If I were you, I'd be harder to get the third time around. Make her work for it, considering the extent the first dinner date, and then how quickly she said no a few day later, and went into all the excuses for her behavior after the dinner.
I wouldn't expect to hear from right away. Some day she may call for this or that excuse, but she's really checking out how friendly you are. I think she'll bring up how she enjoyed the first dinner with you b/c it had been a long time, yada, yada. She is checking your emotional temperature, and before coming right out and inviting you for dinner, she may suggest something very causal. But here are a couple of options.
If she does call and suggests dinner.I would have plans for whatever day/night she suggested, play hard-to-get at least. If she starts getting pushy, then calmly tell her that you have made commitments for that night....and you won't change it. Don't give in to her nosy questions about where you're going, what you'll do.....and who (meaning lady) will be with you(Secretly, you can be committed to driving around the block, but don't tell her. It's none of her business. You need to a bit mysterious referring to your activities. Don't let her get you back so easily.......or give another opportunity for her to setup and letdown your emotions. And if she asks what night would work for you........tell her you will think about it. Don't offer another time/date, b/c it is her call. Don't call and give her a time/date for dinner. If she's interested, she'll call back again. But YOU must stop pursuing her.
Thanks Sandi. So to be clear, here is your proposed plan of action (please correct me if I've misunderstood):
1. Go dark indefinitely. 2. If she contacts me about dinner, say either that I'm busy that night or that I'll think about it. 3. Don't call her back about dinner; wait for her to call me again about it. 4. If she calls or texts a second time about having dinner, then accept the invite. 5. After the dinner is over, go dark again?
Another question: If we end up going to dinner at some point, is it OK to become intimate later that night if she initiates? Can I initiate if things are going well?
