@juliaw,
You can do this. It's 2022 and people do it All. The. Time.
It doesn't have to be fraught with meaning. You're not proposing marriage.
It's just you saying, "Greg (or whatever his name is), do you want to get a soda?" Or substitute coffee if you prefer. Nothing alcoholic.
Go and have a lovely time. At the end, say, "This was great, can we make the next one a real date? Say, this weekend?"
And then let him say yes or no. If he says yes, then great and please name your first kid after me
If he says no, then you had a lovely time having a coffee with a friend.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.