by Sedusa

A little harmless flirting with a couple of other boys in the entourage will definitely make you seem all the more appealing. Remember the forbidden fruit theory. 

1. Revel in your singlehood: Coming across as desperate, needy and dying to be in a relationship (any relationship) is a huge turn-off. Instead, show the world — and especially the target you’re playing hard-to-get for — that being single has its advantages. That girls just wanna have fun, and you know exactly how to.

2. Let him make the first move: Women’s lib may be a great thing and making the first move could be perceived as hot, but remember that most men love a good challenge. So, once you’ve trapped your prey, relax, sit back, wait and watch the show.

3. Flirt with others: A little harmless flirting with a couple of other boys in the entourage will definitely make you seem all the more appealing. Remember the forbidden fruit theory. Of course, ensure you don’t lead them on too much and stay concentrated on the object of your attention.

4. Up those confidence levels: Nervousness and insecurity aren’t exactly the keys to getting a man… or anything else in life for that matter. Try being more self-sure without coming across as aggressive/cocky, and it’ll soon become second nature to your personality.

5. Act like a man: According to the study which found that playing hard to get does work, the three methods men used were “acting snooty or rude”, “saying all the right things but not calling” and “treating others like s#@t”. Well, if that’s really how men think, they probably deserve a taste of their own medicine.

6. Don’t be “too” available: In these hyper-connected times (landlines, cell phones, email, social media…), less is definitely more. Don’t give away too many details early on. Let him “earn” them… one at a time.

7. Don’t cling: This is probably one of the biggest man-repellents since time immemorial. Asking too many questions creeps out the guys and turns the mysterious into the mundane. Give that inner journalist/detective a break.

8. Take it slow: Don’t utter the R word (relationship) or worse still, the M word (marriage) too soon. Instead, take it a step further and tell him you’d rather wait and let time decide. Only until he’s fallen into your cute little trap. After that, he’ll be a slave to your whims anyway.

9. Don’t dress like a tart: Women exist in two broad categories for most men — the take-home-to-mommy kind and the take-home-to-bed kind. While you’d definitely like to be the latter, you need to concentrate on being the former first. You can subtly make the transition soon after.

10. Stop the game when you get serious: Like in the case with any game, you must know when to stop. Stop, once you realise that the two of you have something solid and that you’ve tamed him enough. Grrr!

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.