Grazed, then Chased

I live in Philly but since we are almost a New York suburb and we have no Holla Back yet, I'm sending my story to you.

I walk into a bookstore in Old City, it's one of my favorites because it's all used books and there are so many books, they pile them up everywhere, it's like cairns up and down the aisles. It's always an adventure to go in and generally fun to strike up conversation with fellow book lovers. That evening was hot and humid, I had a sun dress on. I found my favorite section and started scanning for books. I hear someone walking down the aisle and press up against the shelves to make room (there were 5 or 6 towers of books near my feet), I hear the individual say something, Hey, Hi, What's up sort of greeting, but at the same moment I feel him graze my butt.

In that instant two things cross my mind - it was an accident/he did it on purpose. The blood rushes to my face because I know it was no accident. I lean back from the shelves and dig my nails into the book I'm holding. I look at him, he doesn't look back. I pay for the book, he quickly leaves the store but turns back to look at me as he passes the window. All manner of gruesome scenarios invade my mind and I count to 20 and leave the store.

Two blocks down the street, I'm still boiling, mostly that I didn't do anything, and then I hear it. "Hey, hey miss" I turn to find him jogging down the block towards me across the street. I cross the street screaming any and all obscenities at him, and so the people near us get the picture, yell at him for groping me in a bookstore, being a pervert, asshole and the like. He turns, walks away, turns again and then starts running down the street.

I hope I have scared him one tenth of what he scared me.