Office Party Surprise

Lena was in a whirlwind of excitement and nerves. Ethan had messaged her again, and they’d scheduled another coffee date for Friday evening. This time, she promised herself there would be no coffee spills, no tripping, and definitely no embarrassing moments. It was time to show him that she wasn’t a walking disaster—she could be calm, composed, and totally normal.

At least, that’s what she hoped.

But before Friday could arrive, there was one more hurdle to cross: the annual office party.

Lena wasn’t usually a fan of office parties. Sure, it was fun to see everyone let loose a little, but there was always the chance of things going horribly wrong. And after her track record of embarrassing moments, she knew she had to be extra careful. If she could survive the night without spilling drinks or knocking over someone’s plate, it would be a miracle.

The party was being held at a trendy rooftop bar downtown, and the theme was “tropical.” Lena was already dreading it—Hawaiian shirts, leis, and fruity cocktails sounded like the perfect recipe for disaster in her world. Still, Jessie had convinced her to go, promising it would be fun.

“It’s just one night,” Jessie said, waving off Lena’s concerns as they got ready in the office bathroom. “And who knows, maybe you’ll get to see Ethan in something other than his perfectly pressed suits. Imagine him in a Hawaiian shirt!”

Lena snorted at the thought. “I don’t think I want to see him in a Hawaiian shirt. That’s too much of a mental image.”

“Oh, come on. You know you’d love it. Besides, this is a perfect chance to spend time with him outside of work. Less pressure, more fun.”

Lena was skeptical but knew Jessie was right. It *was* a good chance to see Ethan in a different light, and maybe even get to know him better in a more relaxed setting. She just had to survive the night without making a fool of herself.

By the time they arrived at the party, the rooftop bar was already packed with people. The décor was over the top—palm trees, tiki torches, and a giant inflatable pineapple in the corner. The sound of island music filled the air, and waiters in floral shirts were handing out coconut drinks with tiny umbrellas.

“Wow,” Lena muttered as she looked around. “They really went all out.”

Jessie grinned, grabbing a drink off a passing tray. “Told you it’d be fun. Now let’s find Ethan and get this party started.”

Lena followed Jessie through the crowd, her eyes scanning for Ethan. She wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or nervous that she hadn’t spotted him yet. Part of her wanted to impress him, but the other part—the part that remembered all her previous disasters—was terrified of what could go wrong in this kind of setting.

They found a group of coworkers near the bar, chatting and laughing, but no sign of Ethan. Lena tried to relax, sipping her drink and making small talk. Jessie was already in full party mode, cracking jokes and pulling people into conversations.

“Come on, Lena, loosen up!” Jessie urged, nudging her with an elbow. “You look like you’re ready to bolt at any second.”

“I’m just… being careful,” Lena replied, glancing around nervously. “There’s a lot that could go wrong here.”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Relax. It’s a party. Have fun! Look—there’s the dance floor. Let’s go!”

Before Lena could protest, Jessie grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the rooftop. The music was louder here, and people were swaying to the beat with drinks in hand. Lena hesitated, her eyes darting around to make sure she didn’t accidentally knock into anyone.

“Jessie, I’m not really—” Lena began, but Jessie was already twirling around, laughing and carefree.

“Come on, Lena! Live a little!” Jessie called over the music.

Lena sighed, deciding to give in and dance for a bit. Maybe it would help her loosen up. She moved awkwardly at first, feeling self-conscious, but as the music played on, she started to relax. The party wasn’t so bad after all.

But just as she was starting to enjoy herself, disaster struck.

Out of nowhere, someone bumped into Lena from behind, causing her to stumble forward. She flailed her arms, trying to catch her balance, but in the process, her hand smacked into a nearby waiter’s tray, sending a tower of cocktails crashing to the ground.

Lena gasped, her eyes widening in horror as the drinks splattered across the floor, the sound of glass shattering echoing through the rooftop. People turned to look, and Lena’s face burned with embarrassment.

“Oh no,” she muttered under her breath. “Not again.”

Jessie, who had witnessed the whole thing, burst out laughing. “Lena! You did it again!”

Lena groaned, mortified. She crouched down, trying to help the waiter clean up the mess. “I’m so sorry,” she stammered, her face burning. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Lena?”

That voice. She knew that voice.

Lena froze, slowly looking up to see Ethan standing there, a look of amused surprise on his face. He was wearing a tropical shirt—bright blue with pineapples—and a lei around his neck. And he was staring directly at her.

Her heart sank. Of all the people to witness her latest disaster, it had to be him.

“Ethan,” she mumbled, straightening up and feeling like she wanted to disappear into the floor. “Hi. I, uh… I didn’t see you there.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, clearly trying not to laugh. “I could tell. You okay?”

Lena nodded, her face still bright red. “Yeah, just, you know… clumsy me.”

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “You sure know how to make an entrance.”

Lena sighed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “I swear, I don’t do this on purpose. It just… happens.”

Ethan’s smile softened, and he took a step closer. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s a party, right? Things get messy.”

Lena couldn’t believe how cool he was about the whole thing. She had been sure this was going to be another disaster, but here he was, smiling and making her feel less embarrassed about the whole situation.

Jessie, who had finally stopped laughing, came up behind Lena and gave her a playful nudge. “See? It’s all good. No harm done.”

Lena shot her a look, but she couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this wasn’t the end of the world after all.

“Want to grab a drink?” Ethan asked, gesturing toward the bar.

Lena nodded, grateful for the chance to escape the scene of her latest embarrassment. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

As they walked over to the bar, Ethan glanced sideways at her, his smile still in place. “So, are you always this accident-prone, or is it just when I’m around?”

Lena laughed, shaking her head. “Trust me, it’s not just you. I’ve been like this my whole life. It’s a miracle I haven’t broken anything yet.”

Ethan chuckled, handing her a drink. “Well, it definitely makes things interesting.”

Lena blushed, sipping her drink and feeling a little more relaxed now that they were away from the crowd. She had been dreading this party, but somehow, Ethan’s laid-back attitude was making everything feel easier. Maybe this was why she liked him so much—he had a way of turning even the most embarrassing moments into something funny.

“So,” Ethan said, leaning against the bar, “you think you’ll survive the rest of the night without any more disasters?”

Lena grinned, raising her drink in mock toast. “Here’s hoping.”

As the night wore on, Lena found herself relaxing more and more. She and Ethan spent the rest of the evening chatting, laughing, and—surprisingly—dancing. And for the first time, Lena felt like she wasn’t just the clumsy girl with a crush on Ethan Turner. She was *herself*—and that seemed to be enough.

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