Off kilter

There's a new guy on the other side of our office who's just a tad bit off-kilter. To me, at least.

If memory serves me right, he started to work here around a month back. He sits at the cubicle that Joe formerly occupied, and that's en route to the water cooler, ergo, it's a place I pass through at least 6 times a day.

One time, we ran across each other in the corridor. Since he was new, I quickly smiled at him and said: "Hello." He acknowledged my greeting and even doubled back to communicate his pleasantries. A few days after, I noticed that whenever i'd pass by his cube, he'd crane his neck up and look. When we're about to meet at the corridor, he'd stop and watch me until i've passed by. One time, while I was refilling my bottle at the water cooler, he stood beside me and just looked at me until I finished.

After a situation like that, i'd quickly check myself in the mirror because i might have something on my face. Or maybe the phrase "leer at me" is written on my forehead without me knowing it. Fortunately, i've found nothing on my face or my forehead those times. And this makes me wonder a bit more.

Today, while I was on my way down to buy a snack, we took the same elevator. And he did it again! He stood beside me, craned his neck up (since he's just up to my ear) and leered. I looked at him and smiled, and he was just frozen in place. He did that from the 33rd floor down. Thank goodness it was a high-speed elevator!

While buying crackers at Manning's, I was trying to decipher what makes him do it. Do I look like so different from the other people in the office? Do I remind him of someone? Is he a Steve Martin fan? Are my brows too thick? Ah yes, the mystery of it all. Now, if he does that again the next few weeks, it might just push me to demand an answer from him.

Hmmm... Maybe he has "gweilomania."