" As I approached the elevators, a familiar man passed me, pausing to say, "You will—"
"Stop it right there!" I yelled, interrupting Paolo the Diviner before he could cause any more trouble for me. People in the area turned to look at us. I lowered the volume of my voice, but kept my tone as mean as I could. "I have no idea why you've decided to become my personal voice of doom, but I would appreciate it if you would stop telling me that I'm going to trip, or spill stuff on myself, or be arrested, or any of the thousand other disasters I'm sure you behold in my future, because frankly, I don't want to know. OK?"
Paolo looked offended. His nostrils flared. He backed up a step, looking down his long nose at me, his lips pressed together tightly.
"I'm sorry to be so brusque," I said, realizing I had insulted him. "And I want you to know that I appreciate your concern for my well-being"—a little white lie never hurt anyone—"but I will take my chances with life on my own."
He said nothing, just raised a supercilious eyebrow at me.
"Thank you," I said, figuring that he might leave me alone if I thanked him for his effort. "Uh ... have a nice day."
Paolo continued to stare silently at me as I made a little good-bye wave and walked toward the elevator. "
Image for Quotes
"Stop it right there!" I yelled, interrupting Paolo the Diviner before he could cause any more trouble for me. People in the area turned to look at us. I lowered the volume of my voice, but kept my tone as mean as I could. "I have no idea why you've decided to become my personal voice of doom, but I would appreciate it if you would stop telling me that I'm going to trip, or spill stuff on myself, or be arrested, or any of the thousand other disasters I'm sure you behold in my future, because frankly, I don't want to know. OK?"
Paolo looked offended. His nostrils flared. He backed up a step, looking down his long nose at me, his lips pressed together tightly.
"I'm sorry to be so brusque," I said, realizing I had insulted him. "And I want you to know that I appreciate your concern for my well-being"—a little white lie never hurt anyone—"but I will take my chances with life on my own."
He said nothing, just raised a supercilious eyebrow at me.
"Thank you," I said, figuring that he might leave me alone if I thanked him for his effort. "Uh ... have a nice day."
Paolo continued to stare silently at me as I made a little good-bye wave and walked toward the elevator." style="width:100%;margin:20px 0;"/>