Bored now.

Sometimes I feel like if I were a sexual person, I'd be the "love 'em and leave 'em" type of person. I have a bit of an intense personality - not intense interaction-wise, but when I'm interested in something, I'm really interested, and nothing can distract me from its pursuit until the subject has exhausted itself. I'm a stay-up-all-night-to-finish-that-last-chapter kind of person, when the desire is there.

However, I also have a short attention span, and I never know whether or not the Thing I'm Interested In Now is going to become the Thing I'm Obsessed About Tomorrow. Add this to my pickiness when it comes to seeking a mate, and it's practically a recipe for disaster.

I've been chatting with a few (sexual) prospects for dating, and I've discovered that after the initial thrill, I've become bored with them already. There's such a fine line between people I'd like to be friends with and people I'd like to date that I can't always tell if the chemistry is leading in one direction or another. It really sucks to chat with someone I think of as a friend, only to discover I'm developing a crush. But it sucks even more to chat with someone I'd like to date, only to discover I don't really want to date them after all.

What's the etiquette on that? How do you shift the tone of the conversation from "feeling you out as a potential partner" to "this shop is closed! how about that weather we've been having, huh?"