I'd say the Kerths count as a date. It would be "just work" if they were both going anyway and decided to carpool, but it seemed pretty explicit to me that they were there as a couple for the evening. I can't see Lois threatening Clark's spleen over a carpool arrangement.
I'm not sure where I rate the Kerth award evening...I had always sort of lumped it into more of a 'work thing' (probably b/c it didn't seem to shift anything btw them--compared to when Clark asked Lois out in The Phoenix), BUT thinking about it tonight, as they are walking out of the building together, Lois does ask Clark "So, how did I rate as a date?" and talked about "hanging on Clark's arm decoratively" and '"fawning appropriately"--which makes me think more of a 'date thing'...maybe it is another version of an 'almost first date' ?
Also coming to mind, b/s the Kerths in WoS, and the magic show in IoG, they go to the White Orchid Ball together (which is definitely a 'work thing'--but they still go together), and in The Rival, they go for a 'work thing' to Carpenter's dinner, but definitely together, too...
I think overall, I really saw the date in LL as their official first date (along with their 'almost first date' on the yacht in The Phoenix as a 'fairly official date type event')...and then go from there towards the end of season 2 with what was more 'relationship driven experiences'....BUT--thinking of these four examples, they really had a lot of 'grey area' in their partnership/relationship leading up when they sat down to dinner in LL.
Laura
