Hi!
I am posting this as hard to talk to my friends about! A new guy recently started working with me - I was initially training him in and we had to then work on a few projects together. I don’t want to say exactly but it it a very inspiring job working with people. He is twenty years younger than me and I am happily married mother but I find we have really clicked - not in a sexual way - but his spirit and my spirit are very similar! I would say we have the same values! He has a lovely energy about him and is a really good guy, emotionally mature for his age that has really impressed me as we work with some vulnerable people.
I think with Covid and this year perhaps - at times have been difficult - he has honestly been the highlight of my year. I think he is great and I found myself thinking about him over the summer. I had to text a few times and he replied immediately. On evening- which I kind of regret - I sent him a friendly text at 11pm as a check in - there was some work related back and forths and he replied in a chirpy way but warm and also immediately! Nothing flirty just a lovely text.
We are back to work now and I noticed he blushed when met me - and seems to remember little details about the things I told him. We have many of the same interests and I find at meetings he glances my way. I def feel there is a weird energy between us. When I say weird I mean tension?
I must say that I am happily married but in my fantasy world I imagine myself being younger and we would def have dated? I also am VERY clear that I am in a more senior role and he is in a younger position and it would be wrong. (I’m 45 - he is 26). I keep is professional and friendly.
I do think this is perhaps about my own ageing issues - I don’t know. I genuinely could be his mother! Age wise. But I can’t stop thinking about him. I’m not going to do anything about it - I wouldn’t risk my marriage or don’t think it would be in his plans either. I just want someone to explain what this is all about???
thanks!
AIBU?
Younger Guy at Work
Idealist3 · 07/09/2022 17:31
Am I being unreasonable?
102 votes. Final results.
POLLWestfacing · 07/09/2022 18:09
Everyone thinks they're 'youthful' - you're still 45 and probably look the same as other women your age.
Leave this boy alone and drop the late night texts - it seems deep down you'd like to take it further or why else would you mention how youthful you are.
Quveas · 07/09/2022 18:13
You keep it "friendly and professional" - by texting a younger and more junior member of staff at 11pm??? There is nothing professional about texting or communicating about work (or anything else) with a colleague at that time of night. It sets a very poor example of working practice, and is very inappropriate.
I wonder if those posters who think this is a "harmless crush" would say the same if it were a middle aged man pursuing an unprofessional relationship with a younger and more junior female. I very much doubt it.
Whatever your intentions are, stop this behaviour now. You are setting an awful example, acting totally unprofessionally, and putting yourself and him at risk.
NovaDeltas · 07/09/2022 18:23
Plenty of young men enjoy the attention and leading on of older women. They're actually rather nasty about it, joking amongst themselves about desperate, lonely women feeding them attention.
He's laughing at you and you're behaving like an idiot. Have some dignity.
Quveas · 07/09/2022 18:27
Wow. Make it his fault. Do younger more junior women lead on older more senior men as well? Jeez the double standards on this site are amazing. Men are always the aggressor, always in the wrong, and women helpless victims.
NovaDeltas · 07/09/2022 18:23
Plenty of young men enjoy the attention and leading on of older women. They're actually rather nasty about it, joking amongst themselves about desperate, lonely women feeding them attention.
He's laughing at you and you're behaving like an idiot. Have some dignity.
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Idealist3 · 07/09/2022 17:56
Ps. I should mention I am prob a youthful 45 (it is youthful!) as often people assume I am younger. I think my own DH is a good man but we do very different jobs!
Antarcticant · 07/09/2022 18:16
I wonder if those posters who think this is a "harmless crush" would say the same if it were a middle aged man pursuing an unprofessional relationship with a younger and more junior female. I very much doubt it.
No one so far has said it is a harmless crush. What thread are you reading? Everyone has told the OP it is a bad idea.
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