"They are acquaintances, I am not part of Atalante," he said.
People who become friends with you do so because they like you and add something to their lives (otherwise, you are just acquaintances or strangers).
Actually, perhaps the better word is "acquaintance".
She even manages to give you the feeling that you are an old acquaintance, even if this is the first time she has ever seen your face, regardless of how many other people are in the room.
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If you're just acquaintances, a phone call wouldn't make any harm, would it?
If you're already acquaintances, ask them casual things such as "Hey, How are you?.... How have things been?" If you're really scared get a trusted friend to do it.
Yes, patting bellies is somewhat intrusive, but if you tell an acquaintance you are unemployed, do you really expect him or her to whistle and talk about the weather?
You will tell her you are upset because an acquaintance died or something, and she will either laugh or she will say 'Oh', and won't know what to say.
