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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

How do I get over Mr Unavailable?

48 replies

Loulou0101 · 14/04/2013 21:52

I have met a guy that is so lovely and so uavailable. I have been single 2 years and not had the best dating history, I do find it hard to feel any attraction towards the opposite sex, but this guy who I met through work is so lovely and Im very much attracted to him but he is married. I know he is completely unavailable but I cant help how I feel. Please can someone help me get over this guy, I cant believe how I feel, its driving me crazy, I think about him too much!!

OP posts:
dontyouwantmebaby · 14/04/2013 22:45

"i didn't know he was married as its not something you chat about"

er, yes, it is actually. it really is something that comes up in general conversation when you're being friendly and getting to know someone regardless of whether male or female.

"yeah he could just be a really friendly guy but it just feels more than that sometimes"

er, yeah right. what 'more' could it be when you both know he's married? please listen to other posters warning you off married men who appear to be 'really friendly guys'. they appear to be but they're not. imagine you're married to that if it helps.

Loulou0101 · 14/04/2013 22:46

Thanks for your support.
Im not lonely, I have good family and friends. I have been through a separation and divorce I am more confident and secure in myself than ever before. I didnt say this guy was interested in me, he may or may not be. I said he is very nice to me and is always interested in me and my life. Its me that has these feelings. If I dont see him its not as bad. I wish I didnt have to see him.
I was actually thinking of telling him how I felt and then he may be less interested in talking to me and forcing it to be uncomfortable may help?

OP posts:
HoHoHoNoYouDont · 14/04/2013 22:47

That's what I thought Any.

AnyFucker · 14/04/2013 22:51

fgs, no...don't tell him how you feel

take some responsibility for your feelings...if you really don't want to escalate the issue/get him to acknowledge he fancies you back/escalate the situation etc (and I am still taking you at face value, just) then keep your own counsel

AnyFucker · 14/04/2013 22:52

oops, too many escalates...but my meaning should be clear

back off, and keep your feelings to yourself

Loulou0101 · 14/04/2013 22:54

I meant at first it was just general work talk at first. The way he is, feels more than that sometimes but I guess I will never know anyway. Im just trying to explain, through text which is difficult. Im here to listen, I want to move on from this. I dont want to feel anymore for this guy!

OP posts:
LastMangoInParis · 14/04/2013 22:56

Ok, you're not lonely. Or bored.
But being surrounded by people (family, friends, whoever) doesn't always protect us from loneliness, and being busy doesn't always negate boredom.

Also, being flirtatious doesn't always indicate any interest in a relationship - or a quick shag - or anything else really. But knowing that someone is married should negate the possiblity of any of those things with that person. And if that person is also someone you work with...
(You know that lots of application forms include a question on 'Reason for leaving last post', right?)

Loulou0101 · 14/04/2013 23:02

I do need to back off, stay away, I wont tell anyone how I feel, I guess Its a time thing. I just hope its soon!!

OP posts:
BicBiro · 15/04/2013 01:53

look, I'm my experience you just have to ride out the feelings. there is no point fighting them - that wont make them go, just accept them and accept it is going to hurt for a bit as you go through it.

the point is, it's okay to have feelings for him, but you are an adult and are capable of making a rational decision over whether actively pursuing fulfilment of these feelings is going to make you happy.

no you can't help how you feel, we all fancy unavailable guys at times, it's what you do with it that counts.

badinage · 15/04/2013 02:59

Oh I do grin and eye-roll a bit about how many excuses MNers will find for a woman who's fallen in lust with a married man....loneliness, boredom, lacking in confidence. Have we not had that perennial favourite yet... low self esteem ?

Hats off to you OP for having none of this. It actually sounds very banal and straightforward. You're very choosy about who you have the hots for and you've met a nice bloke who you get on well with and who you'd like to shag. As that doesn't happen very often for you because you're discerning in your tastes, this has blown your socks off a bit.

As for him, it's probably vaguely similar. He's married not dead and he's probably as happy as er...Larry (not Grylls Wink) at home but this new friendship has put a spring in his step and he thinks it's all quite safe because he won't make any overt moves to step things up a gear. There might be a bit of mentionitis about you at home and possibly his wife's ears have pricked up a little about this new colleague of his.

We could all be terribly pious and say 'what a prick' for not mentioning his wife during the introductions, but society is terribly double-speaking about this issue. All of us right-on sorts believe that men and women can be mates and that friendships at work are A Jolly Good Thing, but what we aren't so hot on is admitting that sometimes they cross over the line and that folk don't always realise when that line has been crossed until it's too late. Up till then they are too busy parroting the 'just a colleague I hit it off with' line to themselves and any mildly concerned partners.

So here's the deal.

Back off.

Under no circumstances tell him how you're feeling. Because if you do, only two responses will come back.

  1. He will say 'me too'
  2. He will affect surprise and tell you that he is terribly flattered but he is married and doesn't want anything more than a work friendship.

If you go all moist at 1) then you're hurtling towards an affair and only the willpower of the Superhuman would stop you.

And if it's 2) you'll be horribly embarrassed, going in to work will be shit for a while and at some point you might even blame him a bit for 'leading you on'.

There is of course a third option which will be the 'hedging his bets' one, involving him giving some weak 'chase me' response of how much he fancies you, wishes that things were different, thinks about you a lot, is a bit fed up at home....but, he's married (sigh) which would keep the flirtation going, requires you to chase him, wear him down and would eventually end up at the same point as Option 1).

Look at the positives.

You feel something for a bloke. It's whetted your appetite and you know everything's in full working order. Just treat it as a little 'awakener' and get out there again meeting new single blokes. Don't stop being discerning but remember, if you've clicked with this bloke, you will click with others.

He certainly won't be the only one. Think about the flawed logic of meeting the greatest bloke of all time in one workplace in one town. Meanwhile there are other great blokes in other towns, workplaces, hobby groups and lots of them will be available.

It really is no big deal to want a shag if you haven't had one for a while and it's as plain as day that seeing as he's probably the only half viable bloke within the vicinity and you see him every day, all this longing has focused on him. It doesn't mean you're lonely, depressed, under-confident or will be forever attracted to Messrs. Unavailable. And he's no Mr. Wonderful; just an everyday niceish bloke you happen to work with. In short, you're probably just a bit sexually frustrated that's all.

Don't make the mistake of turning this into something it's not. Lusting after someone doesn't have to become an obsessive infatuation or worst still, true lurve unless you let it. Own your sexual appetite and embrace it. It's really nothing to be ashamed of.

LemonPeculiarJones · 15/04/2013 08:45

badinage makes some good points and it's a good way of diffusing the excitement-drive: reducing your crush to the bare bones of frustrated single woman + flirty attractive man.

However, attraction is, of course, far more complex than that. People do have emotional patterns they fall into, and I think recurrent attraction to unavailable people can be highly significant in terms of self-esteem. So no eye-rolling from me about that. That might not apply to you of course but it is relevant and helpful for some to understand their motivations.

But it's a good idea to simplify things and just decide to wrench your attentions away from this potentially disastrous and painful situation. It's literally all you can do to preserve your sanity and you need to focus all your energies on distracting yourself.

Loulou0101 · 15/04/2013 09:33

Thanks for this mornings comments, they are definitely helping me. It feels so much better to chat about it and what you said badinage about telling him, I would put myself into an even worse position. I know I have to just hurt for a while and hope it passes, I really want it to, just scared it wont. I havnt gone into work today, I just couldnt go in. I do feel better after reading some comments though. I know it was silly not to go in but it is really making me feel sad at the moment, Iv been through quite a bit with my divorce and been through the hurt and built my strength back up which has been one massive rollercoaster of emotions. Im a completely different person now, its taken 2 years and now when I feel this hurt, its not nice. It probably sounds silly as its just one guy who happens to be nice to me.
When I dont see him its easier. I am going to really try and back off and yes it has made me see I can be attracted to other men. Im wondering where the Mr available men are?

OP posts:
Mumsyblouse · 15/04/2013 09:39

badinage's advice is excellent, you can take this as a positive, there are guys out there who you can really fancy/find attractive/mentally click with, he's just not the one for you.

Loulou0101 · 15/04/2013 09:43

I know it was nice to log in and read this morning after feeling so rubbish, I appreciate all the support thankyou :)
I know the hurt will go away one day.

OP posts:
cinnamonsugar · 15/04/2013 09:57

You sound lovely and it's clear how much this is upsetting you, but I promise you that if you're talking about 'the hurt' and have missed work today then these feelings are not about this man. You're projecting some feelings/thoughts from your past onto this situation. Try work out what all these feelings are really about. I think someone has already mentioned Baggage Reclaim on this thread? It's a good read for anyone.

Hope you can feel better soon.

melbie · 15/04/2013 10:20

I would also recommend baggage reclaim but also her book- Mr Unavailable. He might be the first unavailable man you have met because he is married but you may find outer men have you been out with were unavailable for other reasons IYSWIM. I found it very useful and it made a lot of sense.

It is not easy but I can promise you from experience that it is a million times harder letting yourself getting sucked in and anything happening and then trying to extract yourself!

Good luck

Lavenderhoney · 15/04/2013 11:00

Don't tell him how you feel- that would be a disaster, for all the excellent reasons pointed out below! Is he at your workplace all the time? And have you been there long?

If you are new you might have been targeted by him and the other ladies at work are watching wryly.

Do you meet new people much? To forget about him you will have to get out there and keep really busy. Don't confide in him or let him be your friend and give you advice.

It will pass, as soon as you concentrate on work, avoid him and make sure you have a plan to keep busy and meet people outside work, hobbies etc.

If he was that lovely he would leave you alone.

waltermittymissus · 15/04/2013 11:15

LouLou in your position I would socialise with your friends as much as possible. Get out there, have a meaningless fling if you want!

Try your utmost to enjoy the freedom and independence of a single life! You don't need more than you to be happy. :)

Good luck!

Loulou0101 · 15/04/2013 11:29

Thankyou all :)
Yeah I am wondering why this effecting me so much not to go into work. I have started dating again so meeting new people, thats been an eye opener. Probably more difficult than I thought it was going to be.
I have been there almost a year and known him about 4 months, not long but I do see him most days.
I will definitely read that baggage reclaim or look at her book maybe. When I separated I was always googling or reading to help me move on.
I wish I new about this site then as I feel so much bettter now.
Im happy, honestly, with life in general, as I said Im a happier person than I was 2 years ago and every day building a new life.
I promise I wont tell him.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 15/04/2013 11:48

and go to work tomorrow !

You are a strong woman, stop hiding away.

Loulou0101 · 15/04/2013 11:53

I will, promise. Iv got to be stronger I guess! I can do this!

OP posts:
waltermittymissus · 15/04/2013 12:14

You can, LouLou! And keep posting. There's always support here!

badinage · 15/04/2013 13:24

Okay so now because you're using words like 'hurt' and 'sad' and you're saying you bunked off work today, the picture becomes a bit clearer.

So it looks like this is some residual sadness about your marriage ending mixed in with some sexual frustration.

It might look like I'm reducing this to the trivial but actually I think it's society and women themselves who trivialise female sexual frustration, when it's a bloody big deal. I have a hunch too that if women felt more able to admit to just being as horny as hell they wouldn't be tempted to repackage these normal crushes on fanciable men as being something terribly meaningful about those particular men or worse still themselves

I've got no doubt that there are women who constantly go for unavailable men because they've got ishoos in their past; their dads, their over-reliance on men's attraction etc. but it would be so bloody refreshing if we acknowledged that sometimes, there's other stuff going on, like very powerful lust (and for those that go on and have affairs with attached men) competitiveness with other women and sheer selfishness.

It's far easier to say 'I've got low self esteem' than 'I wanted sex and I'm selfish' isn't it? Wink

Point is, not every woman gets into these messes for the same reasons. For you OP, it seems to me you're still sad about your marriage ending and seeing as you find it quite hard to feel sexual attraction for nice men, this sexy nice man has floored you a bit.

It could be that you've done so much really good work rebuilding yourself after your marriage, keeping busy and filling your life up with activities, that you haven't grieved enough and so this is coming out now in a rather displaced and confusing way. But as others have said, beyond him being a nice bloke, it's not really about him it's about you.

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