Extreme embarrassment

Aftermath of a lip-lock with boss

I attended a work party last week and regret my behavior.  After too many drinks I planted a wet one on the lips of my somewhat up-tight, by-the-book boss.  I still cringe with embarrassment when I think about it.  I can't even let myself think about the guy from the Marketing department who had the video camera.  I go back to work on Jan. 4 and have no idea how I can face my boss!   Has anyone else dealt with something so absolutely mortifying? -- J.J. in K.C.

NuKazoo readers shared their experiences:

Oh, my.  I feel your pain.  Once about 6 or 7 years ago I was talked into playing Mrs. Claus while my boss played Santa at the company holiday bash.  Bad move right there.  Anyway, I had had a couple drinks to get my courage up to play the role.  I guess I really got into it when before I knew it I decided to sit on Santa's lap myself and plant a big one right on his lips.  To this day I cannot believe I did that.  It took a long time to live it down.  The only thing I had going for me was that I was in my late 20s and he was in his early 40s.  I think secretly he was flattered.  It did make our subsequent dealings awkward, though.  He reacted by treating me with anti-favoritism after that.  My raises were less than I expected.  I was glad when he switched departments.  In hindsight I would never have played Mrs. Claus!

-- Angie in Emmaus, PA

I actually did something worse at the company party, believe it or not.  After drinking way too much, I got sick to my stomach in front of all my co-workers.  Talk about embarrassment!  It was the most mortifying thing that's ever happened to me.  If there's any good, though, that came out of it was that I learned that the only way to handle something like this is to laugh at myself, jokingly agree with all the ridicule that came my way, and shed the guilt and self-loathing.  And also remember -- you're only going to be "news" for about those 15 minutes we've all heard about.  People tend to move on; so should you.

-- Maria in Palos Hills, IL

I once went on a working off-site to St. Maarten.  The setting was beyond gorgeous.  After one of the evening bonding dinners, one of my co-workers overtly propositioned me.  He said to me, "We're far away from home, who's to know? And anyway, what happens here stays here."  I was shocked and felt a bit trapped.  I declined his advances.  Once back at the office and the workaday routine, though, I began to think I'd imagined it.   He never alluded to it, he never repeated the advances, and I hardly got more than a cordial greeting out of him every time I saw him after that.  I was confused but learned one thing -- let the past be the past and don't make it today's problem.  He didn't seem to let it be a problem for him, so I followed suit.  By the way, I only told my closest friends.

-- Rose, Jacksonville, Florida

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