Meek Her Want You

I know you tell men they must risk rejection to get dates. I'm pathetically shy, so I'm thinking of asking out this girl at the gym by giving her my card and telling her to call me if she wants to do something sometime. Win-win for the shy guy?

--Lightweight

Your card will come in handy -- if she needs to fix her car's CD player or pick something out of her teeth. Women go out with men who ask them out, and handing one a piece of card stock with your phone number on it doesn't count as asking her out. But, your shyness doesn't have to be a drawback. (Own it, baby! "I am mouse, hear me squeak!") On my radio show, therapist Dr. Robert Glover suggested approaching a woman with something like "I'm actually kind of shy, but I had to come talk with you..." Women are impressed by authenticity. Chances are, a woman will be especially impressed if you not only are open about your shortcomings but flip the bird at your fears to ask her out. Keep doing that and you'll soon become one of those smoothboys who scores with women even while carrying on conversations with their breasts. Well, okay, maybe that's overpromising a little. But, you can at least graduate from handing women litter to asking their shoes to the movies.