I met someone online, exchanged a couple of messages and met up. We had a fun evening, agree to meet again, and have another really good time. Then we exchanged a whole lot of emails and texts, and have had another couple of dates, which also went well. We spent yesterday afternoon together (have done evening things up until now), went to a museum, had a cup of tea, went for a walk along the river. It was lovely.
So you get to date four, and then what? I’m clueless from this point on because my adventures in dating up until now over the last year have never got beyond date two or three and living in a small town I’d assumed I’d pretty much exhausted the pool of local talent. I really like him and I know he likes me – he’s been very clear that that is the case without putting any pressure on me. We have a lot in common and he’s fascinating, kind and I really fancy him. There’s been kissing 
.
At some point, we will move things forward (I assume) – but how? When do you have the “do you want to sleep with me and if so when and how?” chat. And does that come before or after the “I’d like to know about your romantic and emotional history – how does someone seemingly quite eligible get to 46 and still be single and childless?” conversation. If you do get to the point of actually going to bed with them, do you insist on a full CRB check and meeting at least three personal referees or do you just assume they are a decent person (he’s a lawyer and very Google-able so he’s definitely who he says he is though obviously all that tells me is he's good at his job and not a convicted criminal...)? Do you clarify whether this is a relationship rather than dating or just make an assumption? And how exactly do you actually summon up the courage to have sex with someone when the only person you’ve slept with in the last 15 years is your weasel of an ex-husband? Do you invite him back to your house (when the dc aren’t around, of course) or go to his place first? Or somewhere completely different?
I’m not really looking for a definitive answer, I guess – just your thoughts on how it all works. I asked my sister who said “get really drunk, snog him and all will become clear” but she’s a disaster zone when it comes to men so I’m not taking advice from her. And I’m clearly completely clueless so am looking to the wisdom of MNers who have got me out of a miserable marriage, through a catastrophic divorce, some excruciating early dating mishaps and a whole heap of emotional crap without getting it wrong once...