Finish your food kid, I’m gonna go talk to someone.

Ok daddy.

My heart is pounding. As my daughter tried to finish her Chinese food I noticed a really cute girl sitting by herself at another table in the food court. My insides feel funny, probably adrenaline. So I figure I can go say whatsup or feel regret, but I prolly shouldn’t leave my six year old daughter… Whatever. I walk up to this girl looking her dead in the eye with a smirk. This is a bit absurd.

Hi

(minimally surprised) Hi

My name’s E_

My name’s J_ (shake hands)

You looked really cute so I wanted to come over and say hi. Wanna give me your number?

(she smiles) So, I’m involved with someone (points to her phone on the table – is she involved with her phone?) and I’m also expecting. Like five months.

Oh, well you look great! Bye

And I go back to my daughter, and I feel great for putting myself out there.

Who were you talking to, dad?

A cute girl.

Oh, I want cotton candy.

Sitting on a bench with cotton candy, I’m still buzzing. Totally ‘in state’ you may say. Naturally letting compliments and whadups flow, locking eyes and getting smiles.

We’re going through a department store to get my daughter to a bathroom. She's covered in cotton candy. I’m noticing cute girls browsing clothes everywhere thinking I could say hi, try my luck, but I gotta get this sticky kid to the bathroom. On the way out I see this girl with crazy big hair and a nice bod. ‘hey I like your hair’ ‘Oh hi!’ ‘I’m E’ ‘my name’s K! nice to meet you’ ‘I gotta get going; daughter and all. You should give me your number’ ‘oh, you can give me yours?’

‘next’

‘oh, you’ve gotta go too, come get me when you’re done’

I ask my daughter if she thinks it’s weird that I’m talking to girls

nods

I ask if she thinks I should stop

shakes head

When K_’s done with her line, I get her number, my daughter talks this girl’s ear off while I’m typing it in my phone, I tell her I usually don’t talk to girls when I’m with my daughter [true] and this is kinda weird [also true]. She’s like it’s alright.

And presently, I just got a text back from this chick (my daughter tells me I’m allowed to call girls chicks now; her mom calls herself a ‘cool-chick’ after all), so I’m counting this as a successful number close with my six year old daughter present. It can be done. No excuses.

At one point in my life I felt like being a single dad was a handicap in this game. It might well be; it also might even be advantageous at times. Regardless, this is for anyone who's currently in a similar place. Don't let anything hold you back