The Awkward Straight-Man-Can-I-Have-Your-Number Dance

"Hey man, I've had a great time today. We should go out sometime and grab a couple beers. Can I...ah...get your number?"

These are words I never thought capable of escaping my Midwestern mouth. And yet, they have--many times.

It really is an awkward moment: You went to an alumni bar on a Saturday to watch the [insert your college here] game and have a healthy amount of beers. In the process, you met a bunch of like-minded, friendly [again, insert your college here] fans, many of which are guys similar to yourself: recently moved to SF, work hard during the week in either the city or the South Bay and like/need to cut loose on the weekends.

The hazards for a straight, male SF transplant strike again. Let the awkward straight-man-can-I-have-your-number dance begin.

It's a clumsy, two left feet kind of dance. The game's over, people have already started sucking down what's left of their $2 gameday Miller Lites and are heading for the door. You've been talking with -- let's call him Jeff -- for most of the game, ever since he beat you to insulting your coach's decision to punt the ball at the end of the first quarter. The rest of the game you and Jeff went round for round (because who only buys one beer?).

You two are standing there at the corner of the bar, about to head your separate ways:

Jeff, reaching out his hand: "Great to meet you, man. Too bad it couldn't have been under better circumstances." [Your team lost]

You, grasping Jeff's hand in a firm, 'I'm a bit shitfaced' handshake: "It was great to meet you too. We'll probably be seeing each other here again."

Jeff, releasing the handshake: "Yeah, man, looking forward to it."

[Now you're both lingering here a bit because neither of you wants to be the one to bring it up, but....]

You have to say it, because Jeff just spoke: "Well, maybe we should just go out and grab a couple beers sometime soon."

Jeff: "Yeah, I'd really like that."

You, taking out the phone you've been palming in your pocket during this whole interaction, bite the bullet: "You think I could...ah...get your number?"

Jeff, a wave of relief sweeping across his face (because he wasn't the one who asked): "Of course."

[Dance Completed]

Surprises me how essential, yet still awkward this situation is. I mean, you're new to the city and don't have a ton of non-work friends, so when you met a guy you get along with you have to grab his number. It's common sense, but still feels so unnatural.

In fact, in my case, I usually never call, because the only thing more weird than asking a guy you don't know for his number is actually calling him.