escort service? that might even have naked compensation as a free bonus.
I have met some people, but no one I would want to take to a gathering with my coworkers. For example, I went out with a guy on Friday night. He was gorgeous but over the course of the evening it became clear he was dumb as a box of rocks. He is not exactly someone I want to go out with again, let alone introduce to people. The one real prospect for an escort is very interested in dating me and I don’t want to lead him to think this would mean more than a free meal.
I would just call an escort service but I don’t want to pay oodles of money to have someone to talk to for a couple of hours. I also am not interested in the naked compensation that would probably be included with an escort service. When I want that I will find it without paying for it.
I was just about to offer to go, but I just checked the calendar, and I have something that night. It would have been an adventure (if, of course, you accepted my offer).
I have other male friends in the area, though.
You know, you could just take one of your girlfriends, especially if its just semi-formal and not, say, a white-tie ball. The party is for you to have fun at, and “Guest” is just someone to keep you company. If you have a friend who you’d enjoy chatting with over catered food and open bar, then I’m sure she’d be welcome.
But if you’re up for adventure, I do like the idea of bringing a NYC Doper. Hopefully some respectable young men will be along shortly. 
I’m 47, married and on the wrong side of the pond, otherwise I’d be there like a shot. 
Take a female friend, you’ll have much more fun than the other “couples” trying to behave themselves because it’s an office function! Besides, with a girl friend for company, you’ll have fun criticising all the fashion disasters you see during the night.
Plus, most of the office will assume you’re gay – what a lark that will be! :rolleyes:
But… but… it’s a work expense. You can write it off!
And think of the benefits, baby! If he’s hot/cute/really interesting/etc. you’d know you would be gettin’ sum.
And there’s always the guy you showed your boob to on your couch…
I went to our office holiday party stag once. It wasn’t a sit down dinner, just a buffet but I decided to go dateless having recently rid myself of husband #1 and post husband boyfriend #1. I wore a red dress (women always wear that “little black dress” to these things) and had an absolute blast.
Good luck with your date and I hope you have a blast.
I swear, you accidentally show your boob to someone one time and you never live it down!
I have thought about bringing a girlfriend just because we could be gossipy and have a blast but I really don’t want to deal with the whole office wondering about my sexual orientation and then being set up with my coworkers lesbian friends/sisters/nieces/etc like Miranda in that episode of Sex and the City.
If I don’t find a date here in a couple of days I will go by myself and that will be fine but if I can use this as an opportunity to make a new friend while avoiding the whole, “Why are you here by yourself? Where is your boyfriend? Oh, you don’t have a boyfriend? How sad…” conversation with coworkers that would be the better of the two options.
Or you could go alone and tell them that you’ve left your boyfriend at home to bake chocolate chip cookies, load “Sleepless in Seattle” into the DVD, draw a bubbly bath, light some candles and put the satin sheets on the bed…
Ah… I was such a great boyfriend.
Or maybe I could tell them that after a long day of neurosurgery he fights crime under a pseudonym.
Now there’s something to put on your business cards…
“JustAnotherGeek…Man Candy Extrodonaire!”
Sounds like a job for your female friends’ brothers, cousins, sons, nephews …
I was asking my boyfriend about this last night – perhaps it’s regional, but I have female friends (here and when I lived in NY) who would often bring their other female friends to weddings and office parties . They would just bring whoever they felt would be good company that night, and who would appreciate the invitation. It’s probably a sign that you’re not dating anyone seriously at the moment, but I’ve never heard of my friends being taken for a couple.
Really, definitely don’t feel that you *have *to bring a date. I mean, go for it if you want to – your company is giving you an invite for 2, and unlike a wedding no one will care about the cost of an extra plate. But you’re 25 and *just *moved to New York, if I were your coworker and knew you, I would expect you to be unattached and living it up in the city. If I didn’t know you well, then I’d be too busy with the open bar to notice if you came with someone.
I don’t suppose getting ridiculously drunk and spontaneously making out with an equally drunk coworker would be a suitable solution? I mean, you don’t walk in with a date, but you do walk out with one (or stumble or crawl or what have you).
Every office party needs at least one of Those Stories, right?
I have no problem going by myself if I can’t find a date, but I have found that in an office environment coworkers (especially female coworkers who are older than me) tend to go all mother hen on me if I don’t show up with a date or talk about a boyfriend on a regular basis. Having only been here for a few months it is understandable that I wouldn’t necessarily have a date with me, but these are the same women who walk by my cubicle on Monday to ask me if I had a date on Friday or Saturday and if I didn’t they tell me that it’s okay, I will meet someone someday. :rolleyes: They really feel like it is okay to ask and I generally keep my answers short and generic-“I went to the opera on Friday. How was your weekend?” kind of things, but I would like to avoid the barrage of questions that is sure to be a part of the evening if possible. It is a very small office and they have this “family” environment that they are pushing that I don’t really get into but it seems to make everyone else happy. They actually had each employee bring in a baby picture of themselves to hang on the wall in the lunch room because they feel it promotes a feeling of familial comfort within the office.
Generally they are pretty sweet people with only the best of intentions but it bugs me enough when my grandma starts in on my love life, let alone people I’m not related to! Bringing a date would just make the evening go much more smoothly all around, especially since everyone else seems to have signed up to bring someone.
And I don’t think being the drunk who takes home the guy who sits 2 cubes over will do much for my office reputation, but I will take the suggestion under advisement.
Fair enough, pbbth, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I’ve spent a lot of time being unattached, I totally understand where your coming from.
Maybe one of your girlfriends knows someone? Some people like to play matchmaker.