I follow a similar approach to Swordfish on this. Covering expenses and/or a gift is the way to go imo. I’ve had bad experiences whenever I’ve agreed to paid meet & greets and/or paid platonic dates. Including one who took the agreed on $, and literally ran away with it. Lol. That said, the sugar bowl is a strange place. What works for one person in one city, may not work for another elsewhere. Go with whatever works for you and enjoy.