Awkward dating

I would love to say that he asked me out on our first date and we both had stars in our eyes, from the moment he picked me up cupids floated around our heads and when we had our first kiss fireworks went off. Unfortunately, this is NOT our story! We had a very awkward first date.

Love at first sight (cartoonstock.com)

First off, since we both worked in the place that I lived, so we wanted to be secretive. He picked me up in his roomate's halfway broken down Kia and we sped away hoping to avoid anyone seeing us. Secondly, this was my first real date aside from the occasional high school fling, so I was very nervous.

The way our date went from my perspective at the time:
We went to Mori (a local Hibachi restaurant) which was very nice place for two broke college students who usually ate dorm food and pizza. We sat around one of those big Japanese grills with another couple ... and sat, and sat, and sat .... in nearly complete silence. We exchanged the occasional awkward words or glance. I tried to order the cheapest thing on the menu (about $12) and he tried to get me to get something "fancy" (about $25). We ate quietly, took our leftovers, and left.

At this I thought we were done but he asked what I wanted to do next. So he suggested we go ride go-carts at a near-by play station. I agreed and we got the entire go-cart track to ourselves. We finally opened up some and had some friendly competition where we allowed each other to pass each other in turn. I think he let me win in the end.

Then he took me to a local park with a lake we could walk around and after being a little more relaxed from go-carts we actually managed to put sentences together while walking. Then we drove over to the University stadium that is always open. We went in and sat in the empty stadium and managed to do a little more awkward conversation.

Points to anyone who knows the stadium. (Stadium)

He took me home and I told myself that it wasn't going to work out.

The way our  date went looking back on it and hearing the Mr.'s perspective:
He took me to the nicest restaurant he could afford so as to impress me. He rarely took girls he was "dating" out on a date ... <clears throat meaningfully>. We are both VERY talkative people so it is even funnier that we were silent. Usually both of us are the sarcastic, loud and goofy person in any group. When I told my friends about the date and that we were both quiet the couldn't help but laugh.

We went to the go-carts and let each other win from time to time which is funny because we are both VERY competitive and if this was today, neither of us would EVER let the other win.

We went on our walk and to the stadium and behaved more like ourselves for the first time on the date. Neither of us can remember what we talked about but suffice it to say, we apparently impressed each other enough to go on a second date.

I convinced myself that I didn't like him and that there was no way he liked me. I comforted myself that this was just "a casual college date". All of this of course was a lie to myself in case he actually felt this way.

Looking back on these first days I remember him as being very kind, and polite and good looking. He says he remembers me as reading a science fiction/fantasy book which was rare in girls he had known and as being "hot" ... boys!

How did your first date go? Was it love at first date or was it like our story... very awkward?