Search Results: just a friend does he like me

I grew up with a narcissistic father and later spent five years married to a narcissistic partner. After living through that, I can recognize those patterns instantly. I’ve learned how their dynamics work — what to avoid saying, how to respond, and even how tone and body language can shift the interaction. Their tactics are sophisticated, and surviving them taught me a lot about how to protect myself.

I don’t use those skills to control people, and honestly, the idea of having that kind of influence makes me uneasy. But when I realize I’m dealing with someone who’s using manipulative behavior, I know how to hold my ground and not get pulled into their games. It’s empowering to know I’m no longer an easy target, even if the whole thing feels complicated at times.

A close friend of mine, who works in mental health and also has NPD, once gave me the best advice: “Stop oversharing and start listening.” It changed everything about how I navigate these interactions.

In a way, spending so much of my life around narcissistic personalities taught me how to mirror some of their strategies when I absolutely need to — but only as a form of self‑protection, not as a way of living.

Should I reach out to him or do you feel it’s awkward and not appropriate?

Yesterday my mom was in town and we went out to a nice restaurant and our waiter was a nice guy who looks like he’s a tad younger than me but we are in our 20s.. he was very nice and he was a nice looking guy.

He was attentive and he told us some of his favorite things on the menu. He did a good job and maybe in the back of my mind I thought he was cute and maybe said it but didn’t really think anything of it.. just a guy doing his job..

He did make eye contact with me even when just talking to my mom.. He did ask questions and asked how I got here since I’m not from this state.. I told him I was an art teacher and I told him how I stopped teaching in December to pursue something else and he tells me he understands completely and he just changed his major in college… did a 180 from film media to production…

I could tell my mom was up to something.. but the conversation was nice and he said he could give us recommendations for things to do and he tried to see if there were any free art tickets to go to the art museum.

My mom embarrassed me and told him I need to meet people and hang out and she ask him for his number and she says “maybe you have friends you can hook her up with “

It’s awkward for me and I tell him that he doesn’t have to do that or feel obligated to and i apologized… it was kind of a pause maybe because it’s awkward but he does say sure and he writes his number down

But I don’t want to reach out because I don’t know if he really wanted to or felt obligated