Internet body-language guides love certainty: touching hair means attraction, crossed legs mean something else, eye contact reveals desire. Real nonverbal behavior is noisier. The same gesture can mean interest, habit, anxiety, politeness, discomfort or nothing at all.
Context changes the meaning
Eye contact during a date does not mean the same thing as eye contact during a work meeting. A smile from a service worker is especially poor evidence of romantic interest because friendliness may simply be part of the job.
Does the other person actively keep the interaction going?
Look for a pattern: they ask questions back, continue the conversation, make time, initiate contact on another occasion or clearly accept an invitation. Mutual investment over time is stronger information than a single pose.
Even obvious flirting does not authorize the next physical step
Consent should be voluntary, specific and ongoing. Someone can enjoy flirting and still not want a kiss, sex or another form of physical contact. They can also change their mind.
Back off when the interaction stops being reciprocal
Shorter answers, physical distance, no return initiation or a direct refusal all matter more than whatever a body-language list told you. A direct “no” requires no decoding.
Clarity is better than performance
“Want to get coffee sometime?” is often a better information-gathering tool than memorizing ten supposed attraction cues. It gives the other person room to answer and turns speculation into conversation.
Stop trying to read women like a codebook
Pay attention to the whole interaction, look for mutual effort, respect hesitation and use words when the next step matters.