It was only after some old biddy in middle management complained that somebody had looked sideways at her and sued the company, that the company took sexual harassment in the workplace seriously. That was the reason most of the company were attending a lecture on how they should behave at work. Peter and Linda were presenting the lectures which lasted just over an hour. At the end a few people asked questions. When all of those people had gone and Peter was by himself Shannon approached him. She did not want anybody else to hear what she said.
"Do you know your ideas have made my life a misery? I grew up and went to a country high school where the boys were all over me. My boyfriend went to college and I came here to work at a big insurance company because it had a big social club but you and your ideas have made life very difficult for me. Your company has been sending messages to all staff for months now and none of the boys are game to touch me. I study accounting at night school and none of the boys have even made a pass at me."
"I'm sorry about that. I guess it's just one of the unintended consequences of the new rules that govern the workplace these days. Nothing to do with me personally."
"Some of us have a drink after work but the boys keep their distance. How do you think I'm going to get a boyfriend?"
"I'm happy to talk to you more about this but not now. I want to go for a run around the lake before the sun goes down."
"I could drive you to your hotel and go for a run with you. I've got my gear in the car. Is that okay?"
"Sound good."
Shannon was attracted to Peter in a motherly sort of way. He seemed to be very gentle and had handled all the questions to him in a very respectful way. Last but not least, he seemed to be a gentleman.
The hotel was on the lake. Shannon went up to his room and changed into her running gear and they were soon jogging around the lake which was the highlight of the city. It was very picturesque and there were many other joggers. They chatted as they ran. It was a warm afternoon and the sun was still quite warm. The more they ran the more they sweated. Shannon had not been touched by a boy for quite a while and the smell of his sweat turned her on. The more they ran the more she became obsessed with the idea that Peter could solve her drought problem. In the hotel she would let him have a shower and she would walk in uninvited. She didn't know one boy that she had been with who would object. They would all leap at the possibility.
After two circuits they were done and went back to the hotel. Shannon could have picked up her gear and gone home but she was a rather forthright young lady for her 18 years and asked if she could have a shower.
"Sure. After that we can go downstairs and have a bite. What do you think?" They were getting on well while keeping their distance.
They went into his room in the hotel and he went into the shower first. You can imagine his surprise when he realised that Shannon was in the shower with him. His first reaction was to cover his penis with his hand and he said,
"What are you doing here?"
"I've always wanted to have a shower with a boy and this was my first chance and I took it. I didn't think you'd mind. In fact I thought you'd like it."
"I think you have got a nerve. You can't do that without asking."
"I thought you would like it. You spent your lecture talking about men harassing women and I just thought it would be really interesting to see how you responded to a woman harassing you. All the boys I know would be delighted"
""It's hardly the same thing."
Peter fled the scene as fast as he could. Shannon was left wondering what had happened. How could she have chosen the only man in the world who didn't want to have a shower with her??? She certainly had not expected him to do that. As the water cascaded over her body she wondered whether she had made a mistake. She could not think of any boy that she knew who would have done what Peter did. Every one of them would have been delighted to see her naked and to be in a shower with her. Her hope was that by making the first move he would respond and she would be manhandled for the first time in months. It was so frustrating that none of the fellows in the insurance company would even make a pass at her and now she had seemingly messed up her chance.
Maybe he had a girlfriend. It didn't seem likely. He seemed genuinely embarrassed by the whole situation. Shannon got out of the shower and dried herself and determined to walk out into the room naked. Maybe that would grab his attention. It was not to be. Peter was already dressed and absorbed in his phone when she walked through the door. He did not bat an eyelid or even acknowledge that she was in the room. That wasn't going to stop Shannon. Just in case he looked up, he would see her getting dressed -- first her bra, then her panties and her dress and shoes. The atmosphere was decidedly cool -- nobody spoke.
"I'm dressed. Do you want to go down and eat now?"
Peter got up and headed for the door and Shannon followed. They went to the coffee shop in the hotel and ordered their food in silence. Peter had been totally thrown off balance. Shannon was the first to speak.
"When we were in the shower, why didn't you touch me?"
"Can you imagine the headlines? Sex harassment lecturer attacks girl in hotel. Can you just imagine that? That would be the end of my job."
Shannon opened her purse and took out a piece of paper and wrote on it, "What is happening between Peter and me is consensual." She gave it to Peter.
You could feel the tension lift from Peter's shoulders when he read it.
"Tell me, have you got a girlfriend?"