Can you call that interest/flirting or am I just interpreting what I want?

Hello everyone!

I am very new in here, and was hoping to get some opinions about a work colleague. I am not able to talk with this with anyone since i am very closed and haven't come out of the closet. I am sure you have read something similar many times, but I would appreciate your time to help me out

There is this guy at work and I feel attracted to him. I have no idea if he is gay or straight, etc. We do not work together (he is maybe two floors down in the building) and I have seen him around only casually here and there. So, i had not a big crush on him, just acknowledging when someone is attractive but thats it.

Last week there was a company party, and I noticed him again. I looked at him across the room and made eye contact with him. I remember he was also keeping the eye contact with me. After that, he suddenly appeared next to me and started conversation. I was surprised that without a reason he just approached me after eye contact. We talked, it was cool. He even mentioned we had met already at a mutual friends place, while we were watching a soccer game (others were also there). I had totally forgot that but after he mentioned it, it came back to my memory (as I said, I did not have a crush on him, just found him very attractive). The conversation kept going and after that I went with my friends and he with his. Later, again, eye contact was made and he approached me again and we continued the conversation. I was still surprised how come this guy out of the blue, the one i like, just came to me. It was enjoying this very much!

One week after the party, he came to the office. We were on a meeting so he just looked very quick and i saw him and i got nervous/excited when I saw him. He left and came back later. When he got into the office, i said hi to him and shake his hand. He said hi as well, and then asked if my boss was around, because he wanted to ask him something. I said no, that he was on a business trip but he would be back next week. He mentioned he wanted to ask him something regarding X thing. Then, another person came into the office and told him if he could take a look at something. They went to another room and stayed there 20 minutes. After that, he came back and asked me... so.. what are you working on? I explained him what i was doing, and he asked how the work was going, etc. We kept talking and then he touched my arm very subtle. I liked it but did not wanted to overreact and touch back or something because other three colleagues were as well at the office. I also was not sure if that was some kind of sign or just my mind flying. I kept talking about other stuff (this friend we have in common) and that I went out with him yesterday, and he said, oh yes, he told me. Then, other office colleagues told him hey here are the pictures of the party, we see you here, etc. he went to check that out. After that, he just said good bye and left.

I am sorry for my long message here. I also apologize for my writing mistakes. I am not a native speaker but i hope its clear enough to get the whole point.

Should I approach him? Write him an email and invite him for lunch? Or would that be too much? I mean, based on the previous situation, I am not sure if I should go for it, or just wait. I am also not quite good with the waiting and somehow feel that if someone showed interest and gave first steps, i should reciprocate that... but maybe I misinterpret something in here and its just my mind confusing me. I realized now my interest in him is bigger and its going into the crush direction.

Thank you for the responses again!

Adam

 

Thank you for answering @ Really. I appreciate it.

I am not sure either about the email, but as I mentioned... maybe this guy did already the two approaches (at the party... and at the office) and just in case that he was actually trying to start showing some interest...I do not want him to think that i am not interested, so i thought ...ok, maybe i need to make the next move and not just wait if he comes or not... I would like to go to his floor and maybe "run into him" but i do not have any reason to be there... so im scared that might look weird..?

 

Well, since it was basically the first time we actually talked, it was more like, what do you do at work thing, what did you study and about that time of the soccer game. So i still do not know much about his interests or hobbies, but I guess we have in common similar studies, also soccer games, and well, this mutual friend..

During his visit at our office, i also learned just a little more that he is going to write his master thesis soon. I am writing mine now, so thats what we have in common, so far.

 

Any other thoughts about this?

Thanks !