I brought up the next step issue with my mum and the bar boss when the former was in town and we were out for drinks and oysters at the Hungry Kitty. My mom became convinced that he's going to propose to me any nanosecond, crossing her fingers we'll move back to my hometown (NEVER) and produce grandchildren (the reward for raising children) while the bar boss mouthed at me, "DON'T DO IT."
"I think he's being really smart," the latter said, choosing her words as carefully as she chooses her wines, "by taking it really slow and tempering his response with your responses." Which makes me feel manipulated more than anything.