Sometimes, dating can make you wish you were a mind reader. How many times have you gone on a seemingly great date, only to have them ghost? You were sure you connected, and yet, no second date. Beyond frustrating! Unfortunately, I don’t know of any way to learn how to read minds psychically (yet!), but there is another alternative that can actually shed some light on the mysterious inner workings of your date's mind: body language, including the body language signs your date wants a second date.
To help identify the signs, I reached out to body language expert Blanca Cobb, who confirms that, yes, using body language, there are ways to know if you and your date are on the same page about seeing each other again. It's all about paying close attention to a few key behaviors. If your date is doing these things, it might mean that they're interested, they're having a good time, there's probably a good chance they want to see you again. On the flip side, if they aren't, then you won't be blindsided if they go full Casper afterwards. Here's what Cobb says you should be keeping an eye out for on your next date.
The first thing Cobb says to look out for is your date’s expression, specifically if they're smiling. “If your date can’t stop smiling, that’s a great sign that they’re going to want to see you again,” Cobb tells Elite Daily. “You can’t help but smile when you’re with someone who makes you feel good,” she says. If your date is enjoying your company so much they can't seem to wipe that smile off their face, you can bet there is a very good chance they are going to want to repeat the experience. Cobb adds that there is one more thing you can learn from your date’s lips: “Smiles can get a little sexual if they bite their lower lip.” Noted!
How engaged and present is your date? “If your date can’t take their eyes off of you, then a second date is bound to happen,” says Cobb. She says there can be various reasons why they only have eyes for you. “They might be looking at you to take you in visually,” she explains. “They might watch everything you do. They look at you because you’re visually appealing.” But what is really interesting, Cobb explains, is that the more they look, the more it’s a sign that they are interested — but also that the act of looking may actually make them even more interested. “Research has shown that strangers can fall in love with each other by looking at each other for a few minutes,” Cobb reveals.
According to Cobb, your date’s proximity to you is a good indicator of how they feel about you. “[If] they keep getting closer and closer to you,” Cobb says it may mean they’d like to see you again. “You might start the date with a couple of feet between you and at the end of the evening with being a couple of inches apart.”
If you want to let someone know you’re interested, you find excuses to touch them. Like brushing their hand when you laugh, or pressing your shoulder against them playfully. This, Cobb explains, is a two-way street. “You tend to touch items that appeal to you. Touch is a way to connect to someone. So, if your date touches you, then it’s a good sign that they’re interested in you,” says Cobb.
While you can never totally know what people are feeling or thinking, being able to read their body language can give you some insight. This means you’ll probably be much less likely to be caught off guard, both if you date ends up disappearing, or if they end up being the one to stick around, and make you forget about all the previous second dates that never happened.
