After doing a favor for her co-worker, this Florida woman is in the middle of an awkward situation. In a nine-minute-long video that has since been deleted, Lizz (@5.0lizz) explains what’s going on.
Lizz says that after becoming work friends with a man at work who she calls “Joe” for the sake of the story, things got weird. At first, Lizz thought they clicked and worked well together in a platonic way. Then, Lizz says she began to feel like Joe was flirting with her. Still, when Joe mentioned he wasn’t going to have a place to live for a month and needed someone to take care of his dog, Lizz was happy to help. Lizz says she took the dog in for a month while Joe figured out his new living arrangement.
‘Work Boyfriend’
Lizz explains how after she took his dog in, his flirting started to escalate.
“A week goes by … he’ll come in and he’ll start saying things like, ‘Everyone thinks we’re dating,'” explains Lizz. Lizz also explains that he started making jokes about being her “work boyfriend,” suggesting they make the guy she was dating jealous, and saying that he wanted to make her dinner. Lizz says that she never flirted with him and made it clear she wasn’t interested in dating someone his age.
“I ended up starting to say, ‘Well, I don’t really date. I don’t really wanna date anyone. I’m enjoying being single.’ I also told him that I don’t date anyone over 25. I made that clear. Trust me. … I guess he just ignores that and doesn’t respect my standards. He eventually went on to say things like, “If you ever want to date me, let me know,'” Lizz explains.
Love Letter
Lizz says that Joe eventually picks up the dog. He then sends Lizz a picture of the dog settled in. The note is written from the perspective of the dog and says, “P.S. my daddy has a crush on you. I think he loves you.” Lizz says that’s where the story ends for now but that she will see him at work soon. She has offered no further updates since posting the video.
The video received 91,600 views and almost 200 comments before being deleted.
Viewers weighed in with their thoughts on it all.
“Lots [of] early 20s [women] want guys in the 40s. You have the youth. He has the $$$,” says one comment.
“If you don’t say no to a guy they still think they have a chance, you have to be direct!” says someone else.
“You need to bluntly draw the boundary right now. slam the brakes. he is escalating,” says another person.
How to Properly Reject Someone
The comments encouraging Lizz to clearly reject Joe might be on to something. While Lizz has hinted at the fact that she is not interested in dating him and ignored most of his flirty comments, it doesn’t seem like she’s been explicit with him about not wanting to pursue him romantically.
So, what are some ways Lizz can maybe communicate more clearly with Joe about not wanting to pursue him? The mental health platform Very Well Mind offers some points to consider.
- Be kind and direct when saying no to someone, avoiding false hope or clichés.
- Use “I” statements to focus on your feelings without blaming the other person.
- Enforce your own boundaries
“Although you may be humoring the other person to avoid hurting their feelings, they won’t appreciate being led on. Being clear and communicative from the start avoids confusion, preventing misunderstandings and even more hurt feelings down the line,” experts say.
AllHipHop has reached out to Lizz for comment via TikTok and Instagram direct message. We will update this story if she responds.