I Just Gave My Card To A Random, (Very) Attractive Woman In A Restaurant
First off, …. I HAVE A CARD!! I’ve been on my own as a Handyman for a year and a half or so. The company I worked for as a Carpenter hit a slow patch. I’d been doing side work and just slid into that full-time. I’m kinda proud of my card. Vistaprint gives you a pretty sweet deal on the first thousand. (I designed it m’self). It has a Bruce Lee quote on the back:
“Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own”
H-u-u-u-h? Not bad……
I didn’t get a complete look at her face as she glided by. I just felt something. I’d been in there 20 minutes or so. I was treating myself to my favorite Vietnamese place in St. Paul. You know which one I mean, right?
(I knew you would).
This just happened an hour ago.
She came in with two other people, (it looked to be a couple). Maybe her Parents? I couldn’t tell for sure. They were the only other people in the restaurant, so it was easy to get a sense of her without having to hear her. (Naturally, I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but I also had this feeling, so; whaddayagonnado?) . She seemed confident and animated and was having a nice, fun conversation. I couldn’t tell you what it was about,( I did manage to be that considerate.)
She reminded me of Jennifer Lawrence, (without the movie star dealio)
I’m nothing even close to a “Ladies Man”, but I do have my confidences. Is the term Ladies Man a thing anymore? I have asked Women out after brief conversations, (sometimes very brief), and gotten a few dates. And, a few said no. But I’ve never just walked up to a Woman cold like that, with absolutely no pretext. It took me a little time to work up the courage. (Moxie would be another word, but I’m not THAT old).
I paid my bill, took a deep breath, and walked to Her table. The couple she was with were smiling at me. The Woman looked up at me and gave me an “Oh, hello” smile. I’m not going to lie, my Heart was pounding a little. I looked at her and said:
“Hi. I’ve never done this before, but I’ve been noticing you since you came in. I’m going to leave you my card, and I hope you send me an e-mail. A-a-nd, if you don’t, you don’t”
I smiled at her and left.
I walked to my car, feeling a; …. I dunno, Lightness Of Being. I drove a few blocks and had to pull over. I sat there, just feeling like that, for a while. I called my friend Shrek and told him about it.
“Well .… damn. Good for you”
Yup.
Now, I’m sitting here. Feeling like that. Then I decided to write about it. I have absolutely no expectations one way or the other. For all I know, She thinks I’m some smarmy jerk who does this all the time.
But I did it. I crossed a personal threshold. And, if that’s all that comes of this, that’s just fine.
I’m okay with that.
Be Good Everybody,
-Mark Rockford Winsor-
{Epilogue} Hi again. I was just sitting here this morning, thinking about it. And I realized; I can’t go back there for at least three months. If I do, it’ll be kinda stalkery … (creepy). Like I’m showing up at the exact same time, every weekend, tryin’ to run into HER again …. *Sig-h-h-h* …. I DO get myself into some shit. But it’s GOOD shit
{Epilogue …. EPILOGUE} Okay, it’s been a coupla weeks. Y’know that old Melanie song with the line “Don’t it always seems to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone” It’s TRUE. I don’t get over to St. Paul a lot. I knew a guy from Texas who remarked that Minneapolitans and St. Paulites (My terms, not his) treat the other’s city like utterly foreign countries. But I digress ….. It’s been 3 times when I’ve been within a mile of my Vietnamese restaurant, AND I REALLY WANT TO GO THERE AND GET MY BELOVED #36 , but for reasons elucidated (w-a-a-a-y back) in Epilogue #1, I CAN’T. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH !!!!!. (I’ll be okay someday ;)