take a joke

#126

(My father runs a dog grooming shop, and I have been helping him out there since I was about 10 during times when I'm not in school. During the time of this exchange, I was maybe 14 and working the counter when an older man, maybe in his 50s or 60s, came to pick up his dog.)

Man: "I'm here to pick up Maggie."

Me: "All right, that'll be $42 today."

Man: *smiles* "So, is your hair dyed, or are you a natural redhead?"

(I had recently bleached my hair from black in an attempt to get it light enough to dye bright red. It was a bright orange color from the bleach, and very obviously not a natural color. On top of that, my eyebrows are dark brown, revealing my natural color.)

Me: "Um, I bleached it from black, and it just kind of turned this color. It wasn't on purpose."

Man: "Oh, I see. Yeah, my ex-wife was a redhead. Feisty little thing, she was."

Me: "Oh, that's nice." *awkward smile*

Man: "But, yeah, I'm just bringing Maggie by to be groomed while I'm waiting for my wife to get out of physical therapy. She can't move around very well."

Me: "All right. Well, if you'd like to hand over your leash and collar, I'll go get Maggie for you."

(I go to get the dog and he leaves with her, only to forget his wallet on the counter. Still not sure if he did that on purpose or not, really. I of course have to call him and let him know that we have it, so he immediately returns.)

Me: "Here's your wallet, sir."

Man: "Thanks. Haha, you didn't use my card to buy a new car, did you?"

(Considering the subtle yet creepy lines he'd dropped, I wasn't sure if he had realized how young I was. I decided to drop a hint.)

Me: "Oh, no, haha. I'm nowhere near old enough to drive."

(He started to look a bit surprised and just left with a simple thank you. I haven't seen him since.)