Just got back from a three week trip to Peru. Lots and lots of FR possibilities. But I think one of the best learning experiences was the following.

I'm doing a tour of several Inka ruins, the bus picks me up at 8AM. We roll across Cusco and pick up another group of tourists. An HB8 climbs aboard, wrapped in an airlines blanket she had swiped flying into Peru from Chile. I didn't notice her when she got on the bus - but she chose the seat in my row (across the isle from me).

As we start rolling over the cobblestone road, I look left and notice her. She looks like she's had a rough morning. We lock eyes and I smile: "Hi." Her: "Hey." She smiled back. She looks hung over. I decide that she selected that seat near me for a reason (assume attraction).

These buses almost always fill up. Every seat. So I've learned to move next to a woman if one seems open to it (take action). I ask her if I can sit with her - she accepts.

It turns out she spent the night at my hostel, and had I been at the bar around 2AM I would know that. She was dancing on it. As she is telling me about this, we are locking eyes. Heavily. Strong eye contact. She makes a comment about my sweater (green). I tell her it works well with my eyes. She says green is my color. She likes yellow (elicit emotion).

At our first tour stop, I also discover pretty quickly that her parents and brother are three rows behind us. I decide this will be an interesting time to test my assertiveness.

As we go through our morning, HB8 continues to orbit me. She finds her way to my side repeatedly along our stops. I make an effort to break away sometimes, chat with other women on the tour - generally to not give her the impression that I am trying to hang with her exclusively (only on the bus, where we repeatedly sit next to each other).

I get a few opportunities to chat with her mother and father - which I do. They seem to like me well enough. They must notice that their 20 year old daughter is handing around me a lot (I'm 30). I get the impression she does this... and that they generally let her do her thing.

As the tour winds down at about 1PM, I decide I need to escalate things or bust. We have about thirty minutes sitting next to each other on the bus, returning to Cusco from the last Inka ruin we visited. We chat, I lock eye contact... and I notice her hand has been placed between us, so it touches me lightly. I slide my hand down, touch hers (assume attraction). No negative response, and a knowing smile from her. I take her hand, place it on top of mine, and slide my hand onto her upper thigh (Be assertive, take action). I leave it there but look ahead, enjoying the scenery of high altitude Peru. Out of the corner of my eye, I can tell she's looking at me. Her parents are three rows back.

I took a risk. It seems to have been the correct course of action.

As we pull into Cusco she asks me what I am thinking. I don't respond. She asks if I want to do dinner.