Hunka Hunka 'spensive Soap

So, I had lunch downtown today, and afterward found myself walking through Macy's where I happened upon the Lush handmade soaps display. If you know me at all, you know I kinda have a bit of a penchant for handmade soap.

That does not make me any less of a man.

But it is the key ingredient in a recipe for trouble when I happen upon a display full of them and then get approached by the helpful, young, just-persistent-enough and friendly sales associate.

She totally played me.

I remarked how I thought the names of the flavors such as "Porridge" and "Sultana of Soap" and "I Should Coco" were great. She replied that she thought it was cool that I called them flavors because she did too.

I picked up a hunk of one that had a really interesting stuff in it. She remarked how she knew exactly what parts were edible and which weren't, and that I really shouldn't eat the translucent orange-y bits she was pointing at.

I said, "You've seriously eaten this stuff?" She said, "Oh yeah! I popped a whole vanilla bean from a bar of soap in my mouth and sucked on it for awhile."

I laughed.

She smiled.

She said, "Would you like a complimentary hand treatment?" I said, "Um, no, that's okay." She rephrased, "Well, let's call it a hand massage then..." I said, "Maybe I'll come back some other time and take you up on that."

By then, she'd established a rapport with me and I'd let down my guard, and I was a goner.

By the end, I willingly handed over my check card for a $17 hunk of "Demon in the Dark" that was barely twice as thick as a normal bar.

Note to self: Do not talk to sales people. Especially cute, little, funny ones.