I've never been one of those girls who used my feminine wiles to get what I wanted. Let me just be frank here, I've never even had the opportunity to use my feminine wiles. Hell, I didn't even know I had any. But, I've often marveled at girls who batted their eyelashes a certain way and thus manipulated situations to their advantage. I never thought that I had that in me. Until...

I was working a wedding last Friday night. I was short on helpers...save my one trusty assistant. But, things were behind...and I needed ten more trusty assistants to make up on lost time. We were at the reception site and an old, bald, Egyptian man fancied us. Since we were sweaty and disheveled...I'm pretty certain he was just one of those types who see Indian girls and automatically think they're beautiful because they're Indian...so things like sweat, dishevelment, and steam coming out of my ears didn't dissuade him.

He was ever so eager to be at our beck and call. "Oh, I pick this up for you, mam." "Let me move this box for you, mam." I found it a little creeperish because wherever I turned...there he was...at my service. "I cook good biriyani, mam." I was short-staffed, short on time, and short tempered. So, I wasn't really in the mood to deal with this overly helpful, overly informative creeper. My assistant and I did our best to ignore him, make as little conversation as possible without being completely rude, and get the heck back to the church in time for pre-wedding tasks!

After the wedding we raced back to the reception site to make sure everything was set up properly and ready for show time. By this time, we were parched. It was now 8 pm, and we had been working since noon. As soon as we entered the ballroom....there he was. It was as if he had been waiting for us to return since we left. But, this time, he had a cold glass of tea in his hands for us. I had never been more excited to see unsweetened tea in my life. I took it from him...appreciatively....and drank it as if I had been in the desert for the past 40 years.

And that's when it hit me!...like a ton of bricks! I could totally use my feminine Indian girl wiles to get what I wanted. And what I wanted...was more assistance! "Mo, can you carry this box out to the foyer?"..."Mo, can you please get the sound guy some water?" "Mo, can you please find a to go box for me so I can take a piece of cake home to my husband?" I know...it's horrible....but it was wonderful all at the same time! I've never had someone so eager to do everything I asked! Now, I'm not a complete wretch...I did say thank you and good bye.

Don't worry...I very rarely run across people who think I'm gorgeous just because I'm Indian...so this feminine wiles thing won't get out of hand! And if given another opportunity to try it out again...I will only use it for good and not evil! =)