My hero Dan

We are out at a favorite meeting spot with my group of friends. It's a bar where I've stayed until closing hours many more times than I care to think about. After already having had wine with dinner, I didn't need much more before I'm conducting very loud conversations with my friends and strangers and practicing seated dance moves to the old-school hip hop favorites the DJ is playing. Pretty soon I'm thinking there are some songs we've GOT to here and so make my way up to talk to the guy. While I'm trying to sell him on the merits of playing "Miss Jackson" by Outkast (which he did, immediately) he's telling me a little about himself, like that not only is he the DJ tonight, but also the manager of the place. "You used to come out more often," he tells me. I was surprised that he remembered me, especially my social habits, but naturally didn't think it strange. Stupid. Stupid girl. "What happened?" he asked. "Why don't you come out anymore?" Um, I grew up? My aversion to Tuesday morning hangovers got in the way? There are a lot of reasons. But I just told him I didn't know and ran on back to my friends to inform them of all the incredible songs they were about to hear.

The next time I saw my new friend was outside on the patio where he told me to sit down (didn't think THAT was a big deal either) and began telling me more about his rockin' lifestyle, like how he's the manager and only 24-years-old and what's more he went so State not Carolina, and how any time there was a line outside I should just tell the bouncer hey, I know the manager, and what do you think about that! I was cluelessly responding with whatever admiration I sensed he was expecting when my friend Dan looked over and raised his closed fist in an affectionate "let's punch hello to eachother" guesture. Without even thinking I punched his fist with my left hand and Dan said, "Ouch, your ring almost cut me." I repeat he said: "Ouch, your ring almost cut me," to which the manager replied, "You're engaged?" And I said "Yeah!" and pointed out J inside, and then my new acquantance mumbled some stuff, got out of there and pretty much ignored me for the rest of the night. I was absolutely astonished with Dan's brilliant trick and more importantly, I didn't have to talk to the self-involved manager and DJ anymore (who, for those of you wondering, found himself a new girl in about 2 seconds flat). The lesson here is that when guys you don't know ask you to sit down with them when you are already involved in a perfectly good conversation with your own friends, they are probably hitting on you, and also that engagement rings are sharp, and my hero Dan figured out a good way to put that quality to use.