Should I Sleep with my Intern??
My lovely, I understand the thrill. Nothing wakes you up quite like an intern who smiles at you as if you personally invented lighting, heating and the entire concept of deadlines. It can give you a little morning glow, the kind you normally only get from a strong coffee or a secret nibble of office biscuit stash.
But before this warm feeling turns into a full roast, let us breathe. Interns are sweet, yes, but they are also walking baby spreadsheets. They still get frightened by double-sided printing. They think a three-ring binder is advanced technology. They are not a romantic prospect. They are barely ready for adult scissors.
Now, let’s talk desire. Oh, that delicious flicker. You feel it in your chest, your tummy, maybe even lower down where your conscience lives. You feel flattered. You feel alive. You feel like you might need to splash a little cold water on your face and say, “Cherry, behave yourself.”
There are ways to indulge a spark without lighting a bonfire under your career. You could buy a scented moisturiser. You could flirt with a barista who calls everyone darling. You could post a picture of your pasta and wait for someone to say, “Stunning carb work.” Or, sweetheart, you could stay late at the office and take a quiet moment to dial your own rotary phone. No one needs to know. Not even Facilities.
Temptation is fun. Temptation is warm. Temptation is like a jam doughnut on a diet day. But temptation can also turn into a painfully awkward staff meeting, the kind where you sit three chairs apart and refuse to look directly at each other because you both remember the photocopier incident in vivid detail.
So should you sleep with your intern?
Let us ask a simple question.
Would you feel confident explaining it to HR while maintaining steady eye contact?
If the answer is no, then my love, the only thing you should be unbuttoning is your cardigan on a hot day.
Keep your dignity tidy and your rotary phone handy. It will save you more stress than any romance ever could.
