RAISING THE BAR FOR FLIRTING - ROMANTIC STORY
RAISING THE BAR FOR FLIRTING - ROMANTIC STORY
IT’S JANUARY OF 2010. I AM A REGULAR AT A BAR A FEW BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE. ONE OF THE BARTENDERS IS ABSOLUTELY EYE-CATCHING: TALL, BLONDE, BUSTY, LEGGY, AND OPENLY TRANSGENDER. SHE GETS HIT ON AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES A NIGHT BY DRUNK CUSTOMERS.
I KNOW SHE WOULD RESENT IT — AND TURN ME DOWN — IF I WERE TO GO OVER TO HER AND
USE SPOKEN WORDS TO HIT ON HER, SO I DEVISE A DIFFERENT PLAN.
I TAKE ONE OF
MY SOCIAL CARDS — A CARD WITH MY NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ON IT — AND TUCK
IT INSIDE A WRITTEN NOTE.
MY NOTE: “I HAVE BEEN ADMIRING YOU AND CRUSHING ON YOU FOR MONTHS. I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW WELL YOU HANDLE ALL THE DRUNKS WHO SAY CRUDE THINGS ABOUT YOU.
YOU ARE
CLEARLY KIND, CARING, PATIENT, AND GOOD-HEARTED, AS WELL AS BEAUTIFUL. IF YOU’D
LIKE TO CONTACT ME, FEEL FREE. MY INFORMATION IS ENCLOSED.”
I HAND THE
NOTE TO THE BAR’S OWNER AND TELL HER TO PASS IT TO THE BARTENDER IN QUESTION
WHEN SHE GETS OFF SHIFT (WHICH I KNOW WILL BE IN A FEW MINUTES). THE OWNER DOES
SO, AND WHEN THE BARTENDER READS IT, I CAN SEE THE OWNER POINTING TOWARD ME. I
LEAVE AFTER THE GAME I’M WATCHING IS FINISHED.
THE NEXT DAY,
THE OWNER PASSES ME A NOTE FROM THE BARTENDER.
BARTENDER’S
NOTE: “IF
I WASN’T ALREADY IN A RELATIONSHIP, I’D CALL YOU. THANKS FOR NOT BEING A JERK
LIKE THE OTHER DUDES.”
FAST FORWARD
TO JULY OF 2010. I’M SITTING ON A PARK BENCH WATCHING PEOPLE TOSSING FRISBEES,
KICKING SOCCER BALLS, AND PICNICKING, WHEN MY FAVORITE BARTENDER WALKS UP ALONG
WITH A TALL BRUNETTE. THE BRUNETTE INTRODUCES HERSELF AS THE BARTENDER’S
ROMANTIC PARTNER.
BRUNETTE: “THANK YOU FOR
DOING WHAT YOU DID WHEN YOU DID IT. [BARTENDER] WAS GOING THROUGH A REALLY
ROUGH MENTAL HEALTH PERIOD, AND HAVING SOMEONE SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT HER RATHER
THAN JUST HEARING DRUNKS LEER AT HER CHEST AND LEGS HELPED GET HER BACK INTO A
GOOD MENTAL STATE.”
AS OF NOW,
THEY’RE STILL TOGETHER, AND BOTH ARE DOING WELL NOW THAT THE WORST OF THE
GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS HAS PASSED.
