Ring ring! Ring ring!
Nikki awoke abruptly to the sound of her phone, its intrusive ringing shattering her peaceful slumber in the hotel room. Slightly disoriented, she fumbled for her phone on the nightstand. The display read 5:18 am, and the caller ID revealed the words "My Love." She blinked a few times before pushing the button to answer the phone, mumbling a greeting as she held it to her ear.
"Hey, birthday girl!" Her husband Eric's voice, brimming with enthusiasm, greeted her through the phone's speaker.
Still half-asleep, Nikki mumbled, “Aw, thanks lovey.”
“Wait, there’s a time difference,” he suddenly realized. “Crap honey, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?" he asked with a hint of concern.
Giggling softly, Nikki reassured him, "It's okay, babe. I needed to wake up eventually. Thank you for the sweet birthday wish."
He apologized again for the unintentional early morning call, and after a few minutes of laughter and well-wishing, they said their goodbyes. As Nikki hung up, she realized there was no way she was going to get back to sleep and decided that she might as well get ready for her day.
Flipping on the nightstand lamp, Nikki dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Slipping out of her pajamas and hanging them on the bathroom door, she took a moment to appraise herself in the mirror.
“Hey girl, at least 40 looks good on you,” she remarked to herself. It was true. Nikki had always been quite a looker, and she regularly put dedicated effort into maintaining her figure through yoga and exercise. Even though she’d be the first to point out a wrinkle here or an imperfection there, overall she was very happy with how well she’d maintained her body over the years.
After a quick shower, she dried herself off with a towel and headed over to the closet to pick out her wardrobe for the day. Nikki hadn’t put that much effort into her outfits for the first two days of the conference, but being her birthday she decided it was a good day to shine. She started by slipping into a cute lacy purple bra and matching set of panties. Next, Nikki chose a tailored navy blue blazer that accentuated her silhouette, pairing it with a crisp, white button-down blouse. Tucked neatly into a matching blue skirt that complimented her figure while still looking professional, the shirt added a touch of sophistication.
To complement the outfit, Nikki slipped into a pair of elegant black ankle boots that her husband always said looked sexy on her. As she adorned her wrists with a set of delicate silver bracelets, she thought of her husband. Eric always made her birthdays so special, going out of his way to make her feel like royalty. Getting forced into attending this work conference over her birthday week was a drag, but she knew he understood. Her lips curled into a smile thinking about the promise he made during the call to celebrate her return home three days from now.
Popping back into the bathroom, Nikki checked herself out in the mirror, proud of how well she struck a perfect blend of professional and cute. Her hair, a cascade of chestnut waves, fell gracefully around her shoulders, only adding to her appearance. Nikki applied a touch of makeup, opting for a subtle blend of earthy tones that highlighted her features without being overly dramatic. She finished off her look with her favorite red lipstick before spritzing on some perfume.
Giving herself one last look in the bathroom mirror, she loved what she saw. Even so, a small part of her was a little concerned that she’d done herself up too much. Guys hit on her all the time when she didn’t go all out, and she’d never so much as flirt with another guy behind Eric’s back. Still, it was her birthday, and she wanted to look good. Deciding her look was fine, she stepped out of the bathroom.
Over by the nightstand, Nikki grabbed her phone and checked the time again. 5:53. The hotel didn’t technically serve breakfast until 6:30, and the conference didn’t start until 8:00. Nikki considered pulling out her laptop to wrap up a couple pending approvals for work, but ultimately decided that she might as well head down the hall to see if any of the girls she’d met in the first couple days of the conference were up yet.
Tossing her phone in her purse, Nikki stepped out of her hotel room and headed down the hall. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee guided her to the lobby, where the hotel staff was preparing for the day. As she stepped into the breakfast area, she found most of the tables in the massive room to be empty. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at a table toward the far corner of the room. Pulling her phone from her purse, she fired up her favorite solitaire app and started playing.
Nikki was lost in her game when a shadow fell over her table. Glancing up, she found a man standing there, his gaze locking onto the empty seat across from her. He was stunningly handsome and well-dressed in a very expensive looking suit.
"Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?" he inquired with a charming smile, his eyes attempting to engage hers.
Nikki, always courteous, gestured to the chair, "No, it's all yours." Glancing around the room, she noticed that it was still basically vacant. The stranger was definitely looking for more than a place to sit, she thought to herself, giving him the briefest glance before turning her eyes back to her game.
As the man took his seat, he continued to flash a charismatic grin. "Lucky me to find such lovely company this early in the morning. Are you here for the conference going on in the convention center?"
Nikki held back a sigh. Here it was, not even 6:00 am and she was getting hit on. Though slightly annoyed by the persistent intrusion, she managed a polite nod, her eyes still locked on her phone. She shifted her hands on the phone so her wedding band was clearly visible.
The man wasted no time in attempting to strike up a conversation, his charm oozing with each word. Nikki hated being rude to anyone, so she did her best to offer polite replies while still making it clear she wasn’t interested in his advances. In the two decades of her marriage, countless men had tried hitting on her, so this wasn’t anything new. Still, she had to admit that this guy was smoother than most. Despite Nikki's subtle hints about her marital status and lack of interest, he persisted.
"I can't help but be drawn to your energy. You radiate such beauty and passion," he declared, his compliments bordering on flirtation.
Nikki, maintaining her composure, replied firmly, "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm very happily married, and I'm not interested."
Undeterred, the man continued his attempts at conversation, seemingly convinced that persistence would win her over. Nikki let him talk, offering occasional responses that neither encouraged nor discouraged his advances while keeping her eyes firmly planted on her phone. After a few more minutes of futile attempts, the man finally seemed to pick up on Nikki's unwavering stance.
“I can tell that you’d rather be left alone,” he began, his almost mischievously happy tone matching the grin on his face. “I’ll gladly leave you be my dear. All I ask is that you look me in the eyes and make your wishes clear.”
Nikki decided this was probably her only chance to get rid of the guy. Placing her phone down on the table, she began to speak as she looked up at him.
“You seem very nice,” she began, but as I said, I… I…”, she trailed off as her eyes met his. Something about the stranger’s eyes and the way he was looking at her was so enchanting. So penetrating. Her speech politely insisting the man leave long forgotten, Nikki found herself staring deeper and deeper into his eyes. Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl. Nikki tried to remember what she was saying, or where she was for that matter, but she was completely lost in his unwavering stare.
As she sat there soaking in his gaze, Nikki was vaguely aware that the handsome stranger had begun speaking. She couldn’t seem to make out the words though, finding herself so lost in the moment. The longer the man talked, the more at ease she felt, as though his words were a warm blanket, wrapping her up and making her feel safe and comfortable. She found herself responding to some of the things the man was saying, but she was so lost in his stare that even her own words were indecipherable.
“Hey Nikki, is that you?”
Nikki blinked a couple times, finally breaking her gaze with the man. She shook the cobwebs from her head and looked over to see one of the girls she’d met the day before approaching her table.
“Oh hey! It’s Juliette, right?” Nikki asked. Regaining her composure, she smiled and said hello to the newcomer. As the two girls made small talk, the man stood from the table, still smiling.
“It was so nice talking with you, Nikki. I hope we meet again.” With that, he excused himself and quickly vanished amongst the many guests in the crowded room.
“So who was that dude?” Juliette asked.
“Oh, just some guy hitting on me,” Nikki laughed.
“That’s just the worst when that happens,” Juliette responded. “Some guys at these conferences are ridiculous.”
“Yeah,” Nikki agreed. “At least he was sexy.” The girls shared a giggle and then Juliette checked her watch.
“Anyway girl, we better get going. First session of the day starts in twenty, and I want good seats.”
Nikki furrowed her brow. “Oh, um, okay. You go, and I’ll catch up with you.” As the younger woman departed toward the exit, Nikki picked her phone up from the table and was shocked to discover that it was 7:41. How did over an hour and a half pass? Her mind still felt foggy from her conversation with the stranger. She shook her head and gave the fog a few moments to clear before heading toward the breakfast room’s exit.
On her way down the hotel corridor Nikki was finally feeling normal again. There was a mirror in the hallway before entering the conference area, which she stopped at briefly to check herself out once more. Nikki smiled, liking what she saw. She could turn a lot of guys’ heads in this outfit, she thought to herself. Except something was off just a bit. She had to look herself over twice before she caught it. Reaching up to her blouse, Nikki opened up the top two buttons, revealing a little cleavage. Still not totally happy with it, she popped open the third button, making her cleavage impossible to miss. If she shifted just right, she’d even expose the purple lace of her bra.
“Perfect,” she purred to herself. Before she looked professional but cute, with an emphasis on professional. Now she looked professional but sexy, and the emphasis was definitely on sexy. She found herself getting turned on thinking about what the men at the conference would think, or better yet what they’d say. She’d always loved flirting with guys, especially the cute ones. That was why she had sat down at the table with that sexy stranger this morning and started flirting with him. She knew Eric would probably be upset if he found out, but he was all the way across the country. What Eric didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Besides, it wasn’t like she’d ever let it go further than a little innocent flirting. She was happily married, after all.
Turning down the hall, Nikki strutted through the conference room doors, watching in amusement as men tried to inconspicuously check her out. A couple guys smiled and nodded at her, earning a wink back in response. Nikki was loving all the attention, and the thought of all these guys who would probably be alone in their rooms tonight jerking off to a mental image of her turned her on all the more as she strode into the first session of the day.
The morning sessions of the conference progressed smoothly for Nikki, and for a while she even managed to calm down and get her mind off all the men who were checking her out. For the most part, her head was back in the game, focused on the professional development that was the primary reason she had come to the conference. She still managed to flirt with a few guys of course, which was her secondary reason for coming. But as the manager of her branch and the only member from her team at the event, she knew to keep things on the professional side, at least during the conference.
The final session before lunch was charged with anticipation. The emcee took the stage, recapping the morning's highlights and setting the stage for the day’s special guest speaker. With a flourish, he introduced Blake Cavanaugh, the Director of Sales for the corporation.
Nikki’s jaw dropped. To her surprise, the charismatic figure striding confidently to the stage was none other than the stranger she’d spent the morning flirting with at breakfast. She couldn’t help but note that he looked as sexy on stage as he did at breakfast. She made a mental note to try and flirt with him again later.
Blake took control of the room with an almost supernatural ease, captivating the audience as he delved into strategic visions and corporate insights. As he discussed sales strategies for the year, he spotted Nikki in the crowd. Without missing a beat his speech continued on, but Nikki noticed his eyes landing on her several times throughout the remainder of his talk.
“And in conclusion,” Blake closed, looking directly at Nikki as he spoke, “If you’ve set your eyes on an acquisition, don’t quit until you’ve closed the deal. Thank you.”
The crowd erupted into applause. Blake waved out to the crowd and strode off stage as the emcee returned, dismissing everyone for the daily lunch break. As the room buzzed with chatter, Nikki gathered up her things. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned around to find Blake standing there with a disarming smile.
"Well, fancy meeting you here," he remarked, his charm undiminished.
Nikki, momentarily taken aback, managed a flirty smile. "Surprising to see you as the Director of Sales."
Blake chuckled, "Small world, right? Listen, I'd love to continue our conversation from this morning over lunch. What do you say?"
Nikki hesitated. Part of her wanted to jump at the offer. Another part was worried for a reason she couldn’t seem to pin down. Sure, she loved being a flirt with guys and wanted to flirt with Blake some more, but something about his demeanor as he looked her up and down worried her that he’d want to take things past flirting. And she couldn’t do that to Eric.
"I appreciate the offer,” she began, “but I was planning on going up to my room to call my husband over lunch."
Undeterred, Blake persisted. "Come on, Nikki. It's just lunch. I promise it'll be worth your while."
Nikki sighed and let out a laugh. “Fine, you talked me into it. Lead the way, Mr. Cavanaugh!”
Blake smiled and took Nikki’s hand, guiding her out to the conference room hallway. As they strode together down the hall, Nikki realized they were passing the lunch area.
“Um, Blake,” she finally spoke up as he brought her down a side hall and stopped at a door. “The lunch hall was back that way.”
“Oh, no,” he laughed. “I always eat in my green room during these conferences.”
Blake opened the door and gestured for Nikki to enter. Stepping inside, Nikki found herself in a tastefully decorated space about the size of a large living room. The framed art on the walls looked much nicer than typical hotel meeting room fare. The furniture was equally nice, with two large oversized easy chairs facing one another and a mahogany buffet loaded with a variety of fresh fruits, meats, and cheeses.
Blake spoke up with a smile, “I always have my team set up a space where I can come unwind. Do you like it?” He moved toward one of the chairs and gestured toward the other.
“It’s very nice,” she admitted as they sat opposite each other in the cozy space.
Over the next few minutes, Blake engaged Nikki in a lively conversation. They talked and laughed as they shared their hobbies, interests, and even to Nikki’s husband and daughter. Nikki confessed that it was her birthday, and she was a little sad that she wasn’t back home for it.
