There’s a lot of nervous excitement that comes before, during, and after a first date. Of course, that feeling is sometimes accompanied by the anxiety of not knowing if the other person really likes you or not. Obviously, you can’t come right out and ask a guy what his intentions are, but you can search for little clues. Here are some ways to tell at the end of a first date or afterward if a guy genuinely likes you.
- You talk until the date ends. If you’re both talking so much that the date ends a lot later than expected, it’s a safe assumption that the guy is into you. I mean, have you ever closed down the restaurant on a bad date? If he isn’t having a good time with you, he’ll try to end things as quickly as possible. Extending the date means you have plenty to talk about and he’s really feeling it.
- He gives you a lingering hug. Of course, most of us judge a first date based on whether you kissed or not, but that’s not always something you can rely on. Some guys always try to kiss a girl on the first date. They want to see if there’s chemistry or if it might lead to more. On the other hand, if he likes you, he might just pull you in for a hug that lingers for a while. In fact, any kind of intimate touching that’s not a kiss can be an indication that a guy is genuinely into you.
- He gets in touch the next day. Needless to say, if he calls or texts you the day after a first date, it’s a promising sign. To be fair, guys who are players will try to use this trick too. However, if he contacts you just to chat and see how you are the day after rather than immediately asking you to meet up again that night, it’s a safe assumption that he had a nice time on the date and is really interested.
- He makes consistent eye contact. Of course, this should be something you should be looking for throughout the date, but you’ll want to pay close attention to it toward the end in particular. By then, you two have spent a little time together and he’ll start to figure out how much he likes you. If he’s making an effort to lock eyes with you as you’re getting ready to leave, he either thinks he has a chance to sleep with you that night or he really likes you.
- There’s no shortage of laughter. Yes, this one seems obvious, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. If the night ends with you two laughing a lot, it’s a safe bet that he likes you. Even the dumbest guys out there can recognize that if you’re laughing at the end of the night, there might be something special there. Of course, after it’s over, if you can sense that a guy is trying to make you laugh via text or during a phone call, you can safely assume that he likes you.
- He tracks you on social media. For what it’s worth, you never want to put too much stock into a guy’s social media behavior. That being said, it’s usually obvious what a guy is up to online. If he issues a friend request or wants to follow your profiles, that’s a good sign. If he mentions you or likes some of your posts, that means he’s on your mind and interested in getting to know your online persona better.
- He says he misses you. If you come across a guy who says he misses you after one date, he either seriously likes you or is he lonely. Do your best not to be cynical and assume that it’s a positive thing rather than him being a weirdo. Granted, he might be coming on a little too strong by telling you that he misses you so early, but he could also just be a sign that you made a great impression on him during your first date.
- He asks when you’re free. Okay, so this is where semantics is key to seeing if a guy likes you or not. If he says something like “we should do this again” or “are you free,” he might not mean it. Instead, if he likes you, he’ll ask you to tell him when you’re free. This means that whenever you’re available, he’ll want to see you again. In other words, he likes you so much that he’ll work around your schedule in order to be around you. Most guys aren’t willing to go to those lengths unless they really like someone.
- He references conversations from the date. If you talk or text with a guy on the first date, it’s always a good sign when he references something that happened on the date. For starters, it shows that he was engaged and paying attention. It also shows that he was thinking about you and the date after it was over.
