slow? Will he lose interest? I am 42......I am just getting back into the dating scene because I was completely happy just being a single mom to my daughter--who is now 18 and almost all grown up ready to go off to college. I got divorced when my daughter was 2 and things have just been the two of us every since.

I haven't had a boyfriend in many years and now that I am dating again I don't want to just jump into bed with every guy I go out with. But, it seems like there is that "3rd date rule" these days where the girl will sleep with the guy after the 3rd date. I am really cute/attractive/beautiful, tall, and thin, and I look a bit "innocent". I always get uncomfortable because I know what guys are really thinking when they look at me even though I dress down in just jeans and such. I don't dress trashy or slutty, but I still get the feeling that guys only want one thing from me. Maybe that is just from past experience--I would love to be able to read a guy's mind.

I don't want the guy to lose interest in me, but I really just want to take things slow. Have fun dating again and enjoy hanging out with guys again. I don't want to get physical at least until I find someone I really like again and would get into a real relationship with him. Plus, I "was/am/but not so much lately" really religious and having sex before marriage is still burned into my brain as a major sin with major consequences. Plus, I have always tried to be a good example to my daughter.

Please don't answer back saying that religion is dumb because that won't help me or tell me to just find dates at church because there are rarely any single guys my age in my religion--and if they are single NO ONE wants to date them anyways.

I just want to know how a guy is going to react when I tell him that I want to go slow or tell me what exactly should I say to guys when we go on a date. I know they are probably expecting "something", but I don't want to go all the way until I fall in love again. Is that an impossible dream in the world today?

Thanks for your advice. ;-)