FR#45
Date: 2/23/08 Saturday Night
Location: Fuel and Graham Central Station

We got downtown a little late starting around midnight running a little behind. We walked down 2nd avenue past Graham Central which had a long line. I said hi to my door guy, and we went down the street a bit to FUEL. I walked in and locked in to the bar making sure everyone got in okay. Locke goes to open some girls, and the Kino again is working this two set. I notice his obstacle is wanting to dance so I go in.

I say the typical, "How do you know my friend?" The girls give the usual, "We just met him answer." Then we continue. Kino says, "This one is the good one and this one is the bad one." (The bad one is his target) So I am working the obstacle and keeping her busy so he gets some time to build comfort with his target. I'm just about to ask my girl to dance so I can isolate when Kino says, "Hey you want to go to Cadillac Ranch" which is another bar. Apparently the target wanted to go. So our choices are leave with them or be left. So we go with. We are wlaking down the street and the girls are both taking turns talking to Kino and I realize we don't have a target set. I'm trying to keep them both entertained but we'd lost control. We get into another bar. Kino goes with one of the girls to get a drink, and my obstacle wants to follow. We're walking through this crowded room target and Kino together holding hands, and the obstacle following me. The target turns around to look for her friend, and I do to. She's not behind me! Everyone goes to shit from there on. This girl that knew the obstacle grabbed her up, and we saw him # close her. I pull Kino out of there and we go back to FUEL which is sucking.

We meet up with everyone and we're all about ready to bounce to Graham Central Station. We walk back up 2nd avenue to Graham and I talk to my door guy again. I slip him some money and we get to the front of a 2 block long line. It pays to know people! I'm pissed and not in a good headspace when we get there. I have been bombarded with bullshit most of the day and I'm just tired physically and mentally. I go to the 2nd floor and try and get a redbull. I wait for like 15 minutes and the bartender is ignoring me. I say, "F This!" I head to the 3rd floor and find my favorite bartender get by Red Bull and hug. I move to the roof to sit down and chill. I get up there see some of our guys and sit in a chair trying to relax. Kino and JoeBazooka are in a two set across from me. I'm talking to Ka why they are in set. Kino sees me and leaves Joe in the set. Shortly after Joe Bazooka then ejects. I say, "What's up with that set?" They say well its not that great. I am mad so I figure what the heck. I get a strategy hashed with the guys.

I walked up to this two set. One is seated and one is standing. I say, "Hey are you like being mean to my friends?" She says, "No" I say are you sure because they both left from here. I said, "really I think one of them is going to cry." Then the seated girl says something to the standing girl and they eject out. I go back to the group talking on the roof. We're all standing there, then I see this HB8 walking past. I say, "Hey!" I get eye contact and I beckon her over with my finger. She walks up and I bum a cigarrette from her. We start talking about why she's there. She's having a bad day and trying to relax. I identify with her and tell her I'm doing the same thing with my friends from out of town. I figure out she's there with a guy friend but she's single. She's from Memphis and she's a stripper who's stage name is "Crystal" so I'll refer to her that way. She's wearing this cute luck of the Irish Green hoodie. I start into a DHV story and Zip comes by and says Hi to me. Then shortly after that so does Kino.
When I find out she's a stripper I say, "You are so not a stripper..." then I went into how I was a stripper. I did some bait-hook-release and rolling off acting like I was ignoring her to my group. Then I feel this hand on my arm. We finish smoking. I pretend I'm cold and shiver. I say, "Lets go inside!" I lock her hand on my arm and we walk downstairs to the 3rd floor kareoke area. I tell her to sit down.

We sit very close to each other and we continue to build comfort. It's very loud in there and we're having to yell at each other. I place her hand on my leg and it doesn't move. Then I am touching her leg too while talking laughing, and she's kino pinging me with light hitting. Joe Bazooka comes over and says Hi. I see her triangle gazing me and I should have kissed her then but I say, "I could so kiss you right now...." She laughs and is like "Why?" I tell her because she's not like most girls. I say "you need to explain this to me why am I attracted to you, did you put something in my drink?" She says, "No, I didn't put anything in your drink and I'm attracted to you too." I say, "Sweet well I need to smoke." She hands me a cig and we walk up holding hands to the roof. We sit down in some chairs. Very shortly after I kiss her. Then her guy friend finds her. I know she's been wanting to leave. I say, "Don't be rude introduce me to your friend." I meet the guy and she is having to leave. So I get her # and kiss close her on the steps. She leaves.

I go back to the 3rd floor kareoke area and spot Zip, Locke, and Medic talking at the bar. Medic hands me a beer as I tell them I just # and K-closed a stripper. We all shoot the shit for a bit drinking and singing along to kareoke. Shortly after we round everyone up and head out of the club. It was an amazing night!

Zip, Doc, Kino and myself hang out in the hotel lobby until like 6am debriefing and going over theories and such. It was awesome.

As a quick followup the next day in the hotel lobby around noon when I was saying goodbye to Tripp, Cali, and others. I text the stripper and I say, "Thanks for the good stripper conversation" She send back, "What are you doing?" I say, "I'm helping my friends check out of their hotel." From there I find out she's coming back through town soon and I setup a Day 2.

On that Sunday, me Kino, Paramour, and Doc went to eat to hang out. Doc had a late flight. We go to PF Changs to eat. I get opened on my TopGun "Iceman" shirt. This asian waitress says, "Nice shirt, but it'd be better if it was Maverick." I say, "No way Iceman was a better pilot." We banter for a bit and Doc says, "Tom Cruise likes eats babies." The waitress says a little more and leaves. Then Ashley the bartender from Thursday night Kino and I worked on comes over to say Hi. Doc gets a text from Rose Girl and she is going to pick him up to do errands and take Doc to the airport. I later find out through text Doc was opening sets in the Dallas airport that evening. You go boy!

THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT CAME AND MADE THIS TRIP POSSIBLE. I HAD A GREAT TIME AND APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS ALL OF YOU HAD TO SAY. IT'S BEEN GREAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AGAIN SOON.

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Been around the world twice, Talked to everyone once...

Shit, sounds like an awesome time! Wish I could have been there. Let me know if you ever make it out to LA!