I got a new job about a month ago, and two weeks ago I decided to hang out with one of my new co-workers after work. The dude is a bit wacky, but he's a fun and non-shy guy who really puts himself out there. Whenever we were gonna part ways for the night, he started walking me back to my car from his apartment complex since it was a bit of a maze. When we hit the gate of the complex, there was a cute girl HB[7] trying to budge the gate open and hitting various numbers she believed would unlock the gate. My co-worker (Jason) spat out "(Actual combination of numbers that unlock the door)," then quickly he yelled, "No don't do it! It's gonna explode!" We kept walking up and then Jason quickly invaded her space and said, "No, no, you're doing it wrong. Look." He then proceeded to show her how the keypad actually worked. She argued back (she was intoxicated, but not plastered) that she could have gotten it herself, and in a flirty manner he told her that she wouldn't have been able to do it unless he came to the rescue. THEN, SHE INTRODUCED HERSELF TO HIM AND SHOOK HIS HAND. And in turn, he introduced himself back. She also got really close to him and started the kino herself, all of this within three minutes. I was fucking baffled. Then two of her friends walked up and it was like a total flirt fest with Jason, and he couldn't have played it more cool by saying that he could take care of them if he needed (because one of the girls was blacked out), and offered up his apartment number. Now, I have to say, that I stayed silent in all of this and was probably standing 15-20 feet away from them during all of this because I was so taken back by what was happening. I didn't exist to these girls, and it wasn't because Jason is a stunning looker, it was because he was just so animated and these chicks were completely eating it up. All of this blew my fucking mind because he really put himself out there to the point where I thought these girls were not going to be feeling it, but I was so wrong. Because he put himself out there, they totally ate it up, and I thought he might be having a foursome that night. After he chatted them up for ten more minutes and I stood there awkwardly, the girls moved on while he yelled back, "Apartment 42 if you need anything!"

 

I told him, "Damn Jason, are you actually gonna do anything? (I knew Jason was in a three year relationship)" and he just looked back and laughed saying, "Nah bro, I live in Apartment 53. I just chatted those girls up cause I wanted to see if I still had it." I mean at that point I was just blown away.

 

FAST FORWARD.

 

So the next night, I'm at a giant music festival with three different friends. We were seeing one of my favorite groups, but then my friends said that they wanted to check someone else out. I said that was cool, but I was going to stay and watch my favorite group. After they left, I had that instant feeling of, "Fuck, I'm that guy by himself at the show." But fuck it, I went with it, and I enjoyed watching my favorite group. When the show ended, I turned to the side and saw two ladies about my age standing to my right. I sat there on my phone, you know, acting like I was texting. And then another quote from Jason flashed through my head when I told him how blown away I was at how quickly the conversation with those ladies progressed the night before. "It's because I don't give a fuck bro. I'd rather someone hate me for who I am, than love me for someone who I'm not." As that quote echoed through my head, I finally hit that "fuck it" point, and turned towards the two ladies.

 

"Do you know what time the next show starts?" I asked. "In about an hour..." one of the girls responded with a disappointed look on her face. From there we chatted about the group we had just seen and I emphasized that it was actually my top group of interest right now. After initial conversation I introduced myself, and they introduced themselves back and I learned they were actually sisters (if you must know, HB[6] and HB[7], both of them). The HB[7], I noticed, was definitely leading the conversation once she found out that me and her were actually the same age and our birthdays were within a few days of each other. We chatted about careers, music, and vacationing while she started to playfully kino with me. I couldn't get over how quickly I was getting to meet a total stranger, who turns out to be an incredible person. As our conversation went on she dropped lines like, "We're going to get to know each other really well." "I'm so glad I met you." I ended up getting her number, and we actually kissed and danced through the entire concert. That night I was kicking myself for the past years of not having the courage to say shit, realizing all the missed opportunities I've probably missed out on just because I would not fucking say something. Now, unfortunately, I've only got a few texts back from my "girl at the rock show," and likely nothing will ever come of it again. However what I did learn was the power of just opening your mouth, and where it could lead. Don't worry about where to take the conversation. Just start it, and go with it. And if you are not natural at it (like me), practice it, put yourself in positions where you are forced to talk to people. Don't run away from social situations that you may get to meet someone new, because you may NEVER get the chance to meet that person again, and what a crime/missed opportunity that may be. Think Fight Club's concept of the single-serving friend. But now apply it to seduction.

 

And that's the way my cookie crumbled.

EDIT: To get a better idea of Jason's personality and just how in-tune with himself he really is, he gave me permission to share his personal website with the reddit community. http://www.thedubsgallery.com/