As I’ve mentioned before, we have a gym here on our work campus. For the last year or so, I’ve been pretty good about making time to work out with Kelsey, our trainer, and doing Yoga a few times a week. There isn’t a locker room in the gym, so I usually just pack workout clothes with me and change in the bathroom.
As my department is located on the top floor of the building, there is a pretty nice view from the bathroom window. OK, well I don’t know if it’s nice, but the window is huge, and you can see pretty far. There is a reflective pane in the window, allowing those inside to see out, but not allowing those outside to see in. When I’m in there – changing, peeing, fixing my hair, whatever – I like to open the blinds and look out over the parking lot to see what’s happening.
It’s not like I’m voyeuristic or anything. I just think it’s funny to see people walking through the parking lot below me while I’m peeing or while I’m changing. They have no idea I’m there! It’s fun to spy on people. I’ve even discovered a few secret office couples from that window in my time here.
However, about a month ago, I started noticing that every time I went into the bathroom, the blinds were closed. I blamed it on a new employee, thinking that he or she didn’t realize it’s not possible to see through the window from outside. I figured they were especially sensitive because of the time change, since it’s so dark in the mornings and at the end of the day. If it weren’t for the reflective window pane, it would be so easy to see right in.
So, I would just take it upon myself to open the blinds again. As recently as last week, after having worked out at the end of the work day, I opened the blinds to look out over the darkened parking lot while I changed out of my gym clothes. Peeling off my leggings, tank top and sports bra, I stood in front of the window in only my undies and watched people walk to their cars while I cooled off before putting my normal clothes back on. For a second, I thought someone was looking at me, but then I realized that he couldn’t see in.
Which brings us to this morning.
I arrived at the office, put my lunch in the fridge, and walked into the bathroom. The blinds were closed, so I opened them up before pulling my jeans down and sitting on the toilet. There I was, sitting, watching the highway traffic pass by, when I saw it: the reflective window pane. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall behind the door.
What the…?
I looked more closely at the window. The reflective pane had been removed. I was peeing in front of the open window! Quickly, I stood up, tried to discreetly pull my pants up, washed my hands and high-tailed it out of there.
Upon exiting the bathroom, I ran into my boss.
“Hey, uh,” I tried to play it cool. “I couldn’t help but notice that there’s a window pane sitting on the floor in the bathroom. What’s that for?”
“Oh,” he replied. “You know how the bathroom windows used to be reflective so you couldn’t see in from outside? They took that reflecty part down a few weeks ago for repair. I guess they’re about to put them back up today or something.”
“Oh, haha.” WHAT?! “What do you mean they took the reflecty part down?”
“Yeah, about six weeks ago, they removed that reflective pane. Haven’t you noticed that we’ve been keeping the blinds closed?”
“Oh, yeah. Yeah. Haha! Yeah.”
Yeahhh.
Jillian Wyatt 