As you may know, I write an exclusive column, “The Chocolate Romantic,”  for ALL BEAR magazine–the popular Gay on line and print publication originating from the United Kingdom (U.K.).  Visit:  www.all-bear.co.uk/ I’ve dubbed ALL BEAR “The Playboy of the U.K!” 

     I decided to sift through my many The Chocolate Romantic columns to find one appropriate for two good buddies of mine—Craig and Kain–who found that their relationship was becoming a bit “stale and staid.”  

     Uh, oh!  That’s a (freakin’) NO-NO.  

     So, I slipped each of them one of those columns entitled, “Recapturing The ‘Hawtness’ (The HEAT!)”  And, yo:  aren’t Y’all lucky, ‘cause I’m also sharing it with you!  

     So, let’s jump in…and marinate.  (LOL!)  Here goes…   

     You think like each other, you finish each other’s sentences, you feel awesomely connected to one another.  

     Though lately, you and your partner’s (or maybe you and your regular sex buddy’s) routine seems “booor-inggggg” (boring).  Dang!  So, how do you recapture the passion?  

     Well, have no fear:  your relationship expert—namely me, The Chocolate Romantic, is on the case!  I’ll tell ya how to do just that.  First though, let’s find out why a couple’s passion fades.  

     You see, when you first fall for a guy, your brain is flooded with arousal hormones—specifically dopamine and norepinephrine.    

     Then you slide into the “couple comfort zone,” where your lives are in sync.   

     However, as couples settle down, those feel-good chems dissipate.  “If you stayed in that state of infatuation, (the feelings would) lead to distractibility, sleep deprivation and lack of drive in other important areas of your life,” states Scott Haltzman, M.D., author and Brown University psychiatrist.  “So, the body corrects itself and focuses on things like survival.”  

     In other words, cooling passion is nature’s way of making sure that you go to work, pay your bills…and eat.  

     Admittedly, that’s all well and good.  But, who wouldn’t want to get back some of that new-relationship “hawtness” (heat)? 

     But guess what?  The Chocolate Romantic presents five sure-fire ways to reclaim that fire.   

1.     Scale the highest mountain, grab hands, share a sloppy and tongue-filled smooch, and then freakin’ JUMP!  (And right before you leap, promise you’ll bang the hell outta each other after you land.)  Well, maybe you shouldn’t do something this extreme; however, the point I’m making is to do something exciting and new.  According to author Terri Orbuch, PhD (aka “The Love Doctor”), “You’re constantly learning about your partner and doing new things together.  Novelty fuels passion.”  Even if you’ve been a couple for many years, simply doing something fresh together can once again reignite those early-relationship sparks…and in a big way!  The couples that are happiest together are those that do exciting new stuff. 

2.     Create a “relationship ritual”—and set it in stone.  This is a non-negotiable commitment to get together, and without fail.  This is sacred couple time that shouldn’t get preempted by working late, extended family matters—or an unresolved spat.  This “ritual” will help keep you connected to one another.   

3.     Talk that talk!  Once you’ve coupled up, conversation usually revolves around work, family, pets, etc.—very stimulating, huh? Reignite your passion by talking about goals, dreams and desires—the way you both did in the beginning.  “Talking is one of the all-time great stimulants of desire.  It really is an aphrodisiac,” according to author and therapist Sharon Gilchrest O’Neill.  And, I highly recommend doin’ that “nastee” (dirty, provocative) talk—and I know you know what I’m talkin’ about—to light your fuses and rev up your motors! 

4.     Send flirty texts, leave scandalous voice mails.   It could be as simple as sending your man flirty texts or leaving scandalous voice mails throughout the day.  You see, the point is to surprise one another each and every day.  Be creative…be nastee! 

5.     Do a quickie!  When work and other obligations take over your life, there’s not much time for lovemaking.  Spontaneous sex reminds couples that they’re more than roommates.   Yo—it’s not as good as the full treatment, but it’ll hold ya over.    

     So there you have it!  Now, get to work and recapture The Hawtness! (Craig and Kain did—and it’s W-O-R-K-I-N-G!) 

     To Note:  the striking image accompanying this article is courtesy of Houston historian and playwright Trent Kelly’s collection of rare vintage photographs of black male couples from the past 150 years entitled “Hidden in the Open: A Photographic Essay of Afro American Male Couples.”