How disheartening

Last night, while at work, one of the janitors was walking down the hall. Knowing he's latin-american, I waved to him and said, "¡Hola!" He stopped by me, mildly surprised, and asked, "¿habla español?"

So we started chatting in Spanish. I told him I had learned it from five years' worth of schooling, that I spent a summer working in Dominican Republic and that I had dated a couple latinos who didn't speak anything but Spanish. Nevertheless, it's been nearly 10 years since all that and while I can still understand pretty much everything, my speaking skills are rusty. He still seemed impressed and told me I was speaking it pretty well for someone who hasn't done so in 10 years.

Then this jovial conversation took a turn for the worse. He said he wasn't surprised that I had dated latinos because most women think of them as best in bed. I said that I wouldn't comment on that specifically but that "hot blooded" could and did have other not so glorious consequences. Namely jealousy and violence. He chuckled, saying that he wasn't violent nor jealous. As proof, he added that he didn't mind if I had a boyfriend. I ignored that and specified that the only reason I would need a latino in my life at this time would be to go out dancing. Either I worded that poorly, or he really heard only what he wanted to hear. Immediately he said "I can take you out dancing tonight." I clarified. "I don't want to go out dancing," I said, "I'm dating an American now and if I go out, it would be with him and him only. I was merely stating that my boyfriend can't dance salsa and merengue and that's the only thing I miss from having a latin boyfriend."

Part of this was a lie. I'm single now. Significant Others have never deterred any latin american man I've come across. I knew it was a futile attempt but I had to try. I thought this last clarification had been enough to get my point across though. I was wrong. He went on to say that he'd noticed me a while ago. That he found me beautiful. And then he made a stupid mistake.

I have lived and hung out with latinos enough to know that lying is a way of life for most of them. Men and women alike. I absolutely abhor lies and liars. I don't mean the little white lies we tell to spare the feelings of those we care about. I mean the nasty ones and the useless ones. This guy gave me a confidently flirtatious grin. He turned around and pointed at the board on the wall where all the security card pictures of the controllers are and said "I've pointed out your picture to the other fellows I work with, to show them how pretty you were. " My picture is not on the board yet because I'm still an intern.

What an amateur. Some liars are intelligent. They have style, they have flair. They're so convolutely charming in their lies that you can't be mad at them. I can respect such a liar, in a way. They're almost sociological artists! But this guy... it was so pathetic that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Amused, I gave him one of my most dazzling smiles before saying, "Alberto. Sólo amigos, ok?" Then I walked away without waiting for his reply.