The Back Story

Since the first of the year, whenever I talk to people and they find out that I'm the girl who put my phone number all over Old Town Alexandria I get a ton of questions. I'm finally ready to start answering some of them.

This is one of the craziest stories to tell and it gets a little lengthy, so I'm going to try and break this up into three parts. 

Here's the back story:

The week before Christmas 2013 I went out with friends on their annual bar crawl in Old Town. I made up my mind before leaving the house that I wasn't going to make any crazy life choices and would try and stay low-key for the night. To give you some insight, I'm a pretty outgoing, adventurous woman. So to say I'm going to have a low-key night is really a feat on its own.

The group is out in Old Town Alexandria and I'm the only single person in our group, no exaggeration.  (There are a lot of stories to tell about the excruciating experiences I've had while dating here in Old Town. I'll go into those later.) My friends, being who they are, keep their eyes peeled for guys for me.

My best friend starts talking to a guy. He's good looking enough. She then ropes me into the conversation. From there the conversation takes off between him and I and then my friend moves on.  She's feeling accomplished because she's found a guy for me. 

After many drinks and lots of in-depth conversation about things that don't involve the usual crap you hear when you meet a new person (you know: where do you work, what do you do, where are you from, blah, blah, blah), he's asking if I'm seeing anyone.

Nope, I'm not.

 He's not seeing anyone. He's totally single.

Ok, cool.

Want to go home with me? No.

I'm thinking back to the "let's not make bad decisions plan" I made before leaving the house. 

I stick to my plan and decline. However, I'm still very intrigued and interested. I want to know more about this guy, I want to see him again, I want to spend time with him. He's still interested in me even though I've said no. He keeps asking things about me.

I’m over here thinking how the hell do I go out in the most boring outfit ever, not planning on meeting anyone and turn around and meet someone that actually interests me?

When he walks out to the dance floor, I write my number on a napkin, give it to the bartender to give to him and walk out the door without saying goodbye. Can you say CHICKENED OUT!!!

Out of this entire experience, this may be *the* regret I have... that I didn't just make a move and at least been proactive asking for his number. Or personally given him my number.

One of the questions I get is why didn’t I just do that? I think the reason I didn’t ask for his number is that I was scared.  I don’t’ know what I was afraid of, I just was.

Why didn't I just personally give him my number rather than hoping it would make it to him? I know myself well enough that I would have changed my mind at the last second and would have left with him. That's just not what I wanted to do. It's not who I want to be. Going home with strangers from the bar is not who I am. One-night-stands aren't who I am and that's what would have happened. 

The next day I'm kicking myself for walking out the way I did. I spend a few days thinking about it and the regret is overwhelming. It gnaws at me.

So what the hell am I going to do?

And that's when I started concocting my plan.