She rejected your plans but suggested her own? Here's what to do

She rejected your plan but stayed in the conversation. That matters. This isn't a soft no. She either has a real conflict, a preference for a different time or place, or she wants to feel some control over how you two meet. Rejecting without a counter usually means she's not interested. A counter means she is. Read it as a yes, but not like that. The specificity of her alternative is the tell. If she says "Maybe next weekend" that's vague and she might be stalling. If she says "I'm free Sunday 3pm at the coffee place by my work" she's already thinking about it.

Your reply has two jobs. First, confirm that you're in. Don't add conditions, don't ask if there are other times, don't suggest tweaks. Take what she offered. Second, be warm and direct about it. A one or two line reply that says yes and maybe shows you're looking forward to it does the work. The mistake guys make is turning this into another negotiation. You don't need to explain why you can't do Friday or probe whether Sunday actually works for her schedule. She just told you it does. Trust it. Keep it short so you're not over-explaining or seeking reassurance that this is real.

Reply within a couple hours. Don't sit on this. You're confirming, not requesting. Once she's made the counter, any delay makes it look like you're weighing whether her plan is good enough. After you've confirmed the basic time and day, let it rest. Don't text her every two days to "make sure it's still on." One check-in text the day before, casual and practical, is fine. If she flakes or ghosts after confirming, that tells you what you need to know. But most of the time if she counter-proposed in the first place, she'll show up.