So you’ve managed to lure a hot lady into your personal breathing space. Does she want to get intimate? Or are you in a danger of having her hit you with the F-bomb — for “friend”? If a woman signals you with any of these 10 deadly friendly indicators, you’d better not ignore them, or you will end up hurt!

@iBLONDEgenius

No.10 She’s not on her toes around you

Where there’s no tension, there’s no romance. A woman who is trying to curry your favor will be intently interested in everything you say and do. In turn, this will lead to a certain amount of suspense. She’ll be constantly wondering, “Does he like me?” and, “What is he going to do next?” and her nerves will show themselves in her behavior. If she’s perfectly at ease around you, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Next time you’re at the bar with the object of your desire, pay close attention to her mannerisms. Is she showing some nervous excitement, or is she completely at ease? If she’s not carefully choosing her words and showing positive body language toward you, like playing with her hair or fidgeting, don’t count on having breakfast together.

No.9 She doesn’t laugh at your jokes

A sense of humor usually tops a woman’s attraction wish list. The importance of making a woman laugh cannot be overstated. If she’s not laughing, her panties aren’t coming off, it’s as simple as that. Those guys without a sense of humor aren’t immune to this rule; if she really is interested romantically, she’ll laugh at your jokes, even if they aren’t funny.

No.8 She brings up other women

When a single woman talks about your prospects with other females, she is shifting your attention away from herself and on to other hapless victims. This passing of the romantic buck can be inferred in phrases like: “A great guy like you can get anyone you want,” and, “I want to set you up with my good friend Janice.”

If you’re at a party chilling on the couch with your target and she leans in close only to ask, “She’s cute isn’t she?” chances are you’re in friend-land.

No.7 She won’t bend to your will

When you hang out with her, do you always find yourself at women’s clothing and shoe stores? Does she always insist on going to her favorite cafe? When was the last time she watched a Sylvester Stallone movie with you, or followed you to the car show? An interested woman will always seek out ways to please andcater to at least some of your manly interests.

No.6 She uses the F-word

No, not the good F-word. The word she uses is much nastier: friends. If a woman addresses you with the word “friend,” you are dead in the water. You never want to be friends with a girl you’re attracted to.

No.5 She stays away from you in public

If she isn’t interested in you, she certainly doesn’t want anyone to mistakenly think that she is. Accordingly, she will avoid being seen “coupled up” with you at classic date spots. If she rejects all your invitations to the coffee shop, the bar, dinner, and the movies, you’re likely barking up the wrong tree.

Suppose you two go out to a nightspot and she systematically avoids being spotted by her friends. If she’s in stealth-mode, it should tell you that she doesn’t want her peers to think there’s something going on between you.

No.4 She asks for favors

Is she regularly asking far more of you than your time and attention? Maybe first she wants to raid your DVD collection. Then she wants to borrow your truck to move. Next she wants you to help her move. An interested lady will never ask you for favors or for you to perform menial tasks on her behalf. She’ll be focused on one thing only, and that’s winning your heart. Furthermore, doing favors for a girl in the hopes that she’ll fall for you does not make you a nice guy. It makes you a sap.

No.3 She brings a third wheel

This is a completely unfair trick that women will play if they either don’t like you or aren’t yet sure that they do. They’ll invite a friend along to help size you up or to take the pressure off of her having to talk to you.

Say you make a date to meet a lovely young lady for a drink, and when you show up, there’s another guy chatting with her. Or one of her girlfriends is there keeping her company. This is always a most unwelcome intrusion and a strong signal that you should get out of there. At worst, it could degenerate into a two-way conversation, with you as the odd man out.

As soon as you see that she’s not alone, say that something came up and you need to cancel. There’s nothing to regret about making this move — you’re not on a date if there’s a third wheel!

No.2 She doesn’t lay a finger on you

It’s long been known that an interested woman will brush her fingers against your arm, tickle you or lightly smack you. If none of this playful touching is taking place, it’s because she wants to keep her distance.

Give her this casual touch test to see how she reacts: When you’re walking down the street, bump her with your butt or lightly push her away from you and see how she reacts. The optimal response is for her to playfully push you back. If she ignores you, don’t expect to be bumpin’ with her in any other sense of the word.

Another test is to ask to see her fresh manicure, thereby getting a sneaky chance to grasp her hand for a moment. If she doesn’t respond warmly to your touch, she’s probably not interested in a steamy makeout session.

No.1 She gushes over other men

Isn’t this an obvious sign? Yes, it is. But the capacity of the lonely male mind for denial is staggering. So this still needs to be said.

She may talk lovingly of an ex-boyfriend or giddily discuss another guy’s attractive qualities. Maybe she’s just always commenting on how hot the guys on TV are. If you sense that she’s on the prowl, it should clue you in that the guy next to her — you — might not be the man of her dreams.

AM