Cute

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This might very well be a photo of me the last time anyone referred to me as cute… until last night.

Tim and I went to the Mariner for dinner and walked into a packed bar with not a single seat available. One stool finally opened up, so we grabbed it while waiting for two seats, which conveniently opened up almost simultaneously.

The man sitting next to me smiled as I sat down, and then, just as I jumped up to take the newly available seats with Tim, he looked at me and said, “My God, are you cute.”

What?!

I get called a lot of things in my daily life, but cute is never one of them.

I actually laughed because he clearly didn’t care that my husband was standing right there. Tim, of course, was completely unfazed. Seeing my surprise, he quickly tried to pretend he calls me cute all the time.

Um… never.

Pretty? Yes. Beautiful? Occasionally. Busy, bossy, scary, intimidating, unapproachable… absolutely. But cute? I honestly can’t remember the last time anyone used that word for me, probably not in the last 55 years, so I decided to fully embrace the compliment.

Once we settled at our table, I ended up seated next to two women who were very eager to chat. And by eager, I mean one of them eventually asked if she and her friend could each try one of my mussels.

Naturally, I obliged and passed over a small plate with a few samples of my dinner because that’s what a cute gal would do.

That simple gesture apparently opened the floodgates.

The woman proceeded to tell me all about how her husband died a few years ago, followed by her pet parrot, and how she now suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and is basically treated as a booty call on dating apps.

At that point, I began wishing they had found me unapproachable.

I couldn’t help but think she might have better luck on the dating sites if she didn’t lead with the IBS… just a thought.

All in all, it was an entertaining night filled with strange conversations and even stranger compliments. I’m going to take that “cute” comment, tuck it safely away in the bank, and enjoy it for as long as possible, because I highly doubt I’ll be hearing that one again anytime soon. And as for avoiding future crazy conversations? I may need to embrace my unapproachable side now and then, especially when I’m sitting at a bar just trying to connect with Tim. 

“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” — Coco Chanel