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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

Can't shake this feeling... someone talk sense to me

15 replies

Amibeingdaft123 · 23/11/2021 21:15

NC for this but Naice ham, elderly Korean lady, Sistine Screamer etc etc.

I think I might be being unhinged, but I’ve known DP for so long and some changes in his behaviour have got my spidey scenes tingling.

For background we are early 30s and DP is an architect and only in the last year has he passed his part III.
For the first time he’s been put in charge of a big project, leading a decent sized team, very proud of him but in the 80 billion years I’ve known him he’s never been one to talk about work.
As part of the team he’s got a few part IIs (so done a few years and then a masters, they’ll be 24/25/26) if he talked about all of them I’d not bat an eye lid but there is one PII, we’ll call her Jane he seems to mention a lot, he talks about work to drop her in, how much he enjoys teaching her things, how impressed he was with how she dealt with XYZ… A bit weird.
He’s taken to going to the office a lot more - he used to go in maybe 3/4 times a month and it’s now 2/3 times a week. I know “Jane” is in the office full time (he’s mentioned it…). As mentioned he’d usually not talk about work ever unless someone had really annoyed him and then you’d get a quick rant, I didn’t even know he’d won an award until he dropped it in one evening several months after - he HATES talking about work generally.
I half pulled him up on this :
“fond of this Jane aren’t you” kind of thing, to which he responded I talk about my work friends (yes work FRIENDS not just one person I’ve known 2 months).

He has mainly female friends, and I’ve never ever had a moment of suspicion or doubt about any of them. But there is just something weirdly… different about this.
I’m usually never jealous, never paranoid at all, but I cannot shake at all that something weird is going on.
I’m trying to tell myself it’s maybe just a little crush, and she probably wouldn’t look twice at him, and that’s fine, it’s unrealistic to spend nearly a decade with someone and never have a tiny crush on someone at some point!
But I feel I know him so well that there are slight differences in the way he speaks about her compared to other people he’s known/worked with that is really got me suspicious.

Outside of this talking he hasn’t acted any differently around me - not OTT romantic/affectionate which was always the indicator for friends who’s partners cheated on them. Just his usual kind, laid back self.

I keep swinging between, nothing is up, he’s had a big career breakthrough and is a bit excited about it, to, he’s wanting to sleep with “Jane”

Sorry for the internal monologue, has anyone else been in this sort of position, I’ve never been the jealous type but I cannot shake that something is up here.

OP posts:
spotcheck · 23/11/2021 21:19

Hmm

Sometimes you just 'know' without knowing.
I would keep an eye.
Or talk to him? Say he does mention her a lot and it feels a bit strange?

Roadhouse111 · 23/11/2021 21:20

Mentionitis, it's a thing. I had a similar situation with dh, and ended up with inappropriate messaging. I told him either he cuts all bon work related contact or he was out, he did and we've never had the situation again, I think she was so in awe of him and stroked his ego bit he was so stupid to think it was some kind of friendship.
It damaged the trust for a very long time (I've been with dh for most of my adult life) but we are back in track again.

Trust your Spidey senses, I'm glad I trusted mine.

Monalotmoore · 23/11/2021 21:24

He seems to have a dose of mentionitis.

Inquisitivearchitect · 23/11/2021 21:28

I’m answering this from an architects point of view….. Are you sure that she is the age you think she is? Part 2’s in our office are older than the architects!

If he’s in charge of his first big project he will need to be more involved. Sometimes the Part 2’s focus more on the building regs / technical design and this will need close monitoring just to avoid mistakes.

Also, he might need to be more involved in time tracking, monitoring billable hours and all sorts of random small tasks.

It takes a lot of additional admin to lead a project. We track down to the very last minute!

But if he has mentionitis then maybe he does have a little crush. It’s hard to tell from your OP.

Is he on his phone more than usual?

blueshoes · 23/11/2021 21:29

Trust your gut instinct. This one IS different.

He is not a player since he is giving the game away so blatantly with mentionitis. Take whatever comfort you can from that. He has not learnt how to cover his tracks yet.

I would lay down the law with him. If he is unfaithful, even emotionally, he needs to know he is out.

Do you have dcs?

Maskless · 23/11/2021 21:34

is there any excuse you could make to meet her? like engineer some reason why you have to go into his office to give him something, maybe?

I was just thinking that if you could show her that he's happily married that might deter her from thinking this is going anywhere.

Amibeingdaft123 · 23/11/2021 21:37

@Inquisitivearchitect she's definitely younger - it came up in when she was was talking about how impressed he was with how she dealt with a an arsehole contractor.

@blueshoes No DC and he used to be an absolute nightmare with money so the house we live in is mine and owned outright, so he'd really be up shit creek without a paddle if he did cheat.

Our relationship is otherwise, genuinely, really really good, I've always been happy, which is why I'm so convinced something might be up here.

I think on balance, I will give him a couple of weeks to get over the excitement of this role - as much as I've known him since he was a P1 and he's never really wanted to talk about work, and if it continues I will address it.

OP posts:
EllaVaNight · 23/11/2021 21:39

Trust your gut! My ex mentioned many female colleagues what with being a nurse. There was one I felt funny about. Yep, he shagged her and made me feel I was crazy.

Inquisitivearchitect · 23/11/2021 21:41

@Amibeingdaft123 ok, well she sounds like she’s doing some technical work (if she’s dealing with contractors!) and that’ll need very close monitoring! As a lead architect any mistakes will fall on him and he’ll need to check 100% of her work and sign it off.

Find out if their time is tracked per minute - this will give you an idea. Many architectural firms are very strict on breaks, time tracking and billable hours (and budgets).

You aren’t being silly to worry though. Keep an eye on his phone usage and his mentionitis. Flowers

GoodnightGrandma · 23/11/2021 21:42

Trust your gut. Keep your eyes open.

MancMum2000 · 23/11/2021 21:44

Classic mentionitis, he fancies her. It happens, may well not be more than a little crush, but I’d keep my eye on it.

FallonCarringtonWannabe · 23/11/2021 21:48

If it is making you feel uncomfortable, dont ignore it.

Jurassicparkinajug · 23/11/2021 21:52

I think you should trust your instincts. It is a bit suspicious that he mentions her so much. He may fancy her a bit or maybe she is giving him attention and he's enjoying it but definitely keep an eye out.

pastypirate · 23/11/2021 21:53

Have you not Facebook nosed yet?

Sonaftersonafterson · 23/11/2021 22:18

First up, find out what she looks like. Shallow, yes, but it may give you an indicator as to why he has a crush.

And he does have a crush. I've seen this play out a million times. Watch him OP, its always the ones you wouldn't expect it of. Spidey senses are rarely wrong... you've been here long enough to know that. Hope I'm wrong x

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