6:45 p.m. — We arrive at the restaurant, and S. has reservations for two. It's a romantic and intimate space. I suddenly feel awkward, because this outing feels very date-like. S. knows I have a boyfriend of two years, so I may be reading into things too much. We start with drinks (red wine for me and an Old Fashioned for him) and begin chatting. After the wine hits, I loosen up. It's easy talking to S. because we both enjoy debating different issues, no matter how silly. He is conservative and serious at work, but I'm finding that he's fun outside of work. We share a couple of apps, and I order a fish entrée and S. orders steak. We get separate desserts because we can't decide on one, but we end up trying each other's anyway. The waitress comes around as we're finishing up, and S. asks for one check. I'm taken aback that he is offering to pay for this, considering the check is almost $150. I joke and tell him that I'm only letting him pay because he missed my birthday recently.