You and Riley have worked together at an ad agency for nearly three years. During that time, the two of you have teamed up on numerous projects, helping grow the company from its original 10 clients to its current 220 client portfolio.
While working together you have also grown a strong friendship, collaborating on numerous projects as well as going on double dates with your respective partners outside of work. About 6 months ago, your most recent relationship ended. Having been in a relationship for 4 years, you are now happily single and enjoy focusing on your work. As a result of your shift in focus, you have been working with Riley more and due to your increased productivity you both receive praise from the boss.
Just last week, however, Riley also became single, and rumors around the office suggest that it did not end well. As a good friend, you offer your support and speak highly of your new experience of being single, insisting that the single life is good for you and might be good for him for a while too.
A few days later you and Riley are in the office late working on a presentation. As things start to wrap up around 7:30 pm, Riley asks, “Getting late, eh? Wanna get out of here?”
“Sure,” you respond, “there’s nothing left that we can’t finish up tomorrow”.
As you start to pack up, Riley inquires, “Any plans for dinner? I’m starving!”
[[Go for dinner with Riley]]
[[Decline dinner with Riley]]You end up on a street with a bunch of restaurants. You suggest a Pho place the two of you often ordered out from for lunch, but Riley suggests another place “with more ambience.”
When you get to the fancy candlelit place, you balk because it looks expensive, but Riley says that it’s on him. You’re hungry, and what you can see of it from the window looks delicious, so you go in.
After a brief wait you’re seated and Riley orders an expensive bottle of wine. “Are we celebrating something?” you say. Riley is usually pretty cheap. He shrugs. “Life’s too short for bad wine. I’m making up for lost time.”
[[Bring up work topics]]
[[Bring up relationship topics]]“Ya. I’m just going to heat up some of my Chinese leftovers. If I don’t eat them soon, they’re going to go bad,” you chuckle.
Riley moves around the table and gently rubs your back. “Naw, forget that. Let’s go grab a bite. My treat.”
Really feeling quite tired, you politely insist, “Thanks, Riley. But it’s been a long day and I would be happy to just get home”.
“Oh, okay, no problem” Riley concedes while circling back around the table. “Well at least let me give you a ride then, I’m going past your place anyway.”
[[Accept the ride]]
[[Decline the ride]]
During dinner you talk about a recent conflict with a client but Riley seems uninterested. He keeps bringing things back to his relationship, and asking probing questions about your breakup as well.
You notice that there’s a table of two women glancing over at the two of you. “Do you know them?” you ask.
“No,” he says. He finishes his wine and pours another with a little smile. “They probably think we’re together.”
[[Joke about it]]
[[Challenge him]]With little encouragement Riley gets into personal details about his relationship, and asking probing questions about your breakup as well.
You show some sympathy, then reiterate your view on the benefits of the single life.
You notice that there’s a table of two women glancing over at the two of you. “Do you know them?” you ask.
“No,” he says. He finishes his wine and pours another with a little smile. “They probably think we’re together.”
[[Joke about it]]
[[Challenge him]]“Ha!” you say.
“It’s not that far fetched, is it?” he says, tilting his chin towards a mirror where you can see the two of you reflected, the candlelight playing over your faces romantically. “I think we’d make a cute couple. Don’t you think?”
[[Agree]]
[[Disagree]]
“I think we’re just underdressed for this place,” you say. “Why are we in this fancy restaurant anyway, Riley? It’s kind of feeling uncomfortably date-like.”
“Oh,” he said, looking crestfallen.
You take in his newish looking shirt and carefully combed hair. “Did you mean for this to be a date? I just don’t feel that way about --”
“No, no!” Riley says, taking a big gulp of wine. “Just heard good things about this place!”
[[The next day...]]“Sure,” you say, “But we work together. It’s not a good mix.”
He nods, and you finish your dinner. He asks for separate bills, which is tacky, but more like the Riley you know.
[[The next day...]]“Not so much,” you say. “Plus, we work together. Not gonna happen.”
He nods, and you finish your dinner. He asks for separate bills, which is tacky, but more like the Riley you know.
[[The next day...]]On the way home, Riley notices the tough dudes outside the biker bar near your house.
“You walk by here at this time of night?” Riley says.
“They’re OK,” you say. “The entertainment district was worse for catcalls.”
You pull into the roundabout outside your building, and Riley parks.
“And your boyfriend was OK with that? If I had a beautiful girlfriend like you, you wouldn’t walk anywhere,” he says, looking at you intensely.
[[Thank him and leave the car]]
[[Challenge him|Challenge him car]]
You are pretty tired and getting home quickly might be nice, but you are also a little uncomfortable with how much Riley is pushing and think the 25-minute walk could be useful to help you unwind after the day.
“No, that’s ok, thanks. Walking helps me clear my head.”
He nods and gets his stuff to go. He comes across a printout of a logo the two of you pitched to the client earlier today on your desk. “Man, the client really loved that concept. You were right.”
“Ha, thanks,” you say through a half smile. “You did a great job explaining it.”
[[Go home]]
You get out of the car and are surprised to see Riley does too. “I’ll walk you to your door,” he says.
You walk in silence past the security guard in your building and up the elevator in a bit of a daze, trying to figure out what to do.
“Want a goodnight kiss?” Riley asks as you fumble with your keys at your door. “Or do you want to invite me in?”
"Good night, Riley," you say, and close the door in his face.
[[The next day...]]“I like to walk, it’s a great way to stay in shape,” you say, a little flustered.
“You are in really great shape,” Riley says, unbuckling his seatbelt. His eyes are all over your body. “But still.”
You unbuckle too, suddenly keen to get away from Riley’s weird vibes.
“Thanks for the ride,” you say, trying to keep the sarcasm out of your voice.
“See you tom-or-row,” Riley says in a sing-songy voice.
[[The next day...]]You arrive at work and Riley isn't there yet. Your boss, who you are comfortable with and you trust, is excited to tell you about a big client he's landed.
"The deadline's crazy on this but it'll mean a ton of business for us. You and Riley are my dream team for it. Can you work late this week?"
Your stomach does a nervous flip.
[[Tell him about what happened with Riley]]
[[Make an excuse]]You describe your night with Riley. Your boss listens carefully.
"Ah, geez. I hate to break up the dream team. But that's getting close to harassment, even if it didn't happen at the office."
He arranges it so that Riley gets moved to another floor.
<i>Click refresh on your browser to play again.</i>You tell him you've got some family stuff happening after hours.
"I know what a fast worker you are," he says. "I bet you'll get it done before 5pm."
His head quickly turns to the left, "Oh, Riley!" he says, noticing that Riley has come in. "We're getting the dream team back in action!"
At that point you don't think you can get out of it. The boss seems very eager for you to work together and doing so would definitely advance your career.
Uncomfortable, you now have to decide to
[[Stay late]]
[[Back out]]He chivalrously holds your jacket for you. “You got the eye and I got the gift of the gab. We really do make a great team,” he says.
You smile and get into your jacket, but after he helps you Riley turns you towards him and starts to lean in.
Shocked, you push Riley away, uttering a quiet and nervous “No. No.”
Apologetic, Riley quickly stammers. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you were sending me signals. We’ve been working so closely lately, I must have misjudged the situation.”
[[The next day...]] With all of the pressure to do well in your career, you and Riley decide to work late at a nearby café.
As the evening wraps up and you prepare to leave, Riley chivalrously holds your jacket for you. “You got the eye and I got the gift of the gab. We really do make a great team,” he says.
You smile and get into your jacket, but after he helps you Riley turns you towards him and starts to lean in.
Shocked, you push Riley away, uttering a quiet and nervous “No. No.”
Apologetic, Riley quickly stammers. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you were sending me signals. We’ve been working so closely lately, I must have misjudged the situation.”
When you get home you feel uncomfortable and wonder what your boss would say. You debate if you should
[[Keep quiet]]
[[Tell him about what happened with Riley]] You insist that you cannot stay.
"Oh, well, that's OK" the boss assures you. "I am sure Sarah will be up for the job."
It turns out Sarah and Riley make a great team and you realize that you are never asked to team up again. Sarah and Riley are promoted a short time later while you stay in your current role.
While you are relieved not to have to work with Riley, you are also upset to have missed out on a chance for career advancement.
<i>Click refresh on your browser to play again.</i>You decide it is best for your career to not say anything.
Over the next few weeks, you and Riley complete the project while dealing with an awkward tension.
While the boss is pleased with the results, you make efforts to avoid working with Riley again, which limits your ability to succeed in the company.
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