Hot HB9 Number Close @ Yuppie Coffeeshop

Date: July 2, 2006

Location: Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Solo Sarge


I am informed that the wireless network at the internet coffee shop that I'm at is not working, but that I should be able to 'steal' wireless from one of the neighboring stores and apartment buildings. I take a seat and try to finagle a wireless connection from some of the ones listed in my airport display. All of them seem to be either impossible to connect to, or WEP password protected. After a couple minutes of this, I look across the small room and notice 2 HB9 brunettes - 1 taller one with a banging body with a mac laptop and 1 with cat eye glasses with awesome legs with a windows laptop. I yell across the room to them and it begins.

me: Hey are you guys getting a connection?
HB9 windows: yeah, I got one.
HB9 mac: Well I did have one, but now it's not working?
me: Which network are you guys using? I've tried them all I think.
Both: default.
me: Really? I'm not seeing 'default'? How did you get it?
HB9 mac: You have to enter it under 'other'.
(HB9 mac comes over, sits next to me, and fiddles around with my airport connection on my laptop, manually typing in 'default' under 'other', it seems to connect)
me: Ah, a hacker!
HB9 mac: (giggles)
me: Thanks.
HB9 mac: no problem. (goes back, sits down with her friend, they start talking about something or other)

I start trying to bring up websites in a browser, and all my connections time out.

me: (to HB9 mac) Hey it's not working again.
HB9 mac: It just came back for me.
me: Really? Maybe it's where I'm at.
I move to a table closer to them, making sure that I'm not directly facing them like I previously was.

me: (fiddles around with airport settings again) Now it's working.
HB9 mac: Yeah, now mine just went out! (laughs)

I pretend to work again, I put my headphones on and type some stuff out. The HB's are talking about how hotmail sucks, and how one of them has 357 spam messages.

me: So you guys know of any other wireless coffee shops? I really have to send this email out.
HB9 windows: Well...
me: I usually go to this one coffee shop but their connection was out, so I went here instead!
HB's: (laugh)
HB9 windows: We're not from around here.
me: Oh yeah? You guys in town for Taste of Chicago?
HBs: no. hehe.
me: Yeah I was going to go this year, but it's too crazy. So many people last year.
HB9 mac: Yeah we weren't planning on going.
me: So where you guys from?
HB9 windows: We're from the western suburbs - Northbrook.
me: Oh really? I've been there. That's a pretty cool town.
HB9 mac: It's boring!
HB9 windows: Do you live around here?
me: No I live more in the Lakeview area.
HB9 mac: Cool.
me: What are you guys doing, shopping or something?
HB9 windows: Well we have a friend that lives around here. She's in a nursing program at DePaul.
me: Is that where you guys went?
HB9 windows: No I went to Wash U.
me: (to HB9 mac) What about you?
HB9 mac: I went to U W Madison.
me: Ah, that's cool.
(They notice my 'Northwestern' shirt)
HB9 windows: So you go to Northwestern?
me: No I just graduated. I got my Master's there. It's just a shirt.
HB9 windows: Really? What did you study?

..... long convo ensues. We talk about schools, how HB9 windows was a Bio Chemical Engineering major and just got a job in Phoenix. We talk about Phoenix, how HB9 mac will probably visit her a lot there. How HB9 mac was a journalism major and is currently unemployed, and how you're allowed to slack the first couple of years after college. I should have given them the best friends test, I wasn't thinking.

HB9 windows: So what do you do?
me: I'm a software engineer.
HB9 mac: So you're the hacker!
me: hehe, yeah I was just being facetious.

I detach for a while, and pretend like I'm doing work. They start talking about soccer, I cut into their convo and talk about Germany and Argentina. I detach again and pretend to do work. They start talking about how HB9 mac needs renter's insurance for apartment. I had just gotten homeowner's insurance last year and I advised them to see if they can get a package deal on renter's insurance from the same company they get their car insurance from. DHV = 'homeowner's' insurance.

I detach again. They start talking about their nursing student friend. I've been there for an hour at this point talking to them, and I decide to leave before they do.

me: So where have you guys gone this weekend? Know of any cool clubs?
HB9 mac: We went to Soundbar.
me: Oh I went to Spybar a couple weeks ago - that's right across the street. How's Soundbar?
HB9 windows: It was crowded, a friend had a party there and put us on the list.
me: Cool. Hey I'm going to be at a club tonight, you guys want me to put you on the list?
(they look at each other)
HB9 windows: Yeah cool.
me: So how can I get hold of you?
(they look at each other)
HB9 mac: Well you can call us.
me: Cool, can you call my cell phone so I can save your number?
(she calls me, I save her number)
me: Well I have to go, I'm late. Nice meeting you. I'm nonchalant.
(We shake hands)
HB9 windows: I'm HB9 windows.
HB9 mac: I'm HB9 mac.
me: Cool, I'll call you later (looking at HB9 mac, the really hot one, although they're both totally smoking)
HB's: (as I'm walking out) byeeee

Halfway down the block, my heart is racing. I stop and call my wing and tell him we have to set up some type of guest list at a club. I walk a little more, my heart has stopped pounding in my chest a little. A little more down the block I look in a shop window and smile at my reflection in the glass, and I say to myself "Way to go, pick up artist".

Key points:
Almost no nervousness in this one. Good positioning of myself perpendicular to them. Good voice projection, body language. Use of DHV's. I'm going to keep using the "how can I get hold of you" close. Works awesome.

Work on:
No negs. I have a hard time working these in, probably because I'm a nice guy by nature.