Article posted Thursday, September 9, 2010 2:05pm

Dear Mary Pat,

I met a girl at a coffee shop recently and really liked talking to her. I noticed she had a bike rack on her car, so I asked her if she would want to go for a bike ride some time. She said sure, and we made plans to meet the following week. We met up at a park near my house and took a nice long bike ride. It kind of had a date vibe, but I wasn’t sure. When I walked her back to her car, I wasn’t sure how to end things. I didn’t think I should give her a kiss; but I didn’t know what to do, and I kind of panicked. I ended up just giving her a high five and walked to my car. My sister called me a moron and said I probably ruined any chances of going out on a second date. Is she right?

Not Wanting to be Her Pal

Sturgeon Bay, WI

Dear Not Wanting to be Her Pal,

I wouldn’t go so far as to call you a moron since that would be harsh; however, I agree with your sister that the high five wasn’t the best option. I think the kiss would have been a mistake as well, but it would have been better to either just say good bye or give her a hug. For your first date, you chose an outing that doesn’t necessarily scream romance. Well, for some it might, but that’s a whole other topic of discussion. When you ask a woman out to dinner or a movie, that’s a date and the ground rules are a little more clear. When you ask her to be part of your exercise routine and high five her like one of your buddies, you can see how things become confusing.

If you had fun, chances are she did too. Give her a call and arrange to see her again. This time, bring her out for a nice dinner and see if there is anything there beyond a biking buddy.

Good luck,

Mary