How to Have a Relaxing First Date

You’ve had your eye on her for weeks. She’s cute, smart, funny and loves animals. She’s friendly and nice to everyone. You’ve talked over the water cooler about The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. You’ve been wondering if it’s time to take it to the next level.

Knowing that she broke up with a long-term boyfriend about 6 months ago, you don’t want to come on too strong. Gathering your courage, you suggest going out for pizza on Saturday afternoon. You’re happy when she accepts, and aggress to meet you at the local pizza parlor.

You yourself are no stranger to break-ups; you’ve had a nasty break-up in your not too distant past, as well. Not wanting to scare her off or psych yourself out, you are happy with your choice of location and hope that she is too. Besides, if everything goes well, the pizza joint will be a good spot to look back on as “the first date” place.

One thing you really like about this restaurant is its casual atmosphere. An eclectic mix of music plays over the sound system --- sometimes it’s U2 and acoustic Beatles, other times it’s Kid Rock or even the Dixie Chicks. You never can tell.

They showcase local artists there, as well. Since you’ve been thinking about buying some, it will give you something to talk about should the conversation drag. And what’s more, they have plenty of customers. Young couples, retirees, gays, college students, skaters, and young professionals all love this place, so the people watching is good.

While waiting for your pie, you can sip a beer or a glass of wine and challenge your date to a relaxing game of air hockey. You can tell a lot about a person in the way they approach pool or air hockey tables. Will she hang back and let you make the first move? Will she be aggressive and competitive while still having fun?

It may sound crazy, but a good game of air hockey can really give you insight into a person’s makeup. You’ll learn fast that if she’s fiercely competitive, she may also insist on being right all the time. That may not be what you’re looking for.

If she’s timid and shy, she may be that way in other aspects of her life, and afraid to take chances. Unless you’re looking to mentor her, a tendency to downplay her playing abilities may indicate she’s in the market for someone who’s more of a father figure than a partner.

However, if she plays, laughs and has fun, she’s probably going to be the right girl for you. If she’s able to poke fun at her own mistakes, and doesn’t pout if you happen to win, you’ve chosen a girl who will at least be fun in the short term. Where you take it from here is completely up to you.

But, if you truly have a fun relaxing time that leads to a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or even more dates, you can say that it all came about from a good pizza and some friendly air hockey.