I'm not rejecting it all. I'm taking advice that some have offered, which is to ignore the current question she messaged me, make some reference to maturity, and be a bit challenging, and just tell her in-person.

Everyone's offering differing thoughts. It can't *all* be correct, since it isn't all in agreement. So I'll *have* to reject some of it. And so I do. The parts I think are not correct. It's even possible none of the advice is correct (though I don't think that).

Who gave that advice? No one on this thread did.

If this chick hears you ignore the question of your age, AGAIN, how smart is she?

It IS cowardly

she's not as intelligent as you say.

It's along the lines of what EddieFews advised in this thread. Though I did also slightly mix things up...I have this exact thread going in another PUA forum, and getting a variety of disagreeing advice there. And my choice for the best next step is to follow what some of them, and to some extant EddieFews, are advising.

Eddie was not giving you that advice at all. He said that you shouldn't blurt it out now even though you should have told her when she asked and if she were to ask again, tell her. If you wanted to just have sex with this girl then I'm sure that your fear of telling her your age would be, although deceitful, justified. However, you want to keep your options open with this girl and regardless of whatever you're reading in other forums, this girl knows that you are hiding your age from her. Once the in the moment attraction wears off and you pull some kind of insecure act, and you will because you were insecure the moment she asked about how old you are, this hiding your age thing is going to add to the things that she finds unattractive about you. Women have a long memory of the little things that you do wrong and will play that card when they need to.

Be real old man

Dude. You're the one who's making your age an issue here. There's basically two ways I would have handled this:

1) Tell her flat out like it's irrelevant when it first came up. Move on to or continue seducing.

2) Tell her, "I'm too old for you.", and frame it like she's pursuing you or even be cocky about it insinuating that she's too immature for you.

You say she's too smart for head games, yet you're already trying to play games with her by not leveling with her.

I suggested two solutions:

1) Telling her flat out.

2) Tell her flat out AND teasing her about it and framing yourself as a challenge.

Why couldnt you be real with her in person when she asked your age?? what was holding you back?

Never give straight answers to boring interview questions.

"Old enough to be your dad's drinking buddy that he tries to keep you away from."

"Old enough to be your worst possible influence."

"Your dad used to run when he saw me on the playground."

I'm 50. Tall, slim, smart, attractive. I'm almost always guessed to be in my mid-30's, due both to looks, and personality. I'm very energetic, with a very broad set of interests.

She's 26 (her ex was older too, not sure by how much), very intelligent, Master's degree, ambitious, hot (i.e.--not some dumb, low-esteem, average-attractive girl).

Was at a friend's house party (she's really good friends with them), she came up to me to introduce herself. We talked off & on for a long time that night, she was obviously interested. At some point she asked me how old I was, I did not tell her.

I don't want a 1 night stand, I want a more "real" relationship than that.

But I wasn't going to bother pursuing. I figured as soon as she knew the age gap, that'd be the end of it. But I did friend her on Facebook, and did message her that it was good to meet her, and that I'm probably older than she'd guess.

She replied I was really great to talk to, that her ex was "plenty older", and asked my age again.

Advice?

I'm thinking I'd like to still not tell her my age, go out on 1 date, and once she knows me better for who I am, then she can know my age.

But what to say/do next? I think she's too smart for head games, which isn't my thing anyway. Like I'm not going to try to make her feel immature (a common advice I've read). Referencing her maturity, ok, but trying to actually make her FEEL immature is too game-y.

I think you are a liar. If she is interested on you is only to be your friend. Loser.