1 Executive Lunch

by Maria E. Schneider

  Turbo must have heard me because he frowned.

  Suzy grinned. "Pregnancy works too, you know." She waved at the boys and pushed her chest out as far as she could without toppling over backwards. She slipped her arm through mine and giggled. "I didn't know you had a new employee."

  "We don't. She's dating one of the financial guys."

  "Shouldn't I have guessed that?" She batted her eyes playfully. We headed back to the buffet table for juice and coffee. The crowds were picking up. I got nervous again.

  Suzy noticed the milling people about the same time that I did. "Hey, I have to go start signing up for the freebies at the other booths. Are you coming?"

  "No, I should get back to the booth. I'm supposed to start presenting at nine or so, but lots of people show up early to get the t-shirts. Sign me up for the free trip to Paris though." Technically I wouldn't be allowed to win, but that had never stopped me from entering.

  Suzy waved as she started away. "I've got a date with the pool as soon as it warms up outside. I'll check back with you later."

  It was a long day after that. Marilyn got my notes to the front desk sometime after the first hour. I was grateful because I could stutter less. When Gary stopped by the booth, I tried to talk him into getting some fluffy, baseball-sized balls with the company logo on them as free giveaways. He thought it was a fine idea. I didn't tell him the logos wouldn't show up under my bra, but hey, I was catching on to the management thing. The idea was to suggest things that somehow benefited me personally, like Dan and his free restaurant meals.

  When the crowds thinned at lunchtime, I popped behind the partitions. I promptly ran into Turbo.

  "What are you doing back here?" he asked.

  "Looking for equipment. What are you doing?"

  "Watching the equipment. Don't worry. We've got it staked out. No one is going to take it without us catching them. We've added some extra stuff to see if it gets moved anywhere special."

  "Hmm." The large box of equipment behind my partition must be one such item, otherwise he wouldn't have been making the rounds to check on it.

  He waved me back to the front of the booth.

  I went, but not for the first time, it occurred to me that Turbo had the better end of this job.

  Luckily, Suzy came back by. She dragged me outside to the pool. I went willingly since it wasn't likely anyone was going to be interested in a demo for at least another hour. There was no point in going hungry.

  "I just spent a hour out here swimming. Do you think I lost enough weight to eat lunch again?"

  "You already ate?"

  "Hmm. Someone came by with snacks. Does that count?"

  The pool really was a dream. There was a buffet table setup outside, and we showed our badges and sampled the goodies. Down another level on the lawn, there were BBQ pits. The smell of grilled hamburgers was very tempting. Suzy settled for picking through the various pastas, and I got myself a grilled chicken sandwich.

  No one had bothered to approach me with any suggestions of clandestine meetings. I did have three offers for dinner from various male clients, which I went over in great detail with Suzy.

  Gary found us poolside before I was finished eating. "Can you take one of the limos and pick up a couple more clients at the airport?" He looked at his watch. "They were due in at one, but I've got something else going."

  I was disappointed that I couldn't chat more with Suzy, but she ushered me off good-naturedly. "Don't worry about me! I've been to these things with Robert before. He never has time to say boo to me. I'll just help myself to the buffet again and probably still be here later."

  Feeling sorry for myself, I headed to the front of the resort. Dan was just getting ready to go to the airport. I watched with avid interest as the breeze tousled his hair. It was really hard to tell it was fake. Sadly, there was only one limo waiting outside. Since the limo driver was holding the door for him, I helped myself to the other side and slid into the car. He never said a word, so I didn't bother to make small talk either.

  At the airport, I noticed with relief that there were two limos with drivers holding up signs for Strandfrost. I went over to one of the drivers, a short guy that looked about twelve years old. Hoping he really had a license to drive, I asked him about using the car for the return trip. "Hi, I'm Sedona. I'll be picking up some suits. Can we ride back with you?"

  Solemnly he shook my hand. "Just call for Pablo. I'll be right here."

  Good. I didn't want to ride back with Dan the schmoozer. He would probably do something illegal or unethical. Oh yeah, I was supposed to be watching for that.

  Shrugging, I zipped into the baggage area and found Gary's clients. To my surprise, I recognized one of the guys standing with them. Gary had asked me to pick up Tony Preston and his partner, but Tony was talking to the head of Baxtell Solutions, our biggest customer.

  I introduced myself, and we shook hands all around. The Baxtell guy was tall and distinguished with peppered hair. "I didn't know you were coming, but we're glad you could make it," I welcomed him.

  Baxtell was completely at ease. "I wasn't coming in until next week. I had a personal demo set up, but my flight to Toronto got canceled. I was in the Atlanta airport when I ran into Tony and remembered the conference, so I grabbed the flight here with him."

  "Excellent," I murmured. No way would Gary have sent me if he had known Baxtell was going to show up, but it worked well for me since I was supposed to be scrambling to get ahead. "Glad to have you."

  Baxtell smiled in that executive way, as though his mind was on other things. Tony was a little more down to earth, but he was using his time wisely by discussing business with Baxtell.

  I wasn't the only one that had spotted Baxtell. Dan practically ran over six people trying to get to us. "Timothy!" His long stride almost beat his welcoming hand. "What a surprise. We didn't think you were coming this week!" He slapped the older guy on the shoulder. "This is excellent. I've got a limo. Do you have reservations at the hotel already or do I need to set you up?"

  "We took care of it from the air," Baxtell replied with a broad smile. "I brought Sissy with me. She's freshening up." He looked towards the club lounge door. "She'll be out in a minute."

  "Great! Maybe she can ride back with Sedona, here. Sedona, how about you ride with Mrs. Baxtell and give her a line on what to do while she is visiting?"

  "Sure, I'd love to." Dan the Weasel obviously wanted Baxtell all to himself. There was no point in starting a skirmish over it. I had little to say to the man unless he asked me a technical question and at his level, he would want to talk numbers.

  We gathered the bags and stood around until Sissy finally sashayed out of the lounge. There was no doubt she was Baxtell's wife. The woman shouted money from one jeweled earring right through her upscale coiffure. I was surprised she was able to shake hands since the diamond on her left hand looked like it might weigh several pounds.

  "I'm ready, dear. So sorry to keep you waiting." The apology was the equivalent of the absentminded patting of a poodle.

  "I'm going to ride back with Dan and Tony," Baxtell informed her. "Sedona is going to give you all the info on the local color and make sure you have something to do. Where's dinner?" he asked Dan.

  "Ah, I think the Cabin by the Woods is in order here," Dan replied, stepping up quickly to the automatic doors. He made a ridiculous show of holding them opened.

  I didn't mention the huge expensive buffet being served at the resort. Apparently that wasn't good enough for Baxtell. Or maybe it wasn't good enough for Dan.

  "Isn't that the restaurant that has all the wild game?" Baxtell looked pleased. "I like that place." He turned to his wife. "Don't worry Sissy, they have a wonderful seafood selection."

  She sniffed. "We're out in the middle of the desert. Anything will do. I'm sure they'll have a simple Chicken Milanese or salad."

  I had a feeling that Dan would be making a phone call to the restaurant to order the chicken Milanese and several sal
ad choices.

  As we trouped out to the limos, I felt bad for the guys that Dan had originally been sent to pick up. A Bob something or other and another guy named Ralph had almost been forgotten. Names weren't my strong point, but we chatted on our way out.

  Bob asked me where I was from and I said, "Colorado, all my life."

  "I like it here. Pretty."

  "Yes, it is. The air is dry and clear."

  "Doesn't the dry air bother your skin?" Mrs. Baxtell wanted to know. "You must have to hydrate more than once a week!"

  I blinked. "Uh, sure, just part of the territory." If you included swimming, I guess I hydrated. I was pretty sure the resort had a full spa facility, but I was thinking of calling Angela, my hairdresser, and asking her where to find the best spa for Mrs. Baxtell. Dan seemed ready with all that kind of information, but he had been doing this a lot longer.

  At the limo things got confused. There was a guy standing around talking to the limo guy I'd made arrangements with so the driver didn't immediately start grabbing bags. Dan used the opportunity to help load the luggage and before I knew it, I ended up in the car with Mrs. Baxtell, Tony and Ralph. Tony looked vaguely annoyed. Ralph didn't seem particularly bothered by the shuffle.

  "How about some mineral water," I offered everyone. "The air in Colorado really is dry and plane flights don't help any."

  "Oh, that would be lovely." Sissy took the bottle I handed her and helped herself to one of the glasses. Somewhere in the exchange, one of her fingernails got dinged. Part of the paint chipped the tiniest bit. "Dammit!" she exclaimed, inspecting the damage. "I told Margie this new paint wasn't very good. I wish she would be more careful in her selection." She glanced down at my hands.

  Despite my new role, I had never painted my nails. "Oh dear," I mumbled, tucking my fingernails into hiding.

  Ralph grinned.

  Smart-ass. To change the subject, I brought up my own demo. "I'll be giving--"

  Sissy wasn't done with her complaints, however. "My goodness, you need some powder, dear. Your face is a bit shiny, even in this light."

  Okay, I let people have their shots now and again, but she didn't need to make it any more obvious that I was dirt. I put my own nose in the air and said, "Oh, after my modeling days, I just couldn't stand to wear powder. You know, it gets so caked on. Especially in the sunlight, powder makes it so obvious that you're wearing all that makeup. I'm lucky I don't really need it most of the time." I smiled my sweetest smile and stared right through her over-powdered face.

  She didn't miss a beat. "You were a model too? I don't recall ever seeing you! I can't believe it." Her look conveyed her double meaning.

  "I did most of my work in Canada," I lied. "Maybe if you traveled to Toronto a few years ago?" I had had my picture taken when in Canada, and it even made the paper. Never mind that it was because I took a wrong turn looking for a bathroom and ended up on a stage where some half-failed band was showing its stuff. The local paper just happened to be taking shots for the entertainment section.

  "Hmm, no I don't recall." She looked down her nose at me, the street urchin. "It's amazing that you wear your makeup the way you do, considering all the training models get. It hardly covers those fine lines."

  "Yes, that's always been a problem. I laugh too much," I admitted more to Ralph and Tony than to her. I added enthusiastically, "I can't see any lines on your face at all, and at your age too. Did you have a face lift? Who did you use?"

  Her face, lines and all, froze. She straightened her shoulders and shifted her perfect size thirty-six bosom out. "Hardly. I didn't need one. Although, if you need a recommendation for your nose, I can certainly ask my husband. One of his best friends is a surgeon." She smiled. "Maybe you could even model again if you had it scaled back a tad. Some people just get bigger features as they age."

  "True. Will you have him work on your chin do you think? Do you like his work that much?"

  Ralph looked like he might suffer from apoplexy any minute. Tony coughed and decided to help himself to some water after all. He swallowed a healthy slug of it and asked Ralph how things were in Maryland. "Weather still good?"

  Ralph nodded and then looked kind of sly. "Yes, it's perfect. Not too humid and not too dry. We don't get too much direct sunlight so we don't have to worry about premature wrinkling."

  Tony looked shocked and turned to the window either to choke or laugh.

  Mrs. Baxtell didn't bother to answer my question. We had arrived at the resort anyway. The limo driver let the animals out of the cage. Dan must have called ahead because Huntington and Gary were waiting as well as the two other board members I had met before.

  Mrs. Baxtell headed straight for her husband with her claws still out. "Oh dear," she called, giving his arm a quick squeeze in greeting. "Can you imagine? Sedona was a model. I couldn't believe it myself." Her sugar-coated voice didn't fool anyone. Ralph could have followed Tony up the steps, but he chose to stay and mingle. Might as well get his money's worth.

  Baxtell was an important client. But I had learned a thing or two from watching the lovely Autumn. Men like women, and they like to be helpful. "It was so long ago, when I was just a teen," I said wistfully. "It was really nothing." I looked at Baxtell with all the hope of an abandoned kitten.

  In obvious confusion, he looked from his wife to me and then magnanimously offered, "You are still stunning. I can see where the camera would have loved you."

  I blushed, actually embarrassed at my own duplicity, but he couldn't have known that. "You're too kind. You're very lucky to be married to such a beautiful woman. I hope you have a lovely time."

  Miss Sissy pressed her lips together. It looks really petty when you're bitchy if no one else is playing.

  Huntington watched me much like a man might watch a time bomb.

  "Let me know how you like the spa," I called after Sissy and made my exit up the stairs into the conference.

  Ralph was grinning from ear to ear. He whispered, "Bravo," as I swished by. Tony hadn't even stayed to greet Huntington or Gary. I was guessing that he wasn't going to be a very good future customer after being summarily ignored and dumped by the wayside.

  I got back to work at my booth. The afternoon flew by in a sea of faces and questions.

  By the time I was ready to leave the conference, the limos were gone. Cinderella's ball looked a tad shabby. Instead of the carriages for the fine gentlemen and ladies, all that was left were dirty trucks and burly men waiting to take the equipment back to Strandfrost. Turbo had showed up for the breakdown. Bruce had disappeared. I hadn't seen Suzy again.

  I wandered across the room and looked for leftovers on the buffet table, but the resort was thorough. They had already taken the magic tablecloths that never ran out of food. Underneath was nothing but scarred cafeteria tables.

  I waved at Turbo and yelled, "Need any help with any of that?"

  He glared at me, but I sashayed over and said much quieter, "Did the equipment get taken?"

  He growled. "No."

  "Do you think they know we were watching?"

  He straightened from where he was undoing a cable. "I made sure no one would notice me." His answer was rather stiff. I guessed he was not only disappointed, but also wondering if his plan to sneak around hadn't been sneaky enough.

  "I'll see you tomorrow."

  He gave a half grunt.

  I headed for home. Outside, the sunset was just fading, bouncing off all the trucks pulled up to load computers to take back to Strandfrost. I cooled my heels on the steps waiting for the valet to get the Mercedes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone moving in my direction, almost jogging. Hoping it wasn't Gary or Huntington with some last minute chore, I turned.

  When I got a clear look at the man, I panicked. "OhmyGod." Even though I had only seen him once, I knew who he was. How had he found me?

  I ran, barely waiting for the automatic door to open before scooting inside. My morning, eons ago, came back full-force. I had called Ma
rilyn.

  Her husband, Ted, wife-beater loser that he was, must have followed her to the hotel. "OhmyGod." What had he thought? He must have staked the place out, watching the businessmen milling about and waited, trying to figure out whom she was meeting with. Instead of finding a lover, he got me. Unfortunately, he was bound to remember me from the meeting with Derrick and draw the loony conclusion that his wife had come here to give a statement.

  "I'm dead. She's dead. Oh, bad, bad." Like a busy executive, one that was clearly deranged, I fled. I scurried through the lobby, looking over my shoulder as I turned the corner. Ted pushed past the doorman and stood still, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Taking advantage of the unexpected boon, I zipped back into the ballroom. No one took much notice of me, except Turbo. He stood up and started over for the door right after he saw me slam it closed.

  Most of the equipment movers were carting stuff out the back way. I peeked through the doors.

  No Ted. There were several other doors along the ballroom wall that led into the room. I could close them all, but not before Ted, if he figured out my location, caught up.

  "What are you doing?" Turbo asked.

  I peered around Turbo's shoulder looking for escape routes. Would Ted follow me in or just wait for me to come back out? "Can you go check and see if my Mercedes is out front?" I squeaked.

  Turbo opened the door wide. He looked out into the hallway. "There isn't anyone there. Oh wait, looks like the bellhop just went towards the elevator. Who are you running from?" He looked suddenly disapproving. "Remember," he whispered, "you're supposed to remain approachable by unsavory types. You never know who they might send to recruit you."

  While that was true, and Ted was certainly unsavory, he was a wife beater and a drug dealer. He wasn't likely to question me about the latest computers on the market.

  Turbo took my arm. "Do you want me to escort you out?"

  I shook my head. "No. No, the car should be there by now. Thanks." I hurried back out, dawdling in case Turbo decided not to watch out for me.