Hi all. This is my first post on this forum. I am somewhat new to the game and have lurked around this site for awhile as it is a great wealth of knowledge. However, I've just found myself in a unique spot that simply searching for advice isn't going to get me out of.

I've been into the bar scene for the past 6 months or so, but I've only started with the online scene about a week and a half ago. I have a few messages in with a HB8 and a weird situation just arose. I started with a simple opener about her favorite movies and she responded within a day or so. I followed that up with something a little more detailed with a DHV story and asking her a few questions about herself. However, a couple days went by and she never responded to the followup.

I went to go wish a work buddy a happy birthday last night on FB and much to my surprise, that same girl posted on his wall a few posts down from mine. Small world. I sent her a message this morning asking her how she knew him and how weird that was. This time she immediately responded on her next log-on. She knows both him and his girlfriend very well and she wants to know how I know them, too.

After reading through her information, she seems like the kind of person that's very reluctant to meet someone she doesn't know online, but now that we have two common real-life friends, I want to use this to my advantage. I'm not sure how to follow up and arrange a face to face meeting in this situation. I should have a better shot since I've gone from a possible online creep to almost-acquaintances by accident. Any advice you guys could give would really help me out.

Now this I have learned from in person.

If you have a wing woman the more she talks the better the more you talk the worse. My advice would be to have your friend talk to his girlfriend and have her talk the girl into meeting you. Also an easy way to invite her out without freaking her out is find an event that your friend and his girl are also going to and invite her. No this is not a double date, she will flake if you ask her to go out, you need to ask her to hang out.

Yea, I kind of agree with you which is why I didn't say anything. I figure I'll wait til tomorrow til I talk to my work friend and see what's up. At the very least I can find out if she's not crazy or something and try and get a good word in. She's actually known him a lot longer than his girlfriend and it turns out they kinda met through her, which is a hell of a coincidence.

Either way, I still need to say something tomorrow. I don't want to play the high school game where you ask people out through friends. I was thinking about just telling her how I know the both them, how I think we're a lot alike (she's one of my top 5 matches) and I'd like to meet up, and if she's too uncomfortable maybe we can all do something together to get to know each other. I just have to clear it with my work friend first.

If anyone has any suggestions how to word the reply, I'd appreciate it.