Dating : From the flask CWC3:

Day1: Write about your encounter with a drunk person in the middle of the night.

The night breeze brushed my cheeks, cold winds rolling ahead of the incoming metro. I opened my eyes and turned to watch it approach, but I noticed someone beside me.

He wasn’t there a few minutes ago; seems his drunken state carried him in silence.

Black muddy water dripped from his beige long trench coat, some splashing over his classic black shoes. Glancing up quickly, the dirty pants, lowered flowers bouquet and messy shirt told me all I needed to know.

A man straight out of a bad ending to a date he was ready for.

Except one is never truly prepared for it.

The metro came to a halt, I hit the volume up on my headphones and strode inside.

It was past midnight at this point and I had the pleasure of picking and choosing my seat. I’ve always had a liking for the seats at the very back.

Before I get comfortable in my seat at the back of a very empty wagon, the man sat right next to me.

This time he met my gaze and I greeted him with a smile, that’s when his lips began to move.

I let him finish for a second before removing my headphones

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Really?” he snapped “you gonna act like you didn’t hear me?”

“Well I was listening to music, I’m sorry. What’s up?”

“Nothing.” He said before continuing to mutter things I had no interest in hearing. I nodded and leaned back with my headphones back on.

The metro was underway again, the relative silence in the atmosphere prolonged more than I suspected before I felt his finger tips poke my knee gently.

“I’m sorry,” his tone now calmer and more genuine “didn’t mean to snap at you like that”

“No it’s okay.” I pointed at the bouquet “Rough night huh.”

“*hic* Yeah, tell me about it.” he sighed “Got a smoke?”

“Nope, not a smoker sadly.”

“Sadly.” he scoffed and laughed. We both did.

“Not my business to ask but…wanna talk?”

“Oh it’s nothing,” he dismissed “just another day on the job.”

“Well, the way you dress I have to say, magicians are getting paid pretty well. Should get myself involved too”

“Hah. If only. At least I would’ve pulled this shit out of my hat, not out of my wallet.” he threw the bouquet over the chairs in front of us.

“First time?” I asked

“What do you *hic* mean?”

“Rejection.”

“No. Not really no.”

“What happened? Things didn’t work out?”

“Yeah you could say so. I don’t get it but what can you do eh?”

“You were too nice? Paid for dinner, planned the date, complimented her looks, opened the door for her, paid her attention, were a great listener and overall gentleman?”

“Well yeah. *hic*”

“First date too?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Well you done fucked up then. That’s definitely not how it works.”

“Why so?”

“See what you did tonight? That’s something she wants to earn, not be given.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Of course it does. Would you want her to date you without impressing her with a fancy dinner, fancy clothes and a bouquet?”

“That’s different. It’s up for us men to chase the woman, give her an offer she can’t refuse.”

“Well she just did. See you already gave her everything she could want , then asked to bargain?”

“What was I supposed to do? Be a jerk? *hic* A fucking low life who doesn’t treat a lady with respect?”

“Why do you have to go from one extreme to the other friend? Besides, you keep that attitude up and you’ll face more rejections ahead. Hate to break it to you but the same way a relationship is a two way straight, so is the dating game partner.”

“Why would she chase me?”

“Well, if you yourself don’t know your value, then how do you expect her to value you? Matter of fact that’s probably the thought that crossed her mind when she rejected you. You offered her everything on silver plate, there is no reason to chase you further.”

“But I was being romantic and a *hic* good damn gentleman!”

“Well yes, you can be that without being a tool my dude. I know, I really get what’s going through your mind. I made the same mistake one too many time until someone told me to wake the fuck up.”

“I have a nice job, I work at an office downtown and I even had a promotion just a week ago. This dinner was celebration of that too, but I thought I can make it better by getting my crush to like me too.”

“Well, she probably does, otherwise she wouldn’t have showed up to the date but if your focus was on this night being a celebration of you than wooing her, things would have worked out differently.”

“Again *hic* that doesn’t make sense.”

“My station is coming right up, and don’t worry about it. When you wake up tomorrow with a clear head, it will make more sense. I’ll just leave you with this: There is no prize worth keeping if it’s not earned. Unless she does something to earn your affection, then don’t chase her.”

“But she’s very pretty.” he caught my forearm as I got up to leave.

“So are you my friend. It’s just that beauty fades, so don’t put stocks on it.”

He released my arm and slumped back, eyes distant and lost.

A part of me wanted to stay and comfort him but I was hungry.