Celebrity Encounter at Fayette Mall

Oh, Kentucky-bred celebrities.

I'm not talking about the horses - I'm talking about the rich and famous! There's smart cookie Diane Sawyer, unofficial UK basketball cheerleader Ashley Judd, eternal bachelor George Clooney, and wife of McSteamy, The Noxzema Girl (aka Rebecca Gayheart). I don't know about you, but I think that's a whole lot of hotness coming out of this state.

So let me tell you a story about working in the mall. It ties together, I promise.

Fayette Mall

is the largest mall in Lexington, and I think the second biggest in the state. In college, I worked at the mall in a little tiny kiosk - you know, the ones where the ladies chase you down and try to rub manicure stuff all over you? My kiosk had much less harassment involved - I changed watch batteries. During work hours, my eyes were usually cast down at my hands while I popped backs off watches and figured out what size they took.

On one late afternoon on a weekday, there were no watch batteries to replace. I polished the glass cases, drank a cherry Icee, and people-watched. I was gazing off into the distance staring towards Sears. I saw a couple who looked slightly out of place walking towards me. I suppose they could have blended into a crowd if there was one, but since the mall was pretty empty, I was noticing pretty much everyone. As they got closer, I racked my brain trying to figure out why one of them looked familiar. The female took a split second to turn her head to The Body Shop window, which was directly across from me. That split second gave me enough time to grab whatever piece of paper I could and whatever pen I could find. I approached the man from right outside my little kiosk.

"Excuse me, can I have your autograph?"

"Sure, what's your name?" he asked.

"Emily" I replied (how lame is that? not my name, but that I didn't say anything more)

He scribbled something on my paper and handed it back to me.

"Thank you" I said.

"No problem" dude replied.

He and the woman continued on towards Dillard's, totally unfazed, and I hopped back in the kiosk and stared at the paper - a frequent watch buyer card:

emily - all good - johnny deep 

There was no scene or commotion. Just me quietly asking Kentucky-bred Johnny Depp for an autograph, and him politely obliging. Seriously- he was so nice. The woman with him was his partner and baby momma - Vanessa Paradis. 

While I still harbor resentment towards anyone who goes to Fayette Mall around Christmas, I thank Johnny Depp for giving me a great memory of my little watch-battery-changing days.