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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/ReadditMan on 2024-10-31 00:26:50+00:00.

So this isn’t really a huge fuck up but kind of a funny/incredibly cringy story.

I recently moved into a new apartment and was having trouble with my washing machine so the maintenance man came over to take a look. I happened to have my work computer open and as he was leaving he saw I was working in an Adobe program; he asked what I do for a living and I told him I’m a graphic designer.

He immediately got very excited and asked if I could hold on while he went to grab his phone. My first thought was that he was going to ask if I could make something for him, which is something I’m used to, but instead he comes back and starts explaining that his daughter is currently going to school for graphic design. I said that’s awesome and he asked if I could do him a favor and wait a moment while he called her, I said yes.

This is where things got messy. There was already a bit of a language barrier going on because he isn’t fluent in English, so I wasn’t really able to ask why he wanted to call her, but I assumed he was just oddly excited to tell her he had met another graphic designer.

Not the case…what he actually wanted was for me to speak with her.

Background info: I’m a recent college graduate myself and have only been in the field for a couple years. I’m also very socially awkward.

He calls her, says some things in Spanish that I assume was something along the lines of “I met someone who’s a graphic designer”, and then he proceeds to hand me the phone.

Thrown off guard, I reluctantly take it and on the other end is a very confused girl who sounded about the same age as me and was definitely fluent in English. We both had no idea what was happening, I don’t know what her Father thought we were going to discuss but the exchange that followed was a series of awkward hellos and mumbled confusion as I tried to ask what he wanted me to say to her. He just kept gesturing and saying “Talk with her”, but I wasn’t prepared or comfortable talking about a job I’m new to myself, and it was obvious from her voice that she was also uncomfortable, so I just said I’m sorry and gave the phone back.

Her Father seemed to finally realize he had created a very uncomfortable situation, thanked me, and then left. I’m still cringing at how awkward I was.

TL;DR: I told my apartment maintenance man that I’m a graphic designer and he called his daughter expecting me to provide her with advice or something but I’m too socially awkward.