Nighthawk,
If either had led to something more, I'd not be writing about them in a "regrets" thread. Sorry.
My harley friend gave me feelings I did not understand. Later, much later, I figured out it was because I had been sexually attracted to him. There are times I really wish I could redo my teen years knowing what I know now about human sexuality. I'd probably be dead from all the sex, but not regretting all the missed opportunities.
My waitress friend and I had a discussion about all the sexual innuendos she floated past me. She said she did so because she could say things like that to me and I wouldn't react to them the way 99% of the male population would. (what can I say-I was cursed sexually)
As for the gay coworker and I -after a couple days of avoidance, I cornered him, so to speak. I apologized to him for misunderstanding his intentions. He told me he felt he had humiliated himself over me. I told him I didn't see it that way. After that, we got along great. He opened up and told me things in conversations I would never have heard from him had we never gone out. He never did ask me out again. But as a friend and coworker, he was a blast.
I did find out from most all the later gay hires, he would give them a "heads-up" about me first chance he got, so none of them would make the same mistake with me he made. Now, help like that I didn't need, but they all would tell me knowing his experience with me actually made it easier for them to work with me.
My boss was a real "people person". She could get along and motivate anybody. I figure my boss being who she was, just told him how her conversation with me went. He then connected the dots and figured he'd read me wrong. He hadn't read me wrong, he just didn't realize just how dense I could be about reading sexual signals in others.
Working in a restaurant gave me the lessons I needed to better understand and get along with others. Plus it gave me an insight to the full spectrum of human sexuality. The fun part was watching the gays and the lesbians alternately support and trash each other, the bi people getting grief from both the gays and the lesbians, and the heteros just being bewildered by all the drama. All of them talked to me, someone who was the least qualified to help them with their issues. Hell I still hadn't a clue to my own sexuality at the time. Again, I think it was obvious to others but oblivious to me.