The Man Who Wasn't There

I work in a modern office building in Midtown, for a busy staffing agency where there are people coming in and out all day.

But one day, there was a man who came in that did not have an appointment on the books. In fact, it seems no one saw him at all.

This afternoon, a young Hispanic lady came in for an appointment along with another visitor, a young white male with a black coat who I presumed was her boyfriend or spouse.

Maybe he looked a little pale but nothing seemed amiss or out of place about him, fully normal looking person. It should be noted that most of the applicants who come in are black or Hispanic and maybe he looked a little out of place.

We work 6 or 7 of us in a cramped space, around the size of a studio apartment. Since this is Manhattan space is at a premium. You can't really do anything or make any kind of sound/movement without all of us seeing it.

I was busy at the time, but I do not recall seeing this man leave or hearing the door to our suite open. I assumed he had slipped off to the bathroom maybe when I had my back turned, but hours went by and he never returned to our office. Thought this was odd.

I forgot about it for awhile until the young lady he came in with was done with her appointment. I asked her out of curiosity where her boyfriend or accomplice went. She looked at me with a confused face. She said she didn't come with anybody.

I asked my colleagues if anyone saw the other guy leave. No one said anything, they all looked at me with a blank stare and continued on with their busy days.

Nothing unusual has ever happened before or since in our office. A couple of our employees have died over the years but he did not resemble either of them.

Although our building is modern and has been heavily renovated, we work in the garment district where a lot of companies have come and gone over the years. Maybe it was someone from another time, or just someone in the wrong place. Any thoughts or suggestions?