Brief interaction with past creep

Hello ladies,

I got thrown for a loop yesterday and I am looking to try understand what might have happened to have a better response in future.

Yesterday I was walking up a street and talking with my boyfriend, holding hands on our way to meet people. A creep I used to kind of work with (he rented out a room in the shop I used to work in) walked up to us, said 'Madam' and thrust a leaflet at me. Caught off-guard as I was talking, I didn't look at him when I took the leaflet and we walked off. Now I am kicking myself as I never wanted the leaflet and wish I would have walked off instead.

I am trying to understand why he approached, as I have walked up this street before in the past and he has ignored me (he might not have recognised me as I look different - been a few years). He used to be interested years ago but I don't understand why he would walk up to me and try to passively aggressively get attention from me after years.

I have never had an ex circle back to me for attention before, so I have no strategies on how to deal with someone disappearing and then coming back. Do you have any tips on what I could do in future?