Date or No Date?
We all love it when we've finally taken the plunge and gone out with someone for the first time. He holds open doors, brings flowers and all the good things you see in the movies. And of course it ends with a sweet kiss. You know it was a date, there is no debate there.
However, there are also those times where you just aren't sure whether or not it's an official date, which may leave you questioning yourself for days afterwards. Nope, all this dating drama does not end after high school or college. It continues to follow you well into adulthood. But since we can all relate and we feel your pain we've found what to look for to decide if you are on a date or if you're just plain confused.
One of the biggest clues can be in how you're asked. If he says something simple and casual like "Hey, you want to catch a movie?" then most likely it's not. If the invitation doesn't sound like there was a lot of thought behind it, you'd better stop by the ATM before meeting him. But if he precedes his invite with "I really want to see you tonight," then it's a date.
Your second clue will come from where the date (or "date," as it were) takes place. Contrary to the popular belief that first dates include movies, this is not a good sign that you're on a real date. You can't talk during a movie and you basically spend 2 hours together not getting to know one another. Fast food is also not a good sign. Sure it was cute on Sex and the City, but McDonald's just doesn't scream romance. Yet, don't count out a good Coney Island (especially if it's your favorite).
Another sign it's most definitely not a date? He decides to run errands. Picking up dry cleaning or popping into the grocery store does not a date make. In fact if this does happen, call it a night. It may only get worse after that, like flirting, but not with you.
Cute, gentlemanly gestures are always a good sign that it's definitely a date. There's holding doors and the flowers, like I previously mentioned, but sometimes these gestures happen during the date rather than at the beginning. If he asks you to dance to a street corner musician's music, even if you decline, it's a yes. Or maybe if he pops into a bakery to buy you a favorite cookie that you mentioned once but he remembered, yes again.
Finally, the ending can seal the deal in either direction. A kiss, on the lips of course, is an obvious answer, but a hug can be misleading. If the rest of the outing went according to the usual date rules but it ends with a hug, it could mean that either he's a little shy and may take another date or two, or he didn't think it was a date. Confused? You might want to give it another go before you make a decision; however, if it ends with a lazy half-hug or even just a wave then you'll just want to move on.
Just remember, no matter how the date goes you'll always have a story to tell your friends the next day.
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