The New Rules of Flirting (Are Very Much Like the Old Rules)

Ugh. Flirting. I might be letting on just how much of a nerd I am, but I'll be honest with you. I still don't know what the hell flirting is.

Oh, I understand the concept well enough. It's just that every author, screenwriter, and regular person I've met seems to have a different idea of how it's done.

Sometimes it's blatantly sexual overtures, or a quick smile and witty conversation. Other times, it's all mysterious body language signals, and some would have you believe that there's (female on male) violence involved. ("She slapped you because she likes you.")

Then there's the infamous people-who-hate-each-other-but-are-secretly-in-love, classic pick-up lines, utterly laughable pick-up-artist techniques, the free shit tactic (a drink, something extra thrown into a customer's bag of stuff), and on and on it goes.

I suppose you could say that flirting is all and none of these things. People are different and thus employ different methods of saying "Hey, I like you. Let's get to know each other &/or have sex." You ask which books have the most skillful flirts. Can you define skillful for me?

One thing I have noticed, oddly enough, is that the female authors I read tend to have men come on strongly, and simply, employing nothing but their physical/metaphysical masculine charms. It's the male authors who attempt to portray seduction by personality and witty dialogue (or heroics). These aren't hard and fast rules, of course, but it's been the trend in the things I've personally read.