flirting Melling & Mellons Getting Fresh at Fresh Fields Everybody's looking for somebody to love. It's a fact. But only some people know how to get what they're looking for. Chris Melling is one of those people. The boyishly handsome Penn junior has recently become something of a pop-culture icon for the MTV set as a result of his summer stint on that network?s Gen-X travelogue, Road Rules. Back at his home away from home in West Philly he's been laying low romantically. But, offered an opportunity to educate earSHOT readers on the intricacies of the Melling flirting technique, he quickly jumped back into action. The event was the Cupid's Mixer at the new Fresh Fields (20th and Callowhill) - a singles night for those in love with organic food and people who eat them. Arriving at the natural foods megastore, Melling and I made our way through the produce aisle. We discussed the knack, and how to get it. "I think a woman is attracted to a man who shops," he opined. Stores are also a good place to break the ice. "A man's not out of place asking for a woman's advice in such a setting," he added. Melling immediately illustrated his point by sidling up to a pretty brunette. "Do you know what kind of oil to cook this fish in?" she asked. She turned out to be married, and thus off limits for the high-moraled Melling. Still, his point was made. Moving on to the frozen food section, where Chris surveyed the store's extensive turkey burger selection, he elaborated on his strategy. "I'm all about wingin' it," he said. "I always look for the eye contact, but if I don't get it, I'll still go up and talk to a girl." Spontaneity is crucial, he declared, noting that his most memorable encounters have begun spontaneously - like the girl he met in a Los Angeles club's men's room. "She didn't want to wait in line. That's what I liked about her." Continuing to the store's imported cheese section, Chris and I began a discussion about European women, only to be interrupted by a smiling young lady whose arms were full of flowers. "Hi... Chris," she said, reading his name tag. "Someone told me to give these to you." "Who?" he asked, confused. "Well, I guess that didn't work too well," was her response. Smelling a pick-up line, I moved away from the would-be couple. Though clearly not enthused about his suitor, Chris was unfailingly polite, amiably making small talk and promising to give her a call before politely excusing himself. "It's key that you know how to handle those things," he would tell me later. Finally reaching the store's deli, Chris and I restarted our conversation, but before I could get my first question out, we saw her. Standing just inside the store's entrance, was the girl we knew we had come to meet. In a navy pea coat and stacked heels, she stood applying a sumptuous shade of crimson to her heart-shaped lips. I was transfixed, but Chris sprang into action. He knew what he wanted. "Just check this out," he said, leaving me for the companionship of the anonymous beauty. Catching her as she perused the produce, Chris grabbed the opportunity to ask the nubile young lady if he could help her with her melons. Her coy response: "Why, does it look as though I need help?" "No," he admitted. "The ones you have now feel pretty ripe." Liking what she heard, the winsome thang, with a name tag that read "Logan," asked our man if he would accompany her to find ingredients for a salad she planned to make that night. "What do you think of this cucumber?" our aspiring Lothario asked his new friend. "Is it too big for your salad?" "Well," she smiled knowingly, "it's not the size that's important, is it?" Still, her gentle caress of the thick vegetable made her approval clear. Obviously, Chris was already on his way to getting his dessert. Having gotten all the fixins for her salad, the intrepid beauty turned to go. "Thanks for your help, Chris," she intoned sweetly. "By the way - you could share this with me, if you want to." "Absoluticiously, Logan," was his response. "But don't you want any tangerines?" Holding a pair of the fruity treats close to home. "I know you must like the taste of fresh squeezed tangerines like these." "Actually," she returned icily, "I'm not sure I do. Maybe I'll just catch you another time." And turning on her heels, she strutted away, leaving us to ponder what had gone wrong. Perhaps this Logan berry just wasn't ripe for picking. Can't win em all Chris! - Ben Dietz