When we think of places people get all dressed up for with the pre-meditated intent to grab the eye of the opposite sex, we often think of the club or bar scene. As one of this blog's commentators rightly pointed out recently, sisters spend some good money on dressing fine in the hopes that someone will have the balls to walk up to them.
But we often forget another place where the same mating rituals and tantalizing drama occur: the workplace.
The office environment has been responsible for countless exciting short-term romances, new relationships that lead to marriage, infidelity that leads to broken marriages, and the list goes on and on.
After all, don't we spend more time at work than we do with our friends, life mates and family? Having worked in several office environments over the years, I've seen it all. Anything from walking in at work unexpectedly past 8 pm on my boss and his assistant getting jiggy with it in his office to seeing a building security guard get fired for succumbing to the sexual advances of a senior female executive and myself being caught up in a flirtatious encounter with a job interviewer.
Recently, rumours have been flying around the office about me and a sexy Asian co-worker who has been spending quite a bit of time chatting at my desk. Admittedly, I have been purposely bypassing the fax machine closer to my desk to use the other fax across the floor immediately facing her desk. "I like the other fax better because it gives out sent confirmations quicker" is the answer I give to co-workers who ask me why I go all the way over there to use the fax.
Yeah, so we've gone out for lunch together a couple of times, but hey ... she has a long-term live-in boyfriend. And I was in a relationship, too, when we struck up our friendship. So what's everybody talking about? Even though nothing has happened after-hours between us, and seeing that I don’t fancy myself a home wrecker, I must admit that I never miss a chance to stare down her lower assets as she walks away back to her desk after our daily morning chat.
I recently got in trouble with my department co-workers for jumping ship and joining her department’s table at the upcoming Christmas party. She came by my desk last week and asked me if I was already booked to sit at any table. She said that "if I weren't bringing anybody," I would be welcome at her table for the Christmas party. Turns out she didn't insist on having her boyfriend come to it this year.
The office rumour mill now goes on overdrive...
