I guess I'm wondering if my complete silence was rude in this case.
Customer #1 was harrassing me, begging for me phone number, a date etc., and not taking 'no' or 'I'm taken' for an answer.
Customer #2 decides to step in (even though I really didn't need it, the gesture seemed honest enough). It worked. Ordinarily I would have thanked my 'rescuer', except for the way he got rid of the pest was thus:
"Back off mate, you're hanging onto her like the flies hang around a [racial slur]".
Was I rude?
(ETA: for the record, I'm not a member of the racial group in question, nor are any of my friends, but I still find the slur highly offensive)