Uncanny Encounter
"Is it charming to have people stare at your beauty all the time?" I asked, returning her compliment.
"Well we were both staring, so you tell me" Her flirtatious tone invited intrigue, adding a new layer to the night's canvas as she gracefully settled into the bar chair at a respectable distance from mine. She batted her eyes profusely, her playful demeanor indicated that she was eager to tease and make me blush, and her remark was evidence of it.
How 'sweet and flirtatious' you are, perhaps I appeared too innocent or "ajebota," a local slang/term used to describe those from a wealthy and privileged background with limited exposure to such 'romantic' encounters.
However, it was merely an observation; if not for her elegant and enchanting choice of dressing, I might have mistakenly taken her for a sex worker.
As her flirting efforts continued, I responded with charm. "That's a lovely dress, by the way, it looks amazing on you. Where did you get that sense of style? The size, fit, the color... everything just comes together on you perfectly," I flirted back in a soft tone, truly admiring her dress and her beauty. She looked enchanting, and it was an authentic compliment. The conversation had taken a flirtatious turn, and she seemed taken aback by my smooth response.
"Why are you here alone?" she inquired, it was her turn now to ignore my question, her words becoming brushstrokes in a conversation that had the potential to transform the night into an unforgettable masterpiece.
"I think you mean to ask, 'Are you here alone?" I corrected with a playful smirk. She glanced around behind me and then returned her sharp brown-eyed gaze to mine. "Nah, I think you're here alone, and the question is why?" she retorted playfully.
I couldn't help but let out a genuine smirk, perhaps a bit too charming. Damn, she was actually pretty observant, her face lit up when she saw she finally cracked my indifferent facial expression. Awn It's adorable, you're truly quite observant, but not as much as i am.
"You must be pretty fast and energetic to outrun all the guys who must have been chasing you," I replied before sipping on my martini and taking a playful glance toward the bar's entrance while ignoring her question again, it was a back n forth conversation of unanswered questions, that was until...
"Heyyy" she replied with a little giggle, "no one's chasing after me, The traffic was unbearable, so I decided to come in here and wait it out. This bar looks new, so I decided to check it out. I was actually on my way to meet my friends for a girls' night out on the other side of town and mor...." She hesitated her voice trailing off, maybe realizing she might have revealed too much information, or to stop herself from doing so out of impulse.
It was only fair for her to withhold information to a total stranger, i hadn't acknowledged any of her 'advances' from the start, i didn't walk up to her either and even now, sitting right before me, i didn't even try to ask for her name.
Her gaze drifted around the bar, she was genuinely checking it out, like she said earlier, it was her first time in the place.
"Umm, that's a good plan for the weekend, i said breaking the silence of the setting, "that's besides using me to ward off guys trying to or that would try to win you over," I teased, giving her a bombastic side eye.
Her playful tactics had been obvious from the start. I was sitting alone at the bar table, looking like I wouldn't stay long probably because of my backpack. My appearance seemed a bit too decent. Her moving here directly from the entrance was a perfect alibi without needing to say much, also, she wasn't planning on staying long, that's depending on the traffic, i mean who wouldn't want to spend the weekend receiving flirty compliments from a beautiful elegant lady.
Plus some guys are really mostly dicks in club bars like this, and because they roll with a bunch of other dudes, it shifts into a pack mentality. They're always never trying to impress the girl, but their pack of friends. Such bars often turned guys into, well, not-so-pleasant individuals, with their pack mentality and all when a certain kind of lady walks in alone, well most guys though.
I can imagine how uncomfortable it would feel to continuously be pestered when you just really want to chill for a bit.
I had expected this sort of confrontation to happen sooner rather than later. I often attracted attention, especially because of my height.
I was already feeling lucky that nobody had approached me with the usual basketball conversation that occurred when I walked into a place.
I was already so used to drawing attention due to my height. Also, while introverts may not seek out social interactions as frequently as extroverts, their unconscious social qualities can be quite appealing and attracting to a few others.
Before she could respond, I offered to buy her a drink.
"I can buy myself a drink, thanks," she replied sternly, and it caught me off guard. It was as if she was returning the favor after my earlier comments. Which indirectly proved my accusations though based on speculations had been right on a surface level. Is this your idea of payback for calling you out?
" You know honestly speaking, superficial compliments are a pretty great way to get me to shut down. It instantly makes me uncomfortable. I don't believe anything they say and try to get away immediately. You should really be grateful I feel kind enough to entertain you."
I looked at the bartender, who had walked over when he heard my request, and asked him to ask the 'kind lady' what she would be taking.
Then, I returned my gaze to her. "You should think of me buying the drink as a selfless gesture. It deserves no more than a 'thank you,' if accepted."
She looked at me in a bit of a daze and I was cautious not to embarrass her further.
After a moment, she looked over to my glass and said to the bartender,
"I will have what his having"
"That's... a bit strong," I reprimanded.
"I can hold my liquor, thank you" she responded, narrowing her deep brown eyes towards me, "Or are you a sexist?"