What are ways to approach without appearing like you are simply trying to get a date as quick as possible? I don't want to be one of those guys that walks into a social setting and immediately starts asking women out. It seems forced and desperate. Also, they may already be taken and their SO will have a problem with that. I think I can pull off the cool quiet confidence routine, but oftentimes I find myself trying to ignore them and thinking that might draw some intrigue.

My gameplan is as follows: I try to appear totally apathetic and neutral and wait until I see a moment to interact neutrally. When I find that moment, I try to coast into personal questions. IE: "Do you come here often?" "Are you from around here?" "Did you do anything interesting this week?" From there I try to establish a common ground and if I remain interested, I might finally ask if she would like to hang out.

Can this strategy consistently work? The main issue is that I believe the line between being confident in what you want and being creepy/desperate seems very thin. I fear that women constantly have their guards high and have to deal with this routine on a daily basis. I think with my strategy, I would seem like a breath of fresh air. "Hey, this guy isn't just trying to get into my pants." Not that I have a problem with that, but that just isn't my style.

There just seems to be too much gray area. If you approach with one purpose in mind, you seem to be taking things too fast and may look desperate, needy, or you are labeled a creep. If you play it too neutral and apathetic, you seem uninterested and let good opportunities slip away. But I prefer to err on the later, as I loathe making people, especially women feel uncomfortable. It also seems much safer in social settings where you could get labeled as desperate.

Any recommendations on approach methods/strategies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.