Francisco was a bouncer at a popular lounge. I was always friendly with him, there’s a lot of perks to knowing the door man! Your best bet for cutting the line is to go to the bar often, and ask the bouncer for his name. Then type it in your phone’s notes app, with the name of the bar, so you never forget. This will help you get in quickly when your go to guy isn’t there… name drop and slowly you will be recognized by most bouncers (but be friendly and ask for their names too!).
The lounge was known for their live bands and dance floor. When we heard they were opening up again after COVID we made a reservation for the first night. It was totally different because we sat at a table and they had a DJ. I greeted him with a “OMG, Francisco it’s been forever!” as he walked past my table. Thank you trusted notes app. He asked me to remind him of my name and we exchanged numbers before the night was over. On the way out my friends pointed out, “Did he have braces?”
A few weeks later Francisco and I went on an actual date. We went to a chain restaurant for dinner and drinks. At the end of the meal he suggested we dine and dash. I said “no” and he tried to provide reasons like, it’s no big deal, or they’ll comp the meal anyway. He got up and told me to do the same and go out the side door. I remained seated at the table because even if he was going to leave, I was going to pay the bill and tip our waitress. He ended up walking around the bar, then came back to the table, but I knew he wasn’t joking. Francisco would have been totally fine with it if I had got up and left too. At our cars, he told me if I kissed him I’d fall in love with him. After his behavior earlier that night and his adult braces? I think not.
Things never went anywhere, but Francisco is still fun to run into. He’s a fan of tequila so every time I’m drinking margaritas downtown I’ll send him a snap. We’ll also meet up for Sunday Fundays when it’s a long weekend. He’s also a good friend if I need a ride home and Uber is surging ridiculously. Francisco got his braces off, but as a bouncer, I’ve never seen him smile.
Single at 30 