Why Is “NO” Never Good Enough?

I am the only girl working in a comic book shop, so I get a lot of attention from the male customers that come in. Some of them are not the most socially aware people.

One, a man old enough to be my father, has asked me out. Despite me being underage and uninterested, he continues to do so for multiple weeks. Finally, after probably the tenth time he does this over a period of a few months, my boss tells me I can shoot him down as brutally as I want without fear of getting in trouble.

Creeper: “Come on, just one date. You should give me a chance; I spend a lot of time and money in here!”

Me: “I really, really don’t want to go out with you.”

Creeper: “Fine, give me five reasons why not.”

Me: “Really? Fine. One: I am sixteen years old.”

Creeper: “But—”

Me: “Two: forget being old enough to be my father; you are older than my father. That doesn’t do anything for me.”

Creeper: “Well—”

Me: “Three: I am not attracted to your personality or appearance.”

Creeper: “Hey—”

Me: “Four: I don’t care how much money you spend here. I am not a prostitute, and I don’t care about your money.”

The creeper opens his mouth, but before he can get a word out:

Me: “And five: I am not a slave. Just because you spend a lot of money here doesn’t mean I owe you anything. There are your five reasons. I won’t be cashing you anymore after this, and I will not be answering any more of your questions. If you need help, you can ask one of my male coworkers. Cash or credit?”

He silently handed over his debit card, took his receipt and comics, and left. Let’s see if he got the point.

This story is part of our Best Of August 2020 roundup!

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