The truth flirts

I'm making come-hither eyes across the room, curling my hair round my fingers and smiling coyly at an imaginary man. 'That's right, now look down for a count of four, then up again,' says my tutor. One, two, three... oh, s**t. For once in my life I've managed to attract a waiter's attention - that was not the idea at all.

This is my first lesson in flirting and I'm trying to master the seductive pose to lure my make-believe target (not the waiter) over to me. My tutor is Elizabeth Clark who has made it her life's mission to teach UK singletons the art of successful pulling. She runs Rapport Unlimited which, among other things, offers what she calls 'flirt coaching'.

The rules

Apparently, the basic rules of flirting are simple - be approachable, smile, accept compliments graciously, don't be too funny and ooze confidence - but not well known.

There are some 11.5million single people in the UK, and most are clueless about chatting up, says Clark. She has a waiting list as long as her arm as proof of that.

It usually takes four or five intensive one-to-one sessions to turn a client into a successful flirt - I've got an hour in Christopher's wine bar in London's Victoria - hardly the smoky, dimly lit venue I'd had in mind. But I'm hoping a large glass of wine will help me relax. It doesn't.

The first thing I'm instructed to do is 'ditch the ice-maiden attitude'. Apparently, I've got a stare that could freeze hell and a habit of putting my hands up in front of me as if to say 'come near me and you're dead' - not good flirting etiquette.

Having cleared that up, we move to the questionnaire, which covers my relationship history and the 'am I usually the dumper or the dumpee?' question.

After getting this snapshot of my personality, we start tackling the real nitty-gritty: dress, smell and attitude. Firstly, girls should forget high fashion. Men notice shape and colour - so just because it's in this month's Vogue, you don't have to rush out and buy the latest luminous 1980s number.

Secondly, treat yourself to a new perfume - you'll feel good every time you put it on. Thirdly, 'practise a Liz Hurley strut'. This means walking as if you're the most gorgeous person on earth, even if you don't feel like it.

Confidence tricks

It's all sounding rather simplistic for my liking - especially at £80 an hour - but Clark says one of the biggest problems her clients have is not knowing how to project a confident image. 'It's about getting noticed and that's not going to happen if you hide your light under a handbag.'

Next, learn to look for the right signs. Eye contact is the allimportant signal. Men's eyes follow a V from face to chest when they talk to you - the deeper the V, the more they like you. If they're standing with their thumbs in their belt loops with fingers pointing down, that's also a pretty clear message that they're available and up for it.

So time to put this new-found knowledge into practice on a night out with two girlfriends. It's not long before I spot my target, although I'm not sure if he's looking at me or the clock above my head.

Still, after three G&Ts I pluck up the courage to go over and talk to him. All's well for the first few seconds - he's definitely doing that V thing with his eyes - until I realise I have nothing to say to him.

We didn't cover opening lines. My whole stance is more rabbit-caught-in-headlights than temptress and I'm soon muttering something about having to go.
I almost run back to my friends.

The next day, I call Clark to report back. She resists the temptation to say 'I told you so' but her suggestion that I book another consultation says it all.

Elizabeth Clark offers both group and one-on-one caching. The next flirting workshop is in London on July 19. The course costs £175. To register, visit www.rapportunlimted.co.uk