Work Startle - part 1

I don’t usually write much about my vanilla life, but this has been building for awhile and getting progressively stranger, so I have to share. Mind you, I’m out to my family but I am not out to anyone in my professional life, friends included. This particular “startle” has grown into a multi-part saga. I'm going to post this in parts as a Tuesday feature until I run out of material.

A bit of background: My co-worker, J, is an avid table-tennis player. (I’d call the game ping-pong, but I understand that one stops doing that at a certain level.) He’s involved in a club, gives lessons, and plays in national tournaments. Occasionally, I’ll even hear him practicing in his office. Due to his frequent play and an old injury, he uses a custom paddle that he typically calls a “racket”. The grip is totally different from an ordinary racket.

Recently, a restaurant opened in town that has ping-pong tables (can you really call them table-tennis tables with a straight face?) in addition to pool tables. With a couple other co-workers, we’ve started playing over lunch about once a week. I’m nowhere near J’s level, but I can easily beat anyone else we play with.

The last time we went, J came into my office still digging through his gym bag. Giving up on his search, he looked up at me exasperated and said, “Darn it! I forgot my paddle. Now I won’t be able to beat you!”

Too bad he didn’t mean that the way any of my spanko friends would have meant it.