You've been going out for more than a week now; he's treated you to meals at McDonalds and S-11. So it isn't the Compass Rose, but who cares, this guy's so enchanting, talking to him for half the evening over a value meal certainly seems worth your while.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  By Verity

You've slurped the last of your Coke and he's grabbing you by the hand with a big grin on his face. He's got that look in his eye. Wild with anticipation you follow his lead...Should've guessed, you find yourself standing once again under a neon Timezone sign.

Okay, you try and keep your composure while he leaps for a go at Time Crisis, showing no mercy for the 12-year-old boy waiting for a turn to kill the baddies with the dummy gun. Peter Pan has found his Never-Never Land, so you can just step back and watch him feeding those darn machines.

After all the tokens have been swallowed and your embarrassment at being surrounded by pimply schoolchildren subsides, he whisks you off to the ticket booth, which is always so conveniently situated right around the corner from the game arcade. You can kiss your plans of smooching and pillow talking by the park goodbye...it's gonna be another 2 hours of silent big-screen interaction! This is probably the fourth movie date you've been on (and if you're lucky, you might even really like the movie this time!)

How much more Timezone and sci-fi action flicks can you take? It's time to rip off his Boy Scout badges and make a Boyfriend out of your man!

This man is a little bit wary when it comes to giving his heart, so the last thing you want to do is put him off by being a brat. Go along with the buddy routine. The next time you find Timezone virtual reality depriving you of his attention, cough out some bucks and join in the fun, get into the thrill of shooting zombies and racing cars. After you've lost out to him, beg for another round; he'll be totally impressed by what a sport you are.

Once you've exhausted most of your movie options at the cinema, he might suggest watching a really bad-sounding crime thriller (only 'cos it's directed by Clint Eastwood), grunt a little and complain about never getting to watch romantic comedies of your choice, but sit through it with him anyway. When leaving the cineplex on consensus that you had both just experienced the worst film ever, lay off the "I told you so" instead offer a conciliatory "at least now we know".

He'll be so moved by your thoughtfulness; you might even catch him smiling dreamily to himself from the corner of your eye, before asking, "So what do you feel like doing?"

Leave him with that last thought. At this point, you'll be going home alone and getting some rest.

Now the time is right to open his eyes to the Juliet in you. Decide on a slow jazzy album you've been meaning to get, then ask him to accompany you CD shopping; if music isn't the food of love, it's definitely the appetiser!

Suggest that you both go back to your place (or his) and try out your new purchase. "Shall we eat first?" he asks. "Why don't we cook something?"(your ingenious idea of course!) Take him grocery shopping and let him observe you pick affordable (let him see your thrifty side) quality ingredients like a Michelin chef!

You know what they say about the way to a man's heart... now here's an adage that certainly holds true, once he's gotten a whiff aroma of sautéing garlic, presto, you're halfway there. A bottle of wine helps if he's really uptight, but if you want to make it a night of serious bonding, get the coffee brewing. After sitting down to a satisfying meal with sensual CD in the background he'll be totally at ease and utterly smitten.

Soon those Timezone, cinema "gal-pal" days will be nothing more than a memory. Stick with the programme and he'll be all yours in no time.

Location: Timezone Australia (Great World City)

How do you steer him from Buddy to Boyfriend?
>> Share your strategies in our message board.