I ended up dating this incredibly awkward girl for reasons that I never understood. Pity? Curiosity? Rejection by somebody I wanted to date?
Anyway, we went to have a light dinner, but she didn't want to eat anything (but I did. I didn't eat before because I was going to eat with her, and I was hungry. Bad etiquette? On who's part? I don't know.).
Then she just kinda wanted to walk around and not talk, so I indulged her, but we were hanging around a strip mall. So I said, "look, we better do something."
But before I could take her anywhere, she had to go back home, drop off her car (we initially took separate cars) and speak to her mom about whether she trusts me to take her somewhere in my truck. So her mom and her started yapping in German, and I got the impression that they were both excited about me being spontaneous or something. I don't know. But it took so long! And I had to kind of awkwardly stand around and watch some German game show out of the corner of my eye.
I mean, I got nothing against Germans. They lopped off a heavy branch of my family tree some 70 years ago, but I can forgive that. It's just strange, you know? I can speak a little Spanish, a little Chinese. I can even pretend to pull off Swedish. German felt strange.
So, it was moderately late on a Tuesday night - it was my fault for taking her out on a Tuesday night I suppose. So, I had seen some random carnival on the drive, and I tried to take her there, but it was closing. Then I drove her over to the movie theater, but there was nothing really to watch there, and she was disinterested. Then I had the brilliant idea to rush her over to the Western Dance club (we were both wearing jeans. It was cool), but the place wasn't open on Tuesday nights.

I was lost. I was also about an hour away from where I live, so I couldn't really take her down to my usual spots. So I walked her around another strip mall, talked her up, found a quiet place, and then I tried to kiss her. Nothing kills time on a date like making out, but she kinda pushed me off. She wasn't ready for it. We shared this awkward embrace, through which I could tell that the languishing little creature was simply tormented by fears of love, romance, relationships and maybe (and maybe rightfully) me.

It was a bad idea because she really enjoyed the crappy night and wanted to do something together again.
I didn't. Even though nit wasn't really her fault that the date sucked.

But now I wonder if I'm a jerk for taking her out in the first place.