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The original was posted on /r/AmItheAsshole by /u/Donttouchmywater_ on 2023-10-01 21:13:59.

I F(27) recently started working with James (20). It is very obvious that James has a crush on me - and he has told me that himself numerous times.

I have to work with James because of our respective jobs (his department needs my department). So, each time he confessed his feelings for me, I simply brushed it off saying things like “you know I don’t like younger men,” “perhaps you should look at women closer to your age range,” and “James, can you please stop? I just want to do my work.” Each time he has ignored me.

If I don’t respond to him instantly, he gets very annoyed and will send a passive-aggressive email copying all of our supervisors. Something along the lines of “Hi OP, any update on this? I know you’re busy servicing others, but please don’t forget me. It’s urgent.”

This has been going on since May.

Three of my coworkers came to see me 2 weeks ago and told me that I need to speak to him about his behavior because it is getting worse - to the point where he sits in my cubicle and waits for me to come back if I’m not there.

I didn’t want to talk to him about it at first because he’s young, this is his first corporate job, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but they convinced me to.

So, I decided to have a serious talk with him last week but he avoided me. Every time I saw him in my office space, I’d ask him to sit with me so we can have a serious talk, but he shrug it off and said he’s busy.

I left it alone.

Yesterday, we both worked and the office is usually clear on a Saturday. He came up to my cubicle while I was eating and sat next to me. He had his lunch and juice in his hand. I politely asked him to come back another time as I don’t like people watching me when I’m eating. He said “it’s just me though, don’t worry” and sat down anyway. He opened his food and he started eating.

I got annoyed and just started to take a big gulp of water. Half way through my drinking, he takes the water bottle from my mouth, covers it and throws it in the bin. He then said “that’s enough water. Are you ready to talk?”

I got so angry I just picked up his food and slammed it in the bin face down. I then told him to get the hell away from me.

He told me that I’m overreacting but left anyway.

This morning I got a call from my supervisor telling me that I have a meeting with HR tomorrow to discuss what happened.

I told my other coworkers about it and they all think that I should have just went to HR and not stoop to his level - and that throwing his food away was different from him throwing my water away - making me an AH.