The Red Zone Republic

I once took a girl out on a first date not realizing it happened to be Valentine’s Day. As we settled into our pink and red doily-covered table and looked over the heart-shaped menus, I was ready to die. But she was so cool about the whole thing, and went out of her way to make me feel OK about it, that I fell for her before the “I’m So in Love With You Ribeye for Two” arrived. Whether a man loves dating or hates it, we all agree: It’s like a high-wire act. Sometimes you slip, plummet, and crash. Other times, she catches you. And when she does, you know she’s a keeper.

More Glamour:

* Five Secrets All Guys Keep From You
* 12 Secret Signs He’s Into You

“I was really into my coworker. Even though she’d smile at me if our eyes met in a meeting, I was afraid to ask her out. What if she was just being friendly? After I spent three months kicking myself for not doing anything, she invited me to a dinner date. It was awesome. A woman can’t rely on a guy always picking up on her hints, so go ahead and initiate things…please!” - Deepak, 34, Orange, Conn.”I know offering to drive is the gentlemanly thing to do, but when my now girlfriend got behind the wheel on our second date, it took the pressure off me to be so responsible for the night. I could kick back and relax.” - Jeremy, 35, Atlanta”The wallet reach is a tricky moment on any first date. You know she’s not going to pay, she knows she’s not going to pay, so should she even bother pretending she will? By all means, yes! One of the best parts of my last date was the sweet way she grabbed for her bag when the check came. I got to feel manly (‘No, no, I’ve got it!’), and I appreciated that she didn’t expect everything to be given to her just because she’s pretty.” - David, 32, Baltimore”I love hearing a woman talk passionately about something, whether it’s world peace or her favorite television show or her mother’s lasagna. Seeing what’s special to her shows me what’s special about her.” - Ryan, 29, Tacoma, Wash.

The Things You Do When You’re in It for the Long Run
I’m sure I’m not the first guy to have a girl write him an amazing letter, or help him pick out fancy jeans, or dispense good advice about his thorny work issue. In fact, I bet this happens all the time. But when you are the guy in the story, and the girl is someone you still can’t believe even remembers your name, well then, you never want to let go.”In the past, as long as a woman had a decent stash of menus at her house, I was good. But my new girlfriend cooks these dishes that satisfy so much more than my appetite — they take time and are from the heart. It’s really special.” - Jacob, 22, New York City”The best words my wife can say? ‘Hey, I have a great night planned. Put on something nice and let’s go!’ With two careers and kids, we don’t have lots of chances to be spontaneous, so it matters a lot to me when we are.” - Kamel, 35, Georgetown, S.C.”I was complaining about not having dumbbells at home when my girlfriend said, ‘Too bad you can’t lift yourself… you know, because you’re a dumbbell,’ and went into hysterics. It was totally corny, but I couldn’t help laughing at her laughing at her own joke. I love how much she amuses herself.” - Jim, 34, Philadelphia”My fiancee waits until I’ve had a chance to unwind from the office before bringing up some (admittedly) inconsiderate thing I did during the day. Is it fair that she has to keep her anger in check? Definitely not, but that 30-minute time-out is the difference between us talking to each other or screaming like maniacs. It’s made our relationship a zillion times better.” - Christian, 37, Bedford, N.Y.”It’s great when a woman gets comfortable enough in the relationship to call me out for being ridiculous with a friendly but sarcastic ‘Really, Tim?’ The challenge is stimulating.” - Tim, 27, Boston”My wife works from home and often wears pajamas all day. But sometimes I’ll get home and she’s dressed up just to have dinner with me. I love that even though she sees me every day, she doesn’t take me or our time together for granted.” - Chris, 35, Chicago”I found out I had to relocate for work. My girlfriend said, ‘I’m flexible. If you go, I’ll go.’ That such a thing would cross her mind blew me away. I felt important and wanted, like I was a real equal in our relationship.” - Dave, 28, Beach Haven, N.J.

5 Times When You’re Alluring and Have No Idea
“Who knows what my girlfriend uses in the shower, but when she comes out, she smells intoxicating.” - Jordan, 27, Los Angeles”My girl holds a hair tie in her mouth as she pulls up her hair. That kind of multitasking is irresistible to me for some reason.” - William, 31, Ann Arbor, Mich.”My wife beats me in Jeopardy every night and I find that ridiculously attractive — and, yeah, a little embarrassing.” - Patrick, 31, Detroit”My wife will occasionally wear this old college T-shirt of mine to bed, and seeing her in it instantly brings me back to when we met and fell in love.” - Kevin, 29, Hartford, Conn.”My girlfriend thinks she’s a mess when she gets back from the gym, but it’s a sensual mess (and I mean that in the best way possible!). Seeing her in just a sports bra and running shorts — with no makeup on and her hair pulled back — drives me crazy.” - Scott, 32, Orlando, Fla.