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You spent hours getting ready.
That winged eyeliner is perfectly applied and your kickass outfit hugs the right curves in the right places.
If only the date was worth all your effort.
You’ve lost count of the yawns you took while he delved into soppy stories about past lovers.
Or worse – the sexy stilettos you strapped on were an awful idea because the “surprise” date he organised involves more strenuous activities than an episode of Survivor.
What a waste of good looks and precious time.
A first date can go horribly wrong and ladies, while you might want to place all the blame on the other party for the date going south, we’re often at fault too.
So here’s how to nail that first meeting and ensure there’s a follow-up.
Keep it simple
We get that the organiser of the first date is aiming to be all cutesy and inventive, but is ice cream on a roller-coaster or a hike up Lion’s Head really necessary?
First dates are about getting to know someone. And it’s kinda hard to tell someone else about yourself when all you’re managing is a huff and puff with each step you take.
Besides, you don’t even know what their favourite activities are.
As The Metro puts it, there’s a reason the classics are the classics.
A decent restaurant with good food and great company ought to do the trick.
Questions, questions . . .
So you’re out to sell the best version of yourself. But rambling on-and-on about that one time you rescued a dog from a drain is really pointless and won’t do you any favours.
Give the other person a chance to chip in and share their experience.
Another thing to consider is not turning the date into a job interview.
Find the perfect balance between questions, answers and conversation.
As Love Panky points out, a first date is about two people getting to know each other, not one. So avoid being too much of the asker or too much of the answerer.
The ex-files
It’s good to know why their previous relationship ended as it tells you more about who they are as a person.
Were they unfaithful? Too needy? Or perhaps too busy for a relationship?
However, ask yourself whether it’s crucial to dissect that failed relationship on date number one.
Besides, it creates the opportunity for the ex to be discussed at large – and that’s a first-date no-no if ever there were one.
Flirting – lay it on thick or nah?
We see it in the movies.
Girl meets guy and the chemistry between them is so thick you could slice through it with a butter knife.
Dirty jokes pass across the table and they’re so lost in their flirty exchanges they lose track of time.
But this is real life and those scenes are scripted to perfection.
Tasteless comments are unappreciated and you best believe you’ll be called out for it.
Keep the compliments classy and you cannot go wrong.
The nerve-wracking end – to kiss or not to kiss?
Come on, you’re grown enough to read the signals and determine whether a kiss at the end of date one is a yea or nay.
But whatever the mood may deliver, forcing a kiss when it’s obviously unfitting is a no-no.
As Love Panky so aptly points out, if the date is superb but a kiss still doesn’t feel organic, there will always be a next time.
Instead, walk him/her out, thank them for a lovely date and follow it up with a text or call.
SOURCES: THE METRO, LOVE PANKY, THEGENTLEMANSJOURNAL.COM
