Red flags at night

I know. I know. I have a lot of catching up to do. So my first entry of the new year will share a story of a guy I met before the holidays.

I had signed up for a group activity--going hiking through one of our local historical cemeteries. This was with an outdoor group through MeetUp.com that I enjoy. As the group assembled, I looked around for someone else that I knew. Since there was no one, I introduced myself around. One man looked kind of interesting to me and we smiled at each other, but nothing more.

The hike started and the company was congenial. It was a cool, damp morning and I love feeling the history swirl around me. The gravestones are fascinating and I enjoyed that atmosphere and the day. As the group got spaced further and further apart, I found myself walking with a man with white hair and a nice smile.

We chatted and talked and had a nice time. He was complimentary to me and we thought that we had a lot in common. He did mentioned that he worked at the local Gap, but I thought he was either kidding or taking a second job at 45 to help with holiday bills. At the end of the tour, he asked if I would like coffee. Sure. Sounds nice.

As we settled in for coffee, more of his story came out. He really did work at the Gap. He was a recovering alcoholic. He was on medication. Gee! How could I have not seen all that? He was perfectly nice, chatting at the cemetary.

And so we parted. But, of course, he called. Told me how lovely I was. How smart and friendly. And those words can feel good sometimes. But as I've learned: pay attention to warning signs. They spell trouble ahead.