear me. I should have explained that right away. You see, we discovered that there's been a terrible oversight made. You are not what you're supposed to be."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Well," he continued, "we found out that you were destined to be a world famous courtesan, and somehow, through an inexcusable mistake, you were never given the right . . . guidance, so I'm here to help you make up for the last twenty years, and, of course, to offer our deepest apologies."
I knew it, she thought, a fruit loop! "I'm supposed to be a courtesan? Me? Isn't that somebody who . . ."
"Gives pleasure to all she meets," he finished for her.
This is a huge practical joke she told herself. Any minute someone is going to leap out of the closet and yell, "Smile, You're on Candid Camera." This just couldn't be happening to an over forty woman who was fighting the battle of the bulge, and owed her hair color to Miss Clarol. She wondered how they did the special effects, but despite herself, she was intrigued.