He smiled again.
“I told her she reminds me of my wife.”
I waited for the rest.
“That’s it?”
“Not exactly.”
He continued.
“I told her that every time she tries to get attention, it only makes me appreciate you more because you never need attention from anyone to feel confident.”
Suddenly, everything made sense.
He hadn’t insulted her.
He hadn’t criticized her appearance.
He hadn’t embarrassed her intentionally.
He simply compared confidence with attention-seeking behavior.
And for the first time, she realized her efforts had completely failed.
Over the next few weeks, her behavior changed dramatically.
The towel incidents stopped.
The awkward comments disappeared.
She no longer looked for opportunities to impress anyone.
Instead, she seemed quieter and more reflective.
One evening she finally admitted something.
“I think I went too far.”
It wasn’t a full apology, but it was the closest thing I was going to get.
I nodded.
“Yes. You did.”
She looked down.
“I honestly thought every man would react.”