first "organized" {but really so disorganized I laughed and walked away} attempt at a pickup. This was more for confidence building. I mean, it was supposed to be. It really turned into a "well uhhhh yea I am going to walk away now"
Location: a beach at a lake
Time: late afternoon
Set size: 4
Set gender: 1 guy, 3 girls
Time from them laying out towel to my approach: 15 minutes
So it is a lovely day for me; feeling really good. 80 degree's out, sun is shining, water is as warm as it is going to get.
Time for the beach!
I give my buddy a call (which I find out later that he "...can't talk to girls. I don't know why, I just can't.") and he gives me a hard time for something like trying to ask him out on a swimming date so we can flirt in the water? Not sure what that means.
Anyway, I pick him up, and we head down to the local highschooler lake hangout. I had no intention of talking to anyone (good thing right-considering the un-written rule is 17 and under), I just wanted to get wet and it is the best beach around for that.
I lay my stuff down, flip open my book and read a 'lil. Me and him go for a little swim. We get back to the towels, then come along 'ol muscle man and his three apprentices. If anyone has read my other posts, they know I am a zilch with no practice trying to achive this type of goal: a "close." I kick my friend and ask him if he is ready to go pester some ladies. He said something about enjoying his peace and quiet. I turn back to my book.
cheesy to say or think, but I am not getting any younger and my "game" can't get any worse.
I think for about five minutes on how I can fluff a conversation for a little while. Maybe try and get a number, but really just try and be friendly and rid my irregular heartbeat when talking to women. I can approach, but the beat never lets me forget that I am not a natural.
The girls are now doing some lotioning and facing away from me. A couple minutes. Once they sit down, I will approach. I do not want to starttle a half naked girl; good way to blow it (great short story on that one of these days). Five more minutes go buy, they talk a little foreign language, they take a couple pictures, then they sit down. The guy and one of the girls goes into the water. I think it is about time. As I get up, there are some geese getting close to the women. It seemed like they were in a turf war; the girls jumped a couple times. Perfect timing!:
-enter
Me:"Oh, don't mind the geese here on the Cape {cape cod}. If you do not have any food to offer them they get all fiesty."
2set: "wha, huh?" *my dumb ass knowing they are poor at English decides to speak louder instead of slower and simpler
Me:"are you two student traveling?"
2set: broken english "uhm, *they look at eachother* yes we do"
Me:"ah, I have met other people that have been doing that as well. Down in Ocean City, maryland it is very big. Why the Cape?"
2set:"*akward I don't know what you are saying chuckling* "Ocean City, New Jersey I have heard of"
Me:"and Wildwood, that is popular too. Where are you from?"
2set:"Russia, far from here" (no shit?)
Me:"that has to be a big change then, the Cape compared to Russia?"
2set:"uh, uhm, uh" in a confused manner
Me,rephrasing:"Cape Cod is beautiful isn't it? Do you like it here, as compared to Russia?"
2set:"Russia is great place. We love it there"
Me:"I saw you were taking pictures, did you want me to take one of all four of you?"
2set:*pointing to eachother, trying to use body language to tell me something as simple as just take one of us two*
Me:*while taking the picture* "what is it like...similar scenery"
2set:"no, not really. What is your name? I am ###"
Me: ======indicator?===== "I am ##### {personal note: FROM NOW ON, I NEED TO USE NICKNAME}, and your friend?"
2set:"I am ########" *shakes hands*
Me:"so are you going to school right now, or working?"
2set:"We are working; *turning to other girl*- "moan, the camera what wrong with it?"
2set:*other girl* "I don't know"
Me:"oh, you must have broke it. or the batteries died. So, what do you do?"
2set:"we are from -=town on the Cape=-, and that is where we work"
Me:"no, but what do you do for a job?"
2set:"I jus said, we work in -=town on the Cape=-"
Me:*frustrated that I keep talking louder and am now looking down because I have no idea what to do to make them understand me*
Me:"-=town from the Cape=- has a pretty big nightlife. What do you guys do in your free time?"
2set:"Freetime? pfff hah, we have little of that"
Me:"Well today is a beautiful day to have it. You have only been here a couple months, but I bet you know more about the night scene than me. 'ya gotta show me where to go."
2set:*silence*
Me:*ugh* "uhm..."
Me:*ugh, now lost complete eye contact; staring out at the water* "uhm...if you like spending what little time you have off, you should check out some of the ocean beaches; you been to them?"
2set:"no, this is the first time we have been to this beach"
Me:*jesus, that is not what I asked* "Ah, yea the beaches on the outer cape have a lot of sand. although the water is rather cold"
2set:"oh, okay"
Me: some fluff about the guy and the other girl who are still in the water
2set:"they are married, we met them at work, blah blah blah."
Me:"well I better go, but I'll show you those ocean beaches some time. Would you be up for that?"
2set:"no, I don't think we should be, not really"
Me:*what does that MEAN?* "okay..."
2set:*both staring at me*
Me:*they look like they want to talk more, but they are wearing sunglasses so I really don't know, and my mouth is so f'ing dry...
I think I am pretending they want to talk more. They really don't; as a matter of fact, it has been about 2 minutes without eye contact, me talking loud AT them, and about 30 seconds of silence - all of those 30 seconds with them staring at me to keep going. I have no idea what to do, conversation died really really quick
Me:"uh yea, have fun while you're here." *remember, no eye contact Locke, it is bad*
-walking away slowly, repeating to myself that I need to look confident and careless; regardless of what I wanted to do, I had the 'ol shoulder slump depart
I swim across the lake (too fuggin far) and back. When I get out, both of the girls were staring at me.
I dried off, and now the one girl was just staring at me
I did not want to try and work my way through that maze of a language barrier so I walked to my car. I did an over the shoulder look back and waved.
not sure what my lessons learned were. I was seconds from doing a tongue twister, giggling, and going. but self destruction doesn't help.
I will say straight up that there was no neg, I lost eye contact, I asked questions. Pretty much everything I shouldn't do. But like I said, it was to boost confidence and start me in the right direction. This was my first one.
As for confidence building, well....I think that session made it worse. But I will look at it as their fault for not speaking English very well. I only do this so that I don't feel like I am digging myself into a hole.
-Locke