The bold Good Guy?

Is such a beast an oxymoron? How about an ox? A moron?

To be sure, probably both. Let me give you a quick intro to the situation:

I am a good guy.

“Ahh… now I get it,” you sigh. Yep, ‘fraid so. The good guy, as we all know, is that timid guy who’s always just a little bit awkward. He’s the guy who thinks of the perfect thing to say but says it too late, much after the situation calls for it. For he isn’t willing to take risks in situations where his ego, pride, or what-have-you might take a blow.

More on the good guy later. Suffice it to say that I’m one of them. We’re a broad fraternal order, we members of the Good Guy Club. But then you’d never know it, as by definition we blend into the woodwork. I would dare estimate that out of a group of guys, maybe 30 – 40% of them might be Good Guys.

Well, there I was in a crowded Starbucks tonight, one of the 4 or so Good Guys, sipping my latte in peace, minding my business.

And it hit me rather hard.

I had dinner the night before with a couple other Good Guys. One of them was quite excited with a recent endeavor he had embarked on to the “other side” of Good. Not to say that he had lapsed into the Bad Guy side. Rather, he took a great leap of confidence and approached a girl with a flattering compliment. No proposition, no sustained conversation, just a mere compliment to make her day (and his) and he walked away.

This Good friend challenged us to do the same. The gauntlet was thrown. There I was at Starbucks, drinking my latte. True, the cafe girl was impossibly cute with that sort of infectious chipper attitude. What better candidate for my friend’s challenge?

So there I sit, working up a great line (not a proposition, mind you, just an innocent compliment for my own confidence as muchfor hers). I go over my plan in my head. I think that this could go either way, from absolute disastrous to blissful marriage. Hopefully, this would end somewhere in a comfortable middle.

Finally the opportunity presents itself. Do or die. I walk up and hit her with my line:

“How would you like a compliment?”

Her face lights up. “I love compliments!” Phew, so far so good. We’re veering away from the disastrous.

“You have a GREAT smile,” I say.

She flashes her brilliant teeth really wide.

“There it is again!” I come back.

“Why thank you!” she beams.

“Well, have a great night…”

And with that I walk out, smiling pretty dang big myself, on top of the world. I just made this delightful girl’s night, and I felt very good about it myself. Although all things being equal, I’m glad I left shortly after said compliment, because by the time I reached the door my hands were shaking!

So how about that? Good Guys can be bold too!

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