Body language question: What does touching the upper arm mean?

I’ve seen this in a lot of different contexts, and it seems pretty ambiguous. If you’re in a conversation with someone, you lean in slightly and briefly touch the outside of their upper arm for emphasis. I use this often on dates to show that I’m interested in the person and subtly bring the conversation closer. One of my friends pats people on the upper arm in a casual, friendly way- basically, saying “Hey, buddy!”

I had a conversation today where the person patted me on the arm about ten times in as many minutes. I manage a small store, and two of the employees from the corporate office were here today to give us a few pointers. They’re both friendly, personable, and seem very competent. I walked around the store with one of them talking about changes we could make, asking questions and giving suggestions. His body language was very dynamic- he walked around quickly and made big gestures, often touching my upper arm with one hand while pointing something out with the other, or putting a hand on my shoulder as we walked.

I noticed that he didn’t do this very much when he talked with the other employee from corporate. They’ve worked together longer, so I’m thinking that maybe? he was trying to build rapport with me and look confident, but he already has a good working relationship with his co-worker.

Some people in work situations intentionally use body language to their advantage, to show confidence and initiative. But I’m also female and lower in the company’s hierarchy, and I’m worried that might be part of it. I don’t want someone to feel like they have permission to touch me just because I’m a girl. The guy’s personality didn’t make me think that- he was very friendly and outgoing- I just want to figure out why he was touching me all the time, and nobody else. What are your guesses?