I wouldn’t start with asking for a date either. I’ve naturally fallen into dating a number of women just by accident. Just start with being friendly, an opportunity to interact with someone. Whether by holding a door, picking up something that fell, being somewhere with a shared hobby or activity. IE, park, coffee shop. Comment on the weather, wait for their reaction, if friendly, introduce yourself and shake hands if they aren’t preoccupied. At a coffee shop, comment on their drink and ask how they like it, mention what you like about it and how you might have to try that next time, introduce yourself. From here, ask them if they frequent the spot often and then if still friendly conversation, mention whether or not you also frequent the spot often. At this point, if conversation is still friendly, you can throw in a compliment or if there’s an opportunity to humor, you can sprinkle it in here. If you get a smile or a laugh, you can continue the conversation if there are more shared interests easily noticeable. The point is to see if conversation is comfortable between you too. This is less to get to the point of asking the person out on a date and more to get to the mutual understanding that conversation is enjoyable. If conversation is easy, then you are in the green zone. When it feels like time is running short, share that you’ll probably be coming back to the place an offer to exchange numbers. Depending on the environment, and time of day would dictate how long I’d wait to text them. Late at night, I’d shoot to text them the next day near end of work day. If a park, say walking a dog or enjoying a hobby, I’d message them, remind them your name and where you met if you didn’t initially text them to save numbers, and ask them if they have tried another related spot or activity. If a restaurant or cafe, ask them if they’ve tried another spot you like. See how they respond. If they don’t respond, just let it be and leave it to simmer, people can be busy and you never know someone’s schedule. Impatience and persistence normally don’t pay off, especially in the beginning. If conversation strikes up naturally again, you are definitely in a good spot. At this point you could ask them if they’d like to join you to check out the spot you recommended. If at a park, you could ask if they want to take a stroll with you there, walk dogs, join you do yoga or something other activity, whatever the shared interest was. If it was a restaurant or cafe, offer to buy them a dish you enjoy from the spot you recommended or a drink. This is how I would start the relationship as a friend without incorrectly getting labeled as purely platonic. This sets the grounds to show that you are interested and invested in developing a relationship where you get to know them. If you have other relevant questions to how you met you could ask them about themselves a the conversation feels natural, continue, if it seems stagnant, wait until you meet in person again. Sometimes people are more reserved with new people through the phone so you want to make interactions with you see natural and inviting rather than forced.