Posted by PeteDude at vsat-148-71-100-82.ssa4.mcl.starband.net on July 30, 2001 at 01:17:28:
There I was standing in a Starbucks line in sunny Ontario, California, when this gal to the right in line starts talking to me, saying how much she liked my Clerks comic-book shirt.
Now let me back up and give a little background. I'm a little older than K. Smith, and a lot less attractive than say, Kevin Sorbo. She's probably 21-23 at best, blonde, cute (yes, some guys use the term "cute"), seemingly intelligent and sweet. I'm not in the best of moods at that moment as I'm running behind schedule, I'm absorbed in my thoughts, and I've just got done thinking how I wasn't really looking my best, as I hadn't shaved-- and after all, I'm just wearing jeans and a Clerks shirt-- how good can that look? And of course, when I'd thought about dating at all the last few months, I'd had reservations about dating anybody younger than 30 (would I be able to put up with "immaturity"? would there be enough in common? more importantly, would they like ME?). Mind you my reservations are to the contrary of one of my best friends, who's darn near 10 years younger than me and tells me older men are "the bomb". And of course, if you're in Southern California, there may be a tendency to be reserved towards strangers approaching you (though not at all like, say, New York).
Anyway, this gal tells me how much she likes my shirt, and how she's seen all of Smith's movies, and especially loves Mallrats. I say that the scene with Jay and Bob's blueprint for taking out LaFours really cracks me up, since they put so much thought into trying to get at him. I also relate that I met Smith at the Comicon (the Con not the best the brightest thing to mention?) and that he's really cool. I also mention that there's another movie coming out-- which she remembered after a moment's thought. She mentions that she also saw Dogma-- and I say I didn't enjoy it as much as the others.
Anyway, the Starbucks clerk asks to help the next person in line. I turn to step forward and she backs up. That was pretty much it. As I sat down to wait for my order, she went to sit down with some friends. Was she just into talking up her interest in the Askewniverse, or was she into me and I too distant/dense to tell? I don't recall thinking about if/how much I would like her during the conversation beyond "she's cute, stupid, talk"-- so I'm thinking I didn't send out drool signals (if anything, I think I telegraphed a lack of interest). I thought about approaching her at her friends' table, but it was two girls and a guy, and I couldn't tell if she or the other gal was with the guy. Should I have asked (how??).
Afterwards, for hours on end, I can't help but Monday-morning quarterback myself to death, as she would have been a good catch-- maybe a great one.
Well, if any of you should happen to run into a cute gal in California who mentions seeing some guy who had one of those cool Clerks T-shirts on, tell her the guy would like to treat her to Starbucks sometime. In the interim, bag away (or offer useful advice/sympathy, as the case may be).