Flirting 101

Chapter 9

How to know if a girl likes you

Not sure what those glances, smiles and looks from the girl you fancy might mean?
Hoping you have a secret admirer? Follow these steps to find out if the girl you
have your heart set on really likes you.

1.Be bold and initiate a short chat.
This will help you to learn those little things that will come in handy later
because everyone loves knowing that someone actually listened to them and cared
enough to remember the small details about them. Listen carefully and be attentive 
to the things she tells you so that you will have them for future reference. As 
you talk, notice if she gives you any signs, special words or hints.
All girls are different. Is she shy or outgoing? Does she act like this around other
guys? Look at her body language. Leaning in, uncrossed legs, nervous voice, and 
dilated pupils (especially), are all signs she likes you.
Another sign is if she laughs at your boring, stupid jokes. (Beware: Don't use bad 
jokes as a test, or you'll risk looking like a comedy dork.)
She may not be able to look you straight in the eye. She might smile and laugh a lot
because she is worried about giving too much away.
Check for the smile. A girl that's interested in you will usually immediately smile
when you start a conversation with her. The smile may disappear quickly if she's 
shy, but it's hard to hide an unexpected strong emotion. If she's not romantically 
interested, she'll likely look at you inquisitively, but she won't express any 
particular interest.

2.Watch for signs of flirting. 
If she's flirting, she may be difficult to read. Gregarious girls may flirt with guys
who they consider to be just friends. Uninitiated, this general interaction can 
sometimes be misconstrued as a crush, so know how she acts around other guys.
Be aware that some girls have no idea that they're flirting. In this case, she probably
likes you a great deal since her subconscious is letting her body language do the talking.
Most girls don't like to be obvious. Girls fear rejection too.
If you fancy a girl, never make the mistake of "flirting around". If she sees you putting
your arm around another girl or sees another girl hugging you, she will assume that she
doesn't mean anything to you and will stop trying.

3.Check for random hugs, reserved mostly for you. 
Hugs can be a very openly and permissible affectionate way of getting closer to you and
touching you without it necessarily compromising her stealthy flirting. In turn, you can
go along with it if you want, or just act busy like you're late for an appointment and
need to rush off.

4.Take notice if she "accidentally" bumps into you more often than what you'd consider the usual. 
This ploy is ancient and tried and true, as it's a way of touching you subtly and sizing
up how responsive (and perhaps even how well toned) you are. If she finds excuses to 
touch you a lot, then you're probably on the right track. Act casual when she bumps into 
you and say "no worries" or something similar. As for touching your arm and hair in a 
casual but rather meaningful way, there's really no need to say anything; just lap it up
graciously.
Not all girls will feel comfortable reaching out using touch. In this case, don't assume
that she doesn't like you because she doesn't try to touch you. She may be too nervous 
to touch you yet. Don't be shy––break the touch barrier yourself.
She may also find other reasons to touch you, such as by lightly hitting you about the 
head, or soft punching to the body. These "one-of-the-mates" moves can be a thinly disguised
way of getting closer to you without it being too evident to your friends and hers.

5.Observe the way in which she looks at you. 
If she likes you, she will tend to either hold her gaze on you for a long time or pull 
away immediately the moment your eyes make contact with hers. Either of these responses 
could mean that she likes you. If she pulls away quickly, it often means she is nervous 
or not ready to reveal her true intentions yet, but she still likes you. And if she holds
the stare, and you believe you see responsiveness or even love in her eyes, then she is 
confident and she may make the first move.
Of course, some girls might just be staring or winding you up, so don't think she loves you
and wants to get in touch with the real, inner you. Use the context to discern the motive.
If you happen to glance at the girl and you see her staring back at you, then this means 
that she likes you, although she may quickly dart her head in a different direction.