A shy woman may have trouble looking you directly in the eye, but she will try to steal as many glances as she can when she thinks you’re not looking. Chances are you have caught her staring in your direction, only to have her look away quickly. Women all over the world exhibit the same flirting behaviors -- one of which is making quick eye contact before she withdraws her gaze -- according to human behavior researcher Helen Fisher in the Psychology Today article, “The Biology of Attraction.” If you catch her staring at you on more than one occasion, she is probably trying to get your attention, but is not forward enough to initiate conversation.

At first, she may not say much, but if you notice that she laughs at your jokes, this may mean that she likes you. When we like people, we tend to find them funnier, according to “The Five Flirting Styles: Use the Science of Flirting to Attract the Love You Really Want” by Jeffrey Hall, an associate professor of communication studies. Even if she does not find you funny, she might fake laughter to make you feel good about yourself. Either way, laughter is a way for people to bond, so she may be subconsciously laughing as a way to get closer to you.

It can be difficult to decipher a shy woman’s intentions right from the start, because shy people tend to take their time when pursuing romantic relationships, according to Hall. A shy woman is less likely to engage in hook-ups with people they are romantically interested in. Instead, she will invest time into getting to know you better before making any moves. She will not flirt with you unless she gets the sense that you feel the same way, but if she does take the risk, then you know that she must really like you.

She may be quiet around you in person, but if she likes you she may reach out to you via email, text or social media. Shy women are better at flirting online than in person. This could be her preferred way of getting to know you, without the pressure of having to look you in the eye. If the woman is a shy introvert, she prefers to think before she speaks, according to the PsychCentral article, “7 Persistent Myths About Introverts & Extroverts.” Likely, she wants to process her thoughts and to write what she wants to say before doing so. If she is chattier online, asking you questions and making conversation to get to know you, this could mean she is interested in you.