Dear Thelma: Why can’t I get a girlfriend?

I’m a 26-year-old guy who is getting increasingly concerned about my lack of a girlfriend. At 25, there seemed to be plenty of time to look for a partner, but what’s worrying me now is my previous unsuccessful “attempts”.

Over the past few years, I have met a few girls whom I found suitable, but I always arrive at the same scenario which ends in disappointment for me. What happens is that I would chat with them online, ask them out for coffee and/or a movie. It usually starts well, but after two or three outings, they turn cold and become less responsive, and sometimes even totally ignore me.