“How could anyone ignore me?” fumed Lola, pouting at her reflection as she touched up her lipstick. “No matter—office party’s coming up, and that’s when I’ll finally catch his eye!” This is the tale of my friend Lola’s grand scheme to win over a clueless colleague and how it all went delightfully wrong.
**Lola and Her Unshakable Confidence**
Lola and I go way back to uni. At 32, she’s vivacious, impeccably groomed, and never out of the spotlight. Men glance her way, and she knows exactly how to work her charm. At our small IT firm in London, she’s the marketing team’s star—always dressed to the nines, cracking jokes in meetings that even get a chuckle from our stone-faced boss.
Then along came Tom, the new bloke, and suddenly, Lola had a puzzle to solve. Tall, easy on the eyes, with manners straight out of a Jane Austen novel—prime target for her affections. But here’s the kicker: Tom seemed utterly immune to her flirting. She’d invited him for coffee; he’d politely begged off, claiming a packed schedule. She’d “accidentally” shared the lift with him, only for him to smile and vanish at the next floor.
**“Am I Just Too Perfect for Him?”**
After yet another failed attempt, Lola stormed into my office. “What, is he into blokes or something? How can anyone not notice me?” She fussed with her hair in the mirror, reapplying her lipstick like a soldier reloading for battle. I grinned. “Maybe he’s just shy? Or has a girlfriend?” But Lola wasn’t having it. “No, Emma, something’s off. He chats with everyone else—just not me!”
She pinned her hopes on the upcoming office do. A new dress, a stylist appointment, even a plan to “accidentally” sit beside him. “That’s when he’ll cave,” she declared, brimming with certainty.
**The Party and the Plot Twist**
The night arrived. Lola was a vision—red dress, flawless makeup, radiant smile. Every bloke in the room looked. Tom, however, did not. He danced with others, laughed with mates, but barely glanced her way. I watched her smile tighten as her patience frayed.
Then, out of nowhere, Tom slipped onto the balcony with our colleague James. They chatted, laughed, and—oh dear—Tom’s hand landed on James’s shoulder. Lola’s face went ghostly. “Emma, did you see that?!” she hissed. “Is he actually—?” I shrugged. “Maybe they’re just mates?” But Lola had already connected the dots.
**The Aftermath**
Post-party, Lola was equal parts deflated and mortified. “I put in all that effort, and he doesn’t even fancy women!” Later, office gossip confirmed it—Tom was indeed in a relationship, and his partner was, well, not a woman. Lola fumed at first (“How did I miss that?!”), then burst out laughing. “Well, at least it’s not me!”
These days, she jokes that the whole debacle taught her humility. She still flirts, but with less gusto. And Tom? They’re mates now—turns out he’s a top bloke, just with different tastes.
Ever been in a similar pickle? How’d you handle the rejection—or better yet, how do you bounce back onto the next target? Spill the tea; we’re all ears!
