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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

Confused - if he's not interested why does he act it?

189 replies

tinks4 · 11/12/2014 15:39

I have posted before about a male friend of mine. I really like him and I wasn’t sure if he liked me or not. He seemed to like me – flirty with me, suggestive comments, made excuses to come and see me, tactile and stands really close to me etc., but he hadn’t made a move on me so I wasn’t sure. Anyway after a while I think he did make a pass at me, but it was a bit clumsy and took me by surprise and I ended up taking it as him joking about. It didn’t register with me until afterwards that he probably made a pass at me.

Fast forward a good few months and I am still mightily confused! He’s still exactly the same with me and I’ve been a lot more flirty with him so he can’t be in any doubt now that I like him. A couple of months ago we were having a bit of banter about him taking me to bed. He was joking about whether my neighbours might hear and I said ‘I’d be noisy would I?’ He said ‘I don’t know’ followed by a pause and then ‘yet!’ We then looked at each and smiled. Sort of a well that’s going to happen at some point then look. The conversation continued with a bit more banter along those lines and I got a slap on the bum and a cheeky grin when he left. I was walking on air for a bit thinking he does like me and we’re going to get together at some point.

That was two months and still nothing has happened. He came round last week and we were sitting together extremely closely on my sofa. We were talking about alcohol and he remarked that it makes him ‘rampant’. He elaborated and said that it’s like an aphrodisiac for him. My sense of humour being like it is I said ‘oh do you fancy a drink’. He said no, the conversation continued along those lines and I said ‘are you sure you don’t want a drink, I’ve got a bottle of wine in the fridge’. He said ‘I’m tempted’ but declined. Not sure if the conversation was about the wine or not. We continued chatting and he said something suggestive to me, I can’t remember what it was, and I said ‘you shouldn’t say things like that, you’ve already got me wound up’. He clarified if I meant wound up or excited, I said excited. The sexual tension between us was obvious, but nothing happened.

He did take a call from a man who he was supposed to have rung that evening and he said he would ring him when he got back, so I did wonder if that may have been the reason. But, the man rang him soon after he was round mine and he was at mine for about an hour and a half so I don’t think it was that. He could also have said I can’t tonight, but another time or something.

So I’m thinking that for whatever reason he’s not interested in developing things any further between us and wants to stay just friends. But when he was about to leave he asked me what my shower pressure was like (that’s not a weird question coming from him). I showed him and he said ‘I’ll enjoy having a shower in there’. Then when I was showing him out he said to text him when I’d got the stuff done that we’d been looking at that evening and he’d come round and pick it up. I said fine and he said in an extremely sexual way that he has ‘make sure you’re ready’.

I was outside with him a few days after that, at the weekend, and he put his hands on the tops of my arms/shoulder area and moved me right to him. He then pointed out there was a dove in the tree. He could have just said there’s a dove in the tree, it just came over as a reason to get physically close to me. He then said that the tree still had leaves on it so he would be camouflaged if he was naked in the tree watching me. He didn’t mean that in a pervy way, it’s just his sense of humour.

So basically I am totally confused. He had a perfect chance last week with me and declined so I thought he doesn’t want to. So why is he still making comments and acting for all the world like he is interested. He’s not shy at all, he definitely knows I like him. I don’t know if he just likes the banter/attention, doesn’t want a relationship, just playing me.

I suppose what I am asking is if he’s not interested then why he is acting interested in every other way? Any thoughts would be appreciated as it’s doing my head in now.

OP posts:
Brodicea · 15/12/2014 18:41

Well I am glad you managed to talk OP but do keep your cards close to your chest. Don't give him an inch (literally! phnar) more than he will give you. See if he will work on it. I say it seems understandable in the circumstances that he has been unsure, but that if he's really into you enough, he will move heaven and earth SOON to be with you... hard - be careful, that's my advice.

(In answer to your much earlier question made he did eventually chose one - I was a bit gutted, my other friend was absolutely heart broken (we became friends about a year after that, before that we just moved in the same circles). The chosen lady and he got married a few years ago - great, but he was still an arse for toying with us!)

ruddygreattiger · 15/12/2014 19:37

Wow, he might pop by for a fumble when he has time/can be bothered but doesn't want anyone to know, jeez what a gentleman! If op is ok with this then fine but personally I would find it so offensive to be thought of as a casual, secret fuck.

tinks4 · 15/12/2014 20:06

Thank you (I think!) for everyone's advice. I do like him a lot so I want to give it a go and see what happens. I would much rather regret something I did than something I didn't.

I have known him five years and he has always come over as a decent, sincere bloke. I genuinely don't think he is a player and I would rather he was upfront and honest with me the way he has been.

I do know his circumstances and he genuinely doesn't get much free time as he is always working. He works 7 days a week and works very late most weekdays. He sees his daughter most days as well. She stays overnight with him a couple of nights a week.

I am not looking for a full on heavy relationship. I actually like my life the way it is in the main, but it would be nice to have someone to snuggle up with on the sofa sometimes.

I did have a really lovely evening last night. We did what we normally do, we chatted, we laughed and joked around. But we added intimacy to it as well, it was passionate, exciting, really good and felt very natural with him. We were both very relaxed with each other.

I am not denying that I would like to see more of him than is likely to happen, but I accept his reasons why he can't have a full time relationship at the moment.

I will get more than an hour here and there. He said he can see me properly once a week or so, the time inbetween will be an hour here and there.

I know I could get hurt, but you run the risk of that anytime you fall for someone.

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 15/12/2014 20:10

Good luck with it all then, tinks. :)

lavenderhoney · 15/12/2014 20:16

Been reading with interest and especially like the Mr unavailable post:)

Op, yes, but less of the sofa and more dating. Ie, cinema, theatre, dinner... You're making it very easy for him. And you! Stop festooning your sofa with fairy lights and make the effort to go out. And rocking up at yours for snuggles etc makes him sound like a married man. You need to be taken out and about a bit.

And start dating other men. Because he's made it clear he doesn't want a relationship and has put so many hurdles in place, he can hardly insist on exclusivity. Don't tell him, just assume. After all, he is assuming a lot!

tinks4 · 15/12/2014 20:50

Some of the comments last night wondering how we were getting on were quite amusing by the way. Gave me a giggle.

In response to some of the points raised/questions etc. I am in my 40s, he is in his 50s.

The issue with his daughter is that he doesn't think she will deal with him being in a relationship very well. He didn't want to jump into bed with me and then turn round afterwards and say that he couldn't have a full time, going out type relationship with me as he didn't think that was fair to me which is why he wanted to talk first.

intlmanofmystery thank you. I have been feeling great all day and feel on a real high. I am just going to enjoy it and see what happens between us.

He hasn't said that it is a secret, just that he doesn't want his daughter to know that he is seeing someone.

I don't have a massive problem if it did end up as a largely friends with benefits situation. I do accept though that as I already have feelings involved they will probably grow during a sexual relationship so I know I might find that I want more and if he doesn't then I could get hurt. I will just see how it goes but I am feeling great at the minute.

Yes knowing that he definitely does fancy me has put a smile on my face.

His daughter mainly lives with his ex-wife, but she does stay overnight with him regularly and he sees her most days. It's more work reasons why he doesn't get free time.

WhatsGoingOnEh I probably have a few commitment issues I suppose. I like my own space and my own time to see my friends and do my own thing. I don't want a boyfriend that I spend hours with every single night and I don't envisage living with anyone. I have never been engaged. I have had good relationships previously.

It is quite hard to put online advice above your own feelings for someone. I know him and I tend to be quite a good judge of character and I don't think he is a player and I respect him more for being honest for me first. There is some really great advice on here and there are a lot of threads by women who have issues with a husband/boyfriend and say that they know him and he wouldn't do that and a majority of responses are often critical of the man's intentions/actions and sadly a lot of time the posters turn out to know more about the husband/boyfriend than the wife/girlfriend. So I know a lot of you could turn out to be right about him and I might end up posting again in six months saying that I want a proper relationship and he just wants sex.

I want to give him a chance and I don't want to walk away now, look back and wonder what might have been. I would rather find out for myself and hope that I stay feeling as great as I do now.

OP posts:
bumpthedoor · 15/12/2014 21:01

Good luck tinks Be careful and look after yourself.

WhatsGoingOnEh · 15/12/2014 22:23

If you're in your 40s, you'll be fine. IME it's the best decade. Wink

TheChandler · 16/12/2014 10:27

You're already accommodating him by making excuses for him OP. But no doubt you will find out in time if he is a genuine man or not. My guess is that he has quite a lot lurking in his background that he keeps secret, but anyway, I hope you get some fun out of it!

tinks4 · 16/12/2014 20:19

Thank you for the good luck wishes, I will be careful and if it's not fun I won't stay seeing him for long!! Thanks again.

OP posts:
stareatthetvscreen · 27/01/2015 22:01

i'd love to know what's happening tinks :)

tinks4 · 28/01/2015 19:19

As you've asked so nicely stareatthetvscreen

It's going well. I see him about twice a week, he makes me laugh, he's complimentary about me, he's very passionate and I love spending time with him. We spend a lot of time chatting and still have our daft conversations.

We've haven't been on a proper date as such but we're going out for a drink next week.

I like him a lot and I certainly don't have any doubt now that he likes me too! So far so good. Thanks for thinking of me.

OP posts:
stareatthetvscreen · 28/01/2015 19:34

aww thank you :)

Ponyinthepool · 28/01/2015 19:39

Delurking to say YAY! Good for you tinks :-)

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