Skip to main content

My friend just orchestrated the most awkward, cringe-filled "random" meeting of my life.

Thumbnail
So I just need to tell this story somewhere people might appreciate the sheer social chaos I experienced. I’m still processing.

I was on a walk, headphones in, totally in my own world. Suddenly, I hear a faint “Yo Gabe!” I take my headphones off look over and it’s my friend Trey, waving from near his apartment building. I walk over, we chat for a minute like normal.

Then he says, “Let me get you spiffed up,” and reaches out to adjust my collar. This is a thing he does, he’s weirdly into making sure everyone’s look is together, so I didn’t think much of it.

Then, without a single second of pause, he hits me with: “Hey, you wanna meet another one of my friends?”

Before I can even process the question, he turns and knocks on the door of the apartment next to his. It opens immediately (suspicious, right?). A woman I’ve never seen before steps out. Then another one of her roommates appears behind her. They’re both just… smiling at me.

Trey is beaming. The girl introduces herself, and I’m just standing there, my brain buffering. Then Trey, gestures to me and says to them, loud and proud: “He’s looking slick, isn’t he?”

I felt my soul leave my body from the cringe. I must have looked like a startled deer. That’s when one of the the roommates drops the bomb: “Yeah, we’ve heard a lot about you.”

I managed an awkward laugh and choked out, “Uh, was it good or bad?” They said, “Mostly from Trey, so good.”

I have never wanted the earth to swallow me whole more than in that moment. I mumbled something about having to go and practically power-walked away.

My theory on what the hell that was? I think it was a setup, but I don't think it was malicious. I have a pretty bold style, I stand out. I’m wondering if these neighbors had seen me around before, maybe mentioned to Trey they thought I was interesting or cool, and he decided to play the world’s worst wingman and engineer this "random" meet-cute.

The immediate door answer, the “spiffing up” right before, the “heard a lot about you”… it all points to a pre-planned ambush. He was trying to be a good friend, but the execution was so unbelievably awkward that I literally short-circuited and just stood there in silence for most of it.

Anyway, I guess I’m the talk of his neighbors apartment now. Thanks, Trey.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So my wife’s going to a gala tonight — as her client’s “date.”

I’m 44 and my wife is 44. She works on an art advisory committee, so attending galas, events, and client meetings is part of her job. She often meets clients for coffee, lunch, or dinner, and I don’t always know the details and that’s completely normal because it’s part of her work. She’s always professional, transparent about her friendships, and I trust her judgment completely. Recently, she mentioned she’s going to a gala with a friend, S. He’s a wealthy client she met about a year ago, and they became friends professionally. She introduced me to him once, and he seems like a genuinely good person. He invited her as his “date” to this gala, and my wife said it’s fine. I did ask her though, if she’s actually going as a “date,” and she just laughed and said, “Date doesn’t always mean romantic.” She said it’s important for her she could get networking and meet new people. Then she smiled and said, “If I get into this gala next time, I won’t need to take that man with me, I’ll take you...
Post a Comment
Read more

I accidentally started a fake relationship with my dentist’s nephew and now I have to bring him to my cousin’s wedding

I swear this isn’t as insane as it sounds. Or maybe it is. I don’t know anymore. So I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled last month. All four. It was horrible. I cried when they put the numbing stuff in. Not from pain, just vibes. The dentist was this sweet older guy, probably in his 60s, super gentle, gave dad energy. Anyway, after the whole thing I’m in the waiting room with a mouth full of gauze, looking like a bloated chipmunk and trying not to drool on myself. This guy walks in. Maybe 20-ish. Tall, curly hair, kind of goofy looking but in a hot way. He smiles at me and goes, “You look like you fought a squirrel and lost.” I flip him off. With love. Apparently he’s the dentist’s nephew. He was dropping off lunch or something, I wasn’t listening. I was trying to keep my face from leaking. He sits down and starts chatting with me while I wait for my ride. I don’t say much because again, gauze goblin. But I must’ve made an impression because later that night I get a message on Instagr...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Cinematic Masterpiece: 'Halkara' Deserves More Recognition

 So, the weekend is almost over and Sunday is always special to me. In a sense, I was always wandering, taking myself on a trip to the valley. This story is quite different and interesting. In the middle of my journey, I felt ready and motivated to write about it, so here it goes. This story is about a single movie that inspired me to write. I had no plans to watch a Nepali movie called 'Halkara,' which had recently been released. As I passed by midtown, I wasn't prepared to watch it, but I found myself at the ticket counter buying a ticket for myself. When I bought the ticket, there were only five people who had booked the show, and all the seats were empty. The show was scheduled to start at 12:30 pm, and I entered the hall. Finally, the movie started. I cannot describe how amazing the cinematography, storyline, characters, acting, and overall vibe of this movie were. I still can't believe that this movie didn't receive a good response from...
Post a Comment
Read more