So theres this group of people at work. They've been nothing but nice to me. Feeding me lunch when I never get any. They ask each other to stop talking in their native language cuz I can't understand. Walk me home. Basically wholesome people.
So a guy from that group got a piercing. They called me over and asked what I thought. He's already handsome so it doesn't add or detract from his appearence instead of saying that, I just did this hand gesture that said it was mid and walked off cuz I had to finish my work. I didn't think much about it.
But I heard them teasing him about it. Repeating the gesture I made and saying I thought HE was mid. It could be banter. He later came up to my desk, held his chest and told what I said hurt. I think he meant it jokingly. So all I did was awkwardly smile which I don't think he even saw cuz I wore a mask and went back to doing my work. In a recent pic they sent on the group he changed his haircut and removed his piercing.
I don't want this guy feeling insecure about his appearence because I said something absentmindedly. Does he like it? If so he should wear it. There's plenty outside of work who gawk at him so I feel he already knows he's good looking no matter what he wears but if he were insecure and I added to that I feel awful. Should I make the effort to clarify what I meant the next time I see him? Or will I seem inauthentic?
