Negative Game in a Room Full of Gamers

Today we had a meeting at Jillian's, the arcade-with-a-bar venue that is almost exactly like Davenbusters. Even though I had work to do, I went anyway because it sounded like an important meeting, and, more importantly, it sounded like a big section of the company would be there: big enough to include some girls.

Sadly, the talk was just business stuff, and there were almost no girls, except for the one hot girl I stared at too much a few weeks ago before I saw the ring on her left hand. I believe our internal phone directory should show a person's relationship status. On the bright side, though, was the fact that they had Area 51. Not that crappy "Site B" sequel but the original one. I hadn't seen a working one in years. For those who don't know, Area 51 is basically the coolest of those arcade games where you point a plastic gun at a screen and click the trigger a million times a second. When I wasn't losing at air hockey to my office-mate, I was at the Area 51 machine. Well, there was an unusually difficult flight sim and some racing games and...etc.

Everyone else had left, and I had just finished experimenting with using both guns to play Area 51 instead of just one, when I noticed a bunch of girls playing air hockey off to my right. They were...unusually attractive for an arcade. Except I couldn't think of anything to say, and I hadn't showered that morning. Sure, I'd meant to, but I stayed up too late the night before (ironically, lonely people are rumored to not sleep as well), and got up with less than the necessary amount of time to get to work for our daily meeting. So I skipped the shower. You would think that if a guy didn't make out with anyone for months and knew he was going out, that basic things like a shower and some cologne would be a high priority. Instead I just told myself I would push the shower to right after lunch. But then I got caught up in actually getting some work done after lunch, which actually made me late to the meeting at Jillian's. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here....

Anyway, so there I am, alone now in the arcade because everyone else had left a half hour ago, playing a game that is roughly 20 years old, trying to think of something to say to these girls, and hoping my liberal coating of deodorant had not been decimated by the long walk from the bus stop. As I shot a few more aliens I noticed that not all of the girls were playing at once, so I could ask one if she wanted to join me on the other air hockey table. It took me like two minutes to think of that.

So then I finish my game, which was a bit challenging, because at the end you only have so long to kill the alien space ship before it flies away and you lose the game, all while aliens are shooting at you all over the place. But I beat it, and then turn to go talk to the girls, and they were gone.

At first I was relieved, because I was nervous about talking to them anyway. Then I was depressed, because I had just missed another chance to meet girls. Now, though, I'm kind of happy about it. The air hockey is near the stairway to where you eat dinner. Maybe they were waiting for a table? I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time with that Area 51 game, and from there I can pretty much case the room. My...aspiring pickup artist friend in Philly does that kind of thing--always switching seats so he can see the whole bar. So it must help somehow. Maybe that will happen again. Maybe I'll play some air hockey with a lovely lady. Maybe some girl will be impressed by just how quickly I die in Area 51 when I try to use both guns like a cowboy. I mean, who knows what could happen?