...or something that I should have known but didn't quite believe.

I was riding the subway today after work. Per my current rules, I'm not allowed to browse my phone or listen to music, in case opportunity strikes. Well, it did; a very cute girl gets on the subway a station or two after me. She doesn't have her headphones in and she's looking kind of bored. She's carrying a large roll of something, I don't know what, but it presents the perfect opportunity to open.

For the next fifteen minutes (most of my subway ride) I'm trying to convince myself to go say hi. Terrible situations flow though my head: she snaps at me, she turns away from me, she ignores me. She's not smiling; she must not be in a good mood, etc. Plus, I'd cold approached twice that day already and been met with flat expressions and unimpressed looks. But fuck it, right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Finally, with one stop left until my own, I decide that I have nothing to lose. I stand up and walk over to the door of the subway, near where she's standing.

"Excuse me, but what is that?" Not the best opener but this was only the third time I'd ever cold opened so whatever. I brace myself for the cold stares, the hostility, the... something. But none of that happens. Instead, she looks at me and her face lights up. She tells me it's a roll of painter's paper.

This is where I mess up, because I simply thank her and then turn back towards the doors. Almost at once I sense that I could have continued the conversation; I have to get off the metro in like 30 seconds anyway. But I don't, and the metro stops, and I get off.

And so does she! Well, shit, now I'm really pissed at myself; we had the same stop the whole time, we could have walked next to each other, possibly I could have gotten her number, etc. Instead, I just awkwardly ride the escalator up behind her and hope that she doesn't think I'm following her. Outside, she goes one way and I go another, and that's that.

So what did I learn? Well, for one thing, not to be a chickenshit. I'm certainly no expert, but that really felt like a situation where, if I knew what I was doing and was confident and comfortable with myself, I could have exchanged in some light flirting and possibly even gotten a number. The few other times I've approached the girls have never smiled or even looked at me; this chick did. The sensation was wholly different. Opening doesn't kill you and I'm absolutely glad I spoke with her, even for the tiny exchange that I did.

Second, I learned that opportunities like this are everywhere. Definitely ditching the music on the commute for a while now; I can guarantee that if I was messing with my phone and jamming out I would not have done that. I might not even have noticed her.