gas station guy

Yeeeahhh...

Tonight I had to fill up my car after coaching color guard in Monticello, so I just went to this gas station right across from where you turn in to get to the high school. And since I've been driving a lot, I thought I should probably check my oil. I used to do this every time I filled up, but I haven't done it in awhile...which was obvious tonight...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

OK, so I get out to start pumping gas when this guy pulls up in a suburban and parks at the pump on the other side of the pump station I'm at. And uh...he's cute. I mean, I'm just saying. I just may have happened to notice that. But whatever.

Well for some reason the little card thing isn't working at my pump, so I go inside to pre-pay. I come back out and start fueling, and pop the hood so I can check the oil. Now in the old days when I used to drive the little Neon, I used to pride myself in this a little because guys would always be like, "You need help?" to which I would say, "Nope" and easily open the hood to check the dipstick for my oil level...but in the red Grand Am, it's always hard to feel the little latch that opens the hood in front, so I am feeling around and finally I just crouch down to try and look for it...which obviously makes me look like a dumb blonde who has no clue what she's doing.

Re-enter cute surburban driver, who apparently had already walked back out of the station and hopped in his car to leave. He leans out of his window.

"You need help?"

Dang it.

"Uh...no--I mean, I just can never find the latch to lift the hood..."

Hot suburban dude parks, hops out of the car and comes over to help. Luckily I'm not a total idiot and I'm able to figure out how to get the hood up. Now that he's already out of the car and standing next to me.

"Thanks," I say as he helps me hold the hood while I get it propped up. He says it's no problem, gets back in his suburban, and pulls out of the station.

Alone again, I can't figure out what makes me feel more stupid...the fact that I looked like I didn't know what I was doing with my own car, or the fact that I didn't just stand back and let him help. Maybe I should have used that opportunity to strike up a conversation?

I just never want to be That Girl that makes people go, "she can't do anything for herself." But I don't know...Is it sometimes better to play the "oopsie, I don't get how this works" card, to accept a little help even if I shouldn't need it, especially in this case when he went out of his way (and out of his car) to give me a hand? Instead of proving how much I DO know? Maybe it wasn't about me looking like I didn't know what I was doing; maybe it was about him wanting to help? I don't know...

Not that it matters now...I can probably bet that I won't be seeing hot gas station guy again any time soon.

Dang it.