To my esteemed RP colleagues:

I come humbly before you this day because I have secured a date with a woman who is a point or two (8-9) above my normal dating range of 6’s or 7’s and in repeated interactions with her I lose frame because I’m trying to coax her out of her shell.

She was initially attracted to me because of the mystery projected via my dating profile, and only now, the day of our first date, do I realize the mistakes I’ve made over the past week.

My questions for you center around holding frame and reclaiming some of the mystery about myself - perhaps assuming a bit of “amused mastery” when we meet for dinner.

She is 26, (I’m in my late 30’s) and she’s projecting the image of a relatively wholesome, traditional woman. She made a point to tell me she believes in “traditional gender roles” and that my “overtly masculine profile” stood out.

A perfect example is her simple question of “how has your day gone?” Which she texted yesterday.

Me, desperate for her attention, tried to think of something clever but, wanting to catch her still on the phone, replied immediately (violating the minimal text rule).

And worse I went into a paragraph long answer about a tech issue we had at work.

Her reply was quick, like I wanted, and no obvious damage done. But looking back it makes me cringe because I revealed a small amount of vulnerability and also unveiled a bit of my “mystery” by showing her a slice of my daily life.

So: I really want to bang this girl and I think she wants the same but she obviously is going to shit test the hell out of me tonight.

It’s 8:30am. Our date is at 7pm. I’ll do my best tonight to remember all I have learned here and treat her like I treat all the other 6’s and 7’s.

But what about leading up to tonight? Should I not text her at all to just say I’m looking forward to the date?

And what if she texts something flirty?

I am experiencing the temptation to put her on a pedestal - even though I know it’s the wrong move. Help me TRP. Tonight feels like the final exam that, if passed, will help me graduate to the next level.