Christmas Parties!!!

Last week started the Christmas Party round again . . . and as well as our own staff party, I am also expected to honour the invitations to several of our larger clients parties as well.

Despite the usual embarrassing moments of seeing colleagues and clients making fools of themselves after too many drinks, I used to quite enjoy them, but over the past few years they have become more and more of a chore and more and more of a bore. (A sign of getting “old and boring” as one of my younger work colleagues said to me when I confessed my lack of enthusiasm to her?)

Last year I was able to sneak away early from one of the events to meet up with S. But this year it seems he is not going to be able to arrange a free evening “out” before Christmas, and with V not returning to London until the New Year, I have had to resign myself to show willing for at least two or three of the invitations over the next week.

Last Friday was our own party though . . . a meal and drinks and the usual excesses and one-night scandals. I always seem to have to endure at least one unpleasant proposition during the evening but this time, to make things worse, it was from one of the senior partners. A man whose judgement I don’t particularly respect at the best of times, but to have him making at first very subtle suggestions . . . but then as the evening wore on, more overtly embarrassing requests . . . was extremely difficult to bear. I kept having to make polite excuses to move away, and frequent trips to the ladies room, but he still didn’t seem to grasp my disinterest. He was actually quite sober, but I firstly tried politely telling him he’d had too much to drink and it would be very embarrassing for the both of us if some of our colleagues were to overhear his conversation. He kept following me around and insisting on pulling me away from any new conversations with other people I tried to get involved in by saying we “had to discuss new projects he had in mind” !!!

Very embarrassing and very difficult !! My embarrassment though turned to annoyance and as his suggestions became less subtle and more direct, I eventually made it plain that I would have to leave if he persisted in saying “such silly things”.

Of course I noted that several of the younger girls were already clearly heading for end-of-night liaisons with colleagues that I’m sure they’ll regret and will bound to be the subject of gossip and whispers on Monday morning.

I left “early” . . . feeling depressed and annoyed, looking forward to getting home to J and some warmth and affection and texting him from the taxi that I hoped he’d be waiting for me “in your usual state”. But instead of finding him naked on the sofa with a glass of wine ready-and-waiting for me as he normally is when I’ve been “out for an evening”, I arrived home to find the children both still up and them all watching a movie on the television !!!

I called him into the kitchen demanding to know why he hadn’t responded to my text and got them off to bed, and where was my glass of wine? . . . only to have him point-out that it was only just past 11 o’clock and his phone was upstairs, so he hadn’t known I would be home so early.

So, I have a feeling it is going to be a long, difficult week !!

Best wishes - Edith
http://www.scarletsecrets.co.uk/edithsdiary