I don’t like bars, but I feel I need to go to improve my social skills. Plus, in my job I don’t see many people of the opposite sex. It’s nice to me reminded what they look like. I’ve been trying to experiment with drinking, but it still tastes vile. I consider it medicine. Tastes bad, but will hopefully improve my socializing.
There is a bar I go to semi-regularily. I can’t say I particularly care for the music. But I do have a friend that is there most times I go. So I can usually get a table to sit at.
I’m pretty sure his girlfriend doesn’t like me. I’ve tried to talk to her in the past, and she never seems to want to hold a conversation. I have no idea what I have done to offend her.
When I went today, I did something stupid. In a moment of politeness, I asked my friend if I could join them. I’ve never done that before, I took an invitation in the past to mean that I could always sit with them.
After consultation with the GF, the answer was “Not tonight.”
I can’t say that really improved my outlook for the evening. Still, I had paid to go, I was going to stay and have a good time. No sitting at a table watching people go by. I would go out and mingle.

Of course, none of that plan actually happened.