First date was one week ago. We got bubble tea, ended with a kiss.

I texted her about a new TV series that looked interesting and suggested we watch it together. She seemed hesitant and suggested we grab drinks instead. Clearly she was pumping the brakes, but I am glad I went for the escalation.

Second date we met at a vibey spot with an outside patio garden. There was a live band playing, and we got some drinks. Sat at a table at 90 degrees from each other, but it felt too far away due to the size of the table. So I asked her to show me a photo of an event she had recently taken part of, and used that moment to take my chair and move it next to hers.

We vibed, had playful and also deep conversation. I felt grounded and authentic. At times I still was self-conscious and wondered if I was engaging enough, or if I was talking too much. But in general, I was in a good mood and self-amused and confident.

I didn’t shy away from expressing compliments, which I had censored myself from doing last time. I noticed she had done her hair in a wavy fashion and it looked amazing, so more than once I interrupted her and told her how good it looked on her and combined it with kino. I believe genuine compliments can be delivered without being needy or giving away power. She put in effort to look good for me, and I wanted to validate that.

At around the hour mark, she mentioned she had a friend’s birthday party to get to.

We left the venue, I walked her to her car, gave her a deep hug and thanked her for the great time. We kissed. I pulled her close when I was kissing her, and I also noticed this time that compared to the first date she was definitely getting into it more. I of course ended the kissing first.

Will wait until tomorrow to text her back, but I am pleased with how today turned out. I would have preferred to have more kino escalation, but I didn’t want to force it either. I definitely improved my verbal and inner game today.