"I’m 31 and recently ended a long term relationship. I was broken. I recently went to this cool restaurant/bar downtown with one of my buddies to have a good time. Anyone of any age can come in. While we were there, there was a girl who was celebrating her 19th birthday (They sang happy birthday and they were allowed an outside cake with 19 on it).

The birthday girl was pretty so I wanted to go chat her up. Her friends were super cute too. My buddy told me to leave them alone and that they looked like “babies”. He didn’t want to go over at first, but since the breakup, every other woman but my ex has been invisible. So he went to wingman with me.

We walked over and wished her a happy birthday. I thought things were going well and the women were laughing. Then all of a sudden one of the girls snaps at me to “take a fucking hint R Kelly”. I was taken aback and just said “excuse me”. She said to read the room and that they were uncomfortable. Another asked to us to go away. I was going to go but I was really bothered by the r kelly comment. I said it’s fucked up to call me a predator when we are all adults here. My buddy wanted to leave, but I stood my ground. The birthday woman said that it didn’t matter, it’s weird for someone my age to hit on them, especially when they make it obvious that they are uncomfortable. Then made another r Kelly comment by asking if she she looked like Aliyah to me. Which upset me again.

I apologized for making them uncomfortable but that didn’t give them the right to call me a predator.

One of the women said jt was a “personal problem”. I said that adults are allowed to hit on the adults. It’s not a crime. One woman just asked why I was still standing there and yelled at me to go away.

I was pissed off and when I left, their entire table was singing “remix to ignition” and laughing their asses off. I was furious and humiliated.

When we sat back down, I was seething. My buddy said that it was my fault for not seeing the signs that they were uncomfortable. To him it was obvious, so he wanted to go. He called me “delusional”. I pointed out that they were laughing and he said it was just uncomfortable laughter.

I told him that I had every right to be mad about being called a predator when they were all 18-19. It’s a horrible accusation.to make. My ex was 6 years older than me. He said that they weren’t calling me a predator, just weird for going for teens. He said it was wrong of them to sing after me and that was bullying. But I should have left long before that. I felt like he should have stuck up for me."