Once a year our business has a small "team building conference" It is usually at a big hotel downtown on a weekend. We start Friday afternoon with several small meetings ("break out sessions") and then end it with a big wrap up thing on the second day. In between these meetings was a small dinner and a lot of drinking.
Jim and I work in the same section on the Third floor and after several Rum and cokes, he said he was going to bed. I stayed behind to watch what was left of the ball game on the Big screen and maybe pretend that the waitress was interested in seeing me later. She wasn't.
As I was getting ready to leave the bar I noticed Jim had left his wallet at our table, under one of the big cloth napkins there at the bar. The big red ones, so its not a shock he left it there.
I guess he was lucky no one had come by and just picked it up. So I decided to do my Good deed of the day and I walked out to the lobby and asked the front desk what room he was in. I should have just left it there, at the desk, but I decided I would just walk it to him, since my room was on the same floor as his.
When I knocked on the door Jim answered, and although he was mostly dressed, I could see his shirt was unbuttoned and he seemed a bit out of breath. Over his shoulder I could also see Beth, from accounting, sitting on the bed, looking at the floor. She still had her glasses on, but was holding a sheet up against her, so I guessed that was about all she was wearing.
I handed Jim the wallet and then left the room as fast as I could. I didn't say anything to her, because seriously, what could I say. The next day Jim did not come down for breakfast and I checked out without seeing him. Or Beth.
A few weeks later as I was going to the fifth floor to see about our out of service fax machine I bumped into Beth. As in literally, bumped into her as I was getting into the elevator. Sorry, I said. It's ok, she whispered, but also avoided any eye contact and scooted around me and down the hallway. I almost asked her if she thought the Team Building had been a success, but I'm not that big of a jerk.
Ok, I thought about it, but didn't say it.