Can’t look away.

I spent some time downtown this weekend, and as the sun set on another day, I decided to finish off the evening in a little pub I often visit. I know this place well enough to be friends with a couple of the bartenders, and I really enjoy talking with them. They even seem like family sometimes.

As I sat down, a familiar bartender walked up to me to get my order and immediately began talking to me. She seemed sort of excited as she started telling me about what happened the night before. She said there was this guy who came in and they hit it off really well. She then told me that when he left she put a note on his receipt that he should show up tomorrow at around 11 pm. I wasn’t entirely sure why she was telling me this, but that hour wasn’t that far away, so I said I would stick around and see how it turned out.

I mainly just sat there passing the time away by scrolling through my phone and occasionally talking, and then the people next to me began to clear out and leave. Right after they left, there was some guy who came in and sat beside me. He came in with a small group, and they stood behind him, because there really wasn’t enough space at the bar. Once he got the bartender’s attention, they all began ordering drinks.

The guy was sort of striking to me, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. It was like I was drawn to look at him, but he wasn’t outlandish or anything. He had short blond hair, which was almost certainly dyed to be that light, a few scattered tats, nothing too outstanding though, and he was wearing one of those shirts that had the sleeves cut out. He wasn’t overweight, but didn’t look like a fitness buff either. There was nothing that really should have made him stand out, but he still attracted your attention. I guess you could say, he was sort of mesmerizing.

I also noticed the group of people who came in with him seemed to have a similar reaction. One of the girls seemed to be trying very hard to hold his attention and talk to him. It seemed almost like a worshipful look she was giving him. I’ve only seen that sort of look a couple of times before. He was attractive of course, but it was odd witnessing what appeared to be pure infatuation. It almost felt like I was sitting next to a famous musician or something.

I finally regained control of my senses and looked away, realizing that this was just some odd phenomenon. I also didn’t want to get his attention too much, because he didn’t really look like someone I wanted to converse with. I wasn’t quite sure why though. Maybe he reminded me of some of the guys I used to know growing up. He eventually got his drink and walked back to one of the empty tables close to the window, with his entourage following closely at his heels.

The bartender I was talking to when I came in then came up to me and said, “That’s him. Shh, don’t say anything.” In a way I was surprised, but in a way I wasn’t. I could see why she was sucked into his charm. I was literally speechless though. It wasn’t at all what I thought I would see that night. It sort of made sense why she told me about him now. It was kind of unusual.

Before I could make any comment, she said, “I trust your opinion, but I don’t want it until afterwards.” I found this to be an odd thing to say. By stating it that way, it made me realize that she already knew the answer herself. She knew something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t resist the temptation. She knew it was possibly going to be a night of bad decisions, but she didn’t want to think about it.

As she walked away, I pondered what I would have said to her anyway. I really didn’t feel comfortable telling her what I thought. I definitely didn’t think this was going to turn into a long term relationships. I certainly could have it wrong, but I’d be willing to bet that he has a log trail of broken hearts and one night stands in his past. I mean, this bartender is quite stunning herself. If he could pull her in, he could very likely attract plenty of others. But still I wonder, what exactly was I looking at that night?

---

Have you ever met someone mesmerizing? What is it that causes us to find certain people so attractive? Have you ever knowingly made bad decisions? How do bad decisions affect your future relationships? Do you think attractiveness gives someone too much power? Has someone ever valued your opinion, but refused to take it? Is it worth jeopardizing your heart over attraction? What are the long term psychological effects? How does this affect our society? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!