I'll try and make this quick but who knows with problems people post these days.
I have a male friend that I have known for 1 1/2 years and I met him through a gym he owns, that I signed up for membership with. In that time, since the beginning we clicked instantly. And eventually we became insperable. Always talking, joking around, being playful. After a few weeks to a couple of months he started what I assumed was flirting/hitting on me. He started flirting, being protective, watching me from afar, and you know that 3rd grade behavior: playful hitting/kicking, teasing, picking on me.
And from the beginning I've always liked him but since I wasn't so sure on it being mutual I never really did anything about it other than joke back or blush or giggle.
One night after he was training me, we were in his office and he started asking alot of questions about my love life. Like if I was dating, if I had any boyfriends, if I was interested in anyone at my work or on my clients, interested in anyone at his gym, what I liked in men. By then I was so flustered and shocked I ended up saying something stupid like "omg you're worse than somebody's parents."
Next thing I knew, he says "Ok......Ok" and dropped the subject immediately. Ever since then I noticed COINCIDENTALLY that his behavior changed. His face no longer lit up when i arrived, he didn't constantly seek me out for conversation, he only said hi sometimes if he saw me at the gym. Professional as well if I took any of his classes, he didn't really say much to me if at all and if we did private training he was either always frustrated with me for whatever reason or completely serious and non playful and this caused me to be saddened and I started moping and was depressed whenever I was there.
There were times where he would be playful or joke but it was so off and on when he was like that I was so saddened I didn't even really joke/flirt back.
It's at the point where this behavior is still the same but what's weird now is whenever he's training me and if we're in an awkward position (that's kind of intimate) he starts babbling about god knows what or telling some ridiclous story...
He also now doesn't say anything to me in class but it seems liek whenever I'm packing up to leave for the night he either chases after me when I'm heading to my car or approaches me at the door and starts trying to talk to me (and by then Im already pissed off at being ignored when he could just have talked to me then).
Also, there are times where he wont say nothing to me in class or be all serious during training and then later on I'm talking to someone I know and I subconciously glance over at him and I catch him looking.
I don't even know what to do about him anymore. Friends say I should start flirting and showing him I'm interested and that he probably is acting liek that because he thinks i dont like him.
What do you all think i should do?