TWO colleagues had the horrific experience of discovering their banter-based work relationship does not exist outside the office.
Tom Booker invited Martin Bishop to the pub following months of shared jokes about difficult clients, the coffee machine and office away day.
Booker said: “As we stepped outside the office I riffed on our favourite topic of coffee capsules but his smile was forced and unnatural.
“I think he’d realised we don’t really know each other and was wondering what the fuck we were going to talk about, or if outside the workplace I’d turn out to be a total weirdo.
“By the time we got to the pub he actually looked quite scared. I should know, because I was wondering if there was some way to just run off.”
Bishop said: “We had a really painful conversation about rugby which neither of us are into. The awkward silences were getting so excruciating I thought I was going to have a panic attack.
“There was no need to take our relationship to the pub. It worked perfectly in the confines of Wanstead Insurance Services and now it’s ruined forever.
“I don’t know how I’ll face Tom tomorrow. We’re both straight but it’s like we had really bad sex.”
