Hi everyone,

I wanted to get some advice on a situation I’m navigating. I was part of this social club (think youth city council, but not exactly that), where we’d meet monthly to discuss different topics. I got to know this girl through the group, and recently, we started talking again after I reached out to her for information about an event I was interested in.

Since then, we’ve had some really deep conversations about almost everything, which I didn’t expect but definitely appreciated. Our chats slowed down around mid-December, but then she reached out during the holidays to ask how I was doing, and things picked back up.

Here’s the thing: I really like her. I find her attractive and enjoy talking to her, but I’m fresh out of a relationship (about three months ago), so I know I’m not ready for anything serious. That said, I wouldn’t mind exploring something casual with her. However, from what I know about her, she’s never had a boyfriend before, and I suspect she might be a virgin.

I don’t want to hurt her or create a situation where I’m leading her on, but I also don’t want to shut the door entirely. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? Should I be upfront with her about where I’m at, or is it better to just keep things friendly for now?