I started a new job earlier this year and the whole business meets up once a month in the office - this always leads to a few drinks after work.
There is a colleague who is more senior than me that I often end up spending a lot of time with at the pub. We take the mick out of each other a lot and we make each other laugh, but I can’t tell if he’s flirting with me or just being nice as I’m new to the business. Day to day we don’t have much contact at work but he has said he doesn’t want me to leave the business (due to a tricky colleague of mine) and that I know he’s ‘fond’ of me.
He tells me things in relation to work that he says he shouldn’t and seems to have my back a lot. However the last few times we have met I’ve felt him put his hand around my waist once or twice, albeit very briefly. We walk to the station together and hug goodbye, but this week he also kissed me on the cheek. He then messaged to check I had got the train okay.
The next morning he messaged me on Teams taking the mick out of something i had said the night before and asked if I was staying in London next week for the event the company is attending. But this may have been him just wanting to know what hotel everyone is staying in? He then messaged me again later to complain about his hangover.
He is married with young children and does talk openly about his wife and them, so I can’t work out if he is flirting or just being really friendly? When colleagues in a relationship have been inappropriate before they have always avoided mentioning their partner. I don’t have ill intentions but I want to understand if it’s appropriate or if I am just over thinking his actions and he is actually just being friendly after a couple of drinks. And if he is flirting, is it just innocent flirting or is it because he has further intentions?