Currently I'm meeting a lot of cute girls through my social circles such as friends of friends, friends of coworkers, etc. When I'm meeting these girls I'm just friendly and I don't really know how else to interact. I don't want to come on too strong with these women as they are mutual friends and I don't want to be "that creepy guy" or anything. I just chat with them about whatever, what they do for a living, jokes, etc. Is there a way to be more forward and attract these girls without me having to get all "your fucking hot" on them. (also, saying a phrase like that to a girl is definitely not my style and just sounds cringey, but sometimes people post that they say that.)

So how do I escalate and figure out if their interested? Or make them interested?

Edit: Wow this took off. Thanks everyone for their feedback and responses.

One thing I want to clarify: This is not referring to "the friend zone". I am talking about being overly friendly and just not viewed as a guy to date/be interested in. I just try and be super friendly and don't want to push any boundaries, because I am worried I will seem like an overly aggressive creep or something along those lines.

Takeaways: Tease and flirt lightly while still being friendly. You don't need to be all alpha aggressive like some posts on here lead you to believe (although if it fits your personality, don't shy away from it). Also, just fucking ask for the damn number. I am kicking myself for not pulling the trigger and this is way worse of a feeling than asking and getting rejected.