Talk about bad luck.

I walk into one of Ellensburg’s smoke shops this afternoon to interview the manager (I’m working on a story about the state’s new candy, cigarette and soda taxes) and there is this guy hanging around the porn section.

Now, mind you, it’s Ellensburg. The chances of you running into someone you know is a given — but someone that works for a newspaper? That’s just bad luck. Granted, he didn’t know I worked for the paper until my photographer walked through the door and started snapping photos of cigarette packs.

While I waited for my interviewee, who was a tiny bit tardy, I kept my eyes away from his personal space, staring at the walls and counting cigarette packs. Staring at a man rifling through porn would just be awkward.

But I couldn’t help it. The guy was going through each video one by one so methodical. I don’t know if he just has specific tastes or he had simply seen them all. What I do know is he was looking for something in particular.

Near the bottom ends of the shelf and toward the back, he finally picked his prize. Right when he walked to the counter is about the time the photographer walked through the door.

The man was either embarrassed or pressed for time. He abandoned the DVD and headed straight for the door.

Apparently, it wasn’t that important.