…and it wasn’t a good thing.

“They are probably all tools,” Chris said. “Just look at them.”

The party was entering its third hour. The music and the crowd seemed to increase in volume. People stepped all over us as we sat near the bottom of the stairs in faux granite bean bag chairs. Following Chris’ comment, I watched a guy coming down the stairs. He wore a button-collared silk shirt with a print that repeated throughout the material. He was Asian with a short-trimmed haircut and carried a drink in his hand. The guy noticed my eyes studying him and headed directly for me. I could feel Chris laugh silently as I brainstormed options for retreat.

“That looks like a nice chair,” the guy said, hovering above me.

“It is,” I said and mentally kicked Chris for getting me into this situation.

“What are you drinking?”

“Water.”

“Not a drinker?”

“No.”

“A good girl, huh?”

I stopped myself at that moment, frantically thinking of something that would make him go away instead of myself having to leave. “Are you in user experience?” I asked politely.

“Sort of. I heard about it and came here.” He swirled his drink and took a sip.

I narrowed my eyes and became testy. “So what is it? What is user experience to you?”

“An experience for an user. A user that experiences. An experience of an user.”

“I see. It doesn’t sound right.”

“You got me! I am not in user experience! I like your boots.”

I didn’t respond. He leaned over and touched them. Then he tapped my arm and said, “What’s your name? My name is John.”

“I think that my friends are leaving so I am going to go,” I said and stood up, exchanging an angry glance with Chris who sat mute and amused.

“See?” Chris said moments later. “He completely proved me right.”