Ok, so you’ve managed to get that gorgeous girl out on a date with you. This wasn’t as easy as booking a London escort; you plucked up the courage to approach her, flirted a bit and had a great time at dinner. But what do you do now? You want to let her know that you’re interested but not scare her off… should you try the “treat them mean, keep them keen” method or shower her with affection?

The best way to keep a woman interested is to find the right balance between these two extremes. There are no fixed rules that you should follow; you don’t have to wait a minimum of three days before you call her, just like she doesn’t have to wait until the fourth date to sleep with you if she wants to! However, you do need to resist some urges to make sure you don’t come on too strongly. When you meet someone new who you really like, it’s natural to think about her a lot. You might find yourself slipping off into a daydream at work, or rereading her text messages over and over again. But don’t start contacting her every half an hour; this will make her feel pressured and perhaps claustrophobic. You don’t want to come across as needy, desperate or suffocating.

Even if you’re crazy about her, put yourself in her shoes; if she started texting you all the time, calling when you’re out with your mates and turning up unannounced at your door, wouldn’t you be a bit put off? Women are no different. Let her know that you’re interested, but don’t be too available. The thought of you sitting by the phone waiting for her to call is not attractive! Instead, keep yourself busy with a normal, healthy social life. Go out with your mates, visit family, carry on with your hobbies. If you’re more difficult to get hold of, you will instantly become more desirable. If she has to work hard to get you, she’ll feel a greater sense of achievement at getting you, as if she’s batting above her average.

What you mustn’t do is take it too far. If you completely ignore her or are downright rude, she will quickly lose interest and move on. Give her just enough to let her know that you’re worth pursuing — tell her if you’ve had a great time, and that you’d like to see her again. But then put your phone away during office hours, and resist the temptation to bombard her with emails!