Chance Encounters of the Gay Kind

What happens when you run into a work colleague at a popular gay nightspot on a night out with your friends, particularly when you work in an office where everyone is oblivious to the fact you are gay? I go into hysterics, as was the case over the weekend.

Off to one of the city’s prominent gay clubs to see a friend perform in drag for a “one night only” benefit, my friends and I decided to move onto another nightspot after the performance was over. Club hopping from one to another, it was no surprise that each place we ended up in got progressively worse. The music was bordering on stale, the crowds were worse, and the tiredness factor had kicked in very early.

That was until we walked into R&B night at one of the smallest clubs you’ll ever see… My night picked up incredibly. Immediately I had seen him, a work colleague, in a group of similarly aged men in the same club, knocking back a beer. Dressed very casually and almost very straight, he too, immediately saw me. One friend asked if I wanted to leave, but I declined. I have nothing to hide I told him.

Now let me preface this by saying that no one at work has any idea that I’m gay – odd, yes but it is made more interesting by the fact that this work colleague and I barely say much to each other at work. It’s usually a “Hey, how are you?” politeness and not much else. So you could imagine the reaction each of us had. I started telling my friends, whispering in their ears while they casually glanced over at him. And he, telling his friends in their ears while casually glancing over at me.

The quasi-awkwardness of the whole situation threw me into hysterics and naturally I decided to amp up the gay factor by gyrating up against a friend and holding him intimately and close. It was pretty hard not to laugh while I was doing it.

Naturally, I entertained the fact that he may be straight and was at the bar for a friend’s party, but there was a certain something that told me this wasn’t necessarily the case. Still, you never know. Regardless, we stayed for a little longer, the novelty factor of me wearing off quickly, and we headed to the next place.

So what happens next will be interesting. Monday morning around the water cooler may not be the same. Will our conversations develop further beyond the pleasantries? Have I kicked the rumour mill into overdrive? Will there be an awkwardness between us, neither one acknowledging the night? Or will things continue how they were before?

Monday morning will be a very interesting one… *Cue the evil laugh*