You just received ten digits and her name, either on a piece of paper, your hand, a napkin, or the post-1999 method – directly into your phone.

The known: You are going to call. The unknown: Everything else.

How long dost thou wait to call? Two weeks? Three days? Four hours? Five minutes?

If you answered five minutes then you should get accustomed to disappointment.

I agree that life is too short to ponder ‘what-if?’, so if I let an hour pass by after you pass by without approaching, then I’m either too shy, or taken. That said, I also respect the call waiting policy and if she didn’t ask for your number, then it is your responsibility to interpret her CWP.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, if you disrespect her CWP and call too soon, you’ll end up auditing your phone’s contacts a year later, wondering, “Who the hell is Vanessa?”* – don’t let this happen to you.

*If adult drinks are involved, then it may help to include a note or nickname to differentiate her from everyone else in your phone. Here are some commonly utilized strategies:

1. Save her ‘Last Name’ in your contacts as the establishment or location of the close encounter of the first time.
2. Save her ‘Last Name’ in your contacts as an exceptional feature you immediately recognize and don’t plan to forget.
3. Save her ‘Last Name’ in your contacts as an instruction, such as ‘Call Tuesday’. Obey that rule, or on Saturday, when she screens your premature call, she’ll set your ‘Last Name’ equal to ‘DNA’ (Do Not Answer).
4. Reduce your intake of alcohol and get to know her. Then, record her ‘Last Name’ in your contacts as her actual last name.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the accepted amount of waiting your call policy requires.

In general, don’t rush it, but don’t wait too long.