So, I had a first “socially distanced” date with a guy who I met online. We went on a walk in the park & really hit it off! He was very open about his family & work, & is incredibly easy to talk to. He even asked if I’d like to come play disc golf with him & his friend afterward (which was sweet, but I politely declined.) As we parted ways, he mentioned he’d love to do this again. I obviously agreed because we had genuine chemistry & a lot of common interests/goals.

For the second date, he asked if I wanted to play disc golf since we both realized that we have that hobby in common. I was kind of bummed because although I do love disc golf & there’s not a lot of options right now, it’s such a “bro” date. And then I got to thinking: Why was he willing to introduce me to one of his best friends & hang out with both of them on a first date?

At first, I thought he was just very interested, but when it comes to texting, half the time he takes several hours to respond, even an entire day sometimes, & other times he’s texting “novels” to me. Even before our first date, he was confiding a lot in me about his family because I was so “easy to talk to”. After the first date, though, he seems to be holding back & our conversation immediately shifted to more surface-level topics...

And even though we confirmed plans this weekend for a second date, he just asked me if I’d still like to go (the night before), as though it’s just this casual date that may or may not happen...I said “yes” & asked if he still wanted to meet up, as well, & he says “yeah I still wanna throw”.

How do you go from telling me about hardships you went through growing up to THAT casual statement?

I have just started to get the impression that he lost interest on our first date &/or immediately shifted into a more casual mode of approaching dating with me. I don’t mind if he lost interest, it’s his loss (amirite ladies), but why even bother asking me out again or continuing to text me (& so inconsistently)?

You know when you’re a rational, intelligent woman, but you’re also clearly receiving mixed signals & therefore feeling anxious about whether a guy is just treating you as though you’re a casual pursuit? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Well, now it’s even harder to discern, because we’re in a pandemic & the only possible, safe dates are casual.

It would be one thing if he was taking me to dinner, paying, & courting me, but that’s not possible right now, so how should I interpret his behavior? I’ve always been the type with the mantra “Strike One & Done” & ditch a guy the minute I see or feel a red flag - especially in the beginning - because the right person won’t make me feel anxious or unsure.

But, it does seem like we could have genuine potential & I don’t want to make a rash decision & cancel when texting is so difficult to decipher, as it is.

Any advice?