A Ruse By Any Other Name

I am 23 and like this really cute guy who lives in my building. I think he likes me, too, because he flirts back a bit when I flirt with him, so I've been trying to send stronger signals that I want him to ask me out. I friended him on Facebook and started posting cute photos of myself, and if I'm at the store, I'll buy him something and knock on his door and say, "Hey, I got an extra box of cookies; thought you could use them." I'm thinking of throwing a party and inviting him, but I'll feel dumb if he doesn't come and I threw the party for nothing.

--Impatient

Unfortunately, men are more complicated than cats. You can't just tie a beer and a bag of Doritos to the end of a string. A guy takes note of your existence because your legs give him whiplash, not because you deliver snacks or slip a coupon under his door for a free carwash with every date. You should flirt to let a guy know you're open to being asked out -- and stop at that. What makes you attractive, in addition to the physical stuff, is your being a little out of reach, not inserting yourself into his life at every possible social or social media opportunity. The ploys you've been engaging in may not be so overt and aggressive as asking a guy out, but especially in combination, they cross over from indicating interest to screaming desperation. Because a guy can't unhear that scream, your best bet is forgetting this guy, chalking this up to a learning experience, and moving on. And no, that doesn't mean moving on to the plan of covering a big pit with leaves and luring him over to it with some Fig Newtons.