You need to start frequenting your chosen location a fair bit. Never go there alone—always try to go with a friend or two. That way, your ‘target’ woman won’t think you’re a loner or that you’re their just for her benefit. Go there between twice and three times a week for at least a week or two. You want to slowly develop the bare bones of a relationship with her. And it really doesn’t need to go much beyond the bare bones at this point. It’s not too tricky. First order a drink and nothing more. The next time, ask her about the different cocktails or something. The time after that, say that you liked the cocktail she recommended the last time, although it was a bit expensive. Is she taking a secret cut of the money? Blah, blah. Drop one flirty comment, but leave it at that. DO NOT come across as a guy who is hitting on a girl who’s at work. She’ll have had that more times than you’ve had cocktails. Men will have hit on her about 5 times a day for the duration of her career there. Anyway, build that very basic relationship.

Step #2: Let Her Learn Your Name

There are a few ways you can do this. You can pretend to answer your phone as she’s taking your order and say “Hello? I can barely hear you. Yeah, this is Simon. No, not Solomon. Simon!” Hang up and say to the barmaid (or whatever she is), “I hate it when that happens.” It doesn’t matter too much what you say, just say something to her so she remembers what just happened (and your name). Another way to do it is to just tell her your name, but you need to make sure you don’t come across as needy or like you’re after something from her.

Step #3: Develop a Theme

Next you need to try to develop something between you and her that is unique and memorable. The cocktails thing for example. Let’s say you’ve gotten into the habit of buying a different cocktail every time you are served by her. You and her have developed a little running joke about it. This is the kind of thing you need to establish.

Step #4: Perform the Houdini Hello

Okay, this is the big part. Find out the phone number of the bar. You’re going to call it while your target, who we’ll call Jenny, is working. You’ll know that she’s working and liable to pick up the phone because you’ll already be in the bar, standing out of sight. She won’t know that though. Call the phone and when she picks up, say something like:

YOU: “Hi, is this the Dragon Bar?”

HER: “Yes it is, how can I help?”

YOU: “Oh, great. What time do you close today?”

HER: “Tonight we close at 12”

YOU: “Hmm, okay. Do you serve cocktails?”

HER: “Sure.”

YOU: “Cool. Could you mix me up a Sex on the Beach please?”

HER: “Erm, what? Mix you one up?”

YOU: “Yeah, not too strong though thanks. Sorry, can you hang on just a second? Thanks.”

HER: “Okay.”

Now what you do is your little magic trick. Walk from where you are to the bar. She’ll be on the phone, probably looking impatient. Walk around as close as you can to her. Catch her attention and smile. Your cell phone is in your pocket, with the call still going.

YOU: “Hey, could I have a Sex on the Beach when you’re done? Thanks.”

Here is either where she realises what’s happened or she just says yeah, hang on a second. If she realises, then you should smile and take out your phone. Say “I’ll call you back” down the phone and laugh. Say sorry while smiling. Then, “But yeah, not too strong though.” She’ll be smiling and laughing by now, guaranteed. She’s just experienced something fun and original and, the key point, she ALREADY KNOWS YOU. You aren’t some random guy, you’re Solomon…I mean Simon. It’s all good. It’s perfect.

If she doesn’t know it’s you when you ask for the drink, let her go back to the conversation and when she turns around, say down your cell phone, “Never mind, you probably have customers waiting” or something along those lines.

The Houdini Hello might seem like a crazy thing to do, with a lot of preparation, but it’s only really step four that is out of the ordinary. You just need to take the plunge and DO IT. It’s so unique and fun that it will create a massive bond between you and her that will propel your relationship forward. Getting her actual phone number to call her for real later that day is nothing once you’ve executed the Houdini Hello properly.