"What care I for the will and preference of one such as he? Disregard him, or know that pleasures undreamt of by all but a fortunate few will pass you by, as the leaf that tumbles down river in a mighty torrent passes the shore - and glimpsing it, wish to be there."
Instead of, as was the actual case, apologizing and then avoiding eye-contact and changing the way I walk around the office so as not to bump into her. Yep, definitely like the bombast, better.
