Caught in the Moment at an Academic Conference
Anonymous Reckless Devil #129 · General
I've been dating casually for about six months now, but nothing has become exclusive yet. This past weekend, I attended a conference that my colleague and partner suggested we both go to since it was nearby our city and it offered free lodging for attendees. We had planned on taking separate rooms and meeting up in the evenings after sessions. However, upon arrival at the hotel, something happened I never expected. My partner wasn't there yet due to a late flight, so while waiting in my room, I decided to take advantage of the hotel's complimentary amenities. I took off most of my clothes and headed down for a swim. There was a bar just across from the pool area where guests often congregated. I must have looked out of place as an attendee at the bar, wearing only a bikini bottom with no top and no shirt to match it. A young man around his early thirties caught my eye. He seemed intrigued by me but also uncomfortable, unsure of how to act in such close quarters with a colleague who was fully exposed except for her swimsuit bottoms. We exchanged smiles over the bar counter. Feeling bold and not wanting to be too obvious about why I was there alone, I excused myself from the conference early that evening, heading straight back to my room. But before I could reach it, the hallway outside had grown rather crowded with late-night attendees returning from social events or sessions running into their rooms for a break between panels. Then came the moment of truth: another attendee, also male, walked by me in the hallway and glanced at my half-naked state as I hurried down to get back inside my room. We exchanged an uncomfortable look as if he wanted to say something but hesitated out of respect or fear of repercussions for overstepping. Now it's been days since then and every time I think about that moment, I feel embarrassed and guilty. Even now when I recall how one of the attendees stared at me, wondering what was going through his mind. It wasn't my intention to cause discomfort but rather seek out some private relaxation given the opportunity. Yet there remains a lingering doubt, did it cross a line or make him uncomfortable? And more worryingly, could he report any misconduct back at our university?