u/NotACriminalFasho

I (21M) have been talking to a woman (24F) for around 3 months. We originally worked in the same office building but for different companies in international logistics.

At first I was nervous to approach her, but some coworkers encouraged me and I eventually asked for her number. She actually joked and asked why I waited so long to approach her.

We started texting a lot and quickly became close. We would have long phone calls almost every day, joke around constantly, flirt sometimes, and overall had really good chemistry. She definitely knows I like her romantically.

About a month into talking, I found out she was 3 years older than me. That surprised me because I assumed we were around the same age.

Later, on her birthday, I sent flowers to her office. She appreciated them a lot, but later that same day she told me she didn’t think we should move forward romantically. At first she said it was because we worked in the same building and coworkers gossip too much. When I pushed for the real reason, she admitted the age difference bothered her.

What confused me is that after that conversation, she never fully distanced herself. She continued:

calling me often

having long conversations with me

flirting sometimes

joking about dating me “one day”

saying things like “maybe” or “I have to think about it”

We even went out once and the date honestly felt great and natural.

Recently my office moved to another location, so we no longer see each other every day. After that happened, I decided to stop pushing so hard. I started:

texting less

letting her initiate more

ending calls earlier

not constantly bringing up going out or relationships

At first, she actually started initiating more. She called me multiple times, got more playful/flirty, and seemed very engaged.

But during the last few days, things suddenly became quieter. Three days ago I tried calling her and she didn’t answer. I later texted her and she only replied with a cat GIF/sticker and didn’t answer my question.

So now I genuinely don’t know what to do.

Part of me feels like she likes me but is hesitant because of the age difference or uncertainty. Another part of me feels like I’m reading too much into mixed signals and should stop pursuing entirely.

My actual question is:

continue giving her space and let her come toward me if she wants to, or

directly tell her I still want to date her and stop playing it cool?

I’d appreciate outside opinions because I feel too emotionally involved to judge the situation clearly.

TLDR: I (21M) have strong chemistry with a coworker (24F) who says the age gap makes her hesitant to date me, but she still flirts, calls often, and gives mixed signals. Recently things became quieter after I stopped pursuing as much. Question is, Keep giving space or directly pursue her?