The pleasures of working abroad

"We get some ridiculous law suits thrown at us," said one of our dinner party guests last weekend. The guy who was speaking works overseas, in charge of the branch of an international bank situated in the capital city of a developing country.

"Because of all the projects that we're involved with, we get a lot of young staff from London visiting us for a few months at a time," he continues, "but the initial excitement of working abroad soon wears off. Although the country has a lot to offer, it's not what they're used to. They're away from their friends and partners, and it's just not possible to live the same kind of urban lifestyle that's possible in London."

"If they miss their friends and partners," I reply, "I guess it helps if they get on well with their colleagues".

"Yes, that's the problem! A lot of them end up getting on with their colleagues perhaps a little too well. Not even the best gossip mongers in the office can keep up with who's had who. It's like there are two 'webs' of liaisons, the gay one and the straight one."

"Shouldn't there be three webs? Straight, gay male and lesbian?" I ask.

"How many lesbians do you know working in banking GB?" he asks me back.

"Not many, that's true!"

"But for some reason we do get quite a lot of gay guys. I just pray that we don't get sent any bi-sexuals," he continues, "if the two webs of liaisons collide I see no end of trouble!"

"But is it really such a problem if the staff fuck each other?" I ask.

"Unfortunately some of them aren't that discrete about their activities. Someone saw one of the younger guys standing naked on his balcony being serviced by one of the female staff who was on her knees in front of him! Her identity remains a secret for now, she was facing the guy for obvious reasons so her face wasn't visible."

"Sounds like harmless fun to me," I reply.

"But coming back to the law suits, one of the women who's now gone back to London is threatening to sue us for the stress that we've caused her. Apparently she had various liaisons while she was with us, and her boyfriend back in London accidentally saw some of the text messages. She should have been more careful, because her boyfriend has left her."

"That would be a ridiculous law case!" I laugh.

"Well indeed. Being in charge of an international banking operation abroad sounds quite high-powered and glamorous, but the day to day reality is quite different. It does help though when the cr*p that I have to deal with has an amusing side to it too!"