I found someone from my past who I hadn't seen in 15 years but have thought about often and hoped that one day we would meet again. We have both recently divorced (in the past year). Since we already have a past, the normal dating scenario doesn't really apply. How do we go about dating without losing a friendship in the process? I don't want to wait, but how do you take it slow? How do you let him know how much you have wanted this without scaring him off?-- Marcy B., 34, Austin, Texas

Marcy: Follow your intuition. It sounds like you know this person well enough to say very simply, "I'd like this to be a dating relationship, but I don't want to take that step if our friendship might be damaged." You want to know right away from him if he is thinking about you in the same way you are thinking about him. If he wants to remain friends, then all you've done by asking this question is embarrass yourself for a few minutes. The recovery time is much quicker than trying to spend a month giving him hints and then feeling hurt or rejected in the end if he doesn't respond as you hope. If he is interested in a dating relationship, then why wait or take it slow? Sometimes falling in love fast is wonderful, especially if you already know and trust the person.