All right gentlemen so here it is.

Went out tonight to celebrate a buddy's birthday. I told him we should get up and meet a few people but he wanted to get sufficiently buzzed first. We kinda just sat there and I felt like a major chode. But, before leaving the house, I made a conscious decision to NOT try hard to pickup, and just go out and celebrate the bday. If I do pickup, great, if not, no big deal. It sorta helped the whole mentality of it. But still, kinda felt like a chode.

Another PUA I know shows up, I shake his hand and he leans in and says, "Stop being a fucking dode sitting with your friends. Get up and walk around." And points me in the direction of a bday 4-set. Actually, that was a great motivator. I get my buddy (bday boy) and we go open the 2-set right across from us. The "It's my buddy's birthday!!!" seems to be a great opener, because whose not gonna say, "Happy Birthday!!" ? Anyway, so we start talking to these two girls, but nothing seems to materialize. They tell me they are here to "catch up." I will never understand how two girls will come to a loud, noisy place to "catch up." Either they're full of it, or simply retarded. I keep trying to motivate the conversation on, and there is some very mild flirting, but nothing really escalates. So we eject. Decide to keep moving, and hopefully, we'll catch up with them later on the dance floor. We told them our names but, either they didn't tell us there's or it was too loud. I opt to believe the former. We open the bday 4-set but nothing really comes of it. Fuck. I'm still having a problem getting to the hook point in a conversation. After my buddy is fully amazed and shocked at my newfound ability to approach and open, we open yet another 2-set out on the dancefloor. This one seems to be going a bit better - a girl from Windsor and another from Detroit - but, still, can't manage to keep their attention. This is starting to become a real problem for me, and I'm not entirely sure what to do about it. I should probably throw kino escalation in there somewhere but, I mean, if nothing is materializing then wouldn't it just seem awkward?

Anyway we return to the table, and I'm regathering my wits to head out again, meanwhile bday boy and another one of our buddies head off to get more drinks. I'm sitting at the table with another friend, when this (completely new) 2-set walks up, complains about not having a place to sit, and joins us. One of them starts talking to my buddy, so I engage the other one, sitting far across the table. The one I engage is my target. Unable to hear her, I go around and sit next to her. We're pretty much face to face, and we get to talking about all sorts of stuff. These girls are clearly extroverts, and made things a LOT easier for me. The girl I was talking to was fantastic, very beautiful, when bday boy and our other buddy (call him shyguy) return, my target comments on shyguy and says, "Why is he so quiet? Is he shy? Does he like girls? Maybe I should go hit on him." So.... I have an opportunity to either flame and sniper my own buddy, or abide by the "bros before hoes" rule; I think "FUCK," swallow my pride and encourage her to go hit on him.

Cut my losses, move on.

I turn to the friend right next to me and we get to talking. I really can't remember everything I said. I did a little bar trick for them (yeah yeah, Mystery Method sucks, I could think of nothing else) and it got them really interested in it. My target finally returned to my side, and they were thinking of leaving soon. I was like "it's now or never." I turn to the target and ask if she's ever been to the vault. She says she hasn't, and I say, "Neither have I. Did you wanna go next week?"

All right - before you guys say anything, yes I know that was weak. Very weak. Just read on.

She says, "I dunno, it's up to my friend." So I turn to the friend and say, "Have you been to The Vault?" She's like "Yeah! It's great!" and I say "Your friend's never been. I haven't been either. We should go. Let's go next Friday." Much more resolute this time. And she's like "ok fine." So I'm like "All right give me a call." My plan was to just enter my number into her phone and dial it so I can get it (again, thanks to Outlaw for this little trick), but both girls stated they didn't have a cellphone (what girl doesn't have a cellphone with them at all times???). Anyway, perfect opportunity, I give the friend mine and say, "Here, give me your number." She enters it, and says, "You can also add me on facebook."

And there we have it. My first ever number close. I can still hardly believe it myself. After that, I was in state all evening. Tried my hand at a little more dancefloor game, but didn't have much luck. No matter. Gentlemen, I've made far more progress than ever before.

All right, voice your thoughts. I know there's still a lot of holes in my Game that I need to fix (and the way I see it tonight was kind of a freebie from the Big Guy Upstairs) which hopefully y'all can help me with.

Cheers,

-Qlass