The cheesy opener, the copy-paste compliment — everyone's seen it. Real flirting is something quieter and more effective.
Ask questions that have a little spark in them. 'I bet you have strong opinions about this' beats 'what do you think?'
A gentle tease — warmly done — signals ease and confidence. It's the opposite of trying too hard.
'The way you described that was actually really sharp' lands a hundred times harder than 'you seem cool.'
When someone feels heard by you, they're already halfway there. Attention is the most attractive thing.