He seemed awkward throughout, but I figured maybe he was just shy, so I tried to make him feel at ease by being extra talkative and friendly. We went to see a movie, then had a bite to eat, and then he walked me home. I gave him a kiss on the cheek, then said the normal things you say at the end of a date - it was nice meeting up, we should text each other, it'd be nice to see you again, etc.

He just stared at me blankly. He literally did not respond at all, just stared silently. I was so flustered I ended up saying "Um, do you want to see my flat?" because I just had no idea what to do (and also I was kind of a pushover in those days). So we went inside to my flat's reception, and an incredibly awkward five minutes of me showing him where I got my post and the doorbell system ensued. Then I said, "Well, it's getting late, so I'd better be going." And he kept staring silently at me. I mean, when someone says that it's a pretty clear sign it's time for you to leave, right? But he didn't seem to get that. So once again I was flustered, but I really didn't want to let him into my actual flat, so I said I'd walk him home, and then once we got outside I made up an excuse about forgetting I had an early start at work and needing to get back inside to go to bed, and then just bolted.

Basically the warning sign for me was that he seemed to be relying on my sense of politeness (as in, I was a bit too spineless to tell him to just get lost already, so I kept hinting and hoping he'd pick up on it, because most people would) to cross boundaries I was not ready for him to cross. There was a little voice in my head saying "This man will not respect it if you ever say no to him." And that little voice ended up being totally right.