All my ladies will tell you... "Just be respectful!" How hard is that? Don't be handsy, and be able to read the room. And most of all? NO. Is no! It's literally that easy. Everybody likes to flirt. Flirting is fun. Let's see how...
The Tub
Happy Ice Cream GIF by GIPHY Studios OriginalsGiphyHe brought me a huge tub of my favorite ice cream flavor after hearing that I was having a bad day.
Kombat
When I was 10 I received a love letter from a boy. It contained a flower inside, and at the bottom of the letter he wrote some cheat codes for Mortal Kombat for me. He knew I was always playing that game on my Sega.
13 Years In
I'm British, and I came over to the States on a temporary work visa, to do "one" ski season with Vail Resorts. I was bartending at an on mountain restaurant, and a couple of snowboarders come in and start talking to me. It came up that I was only there for the season, then one of them says "I'll marry you so you can stay... but we have to go on a date first".
... we just celebrated our 13 year anniversary, and I'm still in Colorado.
Rotted Fruit
fruit of the loom GIF by NBAGiphy"Hey do you want to help me throw fruit at my friends?" - 16 year old boy at summer camp, holding a bunch of oranges, who wanted to meet me. I was also 16 at the time.
Years Later...
The third time we hung out I went to his house. We were both in grad school and were talking in his room but I was exhausted from school and my 2 jobs. I was sitting on his bed and fell asleep. When I woke up he had put a blanket on me and was playing beautifully on the piano. I was so embarrassed cause I had drooled all over his pillow and surprised that he was so kind about the drool and not creepy about me being passed out on his bed.
We've been married for almost 4 years now and been together 8.
Bonus fun fact, his brother didn't believe I existed and accused him of making it up till I met him a year later. I was his first real girlfriend at like 25.
Oh I am feeling butterflies. I thought love was dead. So far, I've been given hope. Love can be born with trust. Tell me more...
Thanks to the Migraine
I was in Chicago on business, got a horrible migraine, and had to cancel a meeting with a man I had met with (for work) the day before. I get really bad migraines, really, really bad. After it was over I had to get a bit of food and something to drink, but it was very late and there was no way I would survive any kind of car/cab ride.
He was the only person I knew in town, so I sent him a text to see if he knew of anything in my area that would be safe/open that late within walking distance. He drove 30 min across town in the middle of the night to walk me to a 24hr restaurant and buy me dinner. I've been with him for 11 years now.
the corny...
Was riding home with the friends group back in 2008. We stopped to drop off the one guy, and I got out to stretch. I mentioned that the stars were so much more visible up there in the mountains and he said, "Yeah, they're really pretty. Wish I had someone to watch em with."
I'm a sucker for corny guys. We got married the next year and are celebrating 12 years this June.
Happy Halloween
Hocus Pocus Wtf GIF by FreeformGiphyWe met at a Halloween house party and when I was going to leave he walked me to the room with all the coats which also happened to be a kids room and he asked me "what color crayon would you like to write your phone number with?" I married him. Celebrated 20 years.
The First
My first boyfriend came into the store where I was working and just straight up told me he had seen me through the window and needed to run home to clean up/put on something nice so he could come back and ask me on a date. It was super endearing :)
Edit to add: he didn't WATCH me through the window lol, just saw me in passing and wanted to ask me out.
This was well before dating apps where you basically had to ask in person. He was within my age range, nice smile and just had a good energy.
Also his secondary flirting technique worked just as well, he brought me a book on our second date because I had mentioned in passing that I loved to read :) he was good at making me feel heard.
Silence
deaf sign language GIFGiphyNot me but my mum. My mum and dad were set up by a friend of theirs.
My mum is completely deaf, upon being told this before he met her my dad went out and learnt as much sign language as he could before he met her.... my mum doesn't know sign language... adorable and hilarious.
Women are so much better at this. And there is a lot to learn in this thread. I hope y'all gents took some notes. Willing gestures speak far more volumes than money, attitude or status. If you like then put a ring on it!
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How much can really be told when eyes meet from across a room? That is the question. I will say that I've been pretty spot on from what I was able to immediately deduce from my past paramours. Most of them were who I thought they would be, and, for the most part, that was a good thing, until it wasn't. Let's see who can relate...
Ouch
Romance Love GIF by Hike Sticker ChatGiphy"I just know this guy is going to be a GIANT pain in the butt."
We were coworkers. I was right.
Say Cheese
We found each other on Tindr (yes, I'm aware we were using it wrong). I ran into him on the way to the restaurant we were supposed to meet at and the first thing I thought was "Wow, he looks so much better than his profile pics. Thank God he can't use a camera well or else he'd probably be snatched up already".
Hooked
"Wow, that guy is cute and quiet. He's so mysterious! I have to talk to him!". My husband and I met working in a bookstore. I asked him if he ever talked, he looked me in the eye, nodded, then walked away. I was hooked! We had lunch at the same time about a week later, so I asked him if he wanted to get lunch together. We started talking about elementary school and discovered we went to school together from 3rd grade until sophomore year in high school, although we didn't know each other. It's a small world!
The Eyes have It
GIF by Vulture.comGiphyShe has beautiful eyes and she was so pretty (still very much so).
I was so nervous, I went to bathroom and gave myself double finger guns and said don't screw this up. Still married 5 years!
Edit: thank you for the award!! Also, we met on tinder and yes she looked like her picture.
That Guy
"Oh hey, It's that guy I met in the cafeteria. He seems smart. I'll sit by him so I can cheat on tests." We started to become good friends so I felt guilty and ended up telling him. From then on out, he made sure to not flip to the next page or turn his test in until I was done copying. :,)
It was a required health class & not at all relevant to our majors. I had a hard time with those tests for whatever reason and he aced them with no effort... So he didn't mind.
I drew him funny pictures and comics as thanks and we hit it off from there. :)
Now see there, love does still exist in this cruel, cold, mad world. Not only must we open our eyes, but also our hearts and minds. (I should write for a lesser version of Hallmark. No?) If only we were aware of the impressions we're making ourselves. I also forget, people are watching.
"Hairy" Situation
The very first impression was pleasantly surprised.
For context, it was my first day at my first (student) job, and my boss was showing me around and introducing me to everyone by going to all office rooms, one after the other.
My now-husband was in the very last room, and I was "warned" that that team was a bit "special", mainly because of their very direct and sometimes weird/harsh sense of humor. What surprised me was his hair color, as my now husband was the only one in this department of ~50 people with brightly colored hair.
So while I didn't get to talk to him much that day, I remembered him for his hair color alone. It took us a few more weeks getting into contact and to eventually start dating, last weekend was our ten year anniversary (and third wedding anniversary), and he still rocks his brightly colored hair.
Not so Scary
I thought he was an ex-convict. He's super muscular, tattoos covering every inch of his body; all around just a very threatening looking guy. He came up to me and told me "I think you're adorable. Can I have your number?" I was petrified because I have never dated or attracted anyone of this type. But he charmed me. Turns out he's a huge softy with a goofy personality. He cracks up at the smallest things, he loves sweets like a little kid, getting tucked in at night and is scared of the dark. I love him to bits!
A Lasting Impression
mandy moore love GIF by This Is UsGiphy"OMG she's beautiful when she's annoyed" Good for me, cause I annoy her a lot. 9 years in and I can't imagine annoying anyone else.
Coming Back
I was a bartender and he was one of the first to get a drink from me that day. So I didn't think much, I was still trying to screw my head on and jump into the shift. He kept coming back tho, not always to get a drink sometimes just to stand near my bar while I made drinks. His friend brought him there for his birthday, yet he spent most of his time with me. Once I noticed him, I thought he was a lovable dork. I needed to a have a conversation with him where I could be myself and not in working mode.
Same Mindset
Lovers Kiss GIF by NETFLIXGiphyI thought he was so cool. We had talked online for a few days but it wasn't until I saw him walking towards me when we met for our first date that I realized he was way out of my league. Luckily he thought the same thing about me.
So from now I''m going to enter every room with my eyes forward and bulging. I want to put forth a grounded presence and also I want to survey for connection. Hopefully I can add to this thread years from now after an anniversary. In a good way.,
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I've lost count of the amount of crushes I've had. I'm definitely in double digits and I've exposed at least ninety percent of them. And ninety percent of them... went absolutely nowhere fast. Alas. I will say that a large portion of the outcomes stung my heart a bit, but in hindsight... Lord did I dodge some mighty lethal bullets. Who can relate?
Across the Quad...
Season 3 Hello GIF by FriendsGiphyOne day I saw her across the quad. I waved and she stopped walking and just stood there. I walked towards her and realised that she wasn't walking towards me. Then I realised she'd never walked towards me, never sought me out, never put effort into our friendship, let alone anything else our relationship might develop into. It took a bit to process, but that was the moment that helped me break free.
The Idea...
Well, for me, I kept telling myself that I did not fall in love with her, but with the idea of her. I had always imagined a future with her... I wouldn't bore you with the details, but yeah in those imaginations she seemed to be so excited about my presence, I mean she was in real life too (she's a pretty good friend of mine), but in those dreams, a little more, I guess? But anyway the fabricated and real girl were almost pole opposites in nature. So I kept telling myself for three years that the girl I actually had a crush on never existed.
I liked the girl in my imagination, and there, she liked me back too; it wasn't the case with the real one. So that's what helped me move on from her. She's still my friend, maybe we're not as close as we were before, maybe its for the best. I still sometimes get slight feelings for her, but I'm sure it will wear out with time.
Shine On...
Ohh here's my time to shine...
So I got into this girl in middle school. I've had a mad crush on her for five, long freaking years. The reason why I didn't confess was that I was the rejected kid, zero friends and a weirdo and she on the other hand was popular, smart and intelligent. So I always admired her from the sidelines, under the radar and she was completely unknown of my existence. In High school I made a few friends, who told me to stop being a wimp and confess.
So I walked up to her one day in recess and confessed. She made a disgusted face and said that no way in hell she'd be with me and she was in a relationship anyways. I walked away disappointed in myself and feeling real down. Then a few minutes later her boyfriend came up to me, he said that he was listening from a distance and said he had chewed her out for her reaction. I know that I shouldn't have taken her seriously but I actually felt low for a month.
This guy approached me every day, asked how I was doing. Later on we made best friends. Later on the girl dumped him and he told me all that was wrong about her and how she was a complete jerk and I had dodged a bullet.
This guy helped me a lot in recovering from that blow and he's the reason why I'm actually making more friends
Note: this happened a year ago
Tl;dr : Girl humiliated me for confessing, but her boyfriend made best friends with me and helped me recover.
Samies....
Yep Reaction GIF by Rosanna PansinoGiphyOur interests were too similar. I liked girls, so did she.
10 Years In
I had a crush on some guy for about 10 years. I finally decided to text him after he and his longterm gf broke up (I waited over a year). He did not seem uninterested, but it was so hard to get the conversation going. It felt like I was talking to a 13 year old boy who was only interested in motorcycles and breaking every rule on earth to look cool.
One evening he asked me if I wanted to meet up in town (we were both out with friends, precovid). He then proceeded to ask me if I was going to "perform oral sex on him.") I never responded.
See there... the Lord does work in mysterious ways. All that time spent pondering what if, when we should be saying... no thank you. And a few of those, like many of us, always end up better as friends, you just need to remove the love googles. They make your vision blurry. Let's continue...
It's Time...
A lot of time. A lot of crying and a lot of time spent on my own.
It's time. I thought I would never get over someone (we had a very odd relationship). But as time went on, I worked on myself. And now I'm with someone who was the best of all that other person, plus a lot more. Without all the negatives. Now I don't feel anything for the old relationship, but I check in and say hi as a friend here and there.
It just takes time. Can take years. It's like getting past an addiction.
6 Feet back...
Keep distance and get some hobbies.
Definitely distance. I used to see him everyday at work and hang out after work. Then I got a new job, we didn't catch up after work so much. And the crush fell away.
Also everyone at work used to joke about us being a couple and how he was in love with me. I wonder if I leaned in to that thinking? And built the crush? Like would I have thought about him in "that way" if no one had put the idea in my head he was obviously in love with me?
All Night Long...
james mcavoy im going to be doing that all night GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphyHe rejected me and I sat up all night crying and eventually realized that the last 4 years I'd had a crush on him I had pretty much just looked at all the positive interactions and filled in the rest of the time by projecting a personality onto him.
No
I asked her out. She said no. Ended up becoming friends. Still don't recall how or when exactly i got over her, i guess hanging out with her over the years made me realize that being friends is better than being together. She's a wonderful friend, though she still made fun of me for asking her out that time.
Facts
Facts GIF by Judge JerryGiphyThe fact that I just stopped initiating the conversation and that was the last time we talked.
It's going to be what it is. Don't sit on it for too long. One of the worst feelings is a missed opportunity. If they're meant to stay in your life after the reveal, they will. If not... ciao bella.
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