What it means when he doesn't text after the first date

No text in 24 to 48 hours means he didn't feel like reaching out. That's your answer right there. He may have had fun in the moment, but he's not thinking about you now that the date's over. He's not picturing a second one. He's not wondering what you're doing. People who want to see someone again don't just forget about them.

There's a small chance he's playing it cool on purpose, but that works against you, not for you. If he's deliberately holding back to seem less eager, you're already dealing with someone who likes games. People who say what they mean and go after what they want don't do this.

If you want to reach out, your message needs to do two things. First, keep it low pressure. Don't ask how he feels or if he wants to see you again. Don't bring up the date itself or ask what went wrong. That puts him on the spot and makes it easy to ignore. Second, it has to reference something specific. Call back a conversation you had, a place you mentioned, or something he said. Generic stuff like 'hey' or 'how are you' gives him nothing to work with and no reason to respond.

If you're going to text, do it within a few days while the date is still recent. Don't wait a week. Send your message once and then stop. Don't send another one if he doesn't reply within a day or two. A second message looks like chasing, and it won't change anything. If he responds, great. If he doesn't, accept that he's not interested and move on. Spending more than a week debating whether to text him or checking your phone is time you could spend with people who actually engage back.