Say what you mean the first time. Hints make everyone play detective and nobody wins.

Hints move the risk onto the other person. They have to guess, and if they guess wrong you get to be disappointed without ever having asked for anything, which is exactly why indirectness appeals and how it protects you from a clear no. The cost is that most people simply miss it, and then the resentment has nowhere legitimate to go.

Say one direct thing this week that you would normally imply. I would like you to come. I need help with this. The sentence is short, the answer might be no, and either way you stop guessing.