I met a woman through a mutual friend and though I was very attracted to her, she had a boyfriend so I respectfully didn’t pursue anything. Then we became friends via Facebook and began texting each other; I began flirting with her and she responded positively. We started kissing and began to have lunches together, and though my feelings for her began to grow she told me that we could only be friends. I broke off our relationship several times and asked her to not to contact me anymore, but she still contacted me after a week or two and the cycle began would begin again. Eventually I decided to break it off permanently, and she said goodbye and got married to the man she was with. But since then I’ve often wondered what she really wanted from me.
I think she wanted exactly what she got from you until you broke it off: a guy who would pay attention to her and make her feel attractive, but who could still be kept in the “friend zone”. Now, a lot of women strongly dislike that concept, and for the most part I agree with them; the idea that friendship is somehow incomplete in comparison with a sexual relationship is really rather odious. But given that she was actively pursuing you and doling out just enough sex (the kissing) to keep you interested, I think the “friend zone” concept applies. I used to know a girl like that; she actively pursued a mutual male friend, used sex to keep him interested, and then refused him the closer connection he obviously craved. If he hadn’t broken it off she would’ve kept monopolizing his affections for as long as it suited her. I think your friend was much the same: if you hadn’t broken it off she just would’ve kept stringing you along, possibly even after she was married. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a woman wanting a friendship with a man rather than a sexual relationship, but sending mixed signals isn’t fair to anyone.
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