“the little woman”

Well that was interesting....

I'm at my hotel in Sticksville and I was just downstairs having breakfast. As I bussed my dishes I said Hi to a woman who works here whom I have always seen every time I stay here. I don't know what her job is — maybe some kind of daytime manager? — but she's clearly a longtime employee and she is always tidying the breakfast area on weekday mornings.

Her name tag says her name is Dawn, but it didn't remember that from earlier visits. But I absolutely remember her face and we generally wave and chitchat.

Anyway Dawn said Hi back, and then remarked, "It's been a while now since I've seen the little woman here with you." And I had to stop and think ... Huh? Who? What "little woman"?

Finally I figured out that the only woman with whom I ever had breakfast there was Hil, back when we were working together. So I explained that Hil had transferred to another department and didn't do projects in America any more, I told a funny story or two, and went on my way.

But I have to wonder ... is that how we looked from the outside? I'm used to the phrase "the little woman" as a synonym for "wife". And I can imagine it used when someone isn't quite sure of the nature of the relationship. (This is a hotel, after all! They must get a disproportionate number of couples without benefit of matrimony.) The thing is, I can absolutely guarantee we never touched and there were never any verbal endearments. We talked about work, or about her girls, or about her shopping. (Ugh. Her shopping!) Maybe once in a long while about my boys. But that's it. Period.

And still Dawn thought it made sense to inquire in a roundabout way about "the little woman". It's strange.

Maybe Dawn has an overheated imagination. Or maybe my manner towards Hil was more courtly than I realized. Maybe we got along casually enough that Dawn just assumed we had to be closer than just colleagues.

Maybe a lot of things. I have no idea.



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