So, I've been lurking here for a couple weeks now and have been slowly starting to apply knowledge that I have gained from here, thanks to all of you wonderful individuals. Anyways, FR time

So, I meet this girl at a party we'll call HB9, she's ridiculously hot, chinese/jamaican/french canadian mix. I'm with some of my friends that didn't have much confidence, and at the time I had no clue what TRP even was yet. I approach and speak to HB9 and her friends (I initially wanted to talk to her friend), but I ended up having a sidebar conversation with HB9, I was voicing my opinion on anime and manga since she brought it up. (Never would have expected this chick to be into it).

Anyways, after a conversation in which I wasn't really trying, she asks me for my phone so she can add me on snapchat. I then proceed to snap her like a day later, and our conversation stays stale as hell.

2 weeks later, I find out one of my friends is trying to go after her, but is striking out. I end up hitting her up, and instead of the usual "Hi, how are you" "good how about you" bullshit banter(This is a couple days after I found TRP), we started talking about Hentai (Anime porn), seriously this conversation was odd but it kept her and I talking a lot. I then ask her to grab sushi with me and here it comes:

Shit test: "Sure I'd love to, but it can't be a date, since I'm seeing someone right now"

I respond with: "We can go dutch, it's chill"

So we proceed to go out and grab food the next week after I end up cancelling on her because I was terribly sick, and I come straight from my internship (still dressed somewhat business casual), I pick her up and then we proceed to have an hour long conversation in which she's throwing out obvious shit tests like:

Shit test:"Ew, I bet you're actually into hentai, I can't talk to a guy like that"

I respond with:"Yeah definitely, I have about 100 folders worth of it on my computer, can't get enough of it" I'm obviously smiling and not giving a damn while I say this

She smiles and playfully taps me on arm saying "You're so irritating"

I run to the bathroom, and come back to find out she paid for my meal as well as hers (Surprised the hell out of me)

I end up having to leave and take her back to her dorm because I had things that had come up, but we agree to hang out again.

So the next week, I suggest that we should watch some of those "Stupid k-drama's [she's] always talking about"

She says "Sure, but I don't have a TV in my dorm, so it'll have to be your place then."

I'm floored and I say "Sure, i'll pick you up after my exam thursday at 7"

Fast Forward

I pick her up, and we resume our silly banter and finally get back to my place, we watch this stupid movie while she's sitting at the edge of my couch, seeming cold almost

She starts telling me about how she's gonna be a self defense instructor/TA in this course that our college teaches, in which I reply that she should show me what she knows, I'm interested to see what she can do (I'm a 2nd BB in Tae Kwon do, I was certified through our college) She says: "No, I don't feel like it, let me sit downnnnnn (whiny voice)"

I reply: "Nah, you're showing me."

So I pick her up off of my couch and hold her in my arms and she laughs and tells me

"Ok fine, just set me down"

So we proceed to "try things" on each other and eventually I said

"What would you do if you were being choked?"

She said " I don't know, I might like it"

I smile, and she ends up changing the subject to a mutual friend of ours that's being an orbiter/trying to get with her and also being a complete asshole because she wont pay attention to him

Fast Forward

I ask her "Have you played an instrument before?"

She says "No but I've always wanted to learn guitar"

So we head back to my room in which I start showing her stuff and sort of "teach her". She gets on my computer and starts showing me music that she likes, and eventually I lay down on my bed and tell her to unplug my laptop and come lay down with me.

She brings the laptop over and we watch some pewdiepie in bed together, and she starts to talk about how our mutual friend is aggressive and a douchebag, and she ends up falling asleep. I close my laptop it wakes her

She asks "Why did you turn it off?"

I said "I felt like chilling out"

and then I proceed to pull her super close to me and we fall asleep. I wanted to escalate but I was just out like a light.

The next morning I try to escalate but right before I do she freaks out because she missed her 9 am class, and her paper that she was working on with her friend at 11 and all this other crap. She gets on her computer for awhile, and I get ready for my work related stuff and I take her back to her dorm. She smiles at me, we hug (My hand ends up on her ass) and says thanks for a fun night.

I don't talk to her for 2 days

I text her yesterday and say:

"Hey, I had fun the other night. What've you been getting into lately?"

she says: "I had a lot of fun too, but I want to be straightforward with you. I like you, but I think I'm still hung up on this guys, and I'd like to be friends"

I (Stupidly I think) say: "I have enough friends, I appreciate the offer though"

she says: "I just can't.."

I say: "I'm just letting you know what's on my mind, I can't control what you do"

She says: "No I appreciate it. I just figured I should let you know"

I say: " Lol ok"

And I haven't heard from her since, but we've both looked at each other's snapchat stories.

TLDR: IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO ESCALATE, DO IT. Don't take forever and end up cuddling with a girl all night without doing anything like I did, and end up fucking things up. Don't let your own sense of "Gentlemanliness" (Which is actually just a euphemism for being beta in this situation) stop you from going forward.

Edit: This same shit happened a couple weeks ago before I had TRP with a friend I've wanted to fuck for years, and if I would have had the knowledge I have now, I probably would've fucked her because the signals she gave off were so much stronger. Though it's my own fault, and I can only continue to do better with other females.