I was working at La Defense as an English trainer. Having come from London, it was an easy enough job to get here in Paris.

My boss had always been nice to me and even given in to my pay raise requests when I asked. Once she even gave me time off to go back to London for several weeks to visit my father who was gravely ill, and in the middle of our busiest period. I thought it was because she appreciated my teaching skills. Wow, was I ever wrong.

The pedagogical manager who'd been working at my school for over twenty years finally decided to retire and go back to America. The position was up in the air and I thought I had a great shot at it myself. I wasn't the only one up for the job though. There was another teacher, female, who wanted it as well.

I went to see the boss about it. I was qualified, had put my time in, and thought I was more capable of doing the job than my coworker. My boss agreed. I was ready to jump over the moon: pay hike, position hike...more advantages. But my boss wasn't finished going over my qualitifcations yet. She proceeded to inform me that yes I had all the qualifications; yes I would do well in the position, etc. but that there was something she wasn't yet sure about. "What's that," I asked, alarmed at the prospect of losing my new job already. "I'm sure you would make a good manager, but I wonder if you'd make a good lover."

I speak French fluently, but I had to ask her again to repeat what she'd said and she did so unflinchingly. I blinked and looked down. She continued summing up my qualifications and questioning the lack of those thereof while I stood there in a daze. Was I being sexually harrassed? I guess so. The bottom line was this: If I wanted the new job, I'd have to sleep with my boss. Not once however. She'd had her eye on me for awhile and was looking for a full-time lover.

Not only was I not interested in her in that way, but her husband was co-owner of the company for God's sake. I was also in a serious relationship myself. How could she do this to me? Why? Was she asking my coworker to sleep with her too? I doubted it. I don't think she was bisexual, I mean, but then again, who knows.

My boss asked me to think it over, and to be quite honest, I did. And then I decided to hell with her and the new job. I packed up my locked and dared her to stop me from walking out from one day to the next without notice.

So much for my career advancement, but at least I kept my honor intact. Yes, that's one way of looking at it, but I'm still angry that it came down to that. Now I guess I have an inkling as to what women go through all the time.

Submitted by R.S.

Do you have a true love-related story you'd like to share with Prissy Mag? If so, email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (0)