Day 3: If at first you don't succeed...

After Jacki's courageous rejection last night, it's on. I thought all evening about things I could ask of strangers, some were good ideas that I have on my list. Some might have earned me a slap across the face -- I chucked those ones. I settled on one idea for today that seemed not too confrontational, fun to ask, and the likelihood of getting rejected was high. Or so I thought.

It started on my lunch break when I went into Octane Coffee with a coworker. BTW this coworker knows the deal so I can't ask him anything and be genuinely rejected. In fact, he has already given me his car, his watch and his phone several times over. And he offered me grocery money. So he's a contaminated sample, but he was willing to help me out if I needed it.

Anyway we walk into Octane, and a very cute and friendly young man came to the counter. I put in my order with him, paid, and then said "Can I ask you something else... Will you come around the front of the counter, get down on one knee and propose to me, while my friend there takes a picture?" I blurted it out as fast as I could because I could feel my nervousness taking over and I didn't want to flake. You know what this handsome so-and-so replied? "Yeah sure! How are we gonna do this?"

Can you believe the nerve of this guy? I mean, he was totally helpful and friendly and not at all judgmental. The cad. At this point I was well into nervous and shaky territory, and when I'm nervous and shaky my mouth starts running. Plus now I didn't know what to do. I didn't expect to hear yes, so I told him he was supposed to say no but I really appreciated his willingness to help me out! (god was that lame or what) I also told him about our project, which he though was cool. Even then he was still willing to get down on one knee and have my coworker capture it on camera. I should have done it, just to have that memory. But I was flustered and shaking, and thinking about who I could approach next so it didn't occur to me to go ahead with it until after I left. I shoulda taken the picture!!

Octane guy, if you're reading this then at least say hi in the comments or send me your pic so I can post who the helpful young man was!

But back to business. I still need to get rejected. And I still want to ask someone to get down on one knee and propose to me, avec camera. Shouldn't be hard right? Strange woman walks to up strange man and asks for proposal. Cake.

Later after work Jacki sent me a text that she had just done hers, so we agreed to meet out at the bar she was at and she could be a witness to my next attempt.

At the bar, wine in hand, I look around for a suitable stranger. The jitters start coming back. I knew I had to do this quickly because I'd start drinking my wine soon and then it would be the wine talking, and not me taking a genuine risk. So I grabbed a waiter who looked very busy and asked him. "Will you get down on one knee and propose to me while my friend there takes a picture?" The response this time: "Does it have to be right now, I'm pretty busy. Can I come back in 5 or 10 minutes?"  

Seriously? What's with these guys? Didn't their mothers tell them not to propose to strange women? Egads. I even tried to goad him into saying no - "It's ok if you can't, just tell me." But he insisted he could come back. Oye!

After a while waiting Jacki and I agreed he wasn't coming back and probably never planned to. So, I think that could qualify as a rejection. Still, I didn't get a definitive No and now I was on a mission. Jitters were replaced by determination. The next attempt couldn't leave any room for equivocation. I was going to skip the whole asking him to get down on one knee thing and instead ask the guy to flat out marry me. There was no possibility anyone would say yes to that...

Another young and quite adorable waiter was passing by a few minutes later so I grabbed him instead. "I have a question -- Will you marry me?" swiftly stated with a big smile and anxious body language. "Uhhh.... nooo?" he said, with a big grin on his face. FINALLY REJECTED!!  He continued, "I'm only 18 you know." So now I'm Mrs. Robinson and he's just this side of jail bait. "Well, you're legal at least!" I said. To which he laughed and concluded with "I might marry you once I get to know you a little, if you still remember me."

*Swoon*

How sweet was that? He rejected me and melted my heart all at once. Noche guy, once your voice deepens a bit more, I will totally come find you. This one's for you:

I think tomorrow I might go back to something simpler...