I don’t think I’m an awkward person. I think I have my awkward moments, but most of the time I think I’m pretty normal. I mean, I work in sales, I talk to people all the time, I can’t be that bad.
But today, in my office’s kitchen, I had one of the most awkward exchanges of my life.
I followed the head of my department in to the kitchen. We had the normal morning chit chat while I washed my spoon and made my breakfast and he made his tea. As I was at the sink an editor I know came in, followed by a man I didn’t recognized. But there are often people I don’t recognize, freelancers or whatever, and I didn’t think much of her not introducing me even though I had made eye contact with both of them.
The editor then asks the head of my department if she knows Tom Smith* who is a well-known fashion and lifestyle photographer we did a book with and are doing another book with. The editor and Tom are standing directly behind me talking to the head of my department and it’s really freaking weird.
Finally, the head of my department asks Tom if he knows me, Tom obviously says no, I turn around, Tom sticks his hand out to shake mine, and I panic. My hand is all wet from washing dishes and making breakfast but I don’t know what to do. Under normal circumstances I would have told him sorry my hand is wet or made a joke about grabbing a paper towel, but the whole experience was so weird that I kind of wiped my hand on my pants (MORTIFYING) and shook his hand. And he looked pretty appalled. As he should have.
Tom, the editor, and the head of my department then continued on with their discussion and I slowly left the kitchen trying not to start cracking up.
I went back to tell my boss, who’s also a good friend, this story, and she told me how I made an ass out of myself in front of “one of the coolest people in NYC.”
Thank god I have a sense of humor and find this all hilarious.
* Not his real name
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