Gray, Beth - Cougar Hunting [Modern Cougar] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Gray, Beth

  “You know, I’ve been wondering about that, since you never mentioned it.”

  “Just don’t go telling Bobby.”

  “I’m not telling him anything.”

  “Good. Let’s see if we can make some money.”

  “I’m sure we’re going out hitting the bars later tomorrow night to celebrate the partnership. I think jumping LeAnna’s bones is going to be a real challenge. How are you going to handle Terri?”

  Chapter 7

  Terri’s hotel room had papers scattered everywhere—crumbled self-rejections—deaths of one idea after another. One day, she had been given one day to come up with a plan, a campaign to launch a new product. On a shoestring budget, she knew she would make little for her effort, but also knew it might be the key to nailing LeAnna’s major clothing account.

  She needed to let her mind breathe and take on some fresh approaches. She thought of Chad and his technique of scanning the spas for ideas. She had to admit it was really brilliant, in a way.

  Jessica must be scoring tonight. She never answered her phone. And Penny naturally was scoring. She had Bobby all to herself in Vegas. Good for them, but bad for her, as she was left struggling with this presentation. She crumbled another idea and threw the paper to the floor. That did it. She needed a shower and a drink.

  She pushed her chair back and stood. The white robe she had cuddled in fell to the floor. She worked too much lately, and the toll registered in the tightness of her neck. A massage would be great, getting laid much better. The thought made her smile. She knew no one in Miami and had no friends to flank her as she went out hunting for some young stud.

  Her thoughts drifted to Chad and their one night together. She had not scored again since then. She had worked on this account nonstop since then. And tomorrow, she needed to add the icing on the cake. It was a unique curve she had been thrown but one that could pay huge dividends if she could only come up with a great idea by tomorrow. She needed inspiration. She needed a drink and fresh air.

  Terri stepped into the shower and felt the hot water melting her tension away. She washed away the makeup, the hair spray, stripping her down to the raw Terri. She maintained an image, one of importance, a person to be recognized. However, she enjoyed the simple pleasures of the hot water melting her tensions away while feeding her erotic desires. She imagined Chad in the shower with her as she allowed her hand to pleasure herself. The heat in her grew quickly as she climaxed in minutes. Coming so quickly had seldom happened. She leaned up against the shower wall half-asleep, half-dreaming of enjoying an erotic time in the shower. Of course, her man in the dreams was Chad.

  Eventually the water turned cold as she shuddered and stepped out of the shower. Howard Street was not too far away. Perhaps, she could receive some inspiration while sitting at one of the outside restaurants or bars. It was worth a shot.

  * * * *

  Terri walked the full length of Howard Street, seeing many possibilities but never stopping on her first pass. Slightly inside one restaurant, she studied a bar, allowing her to observe the inside patrons and outside traffic. This would do. She saw a section of barstools empty and slipped into one in the middle. She didn’t really need anyone buying her a drink, but idle conversation might not be bad.

  A cool late-night breeze blew along the street, stirring the white tablecloths. Many would be heading toward the dance clubs soon, only to return here after they had their fun and wanted one more drink before calling it a night.

  The aromas of one intriguing meal after another that she had passed on the street caused Terri’s stomach to finally growl as she reached for a menu sitting to the side. The bartender across from her leaned over to take a couple of women’s orders. The women maintained demure smiles, neither acknowledging anyone around nor ignoring them, perfect gold diggers waiting on a catch for the night. She knew their kind from her many nights out with her friends.

  The bartender did have a cute butt and muscles bulging under his company-issued uniform, while his deep black hair indicated a Latin American heritage. She wondered what time he got off work. She knew she only kidded herself. She had to go back and finish working on her presentation soon.

  With precise, almost poetic movements, the bartender turned, poured a glass of water, and placed it on a napkin in front of her. “Hi.”

  “Hello yourself.”

  “What can I get you?”

  “I need something to invigorate a lot of inspiration. As long as it has Red Bull and vodka, I’m happy.”

  “I think I have something for you.” He turned and crossed to his mixing station.

  The barstool’s cushioned back and full arm rest made her intended long stay perfect. She reached inside her purse and found her notebook and a pen.

  As the bartender drained the shaker into a glass for her, another guy walked into the drink station. He retrieved a jacket and walked over to the bartender, slapping him on the rear before offering a kiss on his cheek. Damn, she should have known—this was South Beach—he was gay. Such a fucking waste.

  Terri opened her pad and found a blank page as he placed the drink in front of her. “I think you will like this. I drink it when I have to be creative.”

  Terri lifted the drink. “Thanks, I’m game. Nothing else is working.”

  “By the way, I’m Rob. What do you do?” He glanced at the pad she had starting drawing on.

  Since she never knew where it might lead, she reached in her purse and handed him a card. “I’m working on a presentation for tomorrow and getting nowhere. I thought getting out for a while might give me a spark I can use.”

  “I understand fully. I’m working my way into clothes designing.”

  “Really? I think I picked the right bar.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, acknowledging some new customers. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Terri shifted in her seat so she could watch the traffic flowing up and down the street. The city planner that came up with the idea of closing the street to auto traffic struck gold, as many top restaurants and exclusive shops opened soon after. The diverse crowds of people and numerous languages spoken made her love to come here. Thoughts of her trips over the last three years floated inside her head. She missed her husband. He died way too soon. Even though he was twenty years older, he had still died relatively young at fifty-five from a massive heart attack. He made more than he could ever spend, but pushed himself to make more and more money, working excessive hours.

  Now, here she was doing the same thing. She made much more than she could ever spend. She only had friends from work. She wanted to live, to experience life she had missed out on. Deep down, she knew her deceased husband would tell her to do the same.

  She finished the drink, feeling slightly light-headed but able to concentrate on the traffic. She needed to imagine someone working out with the crazy ball they wanted to market. Who was their market, and why would they buy? In this town, it had to be something that could make a fashion statement.

  Rob returned and pointed toward her drink. “How did you like it?”

  “Fantastic! I think I can stick with these for tonight. You also have something smelling good coming out of the kitchen. A sample platter of appetizers would be great.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  Terri ran one idea after another through her head, the pad filled with ideas, but nothing burned bright enough to seal the deal tomorrow. She did notice many new purse designs, giving her reason to sidetrack and fantasize for a while. She could use a new purse.

  Patrons came and went. A quick drink here, a meet up there, the bar had a life all of its own. Rob knew many of the customers coming in and appeared to have worked there for a long time.

  Another group of women strolled along the curb. The size of their purses varied from dainty to huge. While some women had the need to carry everything, others only worried with the essentials. In either case, when the designer could brand their name on the purses, the prices soared, as she expected.
>
  A large crowd stood and left together, leaving the bar almost vacant. Rob sprang into action, clearing the bar top and preparing for his next visitors. He glanced over at Terri. “How is it coming on your work?”

  “I’m coming up with nothing brilliant.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Terri felt tempted to tell him what she was working on, but resisted the urge. “I guess keep bringing me one of these.” She lifted her glass again.

  “You’re not driving when you leave here, are you?”

  “Nope, I have a room very close to here.”

  “Good, I’ll be right back.”

  Terri felt awake and alert but knew her speech slurred some. She was no closer to a breakthrough than when she first arrived. However, she didn’t worry about it nearly as much.

  Rob returned with another drink. “You know, sometimes the best ideas come when you quit concentrating on them.”

  “I wish I had the luxury of taking my time. I have to make this presentation tomorrow.”

  “Well, we’re open until late. Perhaps I need to bring you a straight Red Bull.”

  “Nope…these are fine.” Terri turned to survey the bar. “It looks like business is slow tonight.”

  “It’s still early, and the economy is not so good.”

  “I understand.” Terri sketched a design for a purse she noticed several girls carrying.

  “I noticed you are not wearing a ring. You should have many guys hitting on you shortly as they come in from the dance clubs.”

  “Any other night it would be fun, but tonight I have no time for fun and games.” Well, she could be talked into something, but the guy would really have to be hot.

  “Anyway, but sitting there, I’m sure you will bring in some business for me.”

  Terri lifted her glass. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should.” Rob worked a cloth over the top of the counter. “So, the psychiatrist, I mean, the bartender, being me, is open for business. What’s your story?”

  “My what?”

  “Everyone has a story.” He leaned forward, intent on hearing her say something.

  Why not? She didn’t have much else to do. “I’m in the advertising business, as you saw from my card, and on a business trip to Miami, where I was abandoned by my associates before being dropped a bombshell earlier today.”

  “This much I think I can figure out. We also have a number of women coming in later that might be interested in you.”

  “Sorry, but that is not my scene.” A cold chill raced along her spine. Is that what he thought she was—a lesbian?

  “No problem, just making conversation. Are you in a relationship of any kind?”

  Terri settled back into her seat. “I was married for around fifteen years until my husband died.”

  “I hate to hear it. Did that happen recently?’

  “It feels like it, but really it was about three years back.”

  “That sounds like plenty of time to adjust. I’m sure you have many guys after you.”

  Terri ran through the men in her life. No one but Chad came to mind. And he was a one-night stand she could hardly remember. “I loved my husband but think the best years to have fun dating died with him. I rarely date because of my work schedule.”

  “You must have married when you were very young.”

  “Twenty-one.”

  “I see. I’ve heard this story many times before. Maybe after you finish your presentation tomorrow you can have some fun while you are here.”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  Rob smiled. “Sorry, that’s not my scene. I think you saw my friend earlier.”

  She forced herself not to condemn his lifestyle. After all, he was being nice to her. “I think we can still become friends.”

  He poured himself some soda and extended it toward Terri. “We can be friends, of course.”

  “I wish I could come up with something special for the presentation for tomorrow. So far nothing is working.”

  “In this town, anything sells if you have the right logo attached to it.”

  A spark of inspiration excited Terri. Yes, she would have to draw from an existing brand or generate a new one. In this case, it might be creating a new one, which was not cheap. From her viewpoint, she could see many people walking, sporting designer this and designer that. Maybe with a few more drinks and some lucky observation she could come up with something by the morning.

  She turned back to Rob. “Thanks, you’ve given me something to concentrate on for a while.”

  “You’re welcome. How did you get in the advertising business?”

  Terri smiled as she thought back on the events leading her into advertising. “This could be a long story.”

  “I understand. Maybe I should have asked for the one hour version. That is about how long I have before it gets busy again.”

  “I needed to do something and enjoyed meeting people. Jessica owned the advertising firm at that time. When she went through a divorce, her ex-husband fought with her over the value of the firm, wanting to be paid half of what he thought it was worth and demanding alimony for half of her income. Her attorney worked it out where she sold it to me for little to nothing, establishing the value, and without a job, he had nothing to leverage against her. He was a bum and received exactly what he had coming to him—nothing.”

  “It sounds intriguing, but still leaves Jessica with nothing to live on and broke.”

  “Not necessarily, since she works at the firm now as a vice president with a good salary even if she hardly works anymore.”

  “I think I understand. Sounds brilliant to me.”

  “Yes, we think so. Another best friend who works with me has a different situation. She is also divorced but, after catching her husband with a ‘barely eighteen,’ obtained a massive settlement in her divorce. She doesn’t have to work, but really enjoys the advertising business.”

  “Something tells me you have a very interesting team at you agency.” He turned to watch the people walking the street.

  “Generally, yes, we do. However, tonight I’m deserted, with Penny off to Vegas with a boy toy she found here and Jessica back in Atlanta holding down the agency. Which means you have me all to yourself.” She knew he was gay, but thought she would give it one last shot.

  He smiled. “If you want me to pour you some coffee later, let me know.”

  Okay, so she struck out. It probably was for the better. He was a nice guy. Terri turned to watch the traffic again. Another purse caught her eye. She needed to do some shopping tomorrow. The design looked large and rugged. She glanced up at the—oops! A guy was carrying it. She glanced back at the bag and realized it resembled an exercise bag instead. Yes, the drinks swirled in her head. A gay guy would carry such a bag. She wondered what he had in the bag.

  “Oh my God. She reached for her pad and started drawing. This could be perfect. She waved at Rob. “I think I could use that coffee now. Just bring the pot.”

  Chapter 8

  Terri weaved along the crowds on Beach looking for LeAnna and the guys. She hoped the informal meeting relieved the stress of producing a topflight presentation. It would also give her time to ascertain how serious everyone was in proceeding with the joint venture. This project could grow. It at least kept her foot in the door on the main prize.

  Most of the crowd spoke Spanish, but several other languages flowed past her as she reached for her phone. She could be hunting for them for hours. She saw Chad stand and wave at her before she dialed. He had dressed in all black. Great, she had dressed in all white.

  They had a table on the main street. She had hoped they would move inside, making it easier to present her ideas. She needed to take control and move them. Charlie stood as she approached, but LeAnna stayed in her seat, pointing to the early-evening sunset casting fantastic colors above them. She extended a hand over to her. “I hope you have not been waiting on me too long.”

&
nbsp; LeAnna pointed to the two guys. “They called earlier and told me how great it was today and encouraged me to come early.”

  Terri wondered why they didn’t call her. “Yes, it’s nice today. Do you want to stay outside or go inside so we can talk easier?” She knew the answer but had to at least try.

  LeAnna pointed to a seat next to her. “I think you will like it out here. Tonight is a brainstorming night, and I hope you didn’t work on this too hard. I wanted to see if you really wanted to work on this and see how much interest Chad had in going in with me on this project.”

  Chad stood behind Terri and held her chair for her. His flat black shirt had the cutaway lapels stretching horizontal, as she remembered him wearing one time before. For his age he demonstrated an uncanny ability to understand fashions. But she remembered his friend Bobby, who worked as a model, and considered his influence. “Thanks.” She smiled at Chad and slid into her seat.

  Terri studied the glass-top table in front of her that supported three large, almost empty mojito glasses. They contained enough to stone an elephant. Just how long had everyone been there?

  Chad must have picked up on the direction of her stare, which resulted in him waving at the waiter. “Shall we have another now or order?”

  LeAnna spoke up, “I think we have all night, and I’m not too hungry yet.”

  Chad smiled as the waitress reached him. “I think we need another round and one extra now.”

  “Not a problem, I’ll be right back.”

  Terri dropped the large purse she had hunted for all day under the table. Not only did it contain her presentation, it would soon become her presentation. Another round of drinks might make her demonstration more acceptable. She knew it wouldn’t hurt. Terri studied Chad’s abdomen as he walked to his chair. While not a massive bodybuilder like Charlie, he still looked rock solid and trim. He had to work out often.

  Salsa music floated from the inside dance floor as Terri turned to watch a couple climb a stage to perform a demonstration. The Latin guy looked trim and, oh yes, so sexy to Terri, but Chad looked every bit as good. The dance maintained everyone’s attention as he led his partner in one swirl after another and added strong Cuban accents to their movements.