Boys On The Tube

I was riding home on the Tube last night after my flatmate, Emily's, birthday dinner. A nice crowd, an overly-expensive dinner not worth the money, and when Emily wanted to stay out with her friends for one last drink, I begged tiredness and headed home by myself.

When I sat down on the Tube, I caught this guy fiddling with his iPod and trying to surreptitiously check me out. So I smiled at him. He was sort of cute, and I figured it might totally freak him out to have the cute girl he was checking out smile at him. (Yes, that is the strange way in which my brain operates). Indeed, he smiled back, but seemed to have no idea what to do after that. I could completely imagine it turning into one of those "missed connections" things that you always read in the free paper they give out on the Metro, or on Craigslist, where people write, "Central Line, last Tuesday, you were wearing a red dress with brown hair. You smiled at me, and I smiled back. Wish I'd asked for your number." Because they saw someone they fancied but lacked the courage and guts to actually DO ANYTHING about it. (I wonder about people who write in to those "missed connections" thing when they never even talked to the person in question. I really do).

And then when the train got to my station, Shepherd's Bush, he stood up to get off the train, I did too, he graciously let me out first, and then fell into step beside me, striking up a conversation. I found out that he was Greek, he was a doctor, and he'd been living in London for five years, and his English was really flawless. So we exchanged a little back-and-forth banter, and then when we exited the station, I figured that would be that. As that has been what's happened every time I run into British men on the Tube who start talking to me. So I nearly died of shock when I heard what he said next: "Do you think maybe I could take you out for a drink sometime?"

And although it was so unexpected, I thought, "Why not? He's cute, he'd a doctor, and he had the guts to ask you out." So I said, "Yes, I'd like that." He then tried to give me his number, but having the girl call? No way! I don't play that game, so I gave him my card, to which he replied, "Thanks, I didn't want to be so forward as to ask for your number.." Okay dude, I understand your not wanting to come off like a total letch here, and I appreciate that. But still, you're going to need to call me.

Now I realise that chances are high that this guy is going to lose his nerve and fail to call me, but that's okay. But if he does call? I totally am going to go out with him. Sure, he could turn out to be a total weirdo or a boring guy, or even a reasonably okay guy with whom there is no chemistry. But also, he might be a really nice guy who had the courage to take a chance and ask some girl out on the Tube. It's just a date, after all, and why not just go for it and see what happens?

Regardless, I feel like there was some more good karma in the universe as a result of that incident last night. I feel great because some guy thought I was cute enough to ask out on the Tube, and he's probably feeling good that some cute girl said "yes" when he asked her out.

So it makes me wonder, why don't more people do that? It seems that the world is full of men who would rather chew off their right arm rather than ask a girl out, yet I find it telling that when I posted this little tale on my FB status, an overwhelming number of girls immediately responded to say how great they thought it was. So the world is full of girls who are desperate to be asked out, and either men who will die of fright before doing something so scary as asking a girl out.

Anyway, even if the boy never calls, it totally made my night.