Yesterday afternoon, a tatterdemalion knocked on the door to my office. As one frequently is when encountering homeless people, I was apprehensive about answering the door. But it’s not like I could pretend I couldn’t see her, I mean, I have glass doors. She could see me and I could see her. Bosslady, in her office, also saw this woman approach and had a sarcastic comment as the woman approached our office. The woman knocked, I got up from my desk and opened the door.

Woman: Do you got a phone I can use?
Me: **truly perplexed** Um… sure.
Woman: thanks.
Me: You can use my phone. **eyeing my iPod, financial statements, signed but otherwise blank checks, and everything else on my desk** Here, let me get you an outside line. **hands her the phone, moves iPod out of the way**
Woman: **loud, brief phone call to someone she called Mom.**

She thanked me, asked me if she could partake of the candy in my candy jar, took a handful of candy, thanked me again, and left.

I watched her walk away. When she was out of sight, I got up, locked the door, and went into the conference room to retrieve the Windex and paper towels.

Bossman J: **coming out of his office** Phew! **waving arms** That’s a powerful smell. How’d she get in here?
Me: I let her in.
Bossman J: You need to spray some air freshener.
Me: **Windexing my phone — I’d do it if you used it too, I’m one of those types of people** I will.
Bossman J: I can’t believe that stench is lingering like that.
Me: Then go back to your office so you don’t have to smell it.

I retrieved the Lysol, sprayed my freshly-windexed phone, the air, and my desk. I threw out the rest of the candy and Lysol’d my candy jar.

And, I felt good about letting that poor woman into the a/c for a few minutes to make a phone call.

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