How to turn a last-minute date into a “Date Night In”
Most of my dating knowledge comes from living with Brian, my roommate of three years, a regular Casanova. I don’t think any of our friends in college suspected that Brian, a nice guy from a small town, would have much luck with the ladies. But the chicks (excuse the bird reference, ladies) flock to him in droves. Week after week there always seems to be a new message on our answering machine from some new hot girl wanting to buy him dinner or to take him to a hockey game. This past Friday night was no exception. When we came home from work the red message light was flickering away on the machine. As usual, all the messages were for Brian.
“You…. have ….two…new…messages.”
I press the button and listen to the start of both messages before skipping to the end.
“Hi, Brian, this is Angie….”
“Hey Bri, it’s Maggie, sorry I miss you…”
The only person who ever calls me at home is my mother. I yell out to Brian that I’m going to take my shower. I want to wash the disappointment of another dateless Friday night off. I also want to mope in self-sorrow and pity. I’m kind of upset that Brian has two girls calling him, and that I get none. Has he taken my ratio of girls from the city? If some guy dates two girls on a Friday night, does that mean another guy has no dates?
Later that night Brian, reeking of cologne, knocks on my door and asks me what my plans are for the evening. I look up from the Halo game on my computer screen and raise my hands in mocked surprise.
“What, a night of playing violent video games isn’t cool anymore?”
“Yea it is. But is that what you’re going to do tonight with Maggie?”
Huh? My face draws a complete blank. Who’s Maggie? Suddenly I’m beginning to recall flashes of the conversation Brian and I had early that week over breakfast. Something about a single girl from his work who wanted to hang out with me this Friday.
“Didn’t you listen to the message that she left on the machine?” Brian asked. “She’s going to be here in less than an hour.”
I look over at the clock and panic sinks in. A girl will be in our apartment tonight, to see me? I beg Brian to stay an extra ten minutes and help me clean the apartment. We each grab a big garbage bag and pick up a week’s worth of clutter, paper plates, old magazines, newspapers, etc. I find the candles my mom got me last Christmas and light them, more to kill the smell of dead air than for atmosphere.
“Just play it cool.” Brian assures me as he steps out the door. “Just be yourself. She’ll like you for who you are.”
Be myself? Before I can come up with a witty response, a pretty brunette walks up to the door and peeps her head in. She smiles the kind of smile that’s authentic and inviting, and it’s evident that she’s a really nice girl. Brian and Maggie exchange hellos, and she then turns all her attention on me.
“Mike? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Maggie.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mike.”
Brian rolls his eyes and makes his exit, and suddenly it’s just the two of us standing in the doorway.
“Are we staying in or are we going out?”
“uhhhhhhhh. We’re staying in.” I respond quickly. “It’s better for the economy.”
Maggie laughs. She either thinks I’m funny, or being funny, but I take laughter as a good sign. I take Brian’s advice of being myself to heart, and tell her that we’re going to spend Friday night how I normally spend a Friday night.
“I was thinking we could watch TV and eat some…comfort food.” I work in advertising so I know it’s all in how you package the deal. I’m going to make a regular night in seem super special with trendy words and phrases. The menu of the evening will be composed of comfort food (AKA: macaroni and cheese), old fashion goodness (AKA: bacon crumbs on top of the macaroni & cheese), a classic movie (anything by Adam Sandler), and soul food (a carton of Ben & Jerry’s Rocky Road ice cream). She was going to love it, but I was going to have to sell it.
“People think they need to go out for a good time,” I found myself saying. “But I think you can get to know a person much better hanging out at home. I don’t want to impress you with things, I want you to feel comfortable enough to be yourself.”
I grab two wine glasses off the shelf and check the cupboards for a bottle of wine. I can’t exactly offer a person I just met a shot of tequila, so I reach into the fridge and pull out a carton of milk.
“See?” I hand Maggie a glass of milk. I shake off the negative thought that she might be lactose intolerant. “You can make the most ordinary things special with a bit of effort.”
I watch her as she takes a sip of milk from the wine glass and smile.
“I totally agree. I don’t need to be impressed by fancy restaurants or brand names.”
Inwardly I sigh a huge sigh of relief.
I won’t bore you with the details of our first date in front of the television. Maggie left before 11pm, saying that she had a nice time and that she hoped we could do this together soon. I made her promise to let me take her out to a nice ‘comfort’ restaurant I knew about just so that I could show her that I do know my way around the city. I think for a first date I did pretty well, which makes me all the more nervous for my second date. Did I raise the bar to high?
How to Make a Comfort Night In Date
- Call it a “Date Night In”.
- Candles are a great idea. Thanks, mom!
- Avoid hard alcohol. Brian tried a “Date Night In” with Angie and the bottle of tequila, and it got really messy, really fast.
- Come up with a regular menu, and then rename each item with something more exciting.
- Macaroni and Cheese: comfort food
- Delivery pizza: local delicacy
- Chocolate milk: moon heaven
- Chinese Take-out: New York Style Asian cuisine
- Oreo cookies: A Throw-back dessert
Land that next date! I made sure Maggie promise me a second date before she left.
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