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Questions from an encounter with a pretty boy

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Last week two of my oldest friends and I met in a trendy city restaurant for one of our infrequent catch ups.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Just getting that in before the Panther of News does.

So there we were swapping news and enjoying each others’ company – not restless, needy or on the hunt.

But thirsty.

So we ordered a drink from the polite and efficient barman. And discussed the details of the special offer we hoped to use.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just a pretty face.”

“Eh?” We looked at him each of us with incredulity.

“Yes. I was employed for my looks,” the admittedly decorative young man puffed out his chest and honoured us with what must have been his most winning smile.

In the silence he did a standing-still swagger, hands on hips, thumbs sign posting his other charms.

“You girls (average age 45) are making this difficult for me,” he chastised when we clearly failed to succumb.

We issued bewildered apologies and scurried off to our table that fortunately had suddenly become ready.

Clearly there is much wrong in this little story, but what is worst?

  • The fact a bar would employ someone for their looks.
  • The fact that it is deemed necessary to lay on eye candy for women.
  • That this man would have no sense of shame about his function.
  • That he would be irritated when we proved immune to his flirtation.
  • That we would be apologetic for this.

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Comments

  1. D'you know what really bothered me about it – was that he believed he was flattering us by flirting! That somehow he was doing us a favour. “I've had young boys like you for entrees,” I wanted to say but wouldn't stoop to his level…

    And yes, that encounter really bothered me too. He 'imposed' himself on our conversation. I couldn't stand him, that's why I cowardly retreated and went to ask when our table was ready.

    The male youth of today, eh?!

  3. Maybe he was just having a joke. I think bars, especially in the bigger cities do employee people for their looks. They want to bring people in for the “eye candy”. Sad but true.

  4. I was dumb-struck. I had no idea what to say to him. To be honest I thought he was a bit dim – and if he was trying to get us “old dears” to buy more drinks he was very, very wrong. I saw the bewildered look on your faces and realised that I must also be doing the open-jaw shock look. I really just wanted someone polite to bring me a drink, say something short and pleasant, such as: “Hope you enjoy the wine” and then move on t the next customer. I also thought it very strange that he stood with his head resting on the bar and looking up at us through fluttering eye lashes. I kept thinking: “Cow.. mooo… shoo him away.” All very peculiar. I don't know why we didn't discuss this at the time. Most likely we were relived to get to our table and talk about something else! Nice blog!

  5. Maybe. Although he could have joked and left it at that, but his attempt to engage us with him went on to the point of awkward. But I agree, pretty folk find themselves employed for their looks.

  9. Oh I'm not surprised but it is rubbish isn't it – that he was proud about this is perhaps the saddest thing, I guess, and also that he thought you might be impressed by that – I know if I were in the same situation I'd just want him to bugger off and get us the drink – ther's nothing wrong with some inconsequential chat but to try and gatecrash is just not on. Also, I know you shouldn't have felt apologetic, but sadly, I would also have felt the same. maybe it's a 'generation thing'?

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