How do I deal with a coworker, who now apparently cant stand me? What can I do to fix this problem?

Ok, So I work with a girl who I'll call "Lucy", we used to be friends, we shared personal issues about eachothers lives and talked almost constantly and jokes around, Our Relationship was a little more than just "coworkers", I actually considered us friends. We have an annual meeting, and is mandatory that I be at my post. Lucy called in and said she could not make it because the night before we had a snow storm and she couldnt move her car. My manager told her that she HAD to come in because it was the annual meeting and I had to be at my post(I usually cover if she's late or out.) Any way she made it in, and was really upset because she had to make her dad leave work to drive her. The next day, I was really sick and was coughing, i went down to coverr her for a break and she refused stating that I was sick. I went down again to cover her for her lunch and she said when I get back Im going to disinfect everything, And I said jokingly "Well just for that Im going to caugh all over everything". In return she stated "Well when Im sick and call out you'll have to cover me the whole day" and I said to her "Well its going to be a snow storm and the manaer isnt going to let you call out." with a smirk.(Of course I was trying to be funny.) she left for lucnh and when she came back, she blew up about how Im such a disrespectful person and how I dont watch what I say, and she basically handed me my ass and was really upset. I was in shock, stated I was sorry and walked away. I later texted her and said I was sorry again, and that I was trying to be disrespectful at all. She replyed that Our relationship would stay as coworkers and that we were no longer friends. A couple days past and the tention between us was so thick you couldnt cut it with a chainsaw...my boss noticed the issue and questioned me about it. I stated what had happened and requested that he not say anything because she would just be angry about me saying something to him, and ultimatly it would not fix the problem.
A couple weeks past, and even though Im cordial I can still feel the tention and anger from her. Today, as I walked In I noticed that she wasnt at herr desk and decided to cover until she got there. My boss called the work phone and said she was going to be late, and that it was good I was covering. A few minutes later another coworker calls her desk and says ok your there, that Lucy was going to be late. About 20 minutes later Lucy walks in and starts yelling at me about how Im not women enough to answer my phone, that shes been calling and texting me, mind you I didnt know how to react because she practically walked in yelling. I tried to tell her that my cell phone was in my purse and not on my person, and she kept yelling an causing a scene about how she had to call two otherr people to tell me to cover. I could barely get a word in and then she started yelling and said "and please be my guest and go crying to our BOSS about this, the way you did before trying to make me look bad. Im still trying to explain to her about how Im sorry I didnt have my phone on me, I also told her that, I would no longer do that favor of covering for her, and that yes I was going to tell our boss about it. She said "Well too bad its your job" and out of anger I said "Well its your job to be on time" she stated thast she had an emergency and "To get out of my face your so fucking annoying!" With that I left and returned to my desk.

Im usure how to deal with this and feel embarressed that she addressed me the way she did, Im sure the whole dept heard her tantrum. Im angry and confuse and really do not know how to deal with this. HELP!

UPDATE: the same day of this incident my boss calls us both into his office for a "meeting", he asks us what's going on. Immediately she paints me as the evildoer and that she was calm as I went ballistic on her!! I stayed quiet and let her speak her peace. After she was done my boss told her he looked over the footage of the video camera and that even though he couldn't hear what was being said he can tell by her body language that she was clearly came at me and I was reacting to what was being said. Afterward she came forward and said that she was venting because everything she was going through in the morning before arriving was building up along with the fact that she couldn't reach me to cover and she also needed reason to vent about me going to my boss with the first issue. I know my boss likes us both but he couldn't side with her on her views about the situation because he couldn't see why she was so angry about my first comment to her and he told her that I didn't purposely "miss" her call in the morning because I failed to answer my cell when he called as well. She then said something was totally disrespectful an my boss said "that kind of mean to say especially since she's sitting right next to you", her response was that at least she was "truthful" (I can't really remember what she said, I guess it dint matter to me anymore). She than told my boss that she found it disrespectful that I went to him about the first issue we were having. All the while they were having this discussion I stayed quiet...my boss already knew and understood my side of the story. I know there is still tension and I would of been willing to dismiss that and continue being friends but after her Childish tantrum not so much.
By 1badch1k 14 years ago :: Workplace/Co-workers
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