Why wouldn&#x27;t one just call and avoid all this nonsense? It doesn&#x27;t eliminate the wiles and ways by which we seek to gain the upper hand in a sapling relationship, but it does introduce a touch of humanity into the exchange which, in addition to being consoling, reduces wasted time and useless stress.<p>A call is an unambiguous yet still unstated expression of continued interest. Is the other party still interested? If the call is answered, you can tell from the tone of voice alone, and if there&#x27;s uncertainty, the sound of your voice may be enough to tip the balance. What&#x27;s better, broaching the difficult questions is less difficult on the phone: you don&#x27;t need to ask explicitly what you would in text, nor need you come up with some lame quip or foist one of your few common experiences to have a conversation. If there&#x27;s no answer, leave a message -- at the very least, you&#x27;re not likely to be ignored.<p>This approach has the added benefit of distinguishing yourself from your texting, cowardly competitors.<p>Neither method is as good as a face-to-face encounter, but at least this way you reduce the risk of miscommunication or one of those alienating situations where the next-day text goes unanswered.