I am leaving work Friday and had no plans established, so I text this AFC who needs some help in approach. I met him a couple weeks ago with another friend of mine and word got back to me through the grapevine that he was impressed by my bold approaches that night. I think he just hasn't learned to blow through AA.

At one point that evening, my friends are eying these two women standing at a table alone. So I go right up to the 2-set (HB7's) and point to the alcohol lamp and empty ice-filled glass: "Hi. Looks like we have fire and ice all lined up. This should be fun..." Had to plow through the first 20 seconds but they opened up. I dropped the two friends off with the ladies and moved on.

So I text this AFC and ask him if he wants to go out. He says he's still feeling the alcohol from St Patties day, he's not up for much. No worries.

So about 8:30 I roll up to a small (max occupancy 60ish) club in the beach area. It's got a relaxed, friendly vibe, I like the place but it's often a slightly older crowd (I'm 29, often many there are in their 30's+). I'm turned away at the door, they are having a private party. The boncer is friendly though, asks for my ID and says he hopes to see me in thirty minutes.

So I walk down the street to this dive bar. Even older crowd, almost nobody my age. Oh well. Grab a beer and feel my own AA. Best way to deal with it: cold approach a 4-top table of sitting women (maybe late 30's, all HB6's). Plow through a luke-warm response, in which the women clearly think they are too old for me. It's one of their birthdays, but she's embarrassed. Friends say she doesn't want to admit her age (indication of their age hangup). Then they say about another woman: But she's just getting divorced! I respond: "Hey, that's kind of like a birthday!" They laugh pretty good and I toast them all. But then they pretty clearly move back into their conversation and I sense I should eject while I'm on a high note.

I wander back to the bar where I recognize a guy - but I don't know where from. I open, he's friendly and we watch the last five minutes of the game together. Meanwhile I'm noticing an HB7.5 that has entered and is sitting in the corner alone, working with her phone. Again, older than I, perhaps mid to late 30's. After a few minutes I catch eye contact and I mouth "I like your hat" while doing a hat action with my hand over my head (like I'm tipping an imaginary hat). She responds from the corner with a "thank you" mouthing and a smile. Time to move back to my original target club, it's 9PM.

Walk up and the bouncer recognizes me, waves me in and says hello. I grab the drink menu (deciding I'm going to try a martini, their specialty here). AA Is still an issue this night, though I'm warming up. I order a Speciality martini and begin sipping it at the bar, looking for an opportunity to open somebody. There is a group of women with a couple guys, HB9/HB7/HB7. But they are in the corner and quite isolated, it will be difficult to break in. I take note for later.

So in come two women, HB8/HB7 - they are trying to order drinks but the bar (small) is full of standing / sitting people. I turn around and offer them my spot at the bar so they can order. They thank me and I move behind them. Looking over the drink menu I open the set: "What are you going to get?" They struggle to read the menu so I pull out my phone and use it to light the menu. The HB8 asks what I'm drinking, I tell them and offer a taste: she declines politely... Bah.

Some quick banter about drinks and they order. I work to maintain some discussion, I'm not doing spectacular here - too many questions and not enough stories / interesting hooks from me. But I push through these issues and find out that the HB8 is actually a masters student at the university I teach at. She doesn't know I teach, that hasn't come up yet. I'm being quite careful to split attention between the HB8 and HB7, not expressing too much interest yet in either. Feeling things out.

I manage to work in naturally my recent volunteer activities with Make a Wish (and hence my photography, so I get to show her my photos on my iPhone). Then I segue into school and whatnot... and pop the fact that I'm an instructor at her university. This causes the HB8 to do a double-take, and she asks my age. She's 24. IOIs start to pick up, she kino's my arm and I decide to start progression with the HB8. But I'ms till being cautious to keep the HB7 in the discussion (and make eye contact with her / bring her into the discussion intermittently). I have them laughing, they are having fun with me. They hint that they have friends down the beach at another location, ask what I'm doing tonight. Me: "Having fun, finding some dancing later." HB8: "Dancing!? Cool. What type?" So I get the vibe they are going to bounce before I do, which is fine. I ask for their phone numbers and they refuse to leave until I have texted them (I tease at that point: "Are you going to stalk me?"). They ask me to text them if I end up down the beach later that night.

They leave and I feel pretty damn good. So I open the guys associated with the HB9/HB7/HB7. Work my way into conversation with the HB9. She's training for a marathon. Really high value girl, not getting attraction vibes from her though. Perhaps she simply wasn't looking. Or maybe my approach wasn't strong enough. Either way, she was easy to talk to and I had no trouble feeling comfortable at this point.

My AFC friend arrives, we chat and kill an hour before moving down the beach to where the ladies are. I text the HB8/HB7, letting them know I'm in the area but not asking where they are (this seems less needy to me). Get a response saying they are at "the pier" - which leaves about 12 bars as alternatives. I take that as a sign they aren't looking to meet up that night, so AFC and I go dancing at another club and I respond: "AFC and I met his friends at X club, getting our dance on." Tell them where I am, but don't invite or act needy.

Made one approach at the club that is note worthy. Really cute HB8.5 in tights is looking lost, wondering around the perimeter of the dance floor like she's searching for something.

I walk right up and come in close, touch her arm and ask: "You look lost, do you need anything?"

She smiles and turns to me: "I can't find my boyfriend!"

I don't lose my stride an ounce, follow up immediately with: "Well, is he tall" hold my hand up about 6'2" and scan the crowd "that would make this easier".

Her: "No, he's about your height." This would have been a good opportunity to tease her with something like "Wait wait... So I'm not tall? You think I'm short?" I'm 5'10". But I didn't think of that until replay.

Me: "Well that's too bad. Does he at least have some notable qualities? Is he a redhead?"

Her: "No.... laughs"

Me: "Well damn. This isn't going to be easy. Good luck!" And I eject. She seemed completely comfortable with the exchange, I think I had a good frame.

Called it a night shortly after. About Midnight. I have a tendency not to make it till closing time. Can't sleep in for the life of me and I have a late night date today (Sat) that I want to be alert for.

tl;dr - Went out solo, busted down the AA and got solid IOI / # closes from a 2-set. Had fun with some other approaches, never got completely shot down (maybe a bad thing). Had a good night.