TL:DR - What I got most out of "Models" by Mark Manson was that it's ok to be myself around women. It's ok to open up and be vulnerable. It's ok to get rejected. And for me, that is much easier than acting. I just needed permission.

15 minutes before writing this post I finished reading "Models." Immediately after that I went to the lobby of the hotel I stay at and approached the girl behind the counter, opened her with a cold read, after a few minutes of good interactive semi-superficial conversation I said, "I find you extremely attractive" [pause while she made a cute "ohh" kind of noise] "but it is hard to get to know you when I only get to talk to you while you are at work. Do you have any suggestions on how we can get to know each other." I did my best to say it with my guard completely dropped, just laying it out there and waited for her to polarize herself to me.

I relaxed and watched her squirm while she tried to figure out what she wanted. She mentioned kinda seeing some other guys, but maybe but dont know. Then I calmly said very openly and frankly (trying not to appear needy), "hey, you are seeing some guys, and you're changing jobs and thats cool we can swap numbers, but i dont want your number unless it actually means something and that there could possibly be something between us."

and before i finished that sentence she had written it down and gave it to me. I was going to exit gracefully but she kept talking so we continued for a few more minutes before I left.

BACKGROUND: I am a traveling consultant who stays at the same hotel every sunday night through wednesday night. 2 months ago the extremely attractive girl behind the counter was very talkative with me, more than girls usually are with me. Yes it took me 2 weeks to realize she was flirting, maybe.

At that time I was reading The Game and so when I saw her behind the counter in the lobby I would say things like, "looking beautiful today as usual," and she would make that cute nasally "ohh" sound. But that was the end of her response and I just continued on my way.

I didn't know what to do, and over the next few weeks I backed off, but we would still smile at each other when I walked past her, and she was not doing this to anyone else.

Then a few days ago I was eating breakfast in the lobby I saw her again, we smiled, and then I looked away and ignored her. She came out from behind her desk, walked over to me and initiated conversation, which I handled poorly imo, but it lasted a few minutes and I was gone.

A few hours later while I was reading Models, it hit me! She is really into me and I am about to blow it! She will soon figure out that I either have no attraction for her or I don't have the balls to be open about my feelings. So that was it, game on, I had to let her know how I feel.

Analysis (through the lens of Models by Mark Manson: Demographics - she is a poor attractive female who cares about money, status, and success. She knew I was a professional who must be successful because someone thinks I am worth paying travel expenses for every week (a question she got clarification on when she approached me at breakfast.)

I would never have thought someone as young and beautiful would be attracted to me, im 36, she looks early 20s. But Models showed me how that is possible, and the value in polarizing girls that I am attracted to. Mark Manson even mentioned an example of a man with an amazing lifestyle but poor action and poor communication might be surrounded by beautiful and interesting women, but never be with them.