To me, 7 of wands usually has to do with conflict over principles and values. Maybe during the course of the blind date, for example, he realized you and he have very, very different beliefs about some topic which is a deal breaker to him (whether he pointed it out to you, or whether it seemed like as big of a deal to you, or not).
And it could be that the idea of actually talking to you about it (seems pointless and) is stressing him out, which may be why a 10 of wands would show.
It also shows up, for me, when there's open conflict/bullying/accusations/blame shifting, and you have to stand up for yourself, but you didn't mention any arguing, (and I'd expect other cards to show up as well), so... You'd know better than me. lol Did you actually accuse either of them of doing something wrong, at some point? Could be that type of defensiveness. (Although, I would imagine that interpretation would occur to you if you were in that type of situation.)
Another thought, about the second guy, is maybe he decided pursuing a colleague is not the best idea. So, it's his own principles or the general situation that he's in conflict with, not necessarily you as an individual.