Work travel can be soul crushing. Airports and hotels blend into each other. Daily interactions are all versions of the same pleasantries served with a forced smile. This story is how one night added some fun into an otherwise dreary situation.
I arrived at a hotel with three coworkers somewhere outside of Houston. We had over prepared for a sales pitch the next morning and were ready to have some time alone. As we piled into the elevator an attractive young lady dressed in business attire joined us. My coworkers and I did the usually guy move of checking her out and nodding approval at each other. Then something I wasn’t expecting happened, she locked eyes with me and gave me a slight smile. Maybe it was because I was the closest to her age and my peers were all older and grey haired, regardless, the attraction was evident. The problem, a crowded elevator with your boss/coworkers isn’t the place to introduce yourself. I made it to my room, and settled in to catch up on some work.