Coming Attractions

My son asked my wife and I what we would think about him going to see a movie with someone "like a date." Without lapsing into a discussion of the difference between a metaphor and a simile, we took this new development in stride. If he was ever going to get married and settle down, he would have to start with something "like a date." Of course I understand that I have broken the unspoken agreement I have with my wife by discussing these matters, since even talking about the day in the future when he needs to start shaving is currently taboo, but that's a debate that can wait for evolution to take us there.
This "like a date" thing has occurred before. He has gone to movies with friends, some of them girls, and had what could be described as a fine time. He was experiencing proximity without commitment. "A bunch of us are going to the movies, would you like to go" is light years away from "Would you like to go to the movies with me." The singular pronouns. You. Me. Just a conjunction away from "you and me." Terrifying to watch from the safety of the grandstand, but completely exhilarating from behind the wheel of that car zooming toward the finish line.
Wait a second. Let me back up. There will be no car, since the driver's license is still a year away, and any metaphor that implies speed and finish could be construed as a goal beyond the casual connection that will be generated by going to the theater together. Would I feel more comfortable if my son continued his monastic existence, surrounded by his video games and Legos, content to only go outside when he is on his way to another friend's house to play more video games and Legos? Not really. I'm ready to spice things up. A little paprika, perhaps? Or maybe something "like a date."