There is a fun date routine I do when I remember it. Usually this is done after you make out with her and there is a mutual interest. It’s a play on when guys divulge their feelings for a girl. She thinks you are going to say something mushy and emotional, but then you go the opposite way. It takes some acting to pull off if you don’t want her to catch on to the joke. The whole thing works because it catches her in the middle of expecting one thing and getting another.

You need to say it slow and dramatically. Look down a couple times and purse your lips. “There is something I have to tell you. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. It’s not easy for me to tell you this, but it’s something that must be said even though we don’t know each other that well. This is what, date one? Still, it just won’t feel right if I hold it in.” Hold her hand for effect. The slower you build it, the more she leans in. That pause is what makes the setup feel real.

Look her in the eyes and hold her hand for effect. Now say something innocent you like that has no sexual connotation. “I really like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I’m addicted. I can’t stop thinking about it.” She will either roll her eyes or hit you. The joke works because it builds tension and then pulls it away at the last second. That surprise is what makes it funny. You want the reveal to feel completely harmless and stupid.

There is a lite version you can do on the same night you meet her when it’s clear she is interested in you. Look her in the eyes, with your hands on her hips, and say, “Do you have any idea what I’m thinking about right now?” You’re saying it in a tone where she thinks the answer is sex. Squint your eyes a little so it’s all sexy like. “This chocolate chip peanut butter cookie that they sell at Barnes & Noble.” Fun girls appreciate a playful vibe.