Chemistry in Context

     Having a laugh at work when Greg's toupee sags or bonding punch bowl-side at a holiday party may jump start the heart, but it's easy to confuse attraction in social interactions with real one-on-one chemistry. The energy in a social setting is contagious and the side-effects may include impaired judgement and enhanced conversational skills. I myself have fallen prey to the sudden swoon brought on by a communal connection, especially amidst pairs of healthy happy people I respect and admire. I have some need to mirror their bonds, or at the very least an obsessive compulsion to pair up overcomes me and what feels right may be indifferent to our unique personalities.

     Decorations placed post turkey day, hung for weeks in anticipation of ugly sweaters and piles of cheap sugar cookies, ushered in employees of all ranks in search of the promise of an open bar.  Jovial murmurs filled the halls with occasional bursts by the more boisterous and in casual coordination most made their way to their bosses for obligatory greetings and gratitude. Olivia spent little time without close friends nearby and after discovering no one from her wary HR department there, began heading for the door. Huddled in the foyer akin to an amateur improv troupe in balance and demographics, the collection of IT professionals and their dates clumped together for security.

     Oblivious to their topical wordplay, rooted in tech terms and obscure reference, she would've passed by in Irish fashion had Dan not backed up abruptly to accommodate his own wild gestures. He apologized for the third time that night and breaking out of his typically timid character asked Olivia why she was leaving so early. An hour later she still didn't know his name, but he passed it off in stride displaying confidence that could only come from the focused energy of a captive audience.

     Weeks later, after several awkward and expensive trips down sushi row, it was clear their interests were divergent. Dan was not the same life of the party she'd been attracted to through New Years and the more he sensed her disappointment the harder it became to feign his brass. Maybe Olivia was never drawn to him but thrived on their dynamic first act, or simple Dan lost steam discovering her strongest feelings were derived from foreign cuisines and cultures. Whatever the disconnect was they remained blind to the communal cues that linked them that night and Dan's only takeaway was a concerted effort to minimize large hand motions in small walkways.