I've been trying to get with this girl for a little bit and we talk pretty much eeryday via telephone. I know her very well personally, but have been away from her for about four months. I am about to come back to where she lives and we have been talking a lot lately. I am about a week from returning and was wondering if I should spend some time NOT talking to her via phone. You know, to build some suspense or something. What do you guys think?

I wouldn't all out stop talking id cut conversations short, also maybe miss a phone call or 2. She will probably keep trying but yah make up plans and cut the convos short.

For me,
I like to always look to escalate.

So
1. if she texts you, call. (Why, because she wants to talk to you and you avoid becoming "text buddies" or her thinking she can just text you whenever she wants and you'll drop everything always. It's not possible most of the time if you work to stack paper in this world. So, get in the habit of completing your tasks [self respect, bro] and call her at your next convenience. Don't make her wait forever, but she can wait a few and added bonus of suspense/non needy.. what have you, like you said. My recommended approach here is, keep your phone on silent if possible and train yourself to check your phone only when you have the time: ie, 10 minute smoke break at work is a great time to call, because you have no choice but to time limit. It's not a "tactic" or a lie then, you're legit calling her on your break and you legit gotta go back to work.

2.She calls you. If she calls you, go for the meetup. Escalate. Escalate. Escalate.

In review:
she texts, you call
she calls, set up a meet

As for you calling her, it's fine and sounds like you are already comfortable with that, but make sure to "let" her contact you first sometimes too, then follow what I was saying up top.

To me now it's negative to think:
"When should I call"/"how often" etc, because you're worrying how she will react...
Instead, think:
"I am a man, she is a woman. Women are attracted to men in nature. So there is a high percentage chance, if she is talking to me, there is some interest. Otherwise, she'd ignore. I am a man. Men are leaders. We also have to lead the interaction with a woman. Part of that includes "letting" (or allowing) her to come to me. Push/Pull is not just vocal technique. It can also be relative to any aspect of a relationship... by relationship, I simply mean interactions with people, not that some chick you just met is your girlfriend.

Anyway, always look to lead and escalate and lose feeling rejected when/if it doesn't go your way.

Sometimes, and I'll give David D the nod on his "give the gift of missing you", but I look at it as leading the interaction and giving her an opportunity to chase you back.

Like a boy and girl in elementary school, you metaphorically are running up to her, giving her a playful tap on the arm (smack on the ass?), yelling "TAG, you're it!" and run away. The gals that like you will chase you back. The ones that don't.. you bang her friends.. joking.. but you could.. but what I meant was, find a different gal then.

Good luck brothers