Next!

"Well," I said. "Before, she was in the driver's seat and leading this relationship. Now you just showed her that you had more power than she did over how you felt about things and she's taking stock of the situation. You have become a bit of a mystery to her and a challenge and she is a little off balance about it."

"That makes sense," he said.

"What's the status of you two now?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Well do you still want to be married to her?"

He nodded, "Of course I do. It was always her that pushed for the divorce."

I leaned back. Now was the time to tell him about the next phase in attitude.

"Listen, I think you've gotten the 'Next' attitude down, or at least you can understand it, now I want to talk to you about creating your own world, like your own reality about yourself."

Jake leaned forward with interest.

"Regardless of whether you and Karen get back together or not, you gotta realize that the only person responsible for your happiness is you."

He mulled this over. Just then my phone buzzed with a text message. It was my mysterious brunette. I held up the phone and showed him the message.

'Hi! Thinking of U. Wanna meet up?'

I smiled. "Look Jake I'm not the best looking guy out there, I'm not ugly but if you just looked at me, there's nothing special about me. So why is this woman fascinated by me?"

Jake shook his head. "I haven't a clue, maybe because you are the mack-daddy?"

I broke up laughing. "Hardly, man! Look she is attracted to me and you have to understand what attraction is. It doesn't matter if you've known someone for a few minutes or a few years, you either generate attraction or you don't. If you don't know how to generate it then don't blame the woman for not being into you."

Jake was skeptical again, it just takes a while for the men to get this.

"Let me explain it this way: you're at a school dance and there's two groups of people there, the ones laughing and dancing and having a fun time and the other group that are the wallflowers. That group is hanging out on the perimeter of the dance, they all are sad and stoic and they don't seem to be having a good time. Now you're time is very valuable to you, and you are just able to get away for this dance and after this you will have to go back to work or studying or whatever for the next month. Now I ask you, which group would you prefer to be included in? Not which group you would feel more comfortable approaching, but which group would you wish they brought you into."

"The fun dancing group," Jake replied.

"Exactly. You might feel insecure about joining them but I'll bet that most of the wallflowers were wishing that they would have been included in that group."

"So what does this have to do with..."

"I'll tell you, Jake. Women look at men like these two groups. Only now think of the wallflowers as serious, shy, nice men and the dancing group as the fun, confident, welcoming group. Which do you think the women are more attracted to? Which would they see as providing them with fun or a good time?"

"The fun group."

I nodded, "Yeah the fun group, or the fun guy. Now what makes them fun?"

Jake had no idea.

"It's attitude. The 'Next' attitude is one aspect but really you are in charge of your own happiness. Create your own little world where the things you want to do are fun, that you look on the bright side of things and you don't let things bother you or get you down. A bad driver? Don't let it bother you. A depressing person? Move away from them and don't interact with them. A bitchy woman? Tell them you don't respond to attitudes like that. All they do is bring you down and you want to be happy and satisfied with your life, so block the bad from coming in."

Jake mulled this over as we were finishing things up and stood to leave. "I see how that can be healthy but what does that have to do with dealing with women?"

We stepped out into the parking lot and I stopped at my car.

"It's all about perception. Women can perceive things better than us guys. Let them know internally that not only do you deserve the best for yourself, but that you are a happy and fun guy to be around with and if they or anyone else tries to bring you down you don't stand for it."

"Hmmmm, sounds like pop-psychology bullshit to me..." he said.

I looked at him. "Look, try dealing with everyone this way for the week. Have the attitude that you are responsible for your own happiness and don't let anyone try to say otherwise. If they do, let them know you won't stand for it. Don't be mean, and don't be the normal prick that you can be, but just be honest and straightforward. There's no time to waste on bullshit."

Jake nodded. "I'll try it, what have I got to loose?"

"Nothing," I laughed as I jumped into my car I headed over to park to meet up with the pretty girl who passed me her number at Marco's the other night.

Janey and I tried to have some fun at the park as we walked along and people watched. I knew pretty much right away that Janey and I had nothing in common and there wasn't really anything there. She had been rather confident and flirty at the club but out in the light of day, she was hesitant and nervous.

"Ok Janey, what's wrong? You are all jumpy and you keep looking around," I asked as we sat on a bench overlooking one of the duck ponds.

She tried to blow it off but I pushed her until she told me.

"I'm kind of seeing someone right now," she said.

I smiled, "You looking right at me."

She didn't find that funny.

"Look, I'm going through a rough patch with my boyfriend and I passed my number over to you because we hit it off and you excited me. I haven't been excited by someone in a long time."

I held her hand and smiled. "Janey, I'm glad you find me exciting, I thought we had a connection as well at the club, but I have a rule I never break. I'm never the other man. I don't break people up and I can't condone cheating. I'm sorry, but the issues you have with your boyfriend and yourself have to be solved by you. I'm not willing to be involved."

I stood up and stared down at her. "It was nice to meet you Janey, but please don't call me."

I left her sitting on the bench. I could hear her start to cry. Maybe it was because of her confusion. Maybe because I had called her a cheater. I was sorry for her, but I was not going to be the reason she broke somebody's heart. It was easy to see one of my friends being the guy on the other end. I had to deal with them after their relationships were shattered. No way was I ever going to put myself into that position. 'Next' woman!

Saturday night I met up with Jake, Robin, and Frankie at the Primrose Bar and Grill. It was going to be a night out with the guys, something Jake had missed for most of his married life. Kids and a wife tend to occupy evenings so the single guys trudge on out there on their own. It's a burden, but so be it, we are willing to take one for the team.

The good thing about the Primrose was that they served the best damn garlic fries I've ever had. Garlic isn't the best for hitting on women, but sometimes you gotta know where your priorities are!

After a toast with our beers we dug into the fries and kicked back to talk and have fun.

"So Jakey," said Frankie. To him everyone had to have a 'y or an ie' added to the end of their names. "How's the divorce going? You doing okay?"

Jake smiled.

"Uh oh!" I cried. "Looks like things might be going better than planned!"

Jake laughed. "I think the divorce is off!"

We were astonished.

"I'm moving back in next week," he squealed like a little girl. We of course gave him a bunch of shit for that!

"I have the Master here to thank," as he motioned to me.

I shrugged while the other guys ordered another round in honor of 'the Master'.

"Aw come on guys," I protested.

"The stuff you gave me was like gold man," Jake said.

"I went over to see her a few days after our lunch and I did what you said and she just couldn't get over it."

Robin jumped in. "What did you do?"

Jake turned to him. "I just kept this attitude of being in control of my reality and that I was responsible for my happiness. I just kept chanting that internally and started to believe it. Pretty early on Karen started in on some issues she had with a friend of hers, some fight or something and I just told her that I wasn't there to hear her bitch about things. She was shocked as I told her that she was bringing me down and that I wanted to stay happy around her, so cut it out."

"Pretty ballsy, Jakey!" Frankie replied.

"I know! For a moment I thought she would throw me out right there, but she changed moods and smiled and asked how I was doing. We sat down and had a nice dinner. I helped her clean up and then spent the rest of the night having fun with my kids. I read them a book, which I can't ever remember doing that before and Karen just sat back on the other sofa and watched me silently."

"Nice," I replied.

The others agreed. We finished off the fries and ordered another batch.

"Once I put the kids to bed, Karen and I talked. She said she had been doing a lot of thinking lately. She was very confused after the other night."

"The other night?" asked Robin.

"They did it," I replied. That elicited another round of high-fives and cheers. Jake blushed.

"She told me that the strain of the children and me was getting to her. She felt frustrated as she was left to take care of the kids and I never really dealt with them when I was home. She very much enjoyed my reading to the children that night and commented on it. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it as well as the kids did. I guess it's not all television and video games."

Jake looked at me, "She didn't say it outright, but I think she had lost attraction for me over the years."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The change in attitude that has happened within me has drawn her back to me. She said she's thinking about me all the time now. She remembers that feeling when we first started going out. She likes that feeling."

I smiled.

"You dog!" Frankie replied. We all laughed.

"Bottom line, she wants me to move back in and we can work on our marriage together," Jake proudly said.

"Alright Jake!" said Robin.

We all gave him a pat on the back.

A little while later Jake turned to me. "So great Master, any other lessons, or have I graduated?"

I laughed. "Jake there's always something to learn. You just can't stop it, otherwise, just like your marriage it'll stagnate."

I leaned forward. The other two had heard my lessons before so they knew what was coming.

"Jake, the last lesson for you is a doozy. Pulled off right you will keep Karen's interest and attraction to you for as long as you like."

Jake seemed very interested in this.

"Ok the last thing to put this all together is the 'fuck with you' technique."

"Huh?" muttered Jake.

Robin and Frankie smiled.

"Yeah, it's kind of a combination of messing with them and having fun. Think teasing and you're pretty much there."

"Oh the girls they love the teasing!" Frankie said.

"I don't follow," said Jake.

"You remember when we were kids and we would tease the girls?"

Jake nodded and said, "They hated that. My sister always told on me when I would tease her."

Robin shook his head. "They loved it dude."

Jake looked at him like he was from Mars.

"They claim to hate it but teasing them shows two things, one you aren't intimidated by them and two you like to have fun, and we all know how attractive having fun is to them!"

Jake took a swig of his beer. He was having a hard time getting his mind around this.

"Isn't that pretty mean? I mean I used to tease girls until they were in tears, you can't tell me they loved that!"

I shook my head. "No that wasn't fun for them, but these are adults now. Teasing to them shows that you can have fun and you are not intimidated by them. It shows your confidence in a different light."

"Seems pretty mean," he concluded.

"You remember the brunette?" I asked.

"The one who tagged along with us to Marco's?" Jake asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. You know why she did that? Because I teased her. I fucked with her. I showed her that even though she was beautiful, I was not intimidated by her. To her, I became interesting because unlike all the other guys in that bar, the ones that tried to impress her, I demanded that she impress me."

"No way," he said.

Robin and Frankie laughed. "Come on, Jakey, you've seen him in action!"

"Did you know that she was the one that bought our drinks after I bumped her and made her apologize to me?"

Jake shook his head.

"She was so shocked by that. She realized that here was a guy that wasn't going to fawn all over her and beg for her attention. Here was someone who was confident in turning the tables and put her in a position that she needed to impress me. I did that with my attitude and with my 'fuck with you' approach."

Jake's mind was full. He began to rewind that evening back in his head. All the subtle things I did and how the brunette ate it all up.

"You son of a bitch," he muttered.

We all laughed.

"You have to get the timing down but if you tease them it shows you can have fun and you are in charge. Women just are not into someone who isn't a challenge. Guys for that matter as well, hell everyone wants something that don't have. You gotta put that spice into your relationship. That will always have Karen or any girl for that matter, thinking about you all the time. They think 'did he really mean that?' 'Why did he say that?' 'What's the hidden meaning behind that?'"

"So how do I do that with Karen? We've been together now for a long time?"

Robin sighed. "That's the tricky part. You're gonna have to answer that yourself. Just think about something she is uncomfortable with, then you can tease her about it. Maybe it's a big floppy hat, or an overbite Don't be mean but just kind of mess with her a bit."

Frankie spoke up. "Everyone is a dork in their minds. There is no one that thinks they are 'that cool'. No one. Brad Pitt doesn't think that. Maybe Angelina Jolie, does but Madonna, J-Lo, they all know deep down inside they have some dork in them. Maybe it goes back to a time before they fully matured and tripped on a dance floor, or slipped in front of their younger brother that laughed at them, but everyone deep down inside thinks they are a bit dorky."

"The key," I picked up on Frankie's speech, "is that you have to show them they can embrace the 'inner-dork' when they are around you. They don't have to pretend. It doesn't matter to you. You accept them and have fun with them because of their 'inner-dork'."

"That's a very powerful feeling. Everyone is looking for acceptance. If you can first be the person they are drawn to with your own power and confidence. Then show them you are choosy and can have a women who appreciates you. Next you show them you are in control of your own reality and that it is a good, fun positive and strong reality. After that you invite them into your reality by showing them that you can have fun with them and their true likeness, their true personality and they will be attracted to you big time."

"Spoken like the true Master," Robin smirked.

"Cut that crap out," I protested.

Jake smiled as he finally started to get it.

"I wish you luck man, I really do!" I said.

He thanked me and the others.

"By the way, I helped someone out for you, I hope you aren't mad," Jake said cryptically.

"Huh?" I asked. He just smiled and downed his drink.

The next day I received a text message from my mysterious brunette.

It said one thing: Tristan, my name.

I chuckled. Jake you bastard you took away my fun!

I texted her back with a big happy face.

"I can see why you didn't want to tell me your name," she said as we were at dinner together the next evening. "With a name like Tristan I would be embarrassed as well!"

I laughed. She was turning out to be a delightful young woman.

"Now the shoe is on the other foot! You don't know my name!" Her eyes twinkled as she sipped her red wine.

I stared at her smugly. "I do too, it's 'Patty'!"

She roared with laugher almost spitting her wine out. She wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"You are such a dork," I accused her with a smirk.

She giggled and took another sip of her wine.

"It's Carol," she revealed.

I looked at her and smiled.

"To me, my dear, you will always be Mrs. John Smith!"

Her mouth dropped. I closed it when I reached over the table and gave her a kiss.

"So Mommy, that's how you and Daddy met?" Little Jake asked as he and his younger sister Patty got ready for bed. I picked up my little bundle of joy Patty, while Carol marched Little Jake upstairs. Carol gave me a sexy look. I smiled back.

"Yes honey. Just like that. If I was never able to convince your uncle Jake to give me Daddy's name, we might never have gotten married!"

"Uncle Jake and Aunt Karen! He's who I was named after right?" Little Jake asked.

"That's right dear," Carol said as she tucked him into bed. Soon we would have to look for a new place to live. Little Jake was growing up and would not be able to share the bedroom with his little sister soon.

I tucked Patty in and kissed my princess. "It's so romantic!" Patty said. "It's just like the stories you and Mommy read us."

I looked over at Carol, my love, my wife, the mother of my children, and my life. "That it is little one. That it is!"

As always, I so do appreciate comments from you readers, drop me a line and let me know what you think of my stuff! Thanks for reading!