Meetups aren’t just for [M]aking [F]riends

In my early 20’s I was a quiet guy. I had a couple flings here and there, but there weren’t that many to be honest. After a couple years in the gym, some help from a hair stylist, and an investment in some decent clothes, I could sense women starting to notice me when I walked into bars. At 25, my confidence skyrocketed when I started to get into stand-up comedy. Nothing builds confidence like standing alone on stage with a microphone in your hand.

That fall I was preparing to perform in a stand-up showcase in front of 100 people. It would easily be my biggest show and with that many seats in the crowd I wanted to fill it up with as many friends as possible to increase my chances of getting laughs. I told all my friends to invite anyone and everyone they could.

Pantsing [M]y [F]riend paid off

A while back I moved to a new city after graduating college. With no friends or family in town I was totally in friend mode every time I met a new girl. I met Lauren at a fitness class when I first moved into the city. I was 22 and she was 29. She was cute, 5’9”, brown hair, D-cup breasts, and was really fit. She was definitely strong, but she wasn’t the ripped bodybuilder type. Even though I was attracted to her, I tried to be friendly and nice hoping we could become friends. Since I only ever had one girlfriend before moving to my new city, I was still really shy around women. In my head I let the age difference be the reason nothing would ever happen between us.

Fast forward a year and over time light hearted small talk at the gym with Lauren started to become more and more personal. Finally, thanks to her inviting me over for dinner we got a chance to hang out one-on-one. Being alone with Lauren in her house was awkward at first, but after a bottle of wine even the shyest guy can become the loudest person in the room. The first night we had dinner at her house nothing happened more than a gentle hug, but from then on we began spending more time with each other.