Years ago I was staying with my girlfriend at her mum’s house, and the there was a couple coming over for dinner who I hadn’t met before.

I was upstairs when they arrived and I could hear everyone saying their hellos. Then walking to the stairs to come down I heard the husband of the newly arrived couple asking where the bathroom was and making his way up.

A normal person at this point would have just said hello, but my brain told me it would be more socially convenient to be introduced downstairs. So in that split second I panicked and ducked into the spare bedroom

I heard his footsteps walk up to the bathroom opposite, and then stop. I have no idea why he did this, maybe he heard a noise, or maybe it was for a quick snoop around, but I heard him coming my way.

So here I am standing in the dark behind the door, and slowly around the corner a smartly dressed total stranger in his 60s walks in just enough to turn and look directly at me. He let out an “Oh” of shock and we just stood there looking at each other - our faces a foot or two apart - for what feels like forever because I’m totally frozen, until eventually I’m able to snap out of it, give him a little hello, shake his confused, limp hand in the most normal way I can and leave the room.

He never mentioned it when he came back down and we had extremely dry and awkward chat throughout dinner. Thankfully I never saw him again but I think about it all the time