Okay so I’m an allied healthcare professional in the UK, Indian Muslim descent. So on my ward there is a consultant (for non UK peeps, that is the highest a doctor can get to in hospital in UK), he’s 34, I’m 25. He is of the same decent as me.

Okay so he had a reputation for being socially awkward, however he asks me for my instagram after a few weeks, I gave it to him as he asked tactically, as in he asked the few other people around him for theirs too, so didn’t think much of it. And as he’s senior I felt obliged to make a good impression etc. Then he send me a private message about something we were talking about as a group on the ward. It was weird that someone so senior to me was engaging with me outside of work especially as we do not have a friendship only a professional work relationship, but I let it go and didn’t think anything of it.

Then I posted a selfie of myself on my insta story a few days later, as I usually do on a day I was looking nice and he replied to it with ‘😍’ emoji. I was stunned as does this not come under the realm of flirting?! I spoke to my female colleague and she said it was inappropriate of him however when I asked a male colleague he said it was weird but not to worry as he’s seeing someone at the moment! Like wtf if you’re seeing someone, sending heart faces to a girl who you’re working with DM’s is inappropriate. Then when I see him the next day he is blushing and avoiding eye contact and staring at me. Makes me so uncomfortable as he is one of the bosses of the hospital and my ward technically.

But what I don’t understand is why men would hit on a girl when their seeing someone, or flirt via DMs but act professional when they see you?! Also side note I’m never asking men for advice because they were gas lighting me saying it’s not flirting! If a guy is going out of his way to send heart eyes to your picture it is flirting? Right?

Help, I’ve only got around 5 weeks left at this ward, I want to survive it but he’s making it so awkward. He’s not in a relationship but I heard him say he’s been on 5 dates with a girl and it’s really serious- men 🙄. But the whole blushing, sitting close to me, asking me stupid questions he knows the answer to; is making me so uncomfortable as he’s the boss of the ward. I don’t know how to navigate this as I’ve never been in this type of situation.

Help