Cheesecake & The Pick Up Artist Part Five

I sat in my supervisor's office full of anxiety. The chair felt two sizes too small and the air was beginning to feel thin. Across from me sat Bob. Bob wore a nice buttoned down suit and his hair was slicked back. His office was small and cramped. It was quite bare, no posters or pictures of his family. Just a desk, a computer and some file cabinets.

“Do you know why I called you in here?” Bob asked me.

I gulped, my hands were fists and I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back. “I have a suspicion” I replied.

“David your performance this past year has been pretty abysmal,” Bob said as he leafed through a stack of papers.

“Yeah I know” I stammered “But this past month I have been doing better”

“What’s going on David?” Bob said as he stared at me.

How did I get here? I wondered to myself. A year ago I was making sales bonuses and now I wasn’t even meeting quota. To find out why we would need to rewind the clock one year.


After Frankie D left, I began to go out. As he had demanded I was going out four times a week. I was staying out till the wee hours of the morning. I was trying to follow his directives of approaching. As time went on, I did get better. I got more comfortable approaching women and even had a few make out sessions at the bars. My pick up friends began to call me Warlock. Yet I still was no closer to scoring dates or scoring at all in general. In fact, I got laid less than I was when I started the system.

But denial is a powerful emotion. Contrary to the proof in front of my eyes, I just kept going. I would think about those stories. Where someone set their minds to something and pursued it until they were a success. I just kept thinking if I keep trying, one day I will succeed.

I began to fall asleep at my work. My body was exhausted from all the running around I did and the lack of sleep. Days began to blur together. I found myself making mistakes and my sales began to plummet. Which brought me to my bosses office that fateful day.

“I haven’t been feeling well but I’ll do better I promise” I said

Bob sighed and leaned back against his chair. He looked out the window as if to find the words to express his utter disappointment. An awkward moment of silence was left between us.

“Yeah David, I’m sorry but its too late. I am going to have to let you go” Bob said as he turned from the window.

I cant remember the moments after that. I think I must have blocked it out or maybe the shame I felt has erased it from my memory. Either way I soon found myself outside of my former employers building. Holding a bag of what was left of my possessions I walked toward the subway. My cell phone began to ring after a few blocks.

“Yo Warlock!” Robert yelled as I took his call. “A bunch of us are going to 235th for some recon. I heard there are some wickedly fine ladies there”

I thought for a second, pick up just cost me my job. Did I really want to dive into yet another night of trying to score? Isn’t it time to grow up? Yet I kept hearing Frankie D whispering in my ears. Do you really want to give up now? You have hit rock bottom, now there is no way but up. This is your moment. Seize the day and make your dreams come true. Now is the time to decide are you a winner or a looser?

I looked down at my phone and brought it to my face. I took a breath and said “What time do you want to meet?”

The world would not be the same again.