I was out picking up my dry cleaning this afternoon. A woman walks in and we smile at each other. I saw her get out of her car, she wasn’t smiling. She actually looked like one of those vein popping hell moms that wants to murder her kids. Fair enough, I’’ll be her fun. Keep in mind, this is the second time I have ever asked for a phone number. I’m incredibly new to this and still scared shitless inside as I try. But as I mentioned before, fuck it, this year I’m ripping down all the safety nets and just going for whatever I think will help me improve.

So I pick up my cleaning and just have that feeling that I’m being watched. I turn and she’s staring at me. Women today don’t stare at anything but their phones. But she is just burning her eyes at me, smirking. I step aside, allowing the customer in front of her to the till and approach her

“Didn’t your mom tell you it was impolite to stare?”

“I wasn’t staring at you, I was reading the price board”

And…I’m lost. I reach into my bag of lines I’ve been mentally working on for weeks and come up with nothing. And here, guys, this is where things in my life have changed. Rather than bumble around or try to make something out of nothing, I just smile, a little nod and walk out. Another example of where STFU is a good default.

I walk next door to buy a bottle of wine. I’m browsing through and you fucking know who walks in. She casually walks to the aisle I’m in and says

“Great minds think alike", nodding toward the bottle of wine I’m standing in front of. It’s a $14 bottle of wine. It’s nothing.

the STFU walk away from earlier was what I needed, I was 100% more relaxed now

“I’ll be the judge of your mind, I’d like your phone number”

“I’m married” looks at my hand, “you’re married”

“yes”

in a little girl, secret on the playground hushed tone

“Married people don’t exchange phone numbers, are you crazy?!”

“No”

silence

“You’re going to what, txt me some night you’re out with your buddies?”

“No”

“But, you will phone me?” with juuuuust that little pang of want in her voice

STFU, smirking, staring right into those stressed out, nobody listens to me mom eyes

“I’m not giving you my number unless you promise you’ll call me”

“I can’t promise that. Now, Let’s have it”

“You’re pretty cocky, I don’t like when guys are cocky, are you always like this”

And then I realized what was happening, this was her fucking. This was as good as she would let it get, wanting a little banter in the wine store. My plan was always to release, I have no intention of boning this woman.

“Fair enough, enjoy your afternoon”

And I walked up, paid for my wine and left.

Here’s what I realized:

• The first time I tried C&R, it was an absolute thrill. I had no idea what would happen, no idea what approach such a hot woman would be like. That was the first time. This time was different. I liked the initial thrill but the fact it pretty much went to script was actually a bit disappointing. Catch and release sounds like fishing, this was almost like buying fish from the monger.

• I asked for a woman’s phone number twice and now have exactly what I need, a sense of how abundant available women are. They are everywhere and if I got divorced and actually put time in, I could have plenty. It’s like a oneitis vaccine and guys, if you feel yourself being drawn to believe your wife is the only one who will ever love you, I suggest this vaccination.

• The upside of C&R is reaching its end at the moment, I’m not going to bother doing it for a while. When I got back to my car, I realized something, I wasn’t interested in trying again. I’ll have to think on this a little and figure out what it means but without any other way to say it at the moment, the exchange with this women very quickly became boring. She was maybe a 6/10, 7/10 if she put in some work and that could very easily been why.