Lost Appetite

There is this person in office that I’ve been… ummm… trying not to bump into? No no, I am not avoiding him. ‘Avoiding’ is too strong a word. Only mean people avoid their colleagues. I don’t. So yeah, this person, that I was trying not to bump into for a few months, by some stroke of co-incidence, was in the same elevator as me yesterday. He has suggested we meet up for lunch or dinner or drinks or a smoke break or a 5 minute chat… I don’t know what all… and I have had ‘reasons’ to politely refuse till now. Again, I had ‘reasons’, not ‘excuses’. I never make excuses. So first it was ‘too much work in office’. I used that for support for a few months. Then came, ‘I am studying for my exam’. That was highly effective and helped me past april and may. Finally, the exam was over but I had ‘holidaying in Africa’ to depend on. Now, I have officially run out of valid ‘reasons’ to not have lunch with him.

So the conversation goes as such (while the lift takes its own sweet time to reach the 23 rd floor!)…
Him – Your exam is over, isn’t it?
Me – Yes
Him – You are back from your holiday, isn’t it?
Me – Yes
Him – Don’t you owe a lunch with me?
Me - *smile*
Him – Today?
Me – No I have a lunch meeting (*phew*)
Him – Tomorrow?
Me - *why is the elevator so damn slow?*
Him – Okay, tomorrow we do lunch then

And I had to say ‘yes’. I couldnt get out of this one, could I? Now when I have company for lunch, and the boss isn’t after my life, I spend a good hour and a hour outside, but I had to tell him that we should do a quick lunch so I can get back to work. Hey, I wasn’t lying. I *do* have a lot of work. So what if it isn’t all urgent? Huh huh?

So I meet him for lunch, and I play a good host, and I suggest a good place where the waiters know me and know my order before I even sit down. He is impressed. Very impressed. Uh oh. He asks me a thousand questions, about living here and about my holiday and about my exam. Like seriously, whoever wants to know about my exam?? He listens intently. Then he asks me about my experience in Africa, my host in Jo’burg and every minute detail he could question while still pretending he wasn’t about to start stalking me. He looks almost mesmerized. Ohhkay. I could have read out the Yellow Pages to him and he would have listened to me all afternoon! Or, he could have stared at my cleavage all afternoon. I dont know which would be worse. Note to self – dress for the occasion, the occasion today being a forced lunch with a potential stalker! So well, I lean back, fold my arms, and continue talking. Then I ask him what he’s been upto, how is he finding work, yadda yadda yadda. He is done in 30 seconds! Either he has no life, or he doesn’t want to talk about it. Well, so I eat some and then talk some and then finally we are done with the food.

The check comes, and he says he will pay for it. No no. I don’t want to feel obliged and be chased to ‘repay’ his lunch. So I say ‘no’ and am about to suggest we go dutch, when he immediately says ‘okay I will let you pay this, and I will pay the next one’. Next one??? Must there be a next one?! Oh no. What did I land myself into?!

He finally offers to buy me coffee, so I order a take-out and start walking back to work. He asks how long I will be working in Singapore, and I tell him I am not too sure, but maybe I’ll try to move to London after a couple of years. Very simply he asks – “you want to go to London with me or should I come there later?”. Okkkkay. Cheesy hit a new low. Finally, the damn elevator and the damn slow ascend to the 23^rd floor. Okay, I’m done. Thanks. Cya later (or not!).

Oh, and did I tell you he sprayed his shirt with some pasta sauce while he was busy staring at me and my…? Well he did. Yeah. So he goes back to his desk, and writes me an email – Thanks for lunch, I’ll send over my shirt to you for cleaning.

WTF! What did I do to get into this?????