Okay, gays , I need your opinions because I genuinely don't know what to make of this situation. 😭
For context, I'm a gay guy in my 20s, and I'm much more used to meeting men on dating apps than in real life. I've never really had an experience like this before.
So I work overnight at a fast-food restaurant. On the first night, around 4 AM, a really handsome guy came in to order. The kiosk was shut down, so I had to take his order myself.
As I was leaving at the end of my shift, HE CALLED ME HANDSOME.
GUYS. 😭
Obviously, I told him he was cute too because he genuinely was. He had this sun-kissed face, no facial hair, and just looked really attractive to me. And his name? Cobbie. Tell me that's not a cute name, too.
Anyway, that little interaction genuinely made my day. I've been going through a rough time lately, and having someone I found attractive compliment me out of nowhere made me smile like an idiot.
I actually turned around about 30 seconds later because I wanted to give him some free fries along with my number. 💀 Unfortunately, I couldn't find him anymore.
I told my friend what happened, and my friend said he'd probably come back.
AND GUESS WHAT?
THE NEXT DAY, AROUND 3 AM, HE CAME BACK.
He was with another guy who had a Slavic accent. His friend wanted a HUGE ice cream, which was kind of funny, but anyway, Cobbie recognized me and started talking to me again.
He asked how I was doing, and I told him I was tired because I'd been working since 10 PM. Somehow, I ended up telling him that I was working to save money so I could go back to school.
WHY AM I EXPLAINING MY LIFE STORY TO A MAN I FIND ATTRACTIVE WHILE I'M ON THE CLOCK? 😭😭😭
I was literally just trying to start a conversation.
Then he asked me about his number, and I completely froze. I was nervous about my coworkers and manager overhearing us, so I didn't really know how to respond.
He told me he will come back with a nice smile. i know i was a bit shy or acting weird its because iam at work,
Later, I was sitting at a table nearby on my phone, kind of hoping he'd come over and talk to me again. He didn't, though, and eventually I just carried on with my night.
Now I'm sitting here replaying everything in my head.
On one hand, he called me handsome, I told him he was cute, and then he came back the very next day and talked to me again.
On the other hand, I don't know if he actually came back to see me or if I'm just reading too much into a couple of interactions. I also don't know what to make of him mentioning his number because I was too nervous to process the conversation properly. 😭
And here's some additional context that might explain why I'm so hung up on this.
About two months ago, I was outed, and it sent me into a really bad mental health crisis. Things got so difficult that I was genuinely worried about becoming homeless. I eventually landed a job at one fast-food chain, but the environment was toxic and affected my mental health, so I left and moved to another chain that's slightly better.
I'm still trying to get my life together financially and emotionally.
So maybe that's part of why this little interaction meant so much to me. For once, I wasn't worrying about my problems. I was just a gay guy who thought another guy was handsome, and that guy called me handsome back.
And now I can't stop thinking about him. 🥲
HERE'S MY DILEMMA:
I DON'T WORK TODAY.
Part of me genuinely wants to go back to the restaurant around 6 PM and sit there for a while, maybe until midnight, just in case Cobbie shows up.
Yes, I KNOW. Imagine spending six hours at your workplace on your day off because you have a crush on a man whose number you don't even have. PLEASE DRAG ME. 💀
But I'm genuinely curious about him, and this is the first time I've experienced something potentially flirty with another gay man in person rather than on an app.
So, Reddit, I need you to be honest with me:
- Do you think he might actually be interested in me, or am I delusional?
- Is the fact that he came back the next day and spoke to me again a good sign?
- Should I go to the restaurant on my day off and see if he shows up, or would that be doing WAY too much?
- If I see him again, how do I flirt without getting nervous and accidentally telling him my entire life story?
- Has anyone else ever had a random interaction with a stranger that made their entire week better?
I'm lowkey interested in this man, and I genuinely don't know what to do with myself.
COBBIE, IF YOU SOMEHOW SEE THIS, NO YOU DIDN'T. 😭💀