Food for thought

Last night I went out to dinner with my friend Derek.  Not only is the guy good company, but he can always be counted on to order dessert.  (It's my favourite course.)  It occurred to me last night, while I was stuffing my face, that if I had been on a date with him, I would have ordered a completely different meal.

For one thing, when I'm on a date I try to order 'girly' food -- something with vegetables.  I'm not a salad fan so for me this usually means a stir fry or pasta.  This is to give my date the illusion that I make an effort to be healthy, even though I would probably prefer to be eating steak and mashed potatoes.  (A stir fry is something I'm likely to make at home, but never a steak.  If a real chef is cooking, of course I'd want the steak!)

Another thing I probably wouldn't do on a date is eat more of a shared dish than him.  If we're sharing an appetizer, I make a conscious effort not to gobble up half of it before he does.  I eat pretty quickly so I'm always aware of this.  Have you had the garlic bread at Jack Astor's?  It's five pieces, so if I'm on a date I make sure the last one goes to him, even though it's the best piece.  (There's no crust, and a higher garlic butter to surface area ratio.)

Also, even if by some chance I have room for dessert, I won't order it if he's too full.  If he suggests sharing something, again I make a huge effort not to eat more than half.  (And if it's lava cake, it feels like an enormous effort indeed.)  And I would NEVER sit there and eat a dessert while he watched.  With all the math I'm doing in my head during a date, I'm kind of amazed I've ever been asked for a second one.

I think the thing that bothers me is that I feel the need to eat like a 'lady'.  Where does this idea come from?  You take one look at me and you know that I'm not a gal that passes up a dessert, so why do I feel the need to pretend that I eat like a bird when I'm out with a handsome stranger? 

Does anyone else do this?  Comment it up, y'all.