OK, the G-man's rule:
They get ONE call, ONE voicemail.
If they don't have the decency and common courtesy to return that call, the hell with 'em, they're not good enough for me.
Move on, there are too many good ones out there to waste a second on a snotty, stuck-up, self-important wench that thinks she should be "persued". If she's genuinely a good person, and interested in you, she will return the call. If she's genuinely a good person, she will return your call even if she's NOT interested, to let you know.
It's difficult to live by this "rule", but as I am finding out, it is worth the effort, and there ARE women out there that will be decent human beings. Therefore, there is no reason to tolerate one that isn't.
Recent experience has really brought this home to me - a few months ago, I met and really went nuts over a woman, she gave me every reason to believe she felt the same way (trust me - it was DISCUSSED in detail), then she just stopped returning calls, making plans then not showing, and making lame excuses for both unacceptable behaviours. When I spoke to her and asked what was up, she said "Everything is fine, I just got REEEEEELLLY busy with work/mom/etc.", and I took her word for it. I forgot the G-man's rule. She ended up ditching me in a 3 sentence e-mail, because she was such a spineless weasel she couldn't tell me to my face or even in a phone call. I should have just dropped her off the "list" the FIRST TIME she pulled her crap, and didn't have a genuinely good reason for not getting in touch (hey, there ARE times when it is understandable, but "busy at work" is NOT one of them - it takes 30 seconds to return a call at the end of the day and apologize, or the same amount of time when you can't get away for lunch to call and let your S/O know you can't make it).
Next woman I dated was up front: We went out 3 times, at her initiation, after that, I called her to invite her out, and she was direct and honest - "I'm sorry, but I don't think this will work out, I'm just not 'feeling' it." She has my total respect, and we're actually friends now. I'm cool with that. I was bummed out at the time, but now I'm cool with it. She didn't waste my time or hers, unlike the one before that. It wasn't a happy thing, but it was respectful, and KIND in my opinion.
Now, I've met someone, she's VERY direct (in addition to being beautiful, intelligent, warm, giving), and it's incredible. We are very respectful of each other, calls are returned promptly, honesty is given freely (no matter WHAT), and we have what is looking to become a wonderful relationship. THIS is how it should be, within a few hours, we both knew we wanted it to be "more", and we were both able to tell each other this directly.
She reminds me of my cat.
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