Focus on the Physical

It’s 1 PM on a humid Saturday afternoon.

I step onto the subway train.

The air conditioning feels like a relief. I see an open seat and sit down in it.

Almost immediately I notice her.

She’s standing on the other side of the train. I can only see her from the back but she looks amazing in her tight shorts.

It’s only when she turns a bit can I see the full extent of her cuteness. She’s even cuter from the front.

Every other guy on the train notices her as well. You can see them stealing glances.

This is the first girl today who’s inspired my interest. I notice her back is fully tattoo’d and think to myself that I could tell her I like her tattoo.

But it would be too weird and too obvious to walk all the way across the train to tell her I like her tattoo. Even the thought of that gives me too much anxiety.

So I take the next step in the process: focus on the physical.

How am I going to put myself physically next to her?

That’s my aim in this situation. I’m not thinking about what to say to her, what opener to use or any other step in the process.

Use any excuse necessary.

I stand up from where I’m sitting and I walk over to a subway map and look at it briefly before continuing on my way and standing in close proximity to her.

I get myself comfortable where I’m standing. I look around the subway car for a few moments.

And then, very casually, I tap this beauty on the shoulder. She pulls out her headphones as she turns her attention to me.

“I like your tattoo,” I say.

“Thanks!” she says.

“One of my friends,” I say, “has been getting a dragon tattoo on her whole back. It’s been taking her a while.”

“I started mine before the summer but I’m going to finish it after the summer, because you can’t go into the sun for two weeks.”

I laugh and say “And you were like ‘fuck that, I’m not staying inside all summer!’ right?”

“Yeah, totally,” she laughs.

“What inspired your tattoo?” I ask her.

She starts to tell me about how her father has a thing for dragons. Pretty soon the interaction is off and running.

Every guy on the train is looking at me dumbfounded, not wanting to believe that someone could engage a beautiful girl like that.

I know, because I used to be that guy.

As I step off the train with her that afternoon, I can feel the heat coming off the platform, and off of this new found cutey next to me.

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posted in Ramp Up, Subway Game