Dating (Man & Woman)

[Rasputin]

Top 10 Signs They're Interested In You

Wondering if that particular someone has more than a little friendship in mind? Check out our top ten list of ways people indicate whether they are interested in you or not.

10. They seem interested in anything and everything
you have to say.

9. The way they talk to you.

8. They frequently show public displays of affection.

7. They frequently try to talk to you.

6. They compliment you a lot.

5. They flirt with you.

4. They ask a lot of questions about you.

3. They try to spend as much time with you as possible.

2. They frequently call you.

1. The way they constantly look at you.

[Rasputin]

If you haven't had the time for a vacation lately, take the next best thing... a day trip! Escaping to a nearby city, or for an excursion is the perfect way to spend one-on-one time with your partner. To start planning you'll need to do the following:

Decide where you want to go.
Ideas include:
- A nearby city within 100 miles distance.
- A balloon ride.
- A day cruise.
- A train adventure.
- A lake or beach.
- A fair or event taking place nearby.


Decide what day you want to go.
Once the day is decided, see if there are any special events or fairs taking place anywhere within 100 miles. You might find something of interest.


Determine how long your trip will be. Will it be a half-day, full day or even extended?
The length of your day trip will help you determine what type of food plans, transportation and entertainment plans you'll need to make.


Figure out what additional items you'll need to bring. Wherever you go you should always bring: a map, extra non-perishable food, sunscreen, blankets, additional clothes and a camera for catching those memorable moments! If you decide to have a picnic lunch or dinner, you'll need to bring picnic items. If the place you're going to will be cold, bring a blanket and warm clothing. If you're going to the beach, bring towels and additional clothing.

[Rasputin]

The search for Mr. or Miss Right can be an incredibly daunting task without the right set of tools. Dating is an extremely fickle game. What works successfully for one person may spell disaster for another. With so many different types of people, interests and dating obstacles, how can anyone feel anything but helpless and lost when it comes to finding their perfect future mate? In the quest to find the answers, I found that the most successful "daters" all had certain successful things they did. Out of those I have developed the 7 rules to succesful dating. While these may not work for everybody, it's definitely a great place to start! Before you start applying these rules, remember, if you truly wish your dating experiece to be successful, treat it as you would a job or an important project. Your level of committment to this will determine your level of success. Above everything... just have fun!

Rule One: Be open to communication.
This is the simplest of rules to follow but is also the most overlooked and forgotten. Just about anything you try to do will eventually end up a failure if you're not open to receiving a response from the opposite sex. Remember, often times the only reason someone didn't come up to you was because they were too shy to. Remove that barrier by being confident in yourself, smile WHENEVER you think of it, laugh and have fun just being you! If a person doesn't initiate contact with you because they didn't like you being you, then you are defintiely better off without them!

On the other side of this rule, make an extra effort to communicate with others. If you see someone in the local store, say Hi! Make eye contact and smile with whomever you can. You'll find the more you do this, the easier it will become. If nothing else, you'll have some great conversations and maybe even find a few new friends!

Rule Two: Establish a relationship with all friends and acquaintances.
The second most important rule to successful dating is to make it known you are looking within your circle of friends. Dig up your old phone book and call everyone in it. Find out how they're doing and if they'd like to get together sometime. The more you stay in contact, and in the mind of your friends and acquaintances, the higher the chances of getting invited to social events where your potential future partner may be.

Rule Three: Be available.
It doesn't do much good to successfully do rule two and then drop the ball by not being available. When a friend calls to see if you want to do something, do it! (Even if it's just to go on a quick errand.) This follows the philosophy of rule two, the more you stay in contact and are a reliable resource, the more chances you'll have in being at places your future partner may be.

An additional note regarding this rule, it's up to you to keep in contact with the circle of friends you've chosen. If they stop contacting you or you find your social calendar dwindling, chances are it's because you stopped doing Rule 2. This is an on-going rule that is to be done all the time. If you find this happening to, DO NOT get upset with the particular friend. Just call them up, find out how they're doing and re-establish your communication with them. Remember the phrase... out of site, out of mind.

Rule Four: Do things!
No successful promotion relies on only one source for results, hence rule four. Make a list of all your favorite hobbies, sports, etc. Do some research and see what related clubs, events or programs there are. Pick the two that attract you the most and join them. If your office has any type of after-hours events... go to them. Join a gym. Take recreational classes in things you've always wanted to learn. Anything you can do in a public setting instead of a private one, do that.

While doing rule four keep in mind rule one. If you aren't be open to receiving communication then, chances are, your efforts in the end will be in vain.

Rule Five: Be organized.
With all your new activities and renewed social life, you may be feeling a bit bogged down with coming and going. Invest in a good day planner and USE IT! Decide in the beginning what amount of time you want to devote to your social life and create your calendar around that. (Don't forget to pencil in some personal time as well!) Once you start using your calender, make it a permanent fixture of your being. By doing this, anytime an invitation arrives you can quickly decide whether or not you can make it. A MUCH better alternative to having to call them back later to say yes or no.

Rule Six: Keep your belongings and yourself in good condition.
While this is truly a lifetime piece of advice, it is very critical to the dating game. First impressions mean everything. Take the extra time out to keep your car and your home always looking clean and fresh. You never know when a chance meeting may happen. Also, keep yourself in good condition by taking care of your skin, health, hair, clothes, etc. Nothing says success more than a well kept up person.

Rule Seven: Enjoy life and be okay with being single!
Remember, this is a game. Some days it may feel like you're losing and others like you're ahead of everyone. Don't expect everyone you meet to be the perfect partner. And, when they turn out not to be, enjoy yourself anyway. You never know what type of person they are if you don't take the chance to find out. Finally, have fun and enjoy living. With the activities you're doing and the friends you'll be around, take time to just relish the opportunity to have those things. In time you'll find your perfect partner. Who knows, they may turn out to be right under your nose!

[Rasputin]

Flirting is, at its most basic, a way to meet potential mates and see if they are compatible. In some situations, such as at a dance or a party, flirting is the only way to open the door to a romantic relationship with someone you don't know and might not otherwise ever see again. Because of all of this, flirting is a very important skill, and it's one that makes a lot of people nervous. There is an art to flirting, though, and it's an art that can be learned. Here are some pointers.

Lower your expectations. Flirting is fun, but only if you don't take it too seriously. Most of the time, you'll just flirt with someone for a short time and then maybe never talk to them again. If you always go in to flirting expecting to date or even marry the person you're flirting with, you're going to be very disappointed--and you'll probably seem a little desperate. Remember, you're just flirting.

Look approachable. Relax and smile. Use your body language to give signals that you are the fun person that you are, and to show that you're comfortable and confident. There's nothing to be nervous about.

Read body language. Does the person look approachable? Do they appear interested in you? From the moment you see someone with whom you might want to flirt, you should read his or her body language. Once you're actually flirting with the person, body language is often the only way to tell if the person is actually interested in you . We all have a natural ability to read body language, but it's easy to misread signals, so be careful and take it slow. If you see one signal that indicates the person is interested in you, watch for other signals that might confirm that.
Make eye contact, but not for more than a moment or two. Do not stare. Just shoot the person a quick gaze, smile with your eyes, and then slowly look away. If you look back and notice the person looking back to meet your eyes, they're likely interested in flirting a bit.
Initiate a conversation with the person you're interested in. If you don't already know them simply make small talk. Perhaps the best way to strike up a conversation is to start with a simple observation which ends with a question: "Nice day, isn't it?" or "This place sure is packed, eh?" are just a couple examples. What you say isn't important. You don't really need an answer to the question; you are simply inviting the person to talk with you. If the person responds pleasantly, continue the conversation. If the person doesn't respond or seems preoccupied or disinterested, he or she probably isn't interested in flirting with you. At the beginning of the conversation, you don't want to talk about anything personal. Talk about the environment around you, the show you just saw, etc., but don't talk much about yourself and don't ask the other person personal questions.

Gradually share information about yourself in a reciprocal manner. If this small talk goes well, proceed to share a little information about yourself--just something small like what you do for a living or how you liked the show you just saw, for example. At some point, of course, you'll want to introduce yourself and, hopefully, get the other person's name. The key to sharing information is that you both gradually open up. Take turns talking, and each time the other person gives you some information about himself or herself, give similar information about yourself, and maybe give slightly more personal information than that person gave. For example, if you're talking to a girl who says she's taking summer classes, you might disclose that you are also taking summer classes, and then proceed to tell her which class you are most excited about. This invites her to disclose more information about herself. In this manner, the intimacy of the conversation increases over time. You don't want to share too much about yourself too quickly, and you shouldn't try to get the other person to do so either.
Give the person your complete attention. Laugh at their jokes, listen to their stories, and don't get distracted by what's going on around you. It's more important to seem interested than to seem interesting, and you don't want to hog the conversation. Being a good listener is far more important to successful flirting than being witty.
Use body language to hint at your romantic intentions. If things are going really well, you might want to try to break the touch barrier. Touch his or her arm briefly and gently as you talk. Or be more assertive and hold the person's hand when you cross the street, or if walking to a seat or a table, lead them by gently holding their arm. Touching in this manner helps break a "personal space" barrier. Pay attention to red flags, because some people have "personal space" issues and you don't want to make them uncomfortable. In general, women can get away with touching much earlier in a conversation than men can. Many women feel a little threatened when a man they just met enters their personal space, while most men are more open to being touched. In any case, proceed with caution, and back off if you get negative or mixed signals from the person.

Close the deal. Most flirting is just harmless fun, and nothing will ever come of it. Every now and then, though, you'll meet someone who you'd like to see again and who you think would also like to see you again. Flirting is, after all, a type of courting ritual, a way to meet potential boyfriends or girlfriends, maybe even your future spouse. Don't worry about wedding plans just yet, though; start by getting the person's phone number. For most people, this is the hard part, because you have to actually make your intentions known, and in doing so you risk rejection. Be brave. Tell the person you'd like to see him or her again, and just ask for their phone number or, if it feels right, try to set up a date for some future time. If the person isn't interested, don't sweat it. There'll always be another guy or girl to flirt with.

What you say is not particularly important, but whatever you say, try to keep your conversation positive. Don't be negative, arrogant, or pushy; just be friendly.
When you first start talking with someone, don't aim to flirt. Just aim to have a conversation. This takes a lot of pressure off both of you.
Do not pursue anyone if they do not reciprocate. Walk away if the person doesn't seem interested. Don't presume they're playing "hard to get" because they might interpret any pushiness in a negative light.
Compliments can go a long way. It's a great idea to compliment the person during your conversation, but don't try to pass off a compliment that you don't really mean, and be careful about compliments that might be embarrassing or offensive (compliments about a woman's figure, for example).

[Rasputin]

Don't flirt with someone you're not romantically interested in, period. Otherwise, you risk accidentally leading them on, which can lead to an embarrassing moment and uncomfortable interactions afterwards.
Use flirting that is appropriate for the setting. Meeting at a library, for example, might not be conducive to talking too much. In this case, smile, act interested, wait for them to leave, and leave with them. Do not however, appear to be a stalker or you will scare them away.
Flirting is not appropriate everywhere. Funerals, for example, are generally not good places to flirt. Flirting in the workplace is also generally a no-no. If you happen to flirt at work, be on your best behavior, and don't press the issue if the other person isn't interested.
Though humor is often a good way to flirt with people, try not to make any jokes that might make your flirting recipient uncomfortable. Though dirty jokes often come to mind when flirting with someone, they often have little or no place in a conversation and can result in the person being turned off or an awkward silence, killing the mood and making you feel embarrassed. Think before you speak, and remember, you don't have to be funny all the time.

[Rasputin]

I'm 24 and in my first serious relationship. I've been dating a 33 year old man for 5 months now, and things have been going really well... until now. Over the last couple of weeks, I've noticed that the woozy "lovey" part of my feelings toward him have dissipated a bit and I'm left feeling as though I'm not entirely sure I am in love with him. I do love him. I love his sense of humor, his kindness, and his attitudes toward life. But, he often tells me how much he loves me and it seems as though he cares much more passionately for me than I do in return. I am also haunted by opinions from friends of mine, who say that I should not be so settled in my 20s and that I should date more. So all in all, I'm having doubts about a relationship where really, nothing is wrong. I am as afraid to break up as I am to keep going, however, because I have had such a hard time finding someone with whom I relate to on so many levels. I'm not really unhappy, just afraid that I don't love him as much as he deserves to be loved. Is this something that needs more time, or should I consider breaking up and starting over in search of someone I feel more passionately about?
--Lopsided Lover

Dear Lopsided Lover,
Love is a personal feeling and choice. As well-meaning as your friends may be, they have no business sticking their noses into your love life, unless as a preventative measure against harmful actions. I would go back and try to gauge when you starting having doubts about the relationship. You'll probably find that it started around the time your friends gave you their input.

The "lovey" part of a relationship doesn't stick around the same way your entire relationship. You are going to have days where your feelings are less inclined and days where you are in romantic bliss. The only things that should really remain constant are your feelings of friendship and camaraderie and the respect you maintain for each other. Love will always be there in one form or another.

If you really feel like there might be a better type of relationship out there, you owe it to yourself to try and find it. However, if your doubts stem from what your friends say, you owe it to your partner to see how far the relationship could go.

[Rasputin]

Times have changed. The days of Rhett Butler telling Scarlett O'Hara he didn't give a damn are long gone. That's a shame in some ways. At least it made dating simple.

Nowadays, guys try to be considerate in an attempt to not hurt your feelings. His miscues make it hard to know whether he's really into you, just wants to be friends or would love for you to switch phone plans. While words might not be his strong point, his actions are. Keep an eye out for these kinds of behavior.

He actively takes an interest in you and what you have to say. He's not just nodding and smiling and checking his watch every five minutes like you're trying to sell him life insurance. There's eye contact. He's actively listening. He's asking questions, relating things you say to his own experiences. If he's really good, he'll remember something you said and incorporate it in a future date. Try not to act too surprised.

He's forthcoming. He wants you to know about him. This manifests itself in a bunch of ways. He'll share personal details about himself. He'll even be eager to cough up basic factoids such as phone numbers, his address and place of work. If he isn't giving up this kind of info, then he doesn't want you tracking him down -- or he's Batman or Superman. So if he doesn't live at Wayne Manor or the Fortress of Solitude, give it up.

He'll mark his territory. He won't pee on you or anything per se, but he will exhibit some animal behavior. If he's decided he wants you as his female, he won't want to lose you. If there's any chance that you might be snapped up by another male, he'll stake his claim. He'll be tactile with you, slipping an arm around you, possibly posturing and standing up when another guy walks onto the scene. Watch out for some regression to a more primitive man. If you hear grunting, don't panic. It's his way of saying he likes you.

He calls you back. Despite the stereotype, he will call you back. If you're a girl in demand, he won't want you to be the one that got away, so he'll call you to set up the next date or ask how you're doing. If you're getting calls for no reason, that's a good thing. However, you may want to invest in a good phone plan.

He'll check you out. You'll bring out his spy skills in a good way. He'll talk to your friends to get the 411 on you. He wants to know more about you -- your past, your present, your likes and dislikes, water hazards, etc. He's doing his homework because he wants to impress you. He's gathering this intelligence so he knows how best to woo you.

He's flirtatious. Guys get playful around women they like. It's a little dance he's doing around you to show his interest and his daring. However, he's not just being flirty, he's also probing. He's putting on a little show for you to see if you'll reciprocate. The more you play, the more he stays. Now shake that tail feather.

He's always planning ahead. If he digs you, he won't want you getting away from him. To make sure you aren't prey to some other guy, he'll be making plans for the next date before the current one is over. A full calendar is a good sign.

He's attentive. He's been listening to you, and knows what you like and where you like to go. He treats you to your favorite things and places. He'll spring surprises.

He'll blow off his buddies to be with you. It's always tricky managing existing commitments with burgeoning relationships. There are bound to be conflicts of interest at the some point. So take it as a good sign when he'll ditch going out with the boys to see you instead.

Acts of selflessness. He'll take one for the team of you and him. These can be large or small acts. They can be as small as holding your hair back for when you've got stomach flu, or as large as suffering through a Celine Dion concert and pretend he's enjoying it because you're a fan. Now “that's the power of love.”

Okay, he's doing his part, but what about you? You've got him wrapped around your little finger, but don't get cocky. You can lose him in the blink of an eye with a few classic screw-ups...

[Dokhtar Bandari]

Okay, he's doing his part, but what about you? You've got him wrapped around your little finger, but don't get cocky. You can lose him in the blink of an eye with a few classic screw-ups...

What are classic screw ups? oh please do tell...

[Rasputin]

The Six Biggest Dating Mistakes Women Make

#1: They go on too many unproductive dates. "If you know how to date, and you're meeting losers, get off the market and go into dating detox. Clean your energy up so those people don't ask you out anymore. The problem is we women are very impatient. We want it now. Instant gratification! Sometimes the best single men are worth waiting for. You might get one good date a year, versus 100 bad ones, but he's worth it."

#2: They go out with their girlfriends in the hopes of meeting guys. "When you're with your girlfriends, you're not approachable. They're scared. Single men are very timid. I have this theory: Women who travel in packs do not attract. Men who are quality aren't going to go in there and ask you out while your girlfriends are standing right there -- he could get shot down. So it's a really good idea, at about 4 or 4:30 P.M., to go to the bar: Sit at the bar, have a drink, get an hors d'oeuvre, read a mutual-gender book like "The Da Vinci Code," know the score on TV, and pretend you're busy. You're reading a book, you're eating an hors d'oeuvre, you're meeting a friend -- and then you're more approachable because you're by yourself."

#3: They think a guy will always like them if he just gets to know them. "A guy knows right away if he's attracted to you or not. There's no warming up. Men are microwaves, women are Crockpots. Women heat up very slowly. They take in information; they decipher it and download it into their computer. Men know in one second, yes or no."

#4: They overshare on the date. "Single women are so trusting that they tell too much information about themselves. They pump and dump -- they baggage dump! They say, "I'm all relaxed, now he's my best friend and I can tell him whatever I want." They're nervous, and they tell their life story -- and sometimes their life story is not a good story to tell."

#5: They don't let the guy talk enough. "The way you talk on a date should be like a tennis match, but the guy should talk three times as often. It should be 3:1. He volleys, volleys, volleys, now you talk. You can answer the question every time he volleys, but then you lead him with your question, and it should be topical to the conversation he's having. You don't say, 'Hey, do you want to get married? Hey, what's your ex-girlfriend like?' You don't do that. You lead with what he's talking about."

#6: They forget their manners. "The key to a good date is to smile. Engage with eye contact. Let him lead and then you compliment little things along the way. If he orders the dessert and you guys share it, say, 'Oh, this is the best chocolate mousse, I'm so glad you picked this.' Manners are key. Most people do not have manners."

[Rasputin]

Dating Lie #1: "I'm between jobs."
Don't let a line like this get lost in translation. When a dude feeds you this one, what he's really trying to say is "I have no friggin' clue what I want to do with my life." Nicholas, 29,* comes clean: "A few years ago, I was collecting unemployment and crashing on friends' couches," he says. "I had zero direction, but it wasn't like I could confess that to a girl without her thinking I was a total loser. Saying I was between jobs was the best way to sugarcoat my situation." Warning: This guy's mom still does his laundry, and there's a good chance you're springing for dinner.
Don't assume he'll work things out, because when he does, you may realize his ambitions don't mesh with yours. "This mistake has contributed to the starter-marriage phenomenon, in which couples in their 20s and 30s suddenly realize they're going in different directions and divorce at an early age," says Dobransky. "It's preventable as long as you're both clear about your plans."
Dating Lie #2: "I never move this fast on the first date."
Yeah, right! Truth be told: He can't believe you're letting him move that fast. "It's the woman who dictates how far things go," says Anthony, 23. "I'm always up for action, but I'll play the prude card just so my date doesn't think I'm a player." Bottom line: If you give a guy the opportunity, he's going to take it.
Dating Lie #3: "I've never had a serious girlfriend."
Sure, it's possible that he's never had a bona fide better half, but chances are, there's an ulterior motive here. It could be a sly way of admitting he can't commit. "When I was in my early 20s, I was only interested in hooking up," says Matt, 31. "Even though I had a long-term girlfriend in high school, I always downplayed my commitment capacity so girls wouldn't get attached." On the brighter side, he might be trying to pique your interest with a covert challenge. Don't you want to be the one girl a guy can't resist falling for?
Dating Lie #4: "I'll call you."
This one might sting a little, but Barry, 25, is willing to take the fall. "The last time I said 'I'll call you' to a girl was after I'd had the worst date of my life," he admits. "I felt obligated to say something just to be polite, but I 'lost' her number the second I walked out the door." Ouch! But there is some good news. There's a sneaky way to tell if he's a dubious dialer: A specific "I'll call you Friday" or "I'll call you tomorrow after work" almost guarantees he'll make good on the promise.
TMI Factor: When She Was Too Honest
"On a first date, this girl blurted out that she gets bored easily and never keeps a guy around long. She should've stamped player on her forehead." - Terence
"I had only known a girl for a few days when she hit me with 'I need you to meet my parents, because if my dad doesn't like you, we're done.'" - Omar
"I went on a blind date with a woman who knew my brother, and the first thing she said was 'Your brother is so fine... You guys look nothing alike.'" - Don
*Names have been changed.

[Rasputin]

Cheat Predictor #1
Was he spoiled as a kid?
Do his parents tend to baby him and help him out of financial jams?
Has he ever bragged about cheating on an exam or paying someone to write a paper for him in college?
If your man seems to have sailed through life without ever hitting the rough waters that rock the rest of us, beware. Privileged chaps tend to suffer from a sense of entitlement (read: bratty-boy syndrome), so he may believe that the rules don't apply to him. He's so used to getting what he wants, why should he stop now?
"He might cheat because he thinks he deserves to fulfill all of his needs, no matter who he might hurt," says Shirley Glass, Ph.D., a psychologist, infidelity expert and author of the forthcoming "Not Just Friends: Protecting Your Relationship from Infidelity and Healing from the Trauma of Betrayal." "He probably has little concept of how upset you would be if you found out because he's too self-centered to think about your feelings."
So how do you know if your have-it-all hunk has other women on his wish list? Glass suggests paying attention to how he copes when he's confronted with any bad behavior on his part. Does he regret getting caught forwarding your racy emails to his friends but feel no guilt for doing it in the first place? Does he blame others when he screws up rather than take responsibility himself? If he can't see how his actions affect others, he's not likely to say, "Whoa, what about my girlfriend?" when temptation strikes.
Dating Factor: His Career
Cheat Predictor #2
Does he work mostly with women?
Is he always logging in late hours, whether it be at the office, at dinner with clients or on business trips?
Does he make a lot of money?
It's great to date a guy with ambition -- and his deep pockets definitely don't hurt when he brings you pricey baubles -- but the office environment can open the door to private meetings of the carnal kind. According to Glass, studies show that when men cheat, it's most often with a work colleague. "Not only are people with similar interests side by side on a daily basis, but the time they spend together is usually when they're most energetic and look their best."
Unfortunately, the bigger his wallet, the more likely your busy bee is to cozy up with an office buddy. According to a study conducted by Jan Halper, Ph.D., author of "Quiet Desperation: The Truth About Successful Men," top-tier guys have affairs more often than those on a lower rung, and not just because big bucks can be babe magnets. "Evolution has wired men to understand that the better they are at providing, the more appealing they are to women," says Alon Gratch, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of "If Men Could Talk." "Since testosterone is what drives men's quest for power, if a guy has achieved status, he's more likely to act on his desires." Remember that little Oval Office incident?
But before you start staking out your guy's office parking lot, realize that a career-oriented man might just be spending time working diligently. If he sounds happy that you call during the day, invites you to his office and takes you to company parties, you're most likely his one and only partner. It's when he acts more secretive about his work than a CIA agent that he's probably taking on after-hours clients.
Dating Factor: His Schmooze MO
Cheat Predictor #3
Can he talk his way out of anything (parking tickets, rolling into work late)?
Does he make an effort to charm everyone -- your coworkers, your older sister, a saleswoman?
When you go to parties, does he insist on making the rounds?
Your friends and family love him, and he always manages to keep you entertained. How could you not adore him? But according to Glass, sweet-talkers often have a deep need for approval and thrive on attention. So what's wrong with dating a really friendly fella? Well, sometimes a smooth operator's need for the spotlight can't be satisfied by one woman's ego-stroking. And if he's suave with the ladies, opportunities undoubtedly arise. "Charmers meet a lot of women and win them over easily," says Aumiller. "So even if his intentions aren't more than friendship, they might be willing to move beyond friendship, and that's hard to resist."
To determine if your charmer might become a two-timer, watch how he interacts with you in social settings. A guy who wants to play with other partners may brush you off when chatting with a new female friend or get noticeably more uncomfortable with PDAs when other women are around. "He should act like a boyfriend, giving you side glances when he's talking with someone else, for example, or making sure he spends at least part of the night partying with you," says Gratch. But it also wouldn't hurt to remind him how attention-worthy you are. When he chats up a chick in the corner, flirt with a few guys yourself. Once he sees that you have your own game going on, he'll focus back on you.
Dating Factor: His Friends
Cheat Predictor #4
Does he usually hang out with a crew of mostly single guys?
Do his friends encourage him to join them in just-for-men activities?
Do his pals have problems staying in relationships?
The nightclubs, the bachelor parties, the dudes-only deeds we're better off not knowing the details of -- it's enough to make any woman worry just a wee bit. Although boys-will-be-boys, bonding time helps a committed man feel less, well, trapped, the appeals of bachelorhood may make him long to be a free agent. A recent study of 37,000 men and women showed that when guys see those around them splitting from their significant others, it tends to encourage them to do the same.
You want to believe that his buddies would have enough sense to stop your guy from canoodling with some cute club-hopper, but they won't always be on your side. According to Aumiller, "If a coupled-up guy's friends are all looking to get lucky, they may not only tease him about being tied down but also actually dare him to cheat. At the very least, they'll cover for him."
Still, there's no need to ban him from hanging out with the bachelors if he's able to strike the right balance between his buddies and you. "He should include you sometimes when he meets up with friends," says Glass. Although your fella's frat pack might seem like the enemy, chumming it up with the guys (fake fondness if you have to) can do wonders for your relationship. Once you've earned their respect, they're much less likely to push your partner into prowling.