How can you tell if a guy is expressing interest in you?

[starbelly]

I was at a music/movie store today with my brother and we were in there for about a half an hour. I saw the guy at the cash register stare at me when we came in but he didn't say anything and I didn't think anything of it.

Anyway, when I went to the register to pay for the movie and record I was buying, he saw my university ID in my wallet and asked me a couple of questions about the school, as it turned out he's a student there too. He asked me what I was studying there and told me he was a film major and I recommended a bunch of professors who I'd taken film classes with. He was a total cinephile like myself and was super smart and articulate— TOTALLY my type of guy, a nerd in the best way possible. We talked for between 5-10 minutes maybe and he kept continuing the conversation to the point that my brother actually left the store because he had been awkwardly standing there while myself and this guy continued chatting. Eventually, after my brother left, he introduced himself and put out his hand. He smiled pretty big and said maybe he'd see me around campus.

I thought nothing of this until I walked out of the store and my brother was like "So, did that guy just ask you for your phone number or what?" I'm inept when it comes to this stuff and I'm really bad with social cues and what constitutes being "hit on" or not, but I hadn't even considered that possibility because the conversation I had with him just flowed so naturally that I wasn't even thinking about anything else. I argued with my brother about it in the car and took the position that he was just being friendly, but he completely disagreed with me.

In retrospect, I think it was probably the longest single conversation that I've had with a cashier I think ever, and he does kind of strike my gaydar now that I think of it– but, like I said, I didn't notice anything at the time because of how natural and totally un-awkward our conversation was.

Basically, I'm just wanting an opinion on what should be looked out for in situations like this when they happen, and if 5-10 minutes of conversation in that setting is suspiciously long. Like I said, I'm bad with social cues. My brother apparently saw something that I may not have at the time, and I'm trying to be more conscious of these things just on the slight off chance that I cross paths with an upstanding eligible bachelor. Haha.

[loserguy]

I would just see it as the guy being friendly, for now.

I wouldn't read anything else into it other than if you meet again you can talk to each other?

[findingmyway]

If he's interested, he'll probably try to seek you out at the University. Maybe you two would meet again at one of the movie clubs? Do they have those? Unless he invited you to watch a movie at his place while the two of you were stroking each other naked, I think he might have just been excited to talk to someone with the same passion as him.

[Rainbowmum]

I would not read too much into it ,if he is interested he will make contact.

[MisterTinkles]

Well, lets look at this logically.

He's a cashier. A very demeaning job, as well as a very "invisible" job. People may go to him for a purchase, but they aren't going to SEE him.

He saw you and was apparently interested. I don't know of any cashiers, in my life on this planet so far, that go out of their way to do what he did. Yeah, he was interested.

Now, what he was interested IN is something unknown. Just because he expressed interest in you does not necessarily mean he was looking for a "man". He could have been looking for a friend, or someone similar to a previous friend.

He might have also gotten some "good vibes" off of you. Only he knows.

So, now he's "made contact", it's up to you to make the next move if you are interested.

He allowed himself to show his personal side and volunteer some information about himself AT HIS JOB. What does this tell you? He WANTS you to visit again, because he knows that YOU know where he works.

So, next time you go back.......and you WILL be going back..........ask him out for coffee, lunch, a walk, or something like that.

Take it slow, and don't get your hopes up. Just get to know him. If it seems like it might work out, then work on becoming friends....unless he brings up the subject of something else, then you can take it from there.

[Lycanthropist]

OMG! Like Tinkles said, you have to go back! It seems you have stumbled in to an enviable position where someone has seemingly become attracted to you in one of the most innocuous ways possible. You have to see if there is still interest on the second visit. If there is, you're golden. Go with the flow. I wish this would happen to me.

Almost always on my second visit somewhere that I've had somewhat of a rapport with a person, they act like they've never seen me before. Meh, whatchagonnado?

Good luck, and let us know what happens!

[Chimpy]

He probably was just being friendly. If he is interested he will look you up again. I've been in this situation before, and every time the other guy is hetero but just being nice. Even straight people need friends!