How to Navigate The Cold Cruel World of the Bar

It's Friday night, and you and your closest friends are headed out to a bar.

Jill wants to dance the night away.

Janet wants to flirt with the bartender.

Janie has a gun... (JK)

and you are on the look out for a potential, dater.

What do you do?

Well, first you satisfy the girl who wants to flirt with the bartender (Blair keep your mouth zipped!). Why? Easy, you get this girl in with the man with the drinks, there will be easy flowing beverages all night, plus the closer to the bar the more likely you are to meet other people making bets and buying rounds.

If you're lucky enough to grab a hottie right off, like a certain friend I know, then you're done for the night, but if you're like other people I know it might take a bit longer. SO, what you do is this. After, Janet has had one too many free shots of "water" let Jill drag you to the dance floor.

Why?

Well it's easy. When you're having fun, you smile. When you smile, you get noticed. If you're dancing and you get noticed, your face will be flushed already. If your face is flushed, it reminds people of invigorating activities which might lead to a conversation on the dance floor.

I don't however, recommend allowing yourself to be picked up on the dance floor, for a very good reason. People on the dance floor more than likely want one thing, and if you're down for that one thing then so be it, but if you're looking for a number and a date later in the week and not later in the night, then I suggest batting the men ON the dance floor away. Most of the ones I've encountered are sleazy anyway.

What I do suggest however is after 3-5 songs of dancing with your peeps, you drag them off the floor to retrieve a refreshment. Your face will still be flushed. You'll still be on the dancing/endorphin high, and you'll be more likely to talk to people you've never met before in your entire life.

I then recommend standing next to a group of people of the opposite sex or whatever you desire... and then I recommend this. Let the girl, who has spent the first 45 mins of her night shamelessly flirting with the bartender dive through. From here you have a couple of options...

1. Apologize for your friend. This engages the people around you in conversation. Mention how what they're drinking looks good or comment on a peculiar piece of jewelry.

2. If your friend spills their drink, which is probably likely since they've been receiving the solid end of free booze for the better part of an hour or two, then offer to buy the person she spilled on their next drink.

3. Tap one of them on the shoulder and whisper/shout in their ear your drink order and ask to pass it along to your friend. You would have asked them to move, but the view from back here was just too good to pass up (ONLY FOR THE BOLD)(Works best with a wink).

4. Stand there... smile at the people around you. Say, "Hi!" Odds are that they're there for the same purpose, to meet people, and who would pass up someone who already looks interested and is SMILING. I don't think that I can say this enough. If you LOOK approachable, ie., like you're having a good time, and you look like a nice, fun person, then the odds are that you will be approached.

If this method doesn't work the first time, then let Jill pull you back to the dance floor a couple more times, it's like your hair, rinse, lather, repeat... As long as you don't dive back into the same group of people that 'rejected' you, and I use the word LIGHTLY, the first time, then you stand a greater chance of success.