Work Xmas party in Adventures in paradise

Tonight was my work Christmas party. I’m home by 12:30am since I have work at 7am, and am being a responsible adult. I also had a lot to drink, and am so fucking tired, but figure writing this entry whilst still under the influence is probably going to be a lot more forthright. Is that a word? I dunno right now.

Look, it was okay. It could have been worse. My outfit was a bit of a hit, which was good I guess, but I was one of only a few who dressed up. I had a santa hat, a ‘merry christmas’ necklace, a christmas-coloured bracelet and my set of battery operated blue lights that I wrapped around myself.

I felt a bit silly walking there wearing that, and expected to get heckled, but luckily people were nice tonight. I got there and walked up the stairs. There was no notice or anything so I assumed that’s probably where it was going to be, in a private function room. I’d never been to the Jubilee Hotel before either.

I recognized someone from work (I forget who it was now) so I knew I was in the right place. I started out not turning my lights on but then did after a little while. There was no bar tab so I’m glad I took out $100 from the ATM. I tend to always take out cash when I have a night out so that I won’t go over it - just something I’ve always done rather than tapping a card on paywave all night.

And I had an absolute gem of a bartender. It sounds weird, but I just felt I connected with her in some way and I think she maybe realized I was a bit of an outcast from the rest of my workmates. I dunno. But anyway, I first started with a glass of rose’ but then moved to Malibu Pineapple (my drink of choice) but they only had hard drinks at that bar so they had to go and get some Malibu from somewhere and I was left standing at the bar for quite some time, but I’d only just arrived and still had a fake not-anxious-to-be-here-at-all sober face on. Anyway, the same girl poured my my drink and they were only $7 each, which is at least $1.50 cheaper than elsewhere I would’ve gotten it.
Anyway, point is, whenever I was in line at the bar, she already made my drink and had it ready for me each and every time.

The night itself was weird for me. I only really talk to the workmates I know well and I didn’t know half of the people there. Still, I made a few conversations, somehow, but I’d say most of the time I was the lone one out, kinda just standing there - which is hard to do when you’re wearing bright blue lights draped over your body. Still, I got a few compliments, which was nice.

James arrived (which was good) as he’s a total cutie, and I got to see who his boyfriend was. Just as I expected, nowhere NEAR as hot as James is. Lol. And of course none of us barely talked to each other throughout the night, other than via a third person. I didn’t want to come across to James’ boyfriend as being too interested in him, so I was self conscious whenever I was too close to James, which I just happened to be a lot of the time.

And I’d gotten quite a few drinks into me where I started to loosen up a little more, which was nice. I had some pretty cool conversations with Bianca, who is probably my favourite workmate and she works in my department also. Everyone despises my new grocery manager and he treats all the girls especially like absolute garbage. Very interesting hearing all these views on him when he seems to treat me rather okay, but of course I had my issues with him when he started too.
I casually flirted with a few of the straight boys, to mixed reactions, but not really. Just feeling their arms and stomachs up through their shirts, sorta thing. Of course I didn’t dare do that to James, even if his Grindr profile says he’s in an open relationship with his partner.
At one point, James was sitting on his partner’s lap right next to me, so that was kind of a weird feeling. I guess that’s just what partners do sometimes. And I don’t know how long they’ve been together.
I got to the point where I was thinking in my head about bringing up the ‘I saw your nudes online’ thing, but it didn’t end up happening. James was never alone and was always happily socializing with someone or rather, people at work who he obviously gets along with better than me. I spend most of my time perving on him, whether he knows that or not, I dunno.

There was also a cute bartender too, but Bianca didn’t like him because he cut her off lol. She ordered a drink and he was like, “You can have water.” Which was surprising.

Our store manager showed up and I got to meet his boyfriend also. Not what I expected at all. Much taller than him. Everyone seemed to think he was attractive too, but I just didn’t see it. Different types I guess. People probably think the guys I think are hot are weird too.
He did buy me one drink which was nice, but he was one of the last to arrive and one of the first to leave, which was a surprise. One of my other workmates (who is relieving as my manager next week) wasn’t happy, but apparently things like this happen all the time.

I spent most of my night chatting to Kirsty’s boyfriend Callum, and a few of the other girls I know from work, who are pretty awesome people - Imogen, Megan, Loraine, Tegan. Tegan was a girl who I thought was sooooo full on when she first started and made me feel very uncomfortable, but somehow she seems to have settled the fuck down and we actually get along fairly well nowadays. She asked a bit about my life and she asked if I had a boyfriend and you know what my drunken answer was?
“No, I’m a slut.”
LOL. Jesus. She’ll probs spread that around work now, I dunno. Like I care. She actually told me that’s why she likes being single too lol.

Anyway, I must sleep. There was a photobooth there which was pretty cool and I got some photos but they are very mini and I didn’t have my lights turned on but hey.

Bit bummed I missed out on talking to James but we only really ever work one shift a week together and that’s when he’s there on Thursday mornings. I used to always start late too but now I see him a bit more, which I don’t complain about because he’s always wearing his tight pants and I wonder how the fuck he stuffs that anaconda in those when he comes to work, geez louise. My mind’s in the gutter, I know. I know.
I kind of wanted to apologize to him for being so awkward at work because we barely acknowledge each other. It’s so weird that I work with quite a few other gays in the store but only really get along with the store manager and one guy in bakery. The ones on checkouts and my own manager, not so much. I dunno. Everything confuses me.
Anyway, I just made it more awkward I think.

Everyone decided to head to Woolly Mammoth around midnight and I used that as my excuse to leave. No point hanging around and I was feeling a bit down by then anyway, feeling like I didn’t really fit in as well as I had hoped to. I should be used to this feeling by now.
Anyway, that really friendly bartender called me over to the bar for some reason and she handed me a can of Jack Daniels and goes, “I opened this by accident so you can have it for free.”
I was so touched. I thanked her again for making my night (Stupidly, she actually did) and she goes, “That’s okay hon.”
I knew she knew I was gay then HA. But man, what a cool chick. I picked up on that she seemed to be having a bit of a rough night and maybe my extra friendliness each time I was at the bar may have made her night a little bit better as well, I dunno. Maybe she’s just great at her job.