Absurd.
After a mentally stimulating panel about the current state of upscale office realty in New England, Lana and Roger made the rounds in the hotel lobby, the man much more interested in socializing than Lana was. Besides, Roger knew these people. He could do most of the heavy lifting in the socialization department.
Lana was busy, anyway. Busy grabbing for a glimpse of Ken whenever she could manage.
She saw him a few times. Usually she felt him before she saw his dashing vests or that perfectly groomed goatee on his face. Their eyes met more than once. He asked me on a date tonight. I haven’t given him my answer yet. What a silly thing for her to do. She should have made up her mind that morning before they parted ways. Otherwise he was going to send her another $5 trinket and demand she meet him somewhere he owned. Like a bank. Or a hospital. Maybe an inner-city school.
Their eyes never met for more than half a second. This didn’t bother Lana. What did bother her, however, was the flurry of butterfly wings kicking up trouble in her stomach every time that dark and seductive glance came her way. Kill me. Right between the legs, you lecher. Lana had to hold back the silly, girlish grin she wanted to have at that thought. She was in the middle of talking closing cost trends with a New Jersey agency.
“You know,” an LA agent said, his SoCal tan bubbling beneath his rolled up Beverly Hills sleeves, “you have a look made for TV, Lana. I have it on good authority that one of the home improvement channels is going to start getting into real estate. Shows, that is. Casting calls popping up all over Hollywood. They’re looking for agents, contractors, the whole works. But you can also bet they’re going to care about looks first and foremost. Ever thought of being on TV?”
Roger laughed; Lana paled. Me? On TV? People often said she had a Hollywood charm about her. It was the hair. Maybe the bold makeup. God knew she had a ball whenever she went to LA for work or pleasure. Living there, however, was not her style. She was a New England girl at heart. The Big Apple was her Big Picture, not the city of angels addicted to traffic jams.
“Lana really does have a face and figure for TV.” Roger changed up the look he gave this Californian agent. Don’t tell me you want me to seriously consider this. Or maybe Roger suddenly had a crush on this guy, not that he ever had good taste in anyone. I bet Ken has good taste in men. Lana had made sure to ask him more questions about those suggestions during their pillow talk time the night before. He really would be too perfect if he was confident enough in his sexuality to occasionally fool around with men. Confidence was sexy, but that level of confidence? Lana needed a new underwear collection to deal with the amount of arousal it foisted upon her. “You know, you must be the only west coast firm that’s given us the time of day here.”
The Californian laughed, gaze lingering on Roger’s face. Get a room, you two. Lana would love it if her boss also got laid at this conference. That way if he ever found out about her and Ken he wouldn’t have any room to give her shit.
“Lana has a reputation that currently precedes her,” the agent said. “Everyone’s talking about her.” I’m right here, for fuck’s sake. Typical men. Talk about the lady as if she’s not even here. “We had dinner with the representatives with Lois & Bachman the other night and they had nothing but great things to say. You would have thought they knew you personally, Lana!”
“Lois & Bachman, huh?” She instinctively searched for Ken again, although he was nowhere to be seen. I feel him, though. It was a big lobby, packed with people coming and going to their rooms, checking in at the front desk, or conversing with the conference. There was currently one talk going on, but it was perhaps one of the least popular ones at the conference. Lana knew she wasn’t going to it, anyway. “I didn’t know I was that famous. Maybe I should go on TV after all.”
Their cordial conversation came to an even more cordial end. As soon as Roger and Lana had a moment to themselves again, her boss launched with, “Lois & Bachman are talking about you, Lana. Do you know what that means?”
That I shouldn’t have slept with their lead manager? Not that Lana regretted it. Ken was one of the best lays of the past few years. Certainly one of the best of her full adult life. Sometimes I miss the naiveté of my high school and college years. Many grown men had been a constant disappointment. They were supposed to be disappointments when she was in school. Now she wanted a real man who could satisfy her while still letting her be herself.