Listen, if you have more power in a professional context (and cishet men—particularly white men—generally have more power than other people in most professional contexts), you just have to not hit on people.

You just have to accept that not everyone you want to fuck reciprocates.

And, unless you develop a personal relationship outside of a professional context that develops into a romantic connect—it happens!—maybe they never have to know.

And, listen, there’s a reason why I don’t have many cishet male friends and I’m generally aloof with men I have no interest in who feel interested in me, cishet men tend to treat friendship like a waiting room for sex—and it can be!!—but don’t count on it.