I have become a Stalker

Way back when in November, I took a meeting with a potential client and all in all, it was a pretty good meeting.  They asked me to prepare a point of view on the field of shopper insights so I (diligently of course) drafted what I thought was a wicked smart approach to helping them address their business issues.  I sent the proposal, followed up with a phone call, and waited.

...and waited
...and waited
...and waited

Until I was done with waiting.  I then called once a week for two weeks.  Mind you, I am not desperate for business, I simply wanted to hear what they thought of my thinking.  It was making me anxious that I may have been so off the mark that they must have laughed when they received it.  I decided to offer my anxiety up to the souls of purgatory (not really, but my mom will be happy that I said I did) and let it go.

Cut to a few weeks later - I hit some traffic on the way to the train station and took a later train than usual. While standing on the platform, something in my peripheral vision caught my attention.  It was a man - but not just any man - it was the prospect I met with about a month earlier; at least I thought it was. My wife will be the first person to tell you that I often say "doesn't that person remind you of so and so?" while her response is typically, "No, not really." She does not even try to sugar coat her response either.  As you can see, I am used to both personal and professional rejection, but  digress.

I, however, was convinced it was him. For the sake of argument, lets call him Don Diego Vega.  I stepped on the train, took a seat, and, to my amazement, Zorro took a seat in front of me.  I poked my head over the seat periodically to see whether or not there was anything that would confirm his identify (logo on briefcase, name on laptop, DNA sample, sword) - NADA.

As the trained entered the tunnel between 125th street and Grand Central, I noticed my "mark" stand up and wait by the door. That's when the idea hit me, I would follow him to his office, unmask him (in my mind of course) and confirm his identify.

He stepped off the train first and I followed him (after flipping the collar of my black coat up of course).  I then followed him to the main hall of Grand Central.  He went right whereas I typically would have gone left but no matter.  Now I really did not think he was going to look around to see if he had a "tail" on "his six," but periodically I stopped on our walk and pretended to play with my iPhone.  (Hey, I lead a relatively boring life, allow me this simple pleasure).

Well, I followed him all the way up Park Avenue and watched him step into the building I had visited just a few weeks before. So I was right after-all,  too bad I did not have the cajones to stop him on the street and ask him about my document.

At any rate, I did finally hear through the grapevine that their budgets were slashed and that is why he did not respond.

Have you ever stalked a client or potential employer for that matter? Please share.