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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

Being a secret admirer - clever, or just a bit creepy?

134 replies

ThePrague · 20/06/2015 20:55

I've join MN purely to get peeps opinion, as I anticipate that I'll get a fair, honest and measured hearing here compared to forums I normally frequent where it's likely I'll get laughed outta town!

Anyway, I'll try and make this as short as possible without leaving out any vital information:

I'm a guy in my late twenties and have started a new job about a month ago. Incidentally, the job is great but it's not exactly what I'm used to or something which find really fulfilling but jobs and job and hopefully I can move on next year. ANYWAY....

So, on my first week I get ferried across departments, basically to sit with and understand their roles before starting my actual job in the second week. On the third day, I'm sitting with one of the guys as his talking me through what his doing when this girls walks past, I smiled at her and she smiled back. (she must have been off on the second day when I was in her dept).

Now, I'm not stupid, I know she was smiling to be polite. However, I think you know where this is going, so yeah, my heart skipped a beat, literally everything I find attractive, I'm actually amazed I smiled rather than my jaw hitting the floor!

Now, we're three weeks out and I can't stop thinking about her. Massive crush, and the horrible thing is I have never spoken to her, and the chances of being able to engineer the opportunity are slim to none - different departments on different floors, different lunchtime, and on the odd occasion she has been in my office, it's impossible for me to just straight up go and talk to her because it's just going to get people asking questions - it's a very quiet dept. She doesn't seem to know I'm even there :(

The other issue with just talking to her, other than the aforementioned impossibility, is that I'm been burned before, the 'friend-zone' nonsense making it impossible to go further without upsetting things. In short, [i]I don't want to be her friend[/I], to put it bluntly.

I do know bits about her - I'm quite certain she is single, she is popular, respected and appears altogether lovely.

So, after a lot of thought, I'm sitting here thinking the only safe, practical and least potentially creepy option is to become a 'secret admirer'.

IF I go through with this, I had this itinerary in mind:

Week 1 - Leave flowers with a small handwritten note on/in the boot of her car (she sometimes drive her parents SUV), on the days when she finishes later than me. I figured that this is least likely to a) be noticed by anyone else, b) unlikely to come across in any way as creepy, and c) show her that I'm thoughtful and a little brave. In the note I'd say something along the lines of "if you liked the flowers, say thank you on your Facebook (we're not FB friends but it's and open account)", which obviously would give me the go ahead for...

Week 2 - this is where it turns a bit brave. Now, leaving something on her car again will just be a bit one dimensional as I've done it once, so I'd send chocolates to her VIA WORK, so that she'd have them delivered to her department and everyone she works with would see it! The logic being that she would share the chocolates, let on to them about the flowers, and then her colleagues would basically do my work for me by pushing her to keep going. Again, in the note would be the Facebook thank you line to confirm back to me that she is still interested.

Now, at this stage I'm a little unsure of whether to go for a third gift (what else is there?!), or go for the big one...

Week 3 - I would book a table at a nice restaurant, and then send her (again via the post at work) an invitation to a date. The only risk is that I book on night she can't attend. Again, asking her to confirm on Facebook.

What do we think? I'm a little unsure on the Facebook element, but the only alternative is to set-up an email address, but the problem there is that she might be hesitant to share her personal email address, though I suppose she could use her work email address.

OP posts:
ThePrague · 20/06/2015 21:50

@ Ehric - possibly, I have to concede that is a possibility. But like I've said, everything I've seen and heard suggests she's not a either a moron or an egotist. But then you won't be sure about anyone until to go on a date will you? It's always a gamble.

OP posts:
Zillie77 · 20/06/2015 21:50

Okay, if your self-esteem has not been totally wrecked by a bunch of old harpies suggesting that you might be a creep, I do agree that a quick FB friend request with a little note letting her know that you work at the same place is not such a bad move.

Then, send her a note or an e-mail asking her out. What is the worst that can happen? She isn't likely to burn your house down or something like that. She can only say no, or not respond, and then you can just move on. There are tons of women out there to whom you would be just as attracted.

BTW, I agree that "friend-zoning" is real, and not a sexist construction of sexually frustrated men. But I think it may have more to do with physiology/pheromones. My husband was friend-zoned a few times before I met him but the first time I met him I was like "SHAZAM!! Who is that magnificent creature?" I was all over him from the get-go. I do think if a woman is attracted to you you will not get friend-zoned and if you get friend-zoned she would never have been into you, even if you had played things differently.

ThePrague · 20/06/2015 21:55

@ Zillie -I have had a situation in the past where I've admitted to a girl's friend that I liked her friend quite a bit more than I was letting on to begin with, who then ended up with someone else later on, and her friend said that if I had been more direct in the beginning that her friend might well have reciprocated. So yeah, I'm burnt from that experience.

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DinnaeKnowShitFromClay · 20/06/2015 21:56

Couldn't you have a day off and hang around outside to catch her when she comes out for lunch (that's if she leaves the office for lunch of course!)

ThePrague · 20/06/2015 21:57

@ Zillie re the self-esteem wrecking above, if it saves me from a very bad situation and pushes me in the right direction then I have to take it on the chin and say thank you.

OP posts:
ThePrague · 20/06/2015 21:58

@ Dinnae - not really, it's in the middle of nowhere, there would probably be a percentile chance of not being allowed back the next day lol

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Hypotenuse · 20/06/2015 21:59

Definitely go with a fb message. I'm in my twenties (just) and it's very normal to chat by text or fb message to get to know someone, then going on a date.

Its weird to watch her car though. Remember she's just a person, don't get obsessed, if you have an obsessive personality it's best to own that and keep it in check!

Cabrinha · 20/06/2015 22:00

How can you be "burned" from a friend (not even the girl!) saying you might have got somewhere if you'd said you were more interested?
With that, and the weird overly thought out 4 week plan of escalating notes, I honestly just think you take it all far too seriously and emotionally.

Just message her on fb saying where you work, and hello.

It really is that simple.

Gabilan · 20/06/2015 22:01

"Obv I'm just concerned that she'll go and tell other people that "the new guy tried to add me, he must be weird."

Yeah, whereas if you leave flowers and notes all over her car she'll tell everyone you're great.

There are plenty of people I'd have gone out with if they'd just said "would you like a drink?". Unfortunately since they came out with some peculiar "oh, you're the one for me" when they hardly knew me I just ran away. Freaked me out.

TRexingInAsda · 20/06/2015 22:04

if a woman is attracted to you you will not get friend-zoned and if you get friend-zoned she would never have been into you, even if you had played things differently

...so what you're actually saying, in effect, is there's no such thing as friend-zoning. I agree, either she fancies you or she doesn't. Friend-zoning is absolute misogynist bollocks, mostly believed in by idiot teenagers tbf - OP you need to drop that phrase immediately.

A quick FB message is a good idea. I get that you don't want her to say no, but she might say no! It's actually quite likely. However, she might not. And even if she's not interested, you haven't lost anything making contact in that sort of normal, casual way. Nobody is going to think anything of it, even if she mentions it to anyone, which she probably wouldn't. In contrast, if you did all the stalkery nonsense, everyone would hear about it, as it would unsettle her ad she'd be saying "eeek, some stalker put flowers on my car and wants me to meet him" and there's no way on earth she'd turn up to a date with someone who she didn't know anything about other than that they were a total stalkery wierdo. I'm so glad you asked here first! Good luck.

ChilliAndMint · 20/06/2015 22:04

Just find excuses to talk to her, bump into her. Make small talk, you'll soon get the message that she likes you or not.
Nothing ventured and all that. Just be a bit flirty, not too full on, let your crush mode dictate what you say. It is very appealing when a bloke is a bit nervous and trips over his words, women find that attractive.
Please no grand gestures, that is very unnerving.

midnightvelvet01 · 20/06/2015 22:05

Zillie old harpies, how very dare you! Shock Angry Grin

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 20/06/2015 22:06

But you aren't even friends with this woman
You don't know her
She's a stranger pretty much

ThePrague · 20/06/2015 22:10

Right, I think that I'm going just take the first opportunity I get to say hi at work, then add her on FB and a short msg saying I think you're great, want to go for a lunch sometime?

Just gotta hope that opportunity comes. I suppose I could try to work when she might come to the dept and possible try to arrange a walkby at the right moment.

OP posts:
Zillie77 · 20/06/2015 22:14

Midnight: would "harridan" suit you better?Grin

midnightvelvet01 · 20/06/2015 22:15

Just out of interest you say that your dept has a reputation. A reputation for what?
And could the reports that she gets involved with be useful as a meeting tool?

silverglitterpisser · 20/06/2015 22:16

U sound lovely but this is a really bad idea! U will freak this lady out. Just talk to her. Good luck.

Zillie77 · 20/06/2015 22:17

TRexing: friend-zoning can refer to a woman using a man for friendship and emotional support while subtly signaling (sometimes not entirely consciously) that he may have a chance romantically when she knows he does not. It is real and I say this as a long-time feminist.

midnightvelvet01 · 20/06/2015 22:17

Zillie Grin Grin

Perhaps we could combine them and be harridinious harpies Grin

ALaughAMinute · 20/06/2015 22:17

Sorry to say but I don't like the flowers and chocolate idea either.

If you can't chat to her at work I think chatting to her on Facebook is by far the best idea.

Ask her how she is and if she enjoys her job and take it from there. If you get a warm vibe from her ask her to meet for a coffee or a drink after work.

scallopsrgreat · 20/06/2015 22:18

I am incredibly worried that you even have doubts that this behaviour is creepy.

Women are entitled to their boundaries and pretty much everything in your OP crosses those boundaries. And you thought this might be OK - with a woman you've seen from a distance a couple of times and not even spoken to?

saturnvista · 20/06/2015 22:20

Definitely a bad idea. Dangerous for her.

ImperialBlether · 20/06/2015 22:22

Halfway down your OP I heard myself say "Oh no" in exactly the same way Malcolm Tucker said it when he realised he was going to be fired.

ThePrague · 20/06/2015 22:25

@ Midnightvelve - re reports, without wanting to give too much info (no offence to you or MN intended), she basically is one of the people that closes or amended reports once I've assessed them. I had actually thought about emailing her and the other girl who does it to ask if they were happy with how I was doing it and/or whether they wanted by recommendations in a different form. It would be a brave man who managed to make a pass through that. Also, all our emails and phone calls are recorded so I'm loathe to try anything on system.

@ silverglitterpisser - thank you, just want to give myself the best possible chance in what I think is a difficult situation.

Won't Facebook come across as trying to avoid talking to her? Or do I need to get with the times?!

OP posts:
ThePrague · 20/06/2015 22:29

@ scallopsrgreat - why do you think I posted this here? Because obv I'm aware this isn't what would normally be done. But in a normal workplace it probably wouldn't be stupidly difficult to walk into different depts.

  • This actually makes me sound like I hate this job. I don't, but I have been shocked but how isolated it feels.
OP posts: