Why is he like this?

[Hiddenmeaning40]

I’ve name changed, again. I need some help understanding the behaviour of my male friend. We’re both single, I’m so attracted to him but although sometimes I think he feels the same, he never does anything about it, so perhaps he doesn’t.

He says such lovely things to me. In the last week he’s told me that I’m beautiful, funny, clever. He’s told me that meeting me has made him a happier person and before I went on holiday he told me that he was going to miss me ‘on every level.’

Why would a man say such lovely things but not demonstrate any physical interest?

I like the phrase 'friends territory' - perhaps you could ask him something along the lines of "just to clarify, and not risk any misunderstanding, are we in the 'friends only territory and nothing more ever?'" Smiling and inserting light-hearted laugh at some point. Glass of wine, relaxed moment - can pass it off as 'wine-based uninhibited moment' if it were to create awkward pause!

My take FWIW is that assuming he’s not gay then I’d say he’s into you. In fact for him to go as far as to notice and mention qualities like being clever and funny then I’d say he’s seriously into you. IME a guy doesn’t bother with that kind of thing unless he’s seriously into a girl.

Has he had the opportunity to make a move like being alone together etc?

He clearly thinks you’re attractive so there must be something he’s not sure about. I don’t buy the kids thing cause IMO he seems too into you for that to be an issue. Could well be he doesn’t want to spoil anything or maybe he’s worried he’d make a fool of himself or he might be worried you wouldn’t return his affection?

As mentioned above I’d get him out for a drink and be a bit more forward. You can blame the wine!

PSMartini......so now I wonder if that applies to me too....I feel my 'friend' does like me, with the kiss faces and endearing texts. He's very caring. Why bother? I'm just confused...

ShatnersWig....but how would you know it's reciprocated first? This is where it all boils down to communication and not wanting to rock the boat for fear of rejection....and then no one knows and there are missed opportunities

If a man does not actively pursue a woman, why is he automatically considered to be gay by a vast swathe of the female populace? Are we not allowed to have a preference of what we find attractive in the female form? I get rejected quite often when approaching women, I don't automatically assume that they must be attracted to other women and not the male gender.

I had a close male friend (years ago) with a mutual attraction. In the end I realised that he liked me a lot, he enjoyed my company and he was attacted to me but he just wasn’t into me enough to want to be my boyfriend. I think if i’d been a random girl he met at a party he might have dated me a few times but he wasn’t into me enough to end our friendship. It could be that simple.

He’s contacted me to tell me explicitly how he feels and how he’s feeling at the moment whilst I’m away. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that

Now I just need to see if anything changes between us physically when I get back.

Ooooh! Here we go!

When do you get back?

Is he worried you'll get to together with someone else on holiday?