by US Staff (Tue Nov 03, 2009)
You would think that dating, and the politics attached, would get
simpler as you get older and more confident. But actually, I think it gets more
complex.
When I dated the first time around, it was very straightforward. I was
broke, so when it came time for the check to be paid, I never considered
reaching for my credit card. I expected my date to pay. Whatever he might have chosen to believe, his paying
had no bearing on whether he was getting lucky that night. He paid and I made
my determination of his entrance into the promised land on other, more
important factors - primarily, what he looked like and how horny I was.
This time around, I consider all of the nuances of a date more
carefully. If I am on a first date and I decide that I don't really like the guy, well, then he
pays. It's the least he can do to make up for the colossal wasting of my time.
If I do like the guy, I will offer to pay or split it. If he refuses, I will
put up a fight or insist on buying the after dinner drinks or dessert somewhere
different. After all, he probably is
going to get some that night and I don't want him to think that I have a price
tag.
Finally, if I am actually seeing someone, over an extended period,
well then I try and do as much for him as he does for me, as I have worked hard
to be independent and I like to convey that. But, I am still truly flattered by
the man who knows this and insists on paying anyway.
See what I mean about it getting more complex?
