Beauty and the Beast

Though we work at different companies, Holly and I work in the same office building so it is really convenient for us to drive to work together. It's something we do unless one of us has something they have to do after work, such as soccer practice. So we walk into the building together in the morning and walk out together in the evening. We also have lunch together on most days so--long story short--we walk in and out of the building together a lot. This is a fact that has apparently not escaped the notice of other people who also work in the building. Last week two separate incidences made that plainly obvious.

Before I tell you about the first incident, I have to explain that I am a software engineer. If you know somebody who is a software engineer, you probably know that we can wear whatever we want to work. People think that there's no dress code. I beg to differ. There certainly is a dress code, and it's commonly referred to as slacker, or loser. But the dress code will not allow us to be bums or look homeless. That would be a no-no. Polo shirt & Jeans is acceptable to every software company. T-shirts are accepted by most. Shorts and flip-flops are OK'd by many companies as well. The dress code also won't allow us to wear suits. Doing so will immediately send your boss into a tizzy because they'll think you're going to a job interview.

Holly, on the other hand, works with business clients all day and she has to look very professional--business suits, heels, the whole nine yards. And she always looks incredible and beautiful.

Last week she got on the elevator one day (I wasn't with her) and there was another guy there. They struck up a conversation and he said to Holly, "I see you with another guy a lot."

"Yes, that's my friend Jim," she replied.

"You guys don't work together, though."

"No."

"I figured that because you always look nicer than he does."

OUCH!

The other incident happened as we were walking in one morning. Another guy was coming in at the same time and he said to us, "You guys must ride to work together since I always see you come at the same time."

I replied jokingly, "Pure coincidence."

We all got in the elevator together. I get off first on the third floor and Holly continues up to her company on the 6th floor, along with the guy.

Later she told me that the guy asked, "you guys don't work together?"

I told her that next time she should say, "It's weird. He's always there when I pull up and he's always following me out of the building. I think he's stalking me."