Ask for a second date when he only talked about himself

This happens for a few reasons, and almost none of them are your fault. Some guys are nervous and default to talking about themselves because it's easier than asking real questions. Some are self-centered and don't register that you said anything. Some got distracted or weren't that into it.

The pattern matters more than his excuse. If he didn't ask follow-up questions about your job, your life, or anything you brought up, he wasn't curious. Curiosity is table stakes. A second date where you ask him out gives him a chance to show up differently, but only if he's capable of it. Most guys who bomb date one the same way will bomb date two. Your job is to find out fast, not to fix him.

A good reply does three things. First, it references something specific from your date that only someone paying attention would remember. A detail you mentioned about your work, something you talked about doing, a place you said you liked. Not a huge thing. Something small enough that it won't feel like a test.

Second, it proposes an actual plan instead of asking if he wants to hang out. Name a day, suggest an activity or place. Make it easy for him to say yes but require him to actually confirm. Third, keep it short. No long message about how you felt or what you're looking for. Just the detail, the plan, done.

Text him the next morning or afternoon, not at night. You want to catch him when he's awake and can actually respond, not set yourself up to overthink if he read it at 11pm.

If he doesn't reply in 48 hours, send one follow-up text. Keep it short. Something like "no worries if you're swamped" or "let me know if you're free." Do not send a third message. After that, stop. If he wanted to see you again, he would text back. Most guys will answer within a few hours if they're interested. Move on.