The Office Opportunity

My friend Rhonda works at a Big 4 Accounting firm. Her friend, Senior Gal, introduced her to another senior who happens to be on the biggest client in the office. She would like to someday get on this client, making this guy a great contact. He is also decently attractive. The three of them went out after work once, and a week later Senior Guy invited her to a St. Patrick's Day party at his apartment.

Although Rhonda doesn't know him very well, she and some friends stopped by decked in shamrocks and beer hats. He paid her attention and even offered to drive her car home if she had a few too many Guinness pints.

Rhonda and Senior Guy have chatted occasionally at work and via text. She has been casually seeing someone, let's call him Metro Park, and wasn't sure if Senior Guy knew this. After she was away for two weeks, he asked her about her trip. Thinks were on the rocks with Metro Park, and she told Senior Guy that she and Metro Park were ending things.

A mere 24 hours later, Senior Gal e-mailed Rhonda at work, excited that she had ended things with Metro Park. Senior Guy must have told her. Uh Oh. They were obviously chatting about Rhonda! Was Senior Guy interested in Rhonda? Or just shooting the breeze with his coworker? A few days later, Senior Gal told Rhonda that Senior Guy wanted to hang out with her on Thursday. Sure enough, Senior Guy had written on her Facebook wall, saying something to the effect of "let's go out for drinks after work". Way to kill the element of surprise, Senior Gal.

Rhonda and Metro Park are actually still quasi-dating, so she went out with him on Thursday instead. But Senior Gal seems to really want to get Rhonda and Senior Guy together. Either that or Senior Guy is really into Rhonda. Or Senior Guy is just plain friendly. Just today Rhonda told me that Senior Gal asked her about her plans for lunch. And said that she was going to ask if Rhonda wanted to go to lunch with her and Senior Guy. Hmm.

In order for this situation to work for professional gain, Rhonda can't completely screw over Senior Guy. However, if she wants to remain professional she also shouldn't throw herself at him. And since she is sort-of dating Metro Park, she doesn't really want to go out with Senior Guy. But she doesn't want to miss out on this opportunity, either. So what is Rhonda to do? Politely oblige to a friendly lunch would be my guess. But what next?