Search Results: guys showing intentions

I recently went out on a date with a girl. Afterwards, I ask for her number so we can stay in touch. She politely declines and tells me to add her on Facebook, claiming she is always on FB messenger. At this point, I suspect she's not that interested. And it's a pretty smooth move for her to drop the FB line to let me down gently. It's a nice way to blow me off and give herself an out, with zero intentions of actually accepting.

It turns out she actually accpts the request a couple of hours later. So I have nothing to lose, so I shoot her the standard "I had a great time, she was pretty cool, let's do it again" message. She actually responds promptly with "Thanks :)". I'm surprised at why she even accepted the request in the first place. Just ignore the request and/or block me. And if she's not interested, why respond at all? Just ignore me, now that we're no longer in person.

I don't hear from her for a couple of days, so I just wanted to reach out one last time. I ask her if she's free over the weekend. I was hoping to find out if she's truly interested. I even mention that "it's okay if she's not interested. I totally understand." I get a message about twenty minutes later saying she's "kinda busy over the weekend, but maybe afterwards when we are both free". I get the hint from the “busy” line. But why does she say “maybe afterwards when we are both free”? Why even bring it up? A simple “Hey, sorry I’m busy this weekend” would suffice.

I would have preferred her to either ignore my messages or say she's not interested. Either one would be clear in showing disinterest. But I don't really know what to make of this.

What do you guys think? Most of my friends think it's one of the following reasons:
A) She is too afraid/shy/awkward to say she's not interested
B) She is playing the field, and I'm not her first choice
C) She is probably ambivalent or on the fence

I've always found this a rather perplexing issue.

One type of girl will only date people after she's interacted in a casual group setting long enough to become good friends. She will usually get uncomfortable when a guy she's just met shows romantic intentions. She believes a guy who is worth her time can wait patiently while she decides how she feels about him through the course of friendship.

Another sort feels the opposite. She gets turned off by men who like her, but guard their intentions under the casual guise of friendship. She might say that any man worth her time will show how serious, dedicated, and interested he is from the get-go. She can become frustrated by a man who is subtle or cautious in showing romantic interests instead of "manning up" and showcasing his intentions as soon as he is aware of them.

Which of these categories do GAGers prefer to live under?

Also, how is a man to handle the first impression with a woman when he doesn't know which philosophy governs her expectations?