From The Straits Times    |

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Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out whether a guy is flirting with you or just being genuinely nice. But the signs are actually quite easy to read, if you pay close attention. Here are seven things you should look out for.

 

Touchy touchy

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We’re not talking full-on groping here but if a guy’s interested in you, he’s going to try subtle ways to get physical with you. He might put his hand over yours at the table while you’re having drinks or place his palm on your lower back while you’re crossing the road. He might not even realise he’s doing this, it could be a subconscious effort. A guy who’s just being friendly will have no physical intentions so will not touch you (except maybe slap you on the back like he would to his buddy after hearing a very funny joke).

 

The text factor

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If he takes the initiative to text you all the time, there’s a high chance he’s flirting with you. A friendly guy will reply to your messages but probably won’t initiate conversation unless it involves making plans to do something. If he texts you for no reason at all or just to find out how your day went, he’s interested. But beware of the man who constantly texts you at 2am – he’s looking for a booty call, not a girlfriend.

 

Finding common ground

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Conversations with him are not just about the weather or how oh-so-cheap the happy hour at this bar is. A guy flirting with you will do his best to find common topics to discuss with you – do you have a dog too? Do you love cheesy ’80s music? And, wow, you love sci-fi movies too? He’ll search for things you both have in common and try to use that as signs that you should be together. A guy who’s just being friendly will generally talk about any topic at all, without noticing if you share any common interests – or certainly not get excited about if if he does.

 

Tease me baby!

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You know that old story about the boy who teases the girl at the school playground because he actually secretly likes her? Some habits stay with men throughout their lives and this is one of them. He won’t be mean like a 12-year-old boy – hopefully not, anyway – but he’ll make fun of you about silly things like your music taste or how you love to flip your hair. If he isn’t interested in you, he won’t go down the teasing path.

 

You’re the one that I want

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When you’re with a group of people, a guy who’s interested will zero in on you. This is because he’s investing all his time in getting to know you and possibly trying to get the message across about how he feels about you. Sure, he’ll talk to others too but he always gets back to you quickly. A guy who’s just being friendly will not monopolise your time when other people are around too.

 

Mr nice

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He offers to go to the bar to get you another drink just as you’re finishing one. He makes sure you get into a taxi alright at the end of the night – or even offers to send you home. He steers you away from that slightly drunk guy at the bar who’s hitting on every woman in sight. And he compliments you at every given opportunity. It’s not unusual for a man to be nice but if he’s going out of his way just to do things for you, he’s sending out flirty vibes.  

 

Body talk

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Sometimes the signs are all in the way he acts. If he’s flirting with you, he’ll look very enthusiastic about the conversation you’re having and look you in the eye while talking. He’ll laugh at all your jokes (even if they’re lame) and you catch him looking at you while you’re talking to someone else too. He also has no qualms leaning in while talking to you. If he’s just a friendly guy, he’ll keep his distance while chatting and will zone out when you go on about a topic he has no interest in.