Drunk Kisses in Bars and Nightclubs – Do They Count?
Everyone has done it before: you go into bars and nightclubs, drink a little bit, and then – out of nowhere – you’re kissing a total stranger…or even worse, your friend. We all like to pretend that these drunk kisses in the middle of the night don’t mean anything, but the truth is these kisses have the power to make your friendship awkward. At the very least, they can leave you with a “Why did I do that?!” thought running through your head for the entire next day.
Drunk kisses can happen for a number of reasons: mutual attraction, stupidity, dares, your faces were too close to each other, or because you felt like it. So here’s the question that so many people ask themselves the next day: did that drunk kiss count? Should it all be written off due to the alcohol? Or are did the kiss mean something more? Do you have to deal with it, or pretend it never happened?
One drunk kiss that definitely doesn’t count is a kiss from a dare from friends after drinking too much at a bar or nightclub. This shouldn’t be allowed to make anything awkward because you probably didn’t want to do it in the first place, but you were forced to otherwise you’d lose face. Write it off as finishing a challenge you were set, and move on.
Similarly, kisses just because you felt like it or because you bumped into each other’s faces (it happens, trust me) should be ignored and forgotten. Impulsiveness is a characteristic of being drunk; don’t mistake wanting to kiss someone ‘just because’ as genuine emotions. Unless you have those feelings for them for the next day or week, erase it from your memory.
If you were attracted to them in the beginning, then – of course – the drunk kiss might mean something more. However, don’t assume that the other person feels the same way. There is never anything more crushing than hearing the person you’re attracted to say “Yeah, let’s forget what happened last night, okay?” The best way to figure this kiss out is to bring it up casually the next day: for example, “Hey, what we did last night…”, or something along the same lines. Leave it open, if the other person doesn’t immediately say “Please, let’s forget it” then there’s a good chance that it meant more to them too.
But with any situation, there are grey areas. If you used to go out, or if one of you has a boyfriend/girlfriend it becomes more complex. The boyfriend/girlfriend situation should be a no-go zone after that night: unless they are planning to break up, the longer you pursue it, the more complicated and difficult it will become. Likewise, if you used to go out, the situation needs to be weighed up before deciding that the kiss was a ‘sign’ and you should get back together.
There is nothing wrong with a drunken kiss or two on a night out at a bar; in fact, it can add to your night, or at least add to your crazy memories. Just make sure to clear the air so it doesn’t become awkward afterward if it’s a friend. If it’s a stranger then a pash-and-dash might be appropriate. Just be sure that it’s not someone you’ll see again.