First Things First

First date magic . . . flowers and chocolates, pin-striped suits and off-the shoulder dresses, cologne, waxed legs, champagne, linen tablecloths, romantic music, candlelight, violins, laughter over lobster . . .

AAARGH!

If this is how you envision a first date, add “disappointment,” “ulcers,” “financial ruin” to your list, because you’re setting yourself up for disaster. The ideal first date should let you get to know the other person and let other person get to know you, without doing irreparable damage to your nervous system — or bank account or stomach lining — in the process. A first date may never be a relaxing experience (after all, no matter how down-to-earth you are, you’ll still worry about the broccoli in your teeth), but it doesn’t have to be ulcer material either. This section outlines the rules. In fact, these rules are so basic, they sound silly, but you’d be surprised how often they’re disregarded, with dire consequences. So a word to the To make your first date as comfortable as possible, follow the ten rules outlined in the following sections. Doing so will increase the probability that you’ll have fun — not teeth-clenching, knuckle-biting, stomach-hurting that may (or may not) get you to either date two or heavy sedation.