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1) Chose an activity that you both enjoy but not one you’re both necessarily good at!
Mutual interests are a classic first date activity. Perhaps you both enjoy cooking or hold season tickets to a favorite local sports team—a cooking class or a rugby game would be an easy way to get to know each other better.
But instead consider a twist on a classic and choose an activity where one partner particularly excels. If you played baseball in college and your partner has only watched from the sidelines, consider a visit to a batting cage. Or if they’re handy with a paintbrush and you’ve only enjoyed art as a museum patron, a drawing class where they can give you a few pointers could prove beneficial in more ways than one.
Think of it this way: It’s fun to be good at things, but it can be even more fun to be taught!
Aloy’s brow furrowed and when she turned to Kotallo, his was similarly pinched in confusion. “What do we both like that you’re good at and I’m not?” she wondered.
He shrugged. “I’m a better painter than you.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t like to paint at all though.”
His placid expression morphed into a leering grin. “You do like to remove paint.”
She flung the book away. “Close enough."
7) If the idea of being rescued—or perhaps doing the rescuing—gets your blood pumping, plan a night entirely dedicated to building the tension!
Rock climbing is a classic date idea for an active couple and with good reason. Consider the increased blood flow and stretched muscles a good warmup for other late night activities. And even if you’re not particularly skilled at scaling walls, falling into your lover's arms can be the primary goal of your climb.
If you’re looking for something mentally stimulating instead, consider an escape room. Solving puzzles to save yourselves may be light on physical exertion, but for the right couple, flexing your brain can be much more satisfying.
For the couple looking for real thrill, consider the double whammy—a haunted house! It combines a physical response with just enough mental distress to create delightful tension. Use that flood of adrenaline from your fear to send you fleeing right to the bedroom!
Introducing a little exertion can lead to a very pleasant exploration—sometimes upping the stakes is exactly what your date night needs.
Kotallo hissed as another piece of metal stuck his thigh. “Aloy—“
She grunted as she began to slide off his lap and he had to wrap his arm around her waist to keep her from falling off the dilapidated platform.
He sighed as she grumbled. “Perhaps we should find ruins that are a bit less…ruined.”
Before he knew it, he was flat on his back staring up at the moon through the twisted rubble. "One more try," she insisted under her breath as she repositioned herself on top of him.
There was something very, very wet under his back and as soon as Aloy braced her hand on the ground next to his ribs, she shrieked and reared back. "What is that?!"
He sighed.
16) Indulge in the “working” lunch break—bonus points if your boss is especially difficult to get along with.
Sex at the office in the middle of the workday is a classic fantasy indulgence for a reason but why not up the ante? If your boss makes it a habit of getting under your skin, it might be especially satisfying to use his desk or office to sate your appetite.
Invite your partner to your workplace for lunch at a time when your boss usually takes their own break. Either bring food or have it delivered for plausible deniability should any nosey coworkers become suspicious. Bribe an assistant or security guard if they have their own vendetta against your capitalist overlord.
Once the coast is clear, indulge to your heart’s content. Or until they’re due back to the office.
Sometimes danger can be a little fun. The thrill of disrespecting their seat of power and the risk of getting caught is an inspired combination.
However, if you are discovered, you should be prepared to immediately tender your resignation. Perhaps save this idea for when you’ve already accepted a new position and you’re no longer beholden to your tyrannical boss!
Over the top of the book, Aloy watched Kotallo’s eyes widen and then narrow as she read the passage. As soon as she looked up from the page, he was tugging her off the couch and out the door. “Kotallo!”
“Call the sunwing, Aloy!”
The indignant shrieks from Tekotteh's throne room were heard all through the Sky Clan that day. It was a hot topic of conversation for weeks after.
Final advice: Never be afraid to try new things—even it it seems silly, there could still be something to learn about yourself or your partner.
Aloy squinted down at the rock in front of her feet. “I still don’t understand this game.” She wrinkled her nose as Kotallo helped her line up her shot.
“It’s easy,” he insisted with undisguised smugness as he stepped back. “Now just swing.”
She huffed but complied. The thunk of the rusted metal meeting the rock was satisfying. But the rock flew wide, pinging off the hull of a car instead of the pond she’d been aiming at. She scowled as Kotallo used his own twisted club to prod her out of the way.
“Now watch a master,” he instructed as he pulled a new rock onto the cleared patch of dirt. Just as she opened her mouth to issue a smart retort, he swung his arm back in a high arc, bringing the club all the way over his head and she gaped as he brought it down with such violent force that the air seemed to spark with heat.
The rock went soaring with deadly speed, sailing far out over the water. Kotallo lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he followed the rock that she’d already lost track of because she was too busy watching the ancient club go spinning into the water. It splashed down just a moment later, startling a fox along the bank.
From somewhere across the pond, Aloy heard a squawk. Kotallo grinned and turned back to her, practically preening. “Hitting a bird means I win.”
Well, she had certainly learned…something from this stupid Old World game—golf was horrifying.
And now the bonus covers:
