Dear Sierra:

Welcome back.

I think that you are confused because the situation is confusing. Shoe’s behavior is confusing, so is the friend’s behavior, the one who has been encouraging the relationship that hasn’t yet started.

Why is Shoe expressing an interest in you to other people, why not to you directly. What is the motivation of the friend encouraging the relationship that didn’t yet materialize?

These two questions you can ask: ask Shoe the first and the friend, the second question. Or wait for Shoe to express an interest in you directly and clearly. No need to be guessing and looking for signs that way.

Here is a possibility: maybe Shoe is a troubled young man and the friend is trying to… help him out somehow.

anita