Dear Diary,

There’s a colleague of mine at the hospital called Mike. Mike is a surgeon and a very good one at that. As a doctor, I’ve been proud of treating a disease and watching my patients walk away cured. That is nothing compared to what Mike does. To cut someone open and put them back together is quite amazing, even to a medical professional like myself.

For a long time, Mike and I have been passing acquaintances, saying hello within the hospital corridors and meeting at various in-service sessions or hospital parties. Then the other day, out of the blue, he told me that he and some friends were going out for drinks after work. Would I be interested?

Sure. I wasn’t doing anything that evening, and it wouldn’t be the first time I had gone out with colleagues from work. And that’s how we ended up at a bar, taking round after round of tequila with Mike.

“Hey,” I said, trying to clear my mental fog at the same time. “Didn’t you say there would be other people here? Are they still coming?”

Mike gave me one of those looks that get you going, “Oh, oh.”

“Can I be bluntly honest with you, Tom?” he said.

“Of course. What’s on your mind?”

“It was only me. No one else is coming.”

The admission bothers me, but only as far as the alcohol will allow. So what, said the tequila. It was only drinks.

But then, Mike intimates there was more to the evening. “Frankly, some other colleagues of ours were talking, and…”

“Talking about me?”

“Not just you. About other people too, you know? Work gossip, generally. Then one of them mentioned that you were single. You’re not dating anyone, are you?”

“Not right now,” I said.

And this is where a libido can you get you into real trouble. No sooner had Mike asked that question than thoughts began forming in my head. Boldened by the drink, I could already visualise the scenario. Mike and his friends are talking about other colleagues at work. They speculate about the people’s dating situations. Who’s married, who’s single, who’s dating. Typical stuff. Then they get to Dr Tom. Anyone know about his situation? Nope. Dude seems to be a stag, no relationship on the books.

Mike confirmed parts of it. “Dr Kama thinks you’re shy,” he said. “That’s why you haven’t approached anyone at the hospital.”

“Me, shy?” I said with a laugh. “No, Dr Mike, I’m not shy. I just don’t like mixing work and personal stuff. I had a bad experience, you might say, and I learnt my lesson.”

“As long as both of you are equal colleagues, there’s nothing wrong with it. Also, we know you live with Dr Jenny but there’s really nothing between you two. She makes sure to make it clear.”

I shrugged. “It’s true, but I have to say, I don’t get where this is leading.”

“Okay, let me get straight to the point.”

But first, Mike ordered another round of drinks. Three beers later, I remembered he was supposed to come to the point. “Hey, you were supposed to tell me something.”

“Oh, yes,” he said as if coming out of a mental fog. “It’s about a colleague. Dr Kama wants to know if maybe you’re interested?”

“Hell, yeah! But why didn’t you just invite Dr Kama along? Is she shy?”

“No, Dr Kama isn’t shy. As a matter of fact, he’ll be here in a minute.”

I began laughing then stopped short. “Wait! Did you say he?”

“I mean, Tom, you’re living platonically with a single beautiful woman. We all thought, you know, that you might be playing for the other team.”