The Walk of Shame

The smell of peanut and garlic wafted into the office. The announcement came over the intercom, "Lunch is ready." Several dozen people sang an off-key Happy Birthday.

Suddenly fear that that there wasn't enough food swept over the crowd. All were consumed with an adrenaline aphrodisiac and fought their way through the mounds of Pad Thai and Cashew Chicken. I held back, nibbling on fresh green beans dipped in ranch to try to crunch my loneliness away. After the crowd waned, I couldn't take it anymore and I descended upon the remnants like a hyena. Scattered skeletal bits of spring roll, mixed vegetables, chicken, and noodles covered the bar. I carefully selected a small plate of vegetables, but couldn't resist a little bit of chicken and a small spring roll. Every bite was delectable, but I fear that the unknown sauce was a sugary gateway drug. The cravings welled up from a dark place deep within, and I thirsted for more.

I went back to the bar to find only a smattering of Pad Thai. "A tiny bit won't hurt" I thought to myself as I took a taste. The rest was a blur.

Brian found me a few minutes later under the table with noodles in my hair and a peanut sauce stain on my skirt. Bits of carrot cake frosting lingered at the corners of my mouth. Embarrassed, I pulled myself together and limped back to my desk like a prom date given a bus pass instead of a ride home.

Despite Brian's cruel taunting, I have faith that I will recover from this indiscretion. No regrets! Even if it causes a minor setback in my diet plans, those fleeting moments of passion were worth it.