Shame in an elevator

One of my biggest problems is my constant embarrassment in social situations.

Today at lunch I had a simple plan: To jump in the lift, go down to the canteen in the basement and then get a salad. I should know by now that nothing is ever that simple.

The lifts in this building are always busy and my biggest fear is that there'll be someone in there who wants to talk to me in front of all the others.

This was today's situation and I was responding to the incessant questions as well as I could instead of screaming that I didn't want to talk. When the lift arrived at ground floor, habit took over and I got out rather than remained where I was to go one floor extra.

As soon as I realised I'd stepped out in error, I could easily have jumped back in and made some lame joke about 'not being with it' and being 'so glad it's the weekend' etc.
Mortified, I pretended I'd meant to get out and carried on out of the building. It doesn't matter, I thought, I'll just go to the cash machine and then go back and get into the lift again.

When I got outside and joined the queue, I realised I didn't have my wallet on me and I had to vacate the queue and go straight back in to the office anyway.

But I was too embarrassed to just leave the queue, so I did what I do best and got my phone out and pretended to start talking to someone.

Shameful. Just shameful.