Ask yourself why you want to bring a friend with you.

Is this what you normally do when you meet a new guy of romantic potential or are you intent on doing this with this specific guy?

If you don’t have a history of doing this with guys you are romantically interested in, be honest with yourself about how you feel about this guy.

Are you genuinely interested in this guy?

Did you say yes to the date out of a desire to be polite?

It isn’t fair on a guy when you accept a date but choose to bring a friend, knowing you aren’t romantically interested in him.

Although you tell yourself that he never officially said it was a date, it doesn’t excuse this behavior.

It’s how you make yourself feel better about bringing a friend, but it is disingenuous.

When a guy who isn’t in your friend circle asks you to do an activity with him one on one, he is asking you out on a date.

He doesn’t have to spell it out.

He assumes you know it is a date.

It takes a lot for a guy to ask a woman out.

He risks rejection, his greatest fear.

To go this far, he isn’t asking to strictly hang out.

He has romantic intentions.

It isn’t fair for you to bring a friend when his intentions are romantic in nature.

Stop lying to yourself.

If you aren’t into him romantically but want to start a friendship with him, let him know this.

Men appreciate straightforwardness.

He would much rather you told him that you aren’t romantically interested in him, and wanting a friendship instead, than have to contend with you bringing a friend to a date.

You are doing him a solid by being straightforward with him about how you feel about him.

As a guy, he processes this information and can make an informed decision on whether he is open to having a friendship with you.

Give him this opportunity by being honest with him as opposed to leading him on.

Now, in a context where you are romantically interested in this guy but have a habit of bringing a friend on first dates, you must let him know you are bringing a friend and why.

It has to be clear to him that you are romantically interested in him.

Let him know that you traditionally bring a friend on a first date and give him your reasons.

As long as it sounds legitimate, he is going to agree to it.

The next step is to tell your friend what the rules are.

A friend who gets too heavily involved in what you are doing with your date during the course of a date is a turn off.

A turn off to your date.

Dictate what your friend is permitted and not permitted to do during the date.

As a rule of thumb, a friend who is in the habit of disappearing every so often during the date, is a friend that is doing right by you.

These are moments where you and your date get to chat one on one without the presence of your friend.

This makes for more open and easygoing conversation between you and your date.