Question

I met a guy at my best friend Megan’s birthday party. He’s 19, like me, and is – without sounding like a stuck record – lovely. We share opinions and values (no drinking/drugs/smoking/promiscuity etc.), he is able to have decent intelligent conversations (unlike most people I know), and we can have a laugh, and – most importantly – I feel comfortable around him and can be honest. I like him very much: I kinda fell flat on my face for him =D

The first time we met, as I said was at a birthday outing. We all ended up going back to his for food and a few films. Over the course of the evening, we chatted a lot, he sat next to me on the sofa, and – despite all Megan’s best efforts to distract him (ie. lying her legs over his and playing with his hair) – he kept chatting to me and paying me lots of attention. Because of how the bedrooms were laid out at his home, I had to share a room with him (a room, not a bed, by the way: I ain’t that kinda girl) and we were up all night talking. Literally, until about 7 in the morning. We drove those in the opposite room demented with the chatter! =D By the end of the weekend, he asked me for my number and we chatted the day after for a while. He usually leaves me kisses and endearments in the texts and IMs, but sure, he does that with EVERYONE so I ain’t assuming anything from that =.

By this stage, I’ve known him a month. We’ve chatted a bit, once a week or so. I ask if we can meet up, and he’s all "You have to come up and visit!" and thus I was invited to his homestead for last Thursday evening.

At first I was wary, but I’m glad I ended up going. I travelled from Limerick to Borrisokane, and he picked me up, and there was no "So… how’ve you been?" sorta convos that I was expecting, he greeted me with a nice big hug and was just as chatty as I remembered. Once we got to his, we watched some movies and talked music and interests and the conversation just went all over the place – ‘twas great. We were sitting on a rather wide sofa (could’ve easily fit 3 people, 4 at a stretch), but yet he was sitting very close to me, his arm was up against mine. Although we had a nice time together, he seemed pretty nervy and jittery. At dinner time, himself, myself and his folks all sat down, and they turned out to be really nice and level-headed people, who were very welcoming and said I could visit anytime. He brought me back to the bus stop, and waited with me until the bus came. When I was leaving, he was all "You have to come up and visit again, stay sometime!" and gave me a really big hug.

All sounds lovely, doesn’t it, HOWEVER! I am left with some rather big questions:

1. Does he like me back, or is he just being friendly?
Y’know the kind of friendliness that – if you fancy him – you will read into in some sort of vain hope? I dunno if it’s a case of that, or if he actually likes me. He did invite me up, but sure, that’s what friends do, isn’t it? I tried asking my best friend Megan for her opinion, but she just freaked, so I’m on my own with this one =(

2. If I’m insanely lucky and he does like me, where do I go from there?
I mean, he said I should come up and visit again, but should I wait for him to ask me? Or should I ask? What is the appropriate waiting period? Or am I being too fussy? Just general advice, please.

3. If I’m unfortunate, and he doesn’t like me, where should I go from here?
All of the above in 2).

Proper, sensible answers, please. And if there’s anything I’ve missed out, please let me know and I’ll enlighten you =)