Arrived early and they're late? How to handle the wait

Start with what she actually sent. "Running 10 min behind, sorry!" is a logistics update and needs a short reply, nothing more. A vague "omw" with no time, or a text that shows up 40 minutes after the start time, tells you she misjudged or forgot. Notice whether she gave you a real arrival time or just a feeling.

Also check whether she's texted at all. If she's already moving, the wait is short and you're mostly done. If she's gone quiet, don't build a story about being stood up. Phone trouble, a bad train, or a friend who needed her explain most silences.

Your reply has a few jobs. First, tell her exactly where you are so she doesn't have to hunt for you when she walks in. Second, take the delay off her plate by showing you're fine, without making it a performance. A short line that reads as relaxed does more than any apology you could add. Third, give her a reason to hurry that isn't pressure, like a table you've already claimed or a drink that's on its way.

Keep it to one or two lines. Long replies read like you're keeping score, and she'll spend the first ten minutes of the date reading your tone instead of meeting you.

Her estimate is the clock to watch, not the start time. If she said 15 minutes, you have until about 15 minutes after that before you need to decide anything. Use the wait to order something small and sit where you can see the door, so you aren't checking your phone every thirty seconds.

If she goes quiet past that point, send one short message asking if she's still coming. Then give it another twenty minutes. If nothing comes back, you're free to leave, and a brief text saying you're heading out and hope she's ok is enough. Stop there. Don't send a second message explaining what happened, and don't text her later asking why.