Tess Explains It All

I’ve always had a thing for bartenders. Probably because I spend 90% of my time in bars. But when I think back to college, at least half the guys I dated, were bartenders. They’re just so easy to get along with. They serve you drinks, they flirt, they’re usually good looking… (Yes I know, this is all part of their job for tips but if you play your cards right you usually get free drinks AND a makeout or two).

Ever since I moved to LA I haven’t really bonded with a bartender the way I did back in Reno. 4 years…and no bartender love. That was until I met… John (name is changed, not his real name). It was love at first sight with John. I walked into that empty bar one Wednesday night and there he was… standing with his full sleeved tattooed arms, flat brimmed hat, 6’2 physic and gorgeous face. In my eyes… he was a ten. No doubt. 

That first night my friend convinced me to give him my number. I never do that so I didnt really know how to go about it. I grabbed a napkin from the bar and started to write him a note, “Dear John…” I started out. I’m not sure where I was going with that. Knowing me it would have been something like “Dear John. Nice meeting you tonight. Thanks for the shots. Heres my number. Let’s hang out.” Luckily my friend snatched the napkin from my hand and yelled “No! Dont write Dear John! Are you kidding me?!?!” She grabbed a new one and wrote “Call me maybe? Tess” and my phone number. 
I walked up to him as we were leaving and handed him the napkin. He read it in front of me and seemed amused. And I left that night with the hope of a future phone call from my ten. 
Flash forward to 4 weeks later: Never a phone call. And this is a bar I visit at least once a week because I like to support my friend who DJs there. So every week I’d see him, every week he’d be nice to me, and every week no phone call. I honestly wasnt that shocked. I’m not the type of girl that gives her number out on a napkin and gets a phone call back. So I didnt let it bother me. I just swooned over him secretly every time I casually ordered a vodka soda.

BUT THEN! Last week…we had a break through. As I was ordering a few rounds for my friends and I John said to me, “Tess. I want to talk to you.” He met me at the corner of the bar and said “I just want you to know, the reason I never called you was because I started dating someone seriously around the same time that you gave me your number. I didnt want you to hate me or think that I would be the type of guy that would just not call a girl. So I had to tell you that was my reason.”  

Who knew it was possible to have your heart sink and butterflies dance around in your stomach at the same time? I was sad he was taken but I was happy that he cared enough to tell me instead of just blowing me off. So now I have another beautiful friendship with a guy with a girlfriend. Go me. At least he hooks it up and I get a great discount on drinks. It wasn’t a total loss.