Give Her Tingles, Not Torture: Erica’s Story

Alex

Erica was tired. She had spent all week working on a new project for her company and thought she’d treat herself to a quick drink after work before meeting the girls for dinner.

She stepped inside Taco Tinder, a new Mexican restaurant by her work and sat down at the bar. She ordered her favorite drink — an organic agave margarita. As she took a sip, she pulled out her phone and started texting her friends. Not out of genuine care or concern about their lives, of course, but as a means to pass the time while enjoying her refreshingly sugar-based drink.

“Excuse me…is this seat taken?” Erica looked up and saw a soft-bodied man in a button down untucked striped shirt, white undershirt, and slightly saggy jeans pointing to the chair next to her. Erica immediately guessed to herself that he was a midlevel employee at some company nearby. His haircut reminded her of the 90s television shows she had watched as a kid. He had some scruff on his face. “How lazy, he can’t even be bothered to shave,” she thought.

“No” Erica mumbled without keeping eye contact for too long. Alex asked her name, prompting Erica’s disappointment in realizing that she now has to engage this guy in conversation when she would much rather be messaging people on Facebook or hearing about her friend’s date last night via text, despite the fact that she was going to meet them for dinner in an hour.

“I’m Erica” she responded as she recrossed her legs to slightly face away from Alex.  Alex inquired of Erica’s drink as he leaned in and smiled eagerly awaiting an answer. “Ya a margarita,” Erica dismissively retorted as she kept pushing the home button on her iPhone 5s to see if she received any notifications or texts. They chatted on and off for the next few minutes, Erica barely paying attention and continually hoping for a call, text or any vibration from her iPhone to validate an excuse to end the conversation, even if temporarily. Finally, a text from Meghan.  “About time…,” Erica, now relieved, mouthed silently. “Sorry Alex, I have to take this.” She turned away from him and furiously texted Meghan for the next five minutes.

When she turned back, Alex was sitting there just staring at her way. She immediately felt creeped out by his stare. She saw him finishing his drink and dreaded what he was going to say next, because she knew he was going to ask her out or something along those lines. “I have to get going, but how about we exchange numbers and catch up another time?” There it was, the offer she was hoping wouldn’t come. “Awww that’s so sweet, but I’m actually seeing someone,” Erica responded with a bare attempt at sincerity. The truth was she was seeing some guy, a guy she had just been sleeping with here and there.

Alex closed out his credit card and walked away. As Erica finished the last sip of her drink, she sat back in her seat and sighed to herself “What luck…of all the guys in the world and he came up to talk to me…”

Tom

Erica was tired.  She had spent all week working on a new project for her company and thought she’d treat herself to a quick drink after work before meeting the girls for dinner.

She stepped inside Taco Tinder, a new Mexican restaurant by her work and sat down at the bar. She ordered her favorite drink — an organic agave margarita. As she took a sip, she pulled out her phone and started texting her friends. Not out of genuine care or concern about their lives but as a means to pass the time while enjoying her refreshingly sugar-based drink.

“Excuse me…is this seat taken?” Erica looked up and saw a fit man in a suit, white dress shirt with no tie, all custom fit, pointing to the chair next to her. Erica immediately guessed to herself that he was an executive, actor or had some other exciting job. His haircut reminded her of Ryan Gosling from the Cosmo magazine she had glanced at that morning. He had some scruff on his face.  “How sexy, he doesn’t even want to be bothered to shave,” she thought.

“No, not at all,” Erica exclaimed while fumbling nervously to move the chair back for him. Tom asked her name, prompting Erica’s excitement…what better way to pass the time than being able to engage this guy in conversation. She can hear all about her friends later when she meets them for dinner in an hour.

“Erica” she responded as she immediately swung around to face directly at Tom. Tom inquired of Erica’s drink as he leaned back and smiled curiously awaiting an answer. “It is a margarita! How did you know!?” Erica stated as she picked up the drink and offered him a sip. They chatted on and off for the next few minutes, Erica completely engrossed in the conversation. Her phone buzzed, a text from Meghan.  “Bitch! What does she want…” Erica mouthed silently as she threw her phone in her purse. “Sorry Tom, let me handle this real quick.” She turned away from him and furiously texted Meghan not to text her back as she was busy.

When she turned back, Tom was sitting there just staring at her way. She immediately felt flustered by his stare. She had butterflies in her stomach thinking about what he was going to say next, because she wished he would ask her out or anything along those lines. “I have to get going, but how about we exchange numbers and catch up another time?” There it was, the offer she was hoping was coming. “Sure!” Erica responded with bare attempt at hiding her excitement. The truth was she was seeing some guy, a guy she had just been sleeping with here and there.  Oh well.

Tom paid cash and walked away. As Erica finished the last sip of her drink, she readjusted herself in the seat to quell some of the tingles, and smiled to herself “What luck! Of all the girls in the bar and he came up to talk to me…”

Read Next: Our First Date