I visited my friend Mika today. She works in Chinatown and I go for the free meatbuns and to listen to her soap-opera-esque love life. She’s had a bit of trouble with boys recently and we got onto the topic of being courageous and asking someone out. She didn’t believe I could take my own advice, so to prove it I tried asking a girl out and ended up going to dinner with her!
Mika’s love-life is like a roller coaster ride. Unlike me, she’s part of quite a big clique. Everyone seems to have dated or slept with everyone else, and recently she’s been seeing this guy she’s known for 5 years. Then her ex told her that he was only using her as a booty call, and so I sat and listened to her worry for about 2 hours. I love Mika, and I love listening to her, she’s so crazy! She gets very into guys, very fast. This one for instance she has only been seeing for two weeks but, in her words, “I like him so much, and i just don’t know how he feels about me. Like, what if it doesn’t work? OMG, he hasn’t texted back in over 10 minutes! He said he doesn’t want a relationship this morning, what am I meant to do?”
My advice this time though was that maybe she should cool down. I also reminded her that last week she said she didn’t want a relationship either. I asked her why doesn’t she go out for a bit? Find someone nice?
“What? Just ask someone out?”
“Well obviously not just anyone. Someone you like, or find attractive. Just for drinks, have some fun!”
“You can’t just ask people out Harriet! That not how it works!”
“Why not?”
“Well why don’t YOU just ask someone out then?”
I kind of see her point, and I had noticed a girl in the queue for the meatbuns that looked really cute. She wore a big red coat and had very short green hair. Very alternative looking, but she also had these huge eyes and I thought she looked cute. I have to say, I was nervous as I walked up to her. It did seem a bit crazy to just go up to someone and ask them out.
“Hey, I love your look. It’s super cute” I start, smiling but also keeping a decent distance between us. The girl looks at me like I’m crazy for a second then smiles and says thanks. This is the part where a lot of people might just give up.
“I like your hair colour a lot, did you do it yourself?” I pry, thinking if she doesn’t talk back I’ll have to leave her alone. I can see Mika at the corner of my eye trying not to laugh. Miraculously she does reply and we start a comfortable conversation. Turns out she works at a model in central London, doing alternative style shoots. I make a couple of lame jokes, which she’s kind enough to laugh to. Then I ask her if she wants to go have coffee with me sometime.
“Although actually, I only really drink tea. I’m not very good with coffee” I confess, to which she laughs and says that would be nice. We exchange numbers and as we do so her stomach grumbles. I jokingly ask if she’d like maybe two meatbuns, and she tells me she hasn’t eaten all day and is very hungry. On a spur of a moment thing, I ask her if she’d like to grab some dinner with me, and the sushi place just round the corner. For a split second she looks at me like I’m crazy, and I’m starting to think I must be, but she also agrees and a grin splits my face.
I tell Mika I’m taking the girl, Bones, to dinner. She looks incredulously and then says “If you can do it then I can too I guess!” and I jog off to join Bones. The sushi place is popular, but there’s seating for two in the downstairs bar. We order cocktails and a nigiri platter as well as a crab roll. Then we sit and talk, sipping on very delicious cocktails. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been on a date with a girl, I feel very nervous but I try not to show it. She’s actually very nice and easy to talk to, and we both end up laughing a lot.
The sushi arrives and it’s very yummy. Colourful bits of fish arrange on bits of rice is always a good choice, and the crab roll came with black rice. I enjoy the food a lot, although I think it had a lot to do with my company. I guess sometimes taking your own advice does work! Asking a girl out isn’t as scary as you’d think! We hugged and air kissed when we finished and left, and I have her number now. I’m thinking I might wait a couple of days before calling her though, I would hate to come across as super creepy clingy! Hopefully though there will be future blogs about Miss Bones!