I went in for new glasses and ended up talking for a while with the guy who was helping me. He was warm and easy to talk to, and when I went back today to pick up my glasses, I was pleased to see I’d caught him again. The second conversation was shorter, which was reasonable. The glasses were ready.
I did ask what he was doing for Thanksgiving, and his answer cleared up one thing I’d been wondering. He’s single. That leaves me with the slightly trickier question of whether he’d like to get coffee with me and finish a conversation that began with me shopping for eyewear.
He’s friendly, which is how I got interested in the first place. It’s also a fairly important part of his job. As far as I can tell, there’s no reliable way to distinguish the smile of a man who’d like to see you again from the smile of a man who’s glad your new glasses fit.
There’s also the shop itself. It’s one big open room, so asking him out at the counter could turn a simple invitation for coffee into something he has to respond to within earshot of people he works with. I’d like him to have the option of considering it after I’ve left the building.
There were envelopes out on the counter, which gave me the only idea I’ve come up with so far. I could write my name and number on one, tell him I enjoyed talking with him, and hand it over. I haven’t done it. I’m still wondering whether I’d need to say something about coffee or whether the sudden appearance of my phone number would make the invitation clear enough.
Would that feel low-pressure from his side of the counter? If you’ve been on either side of this, I’d love to know what you’d actually say.
