Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris must have expected an easy evening as he attended an LGBT event at Stormont.
After all, he was only giving a platitude-filled introductory speech before being whisked off, avoiding a panel discussion where he may have faced more of a grilling.
No press had been notified of his involvement, with handlers physically blocking reporters who had by chance turned up from asking him questions.
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And so it was no wonder Mr Heaton-Harris, sporting a rainbow tie, appeared carefree as he breezed into Parliament Buildings to mingle with attendees.
However, one Belfast councillor had other ideas.
The SDLP's Séamas de Faoite saw his opportunity to tell the Secretary of State exactly what he thought of Stormont budget cuts imposed in the absence of devolved government.
In a handshake that became a vice-like grip, the councillor robustly challenged Mr Heaton-Harris on the "appalling" impact on children and young people's services.
He accused him of using spending cuts as a "negotiating tactic" to persuade the DUP to resume power-sharing, adding: "You're putting the cuts on the backs of children and young people."
It is surprising no other politicians concerned about mounting budget pressures have taken such a direct approach before.
But it was Mr Heaton-Harris' colourful response which ensured headlines would follow, as he said to the councillor: "You're talking bollocks. You're talking bollocks."
Swearing at someone, however mildly, is clearly unparliamentary language which may be considered unbefitting of a UK Government minister.
The Ministerial Code states that ministers are "expected to maintain high standards of behaviour" and "should be professional in all their dealings and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect".
Mr Heaton-Harris' office has rebuffed repeated opportunities to apologise, while No 10 refused to comment.
A source close to the Northern Ireland secretary said "factually incorrect points" were made and these were "directly rebutted".
Setting aside the swearing, it was the dismissive tone many have interpreted from the Secretary of State in the exchange which has drawn the most criticism.
Only a day earlier had academics launched a report which described an "unremittingly bleak" outlook facing children and young people as a result of planned cuts to education in Northern Ireland.
The Education Authority is facing a funding gap of £200million in the budget set by the Northern Ireland secretary in the absence of a Stormont Executive.
Researchers from Ulster University, Newcastle University, Queen's University Belfast and Stranmillis University College have detailed the "catastrophic" impact - with the poorest children set to suffer the most.
Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick of Ulster University, who convened the group, said the cuts would "undoubtedly increase poverty and hardship for many households".
In response to the footage of Mr Heaton-Harris, she tweeted: "Disgusting and disrespectful."
Education is just one of the Stormont departments facing cuts, with other plans including a recruitment freeze on front-line jobs in the communities department, and even switching off street lights in the winter.
The problems are far from entirely of the Secretary of State's making. A multi-million-pound overspend by Stormont ministers last year contributed significantly to pressures, while a reluctance to consider revenue-raising measures has also played a role.
But in the continued absence of devolved government, Mr Heaton-Harris' hands are ultimately on the purse strings.
He denies cuts are a "negotiating tactic" over the Stormont impasse, but his response to civil servants' difficult spending decisions will for critics suggest otherwise.
The Secretary of State has already made numerous direct rule interventions, from cutting MLA pay to delaying an election and enacting Dáithí's Law on organ donation.
His heated encounter with a councillor suggests the longer Stormont remains down, the more pressure he will come under to make decisions - and the more he will be held accountable when problems persist.
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