why did she keep eye contact with me for more than 3 seconds when I
think she dislikes me and got a restraining order against me?
We hadnt seen each other in 3 months and we used to date.

Perhaps she was scared to see you.

Eye contact certainly does not equal attraction. I have often stared
at people whom I disliked or feared.

If you had little or no previous relationship with someone, it might
mean something positive if they maintained 3 seconds of eye contact
with you. But given that this woman feels so negatively that she has
got a restraining order against you, you are simply and dangerously
deluding yourself in reading something positive into her reaction.

thank you folks for the clarification, I am not trying to delude
myself. Belive me, I feel all anxious whenever I see her. It
sucks--frankly.
I was sitting at the registration table--(ALONE) and here she comes,
walking by, initiates eye contact and our eyes locked until she walked
past--SHE EVEN had here head turned to look back--I should have been
the bigger person and looked away---but I could not........

I'm not saying that you're deluding yourself, because the eye contact
didn't happen - of course it did. But you ARE deluding yourself in
reading something positive into it. The whole problem of self-delusion
is that it is difficult for us to break out of it ourselves. Couldn't
you discuss this with a friend, ideally someone who knows both of you?

First and foremost, you must come to realize that your particular
inquiry has nothing to do with what may seem like complex, logical
explanations and everything to do with simple, instinctive
explanations.  Eye contact has always been and always will be the most
powerful form of nonverbal communication.

For instance, consider the infamous ?Mona Lisa? painting created by
Leonardo da Vinci.  The eyes contained within that painting and the
meaning behind them have been debated and contemplated by many of the
most intelligent and talented minds on this planet and yet, we still
have no definite answers.  In fact, most historians would agree that
we do not even know if this particular quandary was of some ingenious
design by the artist or just a fluke.

What does this have to do with the "here and now?"  Everything!  The
next time you are in a public place, make eye contact with a random
individual and do not break it until you are forced to do so.  When
speaking to someone you already know, do the same.  I guarantee
reactions to this behavior will be much the same.

Eye contact with an individual expresses a desire for further
communication.  In the case of the random person you have locked eyes
with in public or your friend who you are simply playing "mind-games"
with, they will ultimately want further communication.  Why are you
doing this?  What are you thinking?  These and many more questions
will enter their minds.

How does this translate into your situation?  Simple!  You both
desired further communications with each other.  You, most certainly
and obviously, desired further interaction with her and I guarantee
she wanted the same.  No matter what the motivations or reasons behind
these desires, you each wanted the same thing.

What should you do?  Given the current circumstances (the possible
restraining order and premonitions of general dislike for yourself) I
would simply "hang back" and allow her to make the first move if she
chooses to do so.  Keep in mind that although she may be thinking
about you and desire communication with you subconsciously, it may not
translate into anything positive.

In the end, take comfort in the fact that whatever her conscious
and/or subconscious motivations are behind the eye contact, she is
indeed thinking about you just as you are about her.  Whether her
thoughts about you may differ in nature from your thoughts about her,
each has made an equal impact on the other's life which is not easily
forgotten.

It just could be that she was not sure that it was you.  If she had
been, she probably would not have continued to look at you.  If she
wanted to establish contact with you, the conference would have been
an ideal place  - neutral, subject oriented, easy to happen to meet,
not dating.  But apparently she did not, indeed, may have made an
effort not to.