When you work in an office environment, you eventually settle in to a comfort zone with the people around you. Unspoken ground rules are established, personality types are mutually respected, and interaction comes natural. If something interrupts the work environment routine, the balance of the ecosystem is thrown off and it’s weird.

As I approached the ladies room yesterday I could hear talking, and simply expected to happen upon a mild-mannered conversation. Washroom chatter can occur at the door, by the sink, even sometimes from stall to stall. No big deal, we’re grown women who understand our bodies. But when I opened the door, I realized it was only one coworker…on her cell phone. This wasn’t break-time gossip either, she was clearly having a business conversation to arrange some kind of meeting.

“What now?” I thought. Surely she’ll be on her way now, seamlessly moving out the door, grace and dignity intact. Nope, she barely moved as I passed by her in the 10′x10′ space by the stalls. Now I’m in the stall, and I’m suddenly hit with the realization that the person on the other end of the call is about to hear me pee. What the hell?!? This is bullshit! AND how would the person on the other end feel when they realize she’s talking to them IN A BATHROOM?!?

Well, at this point I’ve come to terms with what’s actually happening and decided to let it be. “Going” itself was odd, but the flush sealed the deal. There was no way the person on the other end of the call missed it, and I secretly hope they were as thrown off by it as I was. The call wrapped up as I washed my hands, and my coworker cheerily said, “Poor guy. Haha, ‘I really value a good working relationship with you,’ then flush.”

Um, yeah.