How to flirt with a guy without trying too hard

Flirting is showing interest without stating it. Everything you do says "I have noticed you" and stops short of "and now what?" The gap is where the fun is. You do not need to be bold or witty. You need to be present and a little playful.

None of them requires a line.

• Eye contact. Hold it one second longer than is polite, then look away first and come back.
• Smile late. A smile that arrives after a pause reads as meant.
• Ask, then listen. Use a word he used in your next sentence.
• Tease. Pick something small he is proud of and doubt it gently.
• One real compliment. About a choice he made, not about his face.
• Touch lightly, once. A hand on his arm while you laugh.
• Leave first. End on a high point and let him wonder.

He leans in, asks questions, finds reasons to stay, and mirrors your posture. He remembers what you said earlier and brings it back. If he keeps the conversation going when it could have ended, that is your answer.

If he steps back, gives short replies or looks around the room, take the hint lightly and move on. Flirting that is not returned costs nothing.

Shyness is not a handicap here. Quiet attention is flattering, and one sincere sentence beats ten clever ones. If the words are the hard part, practise them where nothing is at stake, in writing or with an AI that flirts back.