I’ve always looked younger than I really am and he found it hard to believe that I was 24. “You’re just a baby”, he said.

“Well, how old are you anyway?” I countered.

“How old do you think I am?” he asked.

I hate when people do that! I have never been very good at guessing people’s ages. I knew that he was older than most of the rest of our group. Most of the people I worked with were between 20 and 30. He had a young face but his hair was completely silver. He confessed that he had been grey since his early 20’s - a family trait.

I guessed that he was in his late 30’s. He kept me wondering for a while but finally revealed that he was 41.

“41! 41!!! 41!!! Oh my God”, I cried, “You’re the same age as my mother!! Oh my God, I couldn’t believe it. Everyone at the table laughed.

Over drinks, Will asked me out for the first time. I just shook my head and said, “I can’t go out with you! You’re old enough to be my mother!” He laughed but told me he was determined that I would go out with him. I just shook my head again and told him I also didn’t date guys that I worked with.

Shortly after, we left for the party and I forgot all about Will’s proposition.

There were over 200 people there - employees, sub-contractors, wives and girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends. It was a total madhouse.

I found myself a glass of wine and looked around for my friends and found Will amongst them. I inwardly groaned hoping Will wasn’t going to become a problem, but made my way over to my friends and decided to just politely ignore Will.

He was hard to ignore though. He was very charming and regaled all of us with amusing stories about them being on the road. Will managed to catch me alone and again asked me out. I explained again that I did not date guys I worked with and reminded him again that he was the same age as my mother. In fact, I told him, maybe I would fix him up with my mother the next time she was in town.

I spent the rest of the evening mingling but somehow Will managed to find me. By this time, he had also had too much to drink and his proposals were getting more lewd. What happened to the polite man I spent 3 years talking on the phone to?

By the time I left the party, I hoped I never laid eyes on Will again. I felt humiliated. In front of everyone we worked with, he asked me to go to bed with him. Everyone thought he was so funny but I still couldn’t get over the difference in his behavior.

Monday morning rolled around and I was determined to keep things “business as usual”. The morning went by quickly and it was almost lunch time when I looked up to find a sheepish Will standing over my desk with a huge bouquet of flowers.

Pete, the host of the party, had found Will that morning and told him he owed me a huge apology. Will did not remember anything that he had said to me at the party and asked my forgiveness. He also wanted to take me to lunch.

I told him that his apology was accepted but lunch wasn’t necessary. He insisted, and since I was a starving single girl who couldn’t really turn down a free lunch, I accepted his lunch date.

He took me to a really nice café and we had a great time. He was very personable and I found out a little more about Will. He was legally separated and had 2 children - boy and girl, ages 12 and 15.

Fifteen years old!! Only 9 years younger than I! I couldn’t believe it.

After lunch, we walked back to the office, he apologized again, I accepted his apology again, and thanked him for a great lunch. I didn’t thing another thing about it and went back to work.