Wow I've posted in lots of forums with my issues and I've never had such an insightful and helpful reply! Thanks so much!

I'll be the first to admit that I can be clueless with girls, especially when games are being played. I just found the items being left behind really odd. It started a couple of months ago. This girl had left the first thing there, and she forgot to take it the four times she was over at my place. I finally remembered one night and said here make sure you take this. Her response is "Oh are you trying to say you don't want me coming back?" in a joking voice. That caught me attention and I figured there was some truth behind her feelings. More recently she forgot her purse when she was over late at night. I thought that was a pretty big thing to forget. She didn't call all day until midnight when she asked if it was there. I said yeah and said I could bring it to her. She said it was ok. She came over but I just gave it to her and didn't ask her to stay because I assumed she was busy with other things. As far as the wall goes, I've always known she's had one by listening to the things she says. She's confided in me that was cheated on by her last boyfriend with a close friend of hers. I often catch her making remarks like guys are pigs and guys only want to get laid etc etc...

Ok I'll agree she's not being a tease. I can see the difference in how you highlighted it. Still... I find her advances or hints really unfair coming from her when she expressed a desire to only have a friendship. It seems like anytime I back off just enough, get my head on straight, and approach her as if she was any other friend she does something new to make me shake my head in confusion. Perhaps that's my fault, I don't know. All I know is that I've NEVER cared so much about making things work with any girl. I hate to sound shallow, but I tossed other girls aside in the past when things were left at a friendship level. I've been determined to keep this girl close to me in any capacity. That's pretty big for me because I know it'd test my strength to see her with someone else.

I'm just afraid of being used as the safety net. I'd feel cheated after making so many efforts to be close to her as a friend. She tells me that I'm one of her closest friends, and trusts me more than a lot of her girlfriends. That means a lot to me. My own defense mechanisms tell me to trust no one, but her actions have showed me she deserves a certain amount of my trust. As to your questions... She doesn't talk to any strange men on the internet or in the bars when I'm around. Whenever we go out, it's either just the two of us or co-works as well. She has guy friends she'll talk to, but she always makes a point to introduce me, or at least tell me afterwards who they were and what they were talking about. She's very attractive, and I've seen some respectable guys give her their best game. She's friendly, and will entertain a conversation with just about anyone. One night I warned her about this guy, knowing he was out just to have sex with her. Sure enough, he finally revealed his colours and invited her back to his hotel room. She shut him down, came over to me and bought me a drink and told me about everything he tried to do. I also heard that another time, a friend of ours had met up with her and some others after the bar. This guy started playing around and eventually tried to fool around with her. She shut him down, said absolutely not, and left shortly after. So... When we're in public she's really cool that way. She even introduced me to all of her girlfriends, and I found out that she's been giving them updates on what's new and going on with me. Continuing on... She's never been dispassionate to me when we've been emotionally intimate. So many nights we've spent alone together, just the two of us, having drinks and talking until the sun came up. We talk about all sorts of things and do a pretty good job of offering emotional support to each other. I always catch myself talking up a storm, and apologize, she laughs and asks me to continue saying she loves hearing me talk. As far as any crisis goes... She has been pretty consistant. I've helped her out when she needed me, and she's done the same for me. Actually, one time I had gone to another friend for help without asking her first, and she took it kind of personal and asked why I couldn't come to her for help.

As for the f*ck buddies thing... I was wondering the same thing. One of my best friends is a girl who knows this girl pretty well, and says that's what she took her recent behaviour as. When I've called her in the past, there have been times that she came across as disant, but only because of our hectic schedules and she was really busy. There have been nights that I've called her drunk and she offered a patient ear and never hung up the phone. So who knows. I'm just rying to figure out how to handle things now. The late night visits are great... But right now I'm gonna see how pulling back works. I've been accused of being predictable, and have even caught this girl admitting that sometimes she can tell just exactly what I'd do. I want to change that.

I guess the only thing that worries me is we used to be physically flirty. She'd pull my chair right beside hers in the bar... hug me... play fight... stuff like that. Now she doesn't do that stuff as much. Any hugs I initiate. Although she does get more physically flirty when she drinks. I used to kid around and say not to touch me, and she respond with oh you love it when I touch you. So either she's trying to distance herself, or if she developed feelings for me maybe she's playing it safe. Who knows. Any more input would be greatly appreciated. You guys are great!