2) If I am unable to hold a conversation like a normal human being, but keep asking you dumb questions, it is because I am VERY interested and therefore unbelievably nervous. (Just give me a little time/a few drinks and it will get better.)

11. “I guess I’ll have to go alone.”

“I guess I’ll have to go alone…” Just give a cute little smirk when you say it, it’s worked for me!

12. Make eye contact, then face away.

Starting facing away, I turn around. I make eye contact with them, slow down my turn and give them my winning smile, holding eye contact for as long as I can until I’m just facing away again. That’s the invitation to come over to me. It works.

13. Pretend you’re interested in his favorite activities.

Ask a guy what he likes to do, wait until he says something I might be interested in, and butt in saying, “Oooh, I’ve never been rock climbing but it looks so fun. I have always wanted to try…” Cue guy: “Maybe we should go sometime…”

14. Make excuses to be around him and text him frequently.

I make frequent eye contact and smile often. I really can’t help it. I also make excuses to be around the guy & text frequently. I know guys don’t want to be humiliated and that women are often hard to read, but honestly, I admire guys that just go for it.

15. Just ask him out.

Actual girl here, I have a vagina and everything, usually I just do the asking myself. “Hey, you want to hang out tomorrow?” or “On a scale from 1 – finals week, how busy are you this week?” usually works. It is soooooo 21st century.

16. Ask him out for a drink.

“Wanna grab a drink sometime? You seem cool.” That’s how I (girl) normally drop the hint.

17. Ask for help with a menial task.

“Oh! Can you help me with this menial task? I’d do it, but you’re more skilled.”

18. Tell him what you like and where you’d like to go.

When we tell you places we’d like to go, or we make it a point to tell you what we like (food, bands, etc. that could be a date topic). Unless you already know the girl well or she just likes to talk about herself.

19. Give him small compliments and mention things you have in common.

I say stuff about what I’d like to do. I’ll also start talking about things I know we have in common (“Oh, I think it’s so cool you like really awful diners. Me too!”) Or complimenting small stuff (“I love running into you. You always look so classy.”)

20. Giggle a lot and make excuses to be in his personal space.

Normal flirty behavior. Lots of giggling and excuses to be in your personal space. Playfully touching, lightly or as a playful push on the shoulder. Letting things slide, for example: He says “You threw that ball well for a girl.” If I’m in the flirting stage, I’ll gasp in mock surprise and start a counter response/argument, but all the body language will be positive like smiling and laughing.

Oh and I’ll stop waiting and just ask you out. That one is the easiest to spot.

21. Ask them if they want to get together “just to hang out.”

I have just waited until I got to know them better and ask if they want to get together just to hang out. If they say no, they said no to hanging out and I get the hint that they’re not interested in anything of the relationship sort. If they say yes, then cool, we’ll hang out. Then I just leave it up to the guy to plan then next one. If they don’t plan the next one, then I can take the same hint. However, if a guy asks me out/tells me he likes me and I don’t feel the same way back, I do my very best to let them down gently, but make sure they get the message I’m not interested, keep the awkwardness down as much as I can, and proceed as if nothing was said. It’s not like anything has REALLY changed. I don’t see why people need to make a big gossipy deal about it.

22. Keep the conversation going.

• If you are talking on FB, texting, in person whatever—if she tries to make the conversation continue, that’s a sign.

• If she laughs around you a lot.

• If she says things like, “I’ve always wanted to see this movie or that restaurant.”

23. A plethora of techniques.

Let’s see. How have I met guys? I’m such an instigator. I …

• Write a letter (sent via good ol’ US Mail) stating how much I like spending time with him and that I hope to see more of him going forward, even though I’m not dating his best friend anymore. (First long-term boyfriend, age 16-19)

• Invite him and his friend up to my dorm room to wash the pepper spray they just got hit with (goddamn frat boys, they hated punks) out of their eyes. Get him to leave with his friend, then sneak him back in. (Brief affair, friendship)

• Slip my phone number to the cute, shy, preppy boy who I’d sat next to and shared laughs with for a semester but who had never asked me out. (Dated for a month or two)

• Walk up to him on the street and ask to bum a cigarette, even though I’ve got a pack of my own in my pocket. (Brief affair, friendship)

• Spot him in a hotel lobby having tea with the singer for his band. Join them, and ask, “what I have to do to get some coffee in this joint?” Later, turn up at one of their gigs as the tour bus arrives, holler his name, and get in backstage with him when he recognizes me. (Brief affair, friendship, till his death)

• Lean over in a crowded club in Edinburgh and ask him for a light, even though I have my own matches. Oh, we can’t smoke in here? Let’s go outside! (Brief affair)

• Non-discreetly follow him for four blocks (because he smiled at me while crossing the street), coyly glancing away when he looks back at me, until he gets to his hotel and finally turns around and yells “Well, didn’t you wanna say hi or something?!?” (Married him six months later and stayed married 14 years)

• Honestly, if I’ve ever liked a guy, I’ve made sure he had the opportunity to speak to me somehow. I make it really easy. I’m all old and settled in now. But if I were single again, I’m sure my M.O. would be much the same. Works for me.

24. Get him to smell your hair.

Try to get them to smell my hair. Ex: ‘my hair smells good, smell my hair!’ Then lean in their direction and hope they get seduced by the smell of my hair. It sorta worked for me once. I’ll laugh at everything you say, and act overly interested. I’ll touch your arm while laughing (though if I’ve had anything to drink then that’s just the alcohol) or sit close enough that our thighs are touching.

I’m kind of an obnoxious person and when I want someone, I’ll advertise that I’m sexually available. I’ll start talking to one of my friends, within earshot of you, about how horny I’ve been lately/how I need to get laid, or how shitty such and such a bf has been and how I need to leave him. If a girl ever makes comments like that and looks over at you randomly or frequently, there’s a good chance she wants you.