So I casually saunter over to HotPants girl’s desk just to say hi.
“Hey there HotPants girl! What’s up?” (She’s not wearing hotpants today, unfortunately)
“ Ahhh! It’s Isamu-san! Hi!”
“Whatcha doing there?”
“I’m making curtains” (she’s still basically looking down, concentrating intensely on her work)
“Thought so” (I will NOT ask her why she is making curtains because I don’t want my head to explode at 3.30 in the afternoon.) “That’s a nice material too” (royal purple velvet)
“Thanks”
“So whatcha getting me for christmas, HotPants girl?”
(she thinks) “How about a date with me?” (she smiles divinely)
“I think Mrs. Isamu might put the kibosh on that idea.”
“Oh. OK” (wide eyed and innocent)
You could have presented it to Mrs. Isamu better- or at all.
Instead, you admitted defeat before engagement.
Secure HotPantsGirl’s participation- Mrs. Isamu will follow. If Mrs. Isamu doesn’t follow, then you don’t get HPG, but you never had HPG to begin with.
Now, you’ve taken HPG off the table without even attempting to secure Mrs. Isamu.
Bad form.
Even if it was never going to happen, you have to practice like it was game day. And you didn’t do that.
I was out for drinks and dinner with 15 or so other people from work last Friday and we’re talking and gossiping like mad. Someone says HotPants girl’s name and the entire party freezes, everyone looks at the person sitting next to them and then back to the other person, and in a truly groupthink moment everyone bursts out laughing. Some people even fell off their chairs. After everyone recovered, not another word was said about that. There didn’t really need to be any further discussion.