creepy coworkers

What is a person supposed to do.

Creepy coworker (CC) is a guy I met when I moved up from the 16th floor to the 17th floor. His office is right next to the kitchen, which is on the opposite side of the building from my office.

It all first started with chit chat and niceties, until I open up too much and talk about how annoyed I am that I am so far from both the kitchen and women's restroom. He tells me about how one of our other coworkers is leaving, whose office is right next to the kitchen and 2 doors down from CC. I was like, well, that's a little too close to the kitchen, too close to noise and smells, and I just moved, so I'm sort of lazy to do it all over again. He says he would ask senior staff. I say, no need, he says he'd do it. *roll eyes* I SAID NO NEED!

Over the next month, he travels with senior staff on client business. When he comes back to the office, he tells me about how one night, they all got drunk, and how he was trying to convince the president that she should move me over to the office near him. The president told him that she has another idea for that space but that she's keeping an eye out for him and me. Huh?

To which I respond, there's nothing to keep an eye out for, especially since I have a bf. AND I don't want to move offices. This statement is apparently lost on him because he tells me the same story a second time when I run into him in the subway, on our way home. That's the other unfortunate thing -- we live along the same train line.

Thus begins my effort to avoid him.

He tells me that I am impressive because my PhD was in engineering. All these other folks, he says, have PhDs in biological sciences, which does not take the same level of thinking. Compliments = disgusting when it comes from CC. He doesn't even know me or my capabilities.

He goes to Rome over a holiday weekend. He says to me that I'm the only person who knows, so don't tell anybody else. He comes back with a gift. I avoid him so as not to receive said gift. He catches me at the kitchen and gives me a bar of white chocolate. You see how he doesn't even know me? I'm a 70% dark chocolate kind of gal. And then he says, "I hope this doesn't overwhelm you."

Another round of chit chat about the weekend. Somehow I think I should try to act normal, so I talk about my weekend and my trip to the Guggenheim. Crap, now he knows that I like going to museums. He likes going to museums. He wants to go to the new Kandinsky exhibit with me. CRAP!

He keeps asking me if I want to go during the weekends, and everytime I turn him down because I'm traveling or "have plans." We have this conversation today.

Me: I'm out of town this weekend.
CC: [glare]
Me: It's a 3-day weekend!
CC: What about next weekend?
Me: I'm traveling for work later this month, but I can't remember when it is, so I'll have to check and get back to you. My sister is also coming, and she wants to see it, so I think I might wait for her.
CC: First, you don't have to be afraid.
Me. Of what?
CC: of me. And second, just tell me if you don't want to go, or tell me when you're free and we can go.

He seems to get it, so why doesn't he just stop bothering me? I try to be nice because otherwise it can get really awkward if I say I'd just rather not go with him. I try to be persistent about being busy and about not having time to spend with him because I think that he'll eventually get the hint. Is it better to be direct and deal with the awkward consequences? Is it better to just hash it out with a creepy coworker?

Which is more awkward?

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