Dare

Friday night E and I went to our favorite happy hour spot. We were there the previous week and I met the hired entertainment. He was a cute guy my age who half plays covers with his guitar. I say half play because he'll invariably forget how to finish the song and just stop, shrugging, "I don't know how to finish it."

I ran into him again that weekend at the Pete Yorn show. He was wearing the same red baseball t-shirt. "You're that guy from Friday!" I said.

He looked confused.

"The taqueria singer!"

"Oh yeah, that's me." He studied my face for a moment, "You're my Dixie Land Delight!"

It was the song I booed him for not finishing without at least the key change bridge. He didn't know the words so I shouted them over the crowd. He applauded me and I slurred, "We're gonna be best friends!"

"Hey you should come back out next Friday. I'm finishing out the month there. And if I knew you liked Pete Yorn, I would have played more of his songs."

"I'll make a deal with you. You learn my song and I'll be back out."

"Deal."

Which is how Friday E and I ended up at happy hour again. We were at a table by the street, quietly mocking most of the other people there. 2 guys we had already mocked approached out table and asked if they could join us. One was outgoing and one was quiet, similar to E and me. The extrovert and I were soon talking.

When he found out my major in school, he called me a nerd.

"Don't say that! Why am I a nerd?"

"Because you weren't in the business school like me."

"Okay."

As the conversation continued, and he kept picking at me, I couldn't tell if he was pulling my pigtails like a kindergartener or just generally insulting me.

"How tall are you?" he asks.

"5'7" without shoes."

"You're a giant! You're a giant nerd!" He seemed pleased with himself.

I looked down to the nearly full beer he bought me and remembered back to our conversations this week over insulting women being the new pick up tactic. I remember what I said I would do if I encountered that. I told this much to his friend.

"I'll pay you five bucks if you do it."