Desperation Meter

According to the chef at the restaurant I waitress at, I'm off the desperation meter. No, not the "off" I initially hoped he meant (as in its such a small reading it doesn't warrant a meter), "off" as in the meter is broken because it couldn't read my excessive rate of desperation.
This was in reference to my asking out a friend of his (which he seemed to encourage btw). The story goes: my awesome chef and I go out to dinner sometimes after work, usually with a co-worker or two. Because he is a chef, he knows great food, and often gets it for free by knowing other restaurant-y type people. One of these being the owner of a great late night food place. We met said owner several times, he is good looking, kind, friendly, and as chef put it, a weird that would work well with me. (Not to mention he owns a boat, spear fishes, and jet skis to Catalina. Yep, my kind of crazy).
Chef tells his friend I dig him, and he says he digs too. Yay! So, I ask chef if I should ask him out. Yes. He even suggests I go grab food there (which I do, on his night off of course). So, Sunday I send him a text, ask him out for drinks. He says yes, then says he'll let me know his schedule the next day. Which he doesn't.
And didn't.
And still hasn't.
Just for the count, this was 5 days ago.
When I see chef again tonight, he asks about it, I tell him what happened. We banter about it throughout my shift, even devising a silly plan to go the restaurant tonight to make things awkward. In the end, we don't go, and chef says the desperation meter thing.
Drat.
He explained that he thought it was balls-y of me to ask the guy out. And how that seemed desperate.
Fuck.
So, I ask guys out. I don't see what the big deal is!? Are we not living in a modern world, and I am a not a material, er... modern girl? I've received this sort of reaction before. People seem to be amazed that a gal actually has the lady balls to ask out a guy. Why is this such a ridiculous notion?

Here is how I see it, and please, let me know your thoughts (especially any male readers I have out there). I am a passionate person (apparently some insert "desperate" where I say passionate). I believe that life is short, we have to take chances, otherwise we won't get anywhere. Basically I really believe in trying, even if it means failing... often. That's how we learn, right? So I take this whole premise into the world of dating. Give it a chance, accept rejection, because we can't always get it right the first time. But apparently, I'm supposed to sit around and wait for some guy to ask me out. Well, experience has taught me that not many have the cajones. And yes, I would like to meet someone who has the guts to take a chance. But in the meantime I'm not going to miss my chances to try and spend more time with a guy I find interesting.

Apparently other people interpret my actions differently. My classmates and I were discussing today when was it too late for a woman to have a child (the answer is menopause). And the only male in the group said that you have to be careful of your biological clock. If its clanging too loudly, it will scare guys off. Is that what I am? An obnoxious clock? Am I the ticking crocodile to the cowardly Captain Hooks of this world?  I would much rather think of myself as Tinkerbell, and I'm just too sassy for any lost boys, or Peter Pans who don't want to grow up.