woman's point of view
Hey,
I was sitting here reading this and thought that maybe you would like some female input on this.
Here are my observations:
1- f*** friends don't turn into to wives. If she were the type, she would have kissed you on the first date. So the first thing you have to do is decide what role you want her to play in your life; girlfriend or beneficial friend.
2- Big NO NO with 'the brake up joke'. This says (to a woman): 'you like me more than a friend and want to get to know me better.' You want to be careful, she might think that you strung her along and that will get you nowhere.
3- "well I guess you are not interested in me, it's too bad, we had a great time and I liked you, you're a gentleman, good-looking, kind, etc.....I’m sorry it didn't work out". If this made you feel guilty, then it worked. It's been my experience that women who prefer casual coupling to a meaningful relationship are usually far more aggressive and blunt about what they want.
4- If it feels like it's developing into a relationship, then it probably is. Up until now it appears that you have been courting her, especially if you've been picking up the check. You may still have a small chance if she always insists on paying for her self.
Now I don't want to generalize and end up with my foot in my mouth but generally speaking many women won't develop a purely physical relationship with someone whose company they really enjoy. The more you have in common with her, the more she'll want from any relationship the two of you have.
The best advice I can give you is to be honest. Always remember that it’s better to go through a tetanus shot now than to get amputated later on. In other words you might disappoint her at first but at least she’ll still respect you and most importantly you’ll know where she stands. Right now she’s putting trust in the belief that your intentions are entirely pure(ie: only her). So, if they turn out not to be, she will feel like you’ve broken her trust. (The sooner you tell her the better.)
Ok, I’ve said too much ;-)
Now this was my perception of the situation and I hope that I haven't upset anyone. So I wish you luck and I hope everything works out for you.
Stephanie