Help me rock the vote

Little Ms. Notetaker needs your vote. No, not in Tuesday's elections, but in my official "Oh lordy, what do I do now?" Decision '07.

This message is brought to you by Concerned Citizen's for Little Ms. Notetaker's Tomorrow.

Let me set the scene, I received an e-mail from someone on one of my online dating sites stating that he liked my profile and pictures, that I sound fun, that I should check out his profile, and to contact him if I'm interested. And here's a twist, he didn't have pictures posted on his profile, but included a link to his flickr album in the e-mail.

Last night, I read his profile and he seemed like a nice enough guy, however, red flag number one shot straight up the pole when I read, "I'm too shy to post my pictures on the site..." Is it wrong that whatever he said after didn't matter to me? I'm sorry but this is an overt online dating site, you can't be too shy to post your picture or you're never going to get anywhere in this raccoon eat squirrel world (oh, friends, that's another post soon to be written... just wait for it). And if you're too shy to post your pictures to any potential Mrs. Yous, then how are you ever going to be able to appreciate my costume clad karaoke extravaganzas?

But since I had the golden ticket to go see the pictures he does have out there on that world wide web, I went and discovered red flag number two--this guy works right next to me. And when I say right next to me, I mean we share a paper-thin wall at work (and his office is directly across from my manager). Immediately I went through every single solitary phone conversation I've ever had in that office wondering just what he's overheard.

Note to self: Start whispering on the phone.

Quandary.

The funny thing is, I know that this guy has had a crush on me since the day I first switched teams and started working in my new building. On one of my first days, I was coming up the stairs and he was coming down, he made a really cute, but painfully awkward attempt at making an introduction. It was very endearing, but I think I was carrying a bunch of stuff on top of which I was balancing a salad and was really only thinking about making it up the stairs with out losing the precariously balanced hard boiled egg on the edge of the plate. Then a few weeks ago, he made an attempt to be chivalrous and help me with a dolly I had full of boxes for a workshop. Again, very cute, but very awkward effort. I told him I could manage it all as the elevator door closed (it could have easily been a scene from a standard chick flick--I would of course be played by a clumsy Geena Davis).

And before any of you click on the comment button to tell me that I should appreciate this effort, or reward his chivalry, just let me say, that I know I could have done that and that if I were interested in him, I would have done that (pain me as it may to play helpless little girl... if it would give him the ego boost he needs, I just may have been able to feign it, apparently it could get me a second date). But I'm not interested in seeing him, and I'm also not interested in being mean, so I keep playing ignorant.

Game off. There is NO way he does not know that it is me. He's seen my pictures online and he walks by my office, oh I don't know, a zillion times every day. And now I know that he knows. And he probably knows that I know that he knows. Agh! What's a girl to do?!

The way I see it (thanks to some help from friends earlier this evening), I have a few options and I need you, the voting public, to let me know what you think. So what should I do?

Should I...

1. Pretend it never happened. If I ignore it, maybe it will all just go away? (Oh how I wish this were the answer you all would pick).
2. Have a very loud conversation on the phone either talking about a make believe new boyfriend I have, or about how I could never date anyone who didn't have their pictures on their profile, I mean the nerve (okay, strike this one from the record, I could never be that cruel).
3. Respond to his e-mail and say, "Hey, I think we work together?" And then throw in a line about how it would be awkward dating someone from work, or that I have a new make believe boyfriend, or heaven forbid I be honest and just say that I'm not that interested but give him some pointers that he should post his picture and try to build up his confidence in some way.
4. Say anything at work... in person... gulp... please, please, please don't vote for this option.

I'm tempted to say I have a no-dating-work-people policy, but the thing is, I don't (beyond what I ethically and morally believe in). And if I said that and he said, "Well, that's good because I just quit," then I end up screwed because I don't have a policy on no-dating-work-people-who-just-quit-being-work-people policy.

Additional note to self: Maybe I need to come up with some policies and maybe they should factor in employment grace periods... kind of like COBRA. Only different.

I know the answer is probably to send an e-mail, and be genuine, and let him down as easily as possible. And I know that I should do that tonight. And sadly, tomorrow, I'll have to play a new game, called keep-my-office-door-closed-and-take-new-routes-to-the-printer-cafeteria-and-everywhere-oh-and-never-go-to-my-manager's-office-again. I'm not looking forward to that.

The real note to self: How would you want to be treated in this situation? Do that.

I'm Little Ms. Notetaker, and I approve this message.