[hhr303]

Female co-workers in my mind are always the toughest to read because the environment in an office is much more formal and regulated than, say, a bar or club. But this one that I am quite attracted to is really really tough for me to read for some reason. I’ll start at the beginning…

I started working for this company about 9 months ago. For the first 7 months I worked in a field office in a different town than our HQ, but then I got a promotion and got moved to the HQ where this girl works. My relationship with her is not new; she handles logistics for the entire company so I’ve dealt with her numerous times in my visits to HQ and over the phone trying to get travel arrangements made, etc. Our relationship has changed and grown over the past two months however as I’ve spent much more time around her due to my new position and location.

When I was first relocating, I asked a couple of people in the office for some suggestions on where to live. When I asked her, she responded with no hesitation that I should get a place in the same apartment complex as her. I ended up taking her advice but the main reason wasn’t that she lived there…it was actually the kind of place I was looking for and they were running an unbeatable special that month.

Over the past month she has been stopping by my desk much more frequently to ask things that she used to just ask over the phone/intercom (we are in two separate parts of the office). When our office goes to lunch, it’s usually two or three different groups going to two or three different places. For the past month she has been going with whatever group I happen to be going with…just about every time. She seems to make a point to sit next to me and/or save me a seat next to her at lunch. On Friday nights most of the office goes out for dinner and then drinks. At lunch on Fridays, she asks me (singles me out by name) “are you coming out with us tonight” rather than saying “so who all is coming out tonight” which is typically what people ask.

She always smiles at me, no matter what the reason, and she laughs at things I say that no one else laughs at. She teases me in the office (usually in front of coworkers) but always gives me a secretive wink. She hasn’t gone for the physical-contact aspect of flirting but she is also rather shy, and we are most frequently in a professional environment. A couple of weeks ago when the office was out for Friday drinks, the majority of the group left after a few drinks; I myself got up and put on my jacket to leave too, but she and another female coworker stayed behind. She then told me that it was lame that I was cutting out so early and then tried to convince me to stay for one more drink. I did.

Then a few days ago she suggested that we should start carpooling to work because she noticed that we often leave the apartment complex at the same time (we only live a mile from the office). When I responded that it was a really good idea but pointed out that I frequently have to stay at work a few hours later than she does, she seemed really, really bummed. Again, we live a mile from the office. Then yesterday she told me that she hadn’t seen my apartment since I moved in and that next time she was taking her evening walk around the complex, “I’ll drop by and visit you.”

Part of me says that the signs are so obvious I’m an idiot for not jumping right on her. The other part of me says don’t be stupid, maybe she is just trying to be friendly. Before I relocated I was always attracted to her but never thought much else than that. I always thought that surely she was dating someone because she’s got a great personality and is a great looking girl. Turns out she’s been single for about 4-5 months. Ever since I moved to the home office I’ve become more and more attracted to and intrigued with her. Another hesitation I have is that she’s about 6 years older than me and my thought was surely a girl that much older than me wouldn’t be interested…but who knows?

So my question is…do you think she likes me or am I reading her way too hard…and if you think she likes me, what move do I make?

[Ask April Masini]

Yes, I think she likes you. You should ask her out on a date.

I also think you’d really do well to buy (it’s only $14.95) and read my book written for men who date called Date Out of Your League. You can get it here: [url]http://www.askapril.com/relationship-dating-advice/think-and-date-like-a-man.html[/url]. The reason I think you’ll get a lot from this short and helpful read is that there’s a lot of information in here about reading women — which seems to be where you faltered here. Most people meet dates at work because they spend so much time there, so reading your potential dates is important. There’s body language, spoken language and behavior that this book will help you pinpoint and decipher so you know what she’s saying even when she’s not saying it with her lips.

Let me know how things go!

[Author]

Posts