DATING WITH DEVIN: A few steps to remember

A victory in dating is the moment you know someone's hooked. Playing hard to get is a first step, but make sure the relationship stays exciting or it could be your last step.

It's strange, but dating is one of the few games that are less satisfying after you win.
A victory in dating is the moment you know someone's hooked. It's the night you realize that you could show up for your next date drunk in your boxers and she'd happily pull you inside and cook you dinner.
Now we could write an entire column discussing things women do that end the thrill of the chase, but let's be proactive. Here are some ways to keep a man totally enthralled.

Don't give it up
Sex is one of the few activities that you're less excited about once you finish. No one finishes building a fence and decides they're tired of the fence. People don't win a hand of poker and decide they don't want to see that deck of cards for at least a week.
But in the one game that we spend the most effort playing, victory is boring. The best part of any hookup is the prelude, the mental anguish of "will this be the night?" Once the answer is yes, guys start to worry about losing their grazing rights.
I have one friend who could teach courses on how to be a player. There hasn't been a night we've hung out that he hasn't left the bar with a phone number - or, more typically, a woman.
The one girl he's hooked up with who I've seen again is the one who wouldn't let him get more than a kiss.
The simple rule is this: If you want a second date, don't let me round second.

Mix pain with pleasure
If this is making my female readers want to join a convent and avoid men entirely, take a deep breath. The reason women should slow down when it comes to getting down is simple: Everyone loves mystery.
And once you inevitably do the deed, it's important to remember this fact because it'll give you a great advantage.
The number one complaint of my attached friends is that the relationship is boring. A first date with your hot neighbor is thrilling. A 20th date with her is a rental from Blockbuster and a 10 p.m. bedtime.
Mix it up. Inexplicably blow off date night for girls' night, go on a weekend trip or simply get angry with us - makeup sex anyone?
Be busy
If you're in the beginning stages of dating, the best way to capture my interest is to make me work to capture your time.
Deep down, men want a woman who makes other guys drool. That's why we appreciate short skirt Thursdays, low-cut top Fridays and high-heel Saturdays.
If you're busy, we automatically assume that it's because you have better offers. And this makes us want to sweeten the deal to be picked.

Wow me
In all honesty, if a guy pulls a "smash and dash" it's for one of two reasons: 1) You have bad taste in men, or 2) You're boring.
Most guys aren't jerks. There's nothing satisfying about a one-night stand, besides that one night.
What makes the difference between "some girl I went to some thing with" and "my girlfriend" is the wow factor - the moment that something clicks in my head and makes me need to see you more frequently.
I was out with a girl once and a college basketball game was on in the bar. She looks up, sees that it's 52-50 in the first half and says, "Wow, that's a lot of points for a college game."
I'm pretty sure I proposed on the spot.

-Devin Kunysz is a marketing senior who is easily impressed by feminine displays of knowledge.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.