I look forward to your feedback on my first story
I was in Houston to view a few potential restaurant sites. I checked into Houston Marriott North about 3:00 on a Monday afternoon. Monday is a heavy business travel day as most of the business traveler's actual work happens Tuesday - Thursday. After I check in and put my luggage away I enjoy sitting in the lobby reading a book and drinking a cold beer while watching the travelers arrive.
This s a large hotel, reasonably close to the airport. The two check in lines were easily 10 deep starting at 5:00PM for more than 2 hours. Surely 90% of the travelers were the middle-aged guys that looked none-to-happy to be making yet another boring business trip to sell a few more widgets. The travelers looked as though they were resigned to being stuck in middle management or the traveling salesman wondering whatever happened to the big sale that was going to set him up for life. Both groups always chasing the next big promotion or the next big sale that was going to give them the status to be someone in their neighborhood. They could drive the German car they had lusted for as a young man. Generally they check in to their room and watch porn on TV. A few more adventurous find their way to the lobby bar were they smoke and drink the night away.
The remaining 10% are made up mostly of the younger guys who are excited to be on the road and away from the crying toddlers and complaining wife. They are certain they will be promoted. Or if they are the sales person, the company that is buying widgets will need enough to bring that big fat commission check. Their company sends them on their trip with a $75 per diem to pay for meals. So they head over to the local Chili's or TGIF for a cheap meal and then spend the rest on drinks. Returning to the hotel around midnight to get 6 hours sleep before they start their day.
There are a few female business travelers who generally dress casually, but professionally when they travel. They are well groomed with just the right amount of makeup on for the corporate world. Regardless of their age they are always pleasant to the front desk staff and tip the Bell Captains well when their bags are delivered to the rooms. Thankful that they don't have to drag luggage across the lobby and up 13 floors.
On this particular Monday all the travelers were filling the profiles true to history. All except one. She walked through the automatic doors dressed in black Under Armour fitted training pants. (I guessed her age to be 32-34) The pants fit snuggly, but not so snug as to look like she was trying to flaunt or attract attention. While her top was a loose fitting Nike brand, it was obvious that her shape would be one to behold in a two piece suit by the pool. Her New Balance cross trainer shoes completed a look that would have been functional in a kick boxing class or presentable to check into the hotel. (I admired the fact that she was not a woman that thought all of her name brands had to match. I guessed her to be a more serious gym rat than fashion queen. If she was a gym rat, she sure-as-hell kept her femininity!) The men in line behind her were admiring the view wondering if their luck would ever change.
After checking in, her path to the elevator led right past my chair. We made eye contact as she approached. With a slight smile, I nodded and lipped "Hello" as she neared me. She returned the greeting sincerely. Neither of us was trying to be anything other than cordial. Nothing was implied or expected from the small act of southern hospitality.
The check-in lines finally thinned out about 7:30. Normally I would have asked the concierge where I should have dinner. But I considered eating in the hotel as I stayed reading my book. I was halfway through one of my favorite Travis McGee novels (A Tan and Sandy Silence) by John D. MacDonald. I was not in a good place in the story to dog-ear a page. However, I still couldn't help but wonder about "Kick Boxer." She didn't fit into any of my traveler profiles. Did she fly in from out of state? Was she in town on business or in town to see an old friend? Was she a fitness instructor? Or was she traveling through town and just staying the night before traveling on? And then of course there were the thoughts of what she really looked like with out the Under Armour pants and Nike top? Guess I would be just left to ponder. Or so I thought.
When I travel I have a self-imposed 2-beer limit in the evening and I had just opened my bottle of Fiji water when I saw a tall woman sit in the grouping of chairs, 30 feet or so past my group. She was quite striking in a conservative but sexy business suit. I wondered how I had missed her. The jacket was a 2-button summer weight wool that appeared to be blended with a Lycra type material to make it a little stretchy. The skirt was made of the same material and cut 2 inches above the knee. The skirt fit her perfectly. Her white Silk blouse, with the top three buttons open, revealed beautiful tanned cleavage. Her bare legs were crossed in a way to showcase her 4½" pumps. Which looked a little too tall to be business attire. Her purse was a small black satin clutch that would maybe hold an I-phone, license, credit card and lipstick. As I studied her to such detail I realized that it was "Kick Boxer." She still had the natural healthy look of beauty that was now highlighted with a deeper shade of eye shadow and a little added blush. Her lips were not fire engine red but they were red. Now I was really curious as to where she fit into my traveler profile groups.
As she sat using her phone, we did not make eye contact. She appeared to be trading texts. Each time she was reading a text her brow became more furrowed and her shoulders would drop. Finally she audibly sighed and shoved her I-phone into her small purse. It was then that she looked up. She shook her head as we made eye contact. She held the eye contact and shook her head as she frowned as if to ask, "Now what am I going to do?"
I felt that her eye contact was an attempt to communicate with me. So it only seemed natural to me, to close my book and quizzically look at her. She rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders as if again she was continuing to think, "Now what am I going to do?"
In the true form of Travis McGee, I felt like it was my responsibility to offer aid. I walked the short distance to were she was seated, we maintained eye contact as I approached. (Which in a way was uncomfortable. And, in a way very sexy.) Her look of discouragement continued. When I was within speaking distance to her, I stood to the side of her chair so she wouldn't feel trapped by my presence.
"I don't mean to intrude but you looked like you may have received some not-so-good news."
"I guess. I will be ok."
"That's not exactly the air of confidence that I would have expected."
"I drove in from Killeen for a business meeting and he just cancelled. I've made this trip for nothing."
"From Killeen? Isn't that 200 miles away?"
"Yes and 3 ½ hours in a big Dodge truck that drinks gas for fun."
"Ugh, doesn't make for a good day."
I pondered what I could possibly do to make "Kick Boxer's" day any better. Out of desperation I asked, "Would allowing me to treat you to dinner begin to salvage your day?"
She looked at me with a quizzical furrowed brow look as she pondered my offer. Surely she was thinking all the things a female should think when asked to dinner by a complete stranger. It was probably only about 30 seconds but seemed like it was 2 minutes. "You know that sounds like a good idea. Where should we go?" A smile broke over her face.
As much as I wanted to suggest room service, I thought better of the idea. But it was already after 8:00 and the only good restaurants not in the hotel were about 15 miles away. By the time I changed and we got a cab it would probably be after 9:00 before we got to the restaurant.
"I've eaten at the restaurant here in the hotel. Food was really good. My steak was cooked perfectly and it's hard to screw up a baked potato."
Her eyes got big with what appeared to be sincere excitement, "Hmmm....a good piece of meat sounds good to me!"
I couldn't resist the opening that line created. I measured my comment to be suggestive but not overtly so, "Ah a woman that likes meat. That's always a good thing." I held eye contact and paused for impact.
She raised one eyebrow and tilted her head. "And I always like a good piece of meat."
I swallowed hard, "Uh, if you will give me 15 minutes I will go shave and change into some slacks. After all, you are dressed in a suit and I look like some bum you picked up in the hotel lobby."
