Brothers, h-e-l-p!

New to this whole PUA world. A few quick things about me to get ball rolling. Early 30s/socially shy (until I get to know people)/low confidence when approaching girls/attractive/all round nice guy/charming once I warm up or believe in myself. Haven't touched a girl in 8 years! I mean, I just don't bother anymore..

So, now met this very late 20s HB7/8 for a coffee. Met her online first, via one of these language exchange websites with profile pictures. HB asking was for people to her English with.We live in non-English European country X. She is a foreigner from country Z and I am actually originally from Z too but was born and raised in X. So we have this common thing. I contact her via message tell her I can offer her language practice and that I am from Z too. We agree to meet at a caffe in the late afternoon a few days later.

We meet, we shake hands and walk to the caffe. We have a good time, laughing, exchanging world views, life perspectives etc, I make her laugh a few times, we are quite engrossed in one another. I pretty much keep eye contact for 80% of the time [hell I'm diving into her eyes]. After 1.5hrs she asks if I can stay longer to talk. Seems she’s enjoying herself. I never use a NEG or make any specific compliments. There is a small table between us so I never make any touch contact, I usually would have, a tap on an arm, but the table was in the way. So we talk for another half hour. We have a good time. Not sure how interested she is in me or anything at this stage.

As we get up to leave I find that some bastard stole my laptop from under the table. I keep my cool, just raise my voice once, to the uncollaborative waiting staff. As I go off to file a police report she offers to hang back at the caffe in case someone finds it. I tell her not to worry and that she should go home. At this stage I am only thinking about the theft. I kinda quickly say goodbye and she turns to leave. She doesn't offer a handshake or anything so I extend my hand and we shake and she says something along the lines, it was nice knowing you.

Two hours later she texts saying she's sorry for the laptop and if I found it. I text back with a version of an old local saying 'he who loses a laptop, finds a friend'. To which she replies with an agreeable laugh.
So know I'd like to see her and take it further.

I have no clue what to suggest to her when I call her especially after this negative event and don’t know how to play ….

Hmmm...to be honest, much of that was irrelevant, at least as far as what you will need to do next. It's like asking, "How do I get a second date with a girl if I had my bike stolen?" or "How do I get a second date if I fell and cut my ankle?"

As far as the laptop thing, generally you want to turn a negative into a positive. You actually already did that when you said "lose a laptop, gain a friend". You can also make it seem like it's no big deal and that you can easily replace it because you have a lot of money.

It sounds like you had really good rapport going and she's interested. So keep pursuing it. Don't dwell on the laptop thing and ask her out on a more official type of date. Something more fun and romantic.

Btw Mr. AFC, you never shake a girls hand when saying bye, only when you greet her. You should always hug goodbye.

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“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” ~Audrey Hepburn

Funniest shit I've ever read on this forum!

That had me cracking too!

I thought I'd mention the theft just to see if I could turn it into an advantage for a next meeting.
I am going to give it a couple of weeks to make a phone call (unless you guys say "too late!) and then propose a concert with a group of friends or an exhibition.

I know! And I usally do, I am not that of a hopless AFC, but circumstances and SPAM resulted in a hand shake.