Peer 'n Jeer

Story Sent in by Timothy:

On my first date with Norma we met up for coffee and had a good time. For our second date we made dinner plans but took a walk, first. As we strolled through suburbia, I noticed that almost every time we passed a house with open shades, she'd linger to look inside.

What if someone inside saw her? That was kind of invasive. I asked her, "What are you doing?"

She said, "It's for a socio–a science–just a project! You know, like an art project."

"You look inside people's homes as an art project?"

In response, she hurried across the street to peer into the windows of another house with the lights on and window blinds half-open. She stood and stared in.

"Seriously," I said, catching up with her, "This is really nosy."

"It's for my project. Are you, like, an artist-hater or something? Nosy? Who do you think you are? Apologize."

"For stating a fact."

"Apologize right now," she said, her voice louder.

I didn't want to cause a scene in public, and I didn't really mean it, so I said, "Okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't know where artist-haters like you get off..." she said.

My turn to raise my voice, "I said I was sorry. Do you want me to beg?"

"You deserve to beg. This is for an art project so you can just shut it."

Astounded by her rudeness, I said, "That reminds me! I made something for you. It's back at my car. Wait right here."

Without waiting for a response, I hightailed it back to my car a few blocks down and drove far, far away from her.