The pickup is a high stakes game, and to win you have to play hard. All I had done so far was commandeer their attention and provoke an emo- tional reaction. Sure, it was a negative one, but now we had a relationship. If I could turn her anger around, I'd be in. Fortunately, I happened to be trying to make a point to the students and was wearing a black mod wig and a fake lip piercing—just to show that looks don't matter. It's all game. I leaned over the bar and stared the 11 down. "Well," I told her. "I actu- ally am wearing a wig, and I am bald underneath here."