Reason 15: Because sometimes they’re hot.. but not.

I work for an IT company… a big multi-national IT company where I am one of a handful of women in a big, oceanful of men.. most of the time, to be honest, it’s awesome!

So, a couple of years ago, at the work Christmas party, the resident hot-colleague was looking as gorgeous as ever. My colleagues and I watched as he made his way around the party to a number of different girls in turn.. Imagine my surprise when he approached me, flashed his perfect Hollywood smile and asked if I would like a drink. “Sure,” I replied and he quickly had one in my hand.

“So, how you finding things with your role?” he asked as his head moved in towards mine, maybe the music was too loud.

“Yeah. Not bad.” My very flippant response as I sipped my drink.

“If you, ahhh, ever need any help with anything..” This time, he pushed some hair away from my face. Pushed some hair away from my face?!? Like a bad, bad, bad-ass movie..

It was time I said something.

“Look, I’m really, really sorry. I don’t really do the whole “work-thing”. I don’t mix business and pleasure. Sorry.”

“Sure. No problem.”

And with that, the hot one turned on his heel and propositioned the next one. And we saw him proposition the next, and the next and then next. And by about number 9 or 10, (or was it 19 or 20) he had met his match. The hot one then proceeded to exchange saliva with the poor girl (whom no-one seemed to know)  in front of all of their work colleagues for the next two hours.

Work on Monday. Maybe a bit awkward.

Reason 10 – because if you can’t beat them..

I was travelling in Thailand and was at one of the temples in Bangkok where I spied a gorgeous man. He had dark hair, coffee coloured skin and the most beautiful face I had ever seen. I watched as he pulled off a T-shirt and put on another one, taking note of his smooth, toned chest and abs. He was heavenly. And he walked away into the throngs before I could follow/approach/anything.

Later that night, in a bar on the dubious Koh San Road, I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw “the gorgeous one” sitting at a table on his own. He was reading a book, and I noticed that it wasn’t in English. Fuelled with the feeling of impunity one gets from being away from home (alone) and a few Thai whiskeys, I approached his table. “Hi,” I said, “I saw you at the temple today. Are you on your own? I’m with some friends back there if you would like to join us?”

The gorgeous one smiled a very polite smile and said, in perfect English, “Thanks. I’ve actually just ordered some food. But maybe after I’ve eaten.”

I wasn’t too impunity-ised to hear a plane crashing and burning at that exact moment. I smiled politely and walked away.

Imagine my surprise about a half an hour later, when the gorgeous one approached my table. “Hi,” he said, “Is it ok if I sit down?”

I almost fell off my chair.

The gorgeous one, reason 10, and I chatted for hours. He was hilarious – as well as charming, lovely, politically correct, Dutch and wonderful. It took me a few more drinks to work up the Dutch courage (heh, heh) to ask this gorgeous man about anyone special in his life. That was when he told me about how he and his partner of 4 years, Mike, had just bought a house together. Mike? A man? Gay? What? How had I missed the signs for that one? My gaydar was normally finely honed but in this instance had totally let me down.

That didn’t stop reason 10 and I continuing to travel throughout Thailand together and actually becoming very good friends (to this day). And he is still, 6 years later, living with Mike.