Be ye not cocky

—“Don't worry, I’m not gonna bother you this time,” I said to the pretty receptionist who takes my temperature before I enter Thompson’s Physical-Therapy department.
That’s all I said as she took my temperature = 97.1°.
I coulda said “no flirting this time; I don’t wanna make you nervous.”
That’s “flirting” per the definition I have. All I’m doing is talking — or as I did two weeks ago, tell a girl her eyes were pretty.
I’m told “flirting” is making a proposition = the intent being to get cozy.
Not what I want! And furthermore: at my age?
What I coulda said is “just because I’ve had such smashing success telling girls they’re pretty, doesn’t mean it won’t bomb with you.”
She smiled at me: mayhap she wanted me to at least say hello.
PASS! I don’t wanna make this girl nervous. Too risky!
I’ve run that so-called “flirt” by all too many girls and most times they love it.
That was immensely surprising to this kid. I never did anything like that before in my entire life.
Yrs Trly graduated the Hilda Q. Walton School of Gender-Relations = “NO ONE WILL TALK TO YOU, ESPECIALLY NOT PRETTY LADIES!”
(Click the link if you need explanation, readers. I’ve tried to avoid Faire Hilda, but she keeps interrupting.)
My success with anyone, especially pretty girls, has been mind-blowing.
It totally reverses the way I was brought up.
For 70-some years, I pretty much kept to myself. But now I strike up conversations with complete strangers.
Most amazing is how readily I befriend pretty girls.
Totally unexpected. It just blows my mind.
The other day, I told a girl she was pretty. (With the childhood I had?)
She really loved it; I could see it in her eyes.
There have been others, and it seems like I always make them feel good telling them that.
They start talking to me = I broke the ice. And they love talking; especially women.
But now I’ve learned that telling a girl she has pretty eyes is a risky way to break the ice.
What a shame! We coulda been just friends; me and that pretty girl.
But I ruined it.
Bad mistake.

• As a COVID-19 precaution, a receptionist takes your temperature before allowing you in the Physical-Therapy department.