Dating a colleague seemed like an easy way to meet someone, especially in my 20s when nights out were a regular occurrence. I had my eye on Ben, a director in his early thirties who always wore stylish jumpers. He was funny, kind, and our frequent cigarette breaks allowed us to connect. When he suggested a drink after work, I eagerly accepted.
We exchanged playful emails and flirted openly, building anticipation for our official date. We decided to prioritize drinks over food and quickly became intoxicated. Amid the laughter and kisses, we shared personal stories and realized we had a lot in common. This was one of the best dates I had ever been on.
After hours of revelry, Ben came back to my place, where we continued our conversation and listened to music. Things took an unexpected turn when I woke up the next morning to find myself lying in a wet bed. Ben had wet the bed overnight, leaving me stunned and embarrassed.
Despite not being disgusted, I was unsure how to handle the situation. I quietly changed my pajamas and returned to bed, hoping to avoid acknowledging the incident. But after about 15 minutes, Ben woke up and we engaged in a 20-minute conversation as if nothing had happened. He then left, leaving me to deal with the soiled mattress.
At work on Monday, we pretended the incident never occurred. We barely acknowledged each other, and our once-frequent cigarette breaks together stopped. In hindsight, I wish we had handled the situation more maturely, perhaps to preserve our friendship and maintain a comfortable working relationship.
This experience taught me to be more cautious about dating colleagues. While office romances can be tempting, they can also lead to awkward and potentially damaging situations if things don’t go as planned.
