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Oddly, I was lucky enough to spend a few minutes on Sunday with Roberto Giobbi and I asked him about this very subject. He said that there are two answers:

1) If you are going to use the classic pass you must use misdirection. The second that they look at the card, you do the pass.

The problem with this is if there are several audience members close by. They are not necessarily going to be misdirected by what you are doing to a single audience member, so may spot the move. This was definitely the case at a recent close-up competition I went to. Every magician in it (and there were some really good ones) who did the classic pass, didn't get away with it to anyone but the immediate spectator i.e. the whole audience saw it.

2) To use a vairant on the pass. This was Roberto's preference. He said that the Spread Pass and the Dribble Pass are much better, and if done properly, even if someone is looking at your hands, they are far less likely to see these. He demonstrated both and I have to say that, had he not told me he was about to do them, I don't think I would have spotted them. He does them as a single movement though, which will require a lot of practice. If you are not committed to learning them properly then there is no point learning them at all.

You can read about these in Card College Volume 4. Hope this helps.

IF THERE IS A MOVE or SLEIGHT you cannot do, and that's why you're exposing it to your girl friend, FIND another and easier way. In your case, hold a little finger break and cut to the top. Do remember the advice of one of the top Close Up sleight of hand magicians, JOHN MENDOZA-- ' Know your own attainments. Question your abilities and IF there is a move you cannot do, maybe through some physical fault, leave it out. Find an alternative' I've paraphrased his words tpo sdave me looking up his book on Close Up magic presentation. My advide, and this is stressed in my new lecture, The Secrets Behind The Magic, is,@ Do the move for your own pleasure and amusement in the privacy of your own room but don't do it in Public'
Allen Tipton

There is alot more EFFECTIVE ways of doing the pass other than the classic pass.

The ellusionist ninja video teaches other passes that are alot easier to do and cover themselfs up more.

Also try the riffle pass, it makes it alot easier.

Or do a Turnover Pass ot Table Pass!

Much easier, and you can have people watching your hands