Is he being friendly or is interested?

[Anonymous]

I work at a grocery store and one day when I was working, I locked eyes with a regular customer when he walked by me. He's very attractive but has never shown interest. One time he did say I looked lonely when he came up to check out at the register, but I figured he was joking as many customers say this. Anyway, when we locked eyes, he smiled at me. I was surprised so I didn't smile back. The next time I saw him we locked eyes and he smiled again, but it was a closed mouth smile. After that I saw him a few times and he didn't smile at me, but he caught me looking at him across the sales floor. I had turned around to look at him. He also keeps walking past me to go up to the registers. (I work at a station on the sales floor so I'm right near the entrance and registers.) Finally, I got up the courage to say hi to him and he said hi back. Is he being friendly or is it possible he is interested in me?

[_Maya_]

He's being friendly. That's just probably his personality. I would never assume in a thousand years that because someone said hi and I said hi to them that they liked me. Also the whole smiling thing you are way over thinking to the point you are analyzing his mouth being opened or closed. I mean if that ain't scraping the bottom of the barrel for a sign I don't know what is. He just sounds like a friendly guy. Anyways if he did like you and was trying to get your attention you may have missed that opportunity to give a positive sign back when he smiled the first time and you didn't back at him. If it were me I would take that as a person that has no interest in me at all.

[LuminousMind]

@_Maya_ Hey Maya, hope you remember me! I have something exciting that I’d like to share with you in my dms but something I’m also confused on and would like your input.

[HollyK21]

None of us can say with factuality whether or not he’s interested, that’s something for you or him to act on but based off what you wrote I’d say he was being friendly. It sounds like he frequents that store, so unless you’re job was like inventory or something that kept you off the front lines then he sees you regularly. It makes sense to eventually gain a rapport with the person you see so often. Whether it’s your waiter, bartender, barista, sales associate, you’re going to start recognizing each other and likely say something at some point. I recognize basically everyone who checks me out from the store by my house.

[HollyK21]

And by check out I mean the cash register lol

[Anonymous]

Impossible to really tell. Upgrade that "Hi" to "How's your day?".

You have a sort of impossible situation, as a clerk people will struggle to distinguish between professional and personal interest in them (and you will struggle to distinguish poilte smiling and interest).

If your really interested in him, ask him if he's single. It's the universal 'check mark' for "im interested".

[Kylie_Bug]

Sounds like just being friendly. I agree with the other girls.

[laly520]

being friendly

[spartan55]

Not after you didn't smile at him... 🙄