Colleague asked me out

[Brandbrandbrandy]

I don’t fancy him but like him a lot as a colleague and possibly as friends.

We are both freelancers and not part of a company as such.

I value his professional opinions and will often go to him for advice.

But I don’t want to date him.

I’m worried that I’m going to lose the business relationship with him because I have turned him down. As I say, there is no obligation to work together once this particular project is over.

Something to try and not ruin the atmosphere like:

"it's a genuinely really lovely thought, but one of those 'if we were in a parallel universe' things I'm afraid. I have a strict dating-never-mixes-with-work policy (rather personal reasons) and can't break it even for you! Happy to go for a drink as friends, but no worries if you'd rather just stick to business as we have been doing"

Obviously leave out the drink as friends bit if you don't actually want to. Not sure if that's a bit cop out or not. It's not meant to be, I was going for not a vibe of non-offensive non-embarrassing.

BBD has it. Beautifully diplomatic.

You can always say that you've recently started dating someone and you aren't the type of person to see two people at the same time 🙂

Er...the OP has turned him down already.

Wow so sorry Op you have already turned him down as the Pp says, I don't know why i didn't see that line. Ignore my silly advice.

How did you turn him down? I bet it won't be as bad as you think if he's a decent enough bloke... I always find the awkwardness of these things are worse in my imagination but totally understand your concerns.

It's how you are together the next time you see each other that will tell.