Ryan was ready for the meeting to end. His last of the day. The customer was complaining about a tenth of an inch placement of some graphic in the marketing material, and he had heard enough. Plus, he had plans tonight.
As the meeting finally wrapped up, he looked at his phone. There was a text. "Enjoy your networking event tonight. I will enjoy mine!" Summer, his lover had sent this about 10 minutes ago. He chuckled. It was going to be an incredible night.
Summer and Ryan had been having an affair for the past 3 months. Ryan commuted to Detroit for client work. In the evenings, he had client dinners. Most often it was the same client. Summer. They had enjoyed their time together, and something deep and meaningful had grown. More than just sex, they were in love. Not the kind of love where you turned your life upside down, but the kind where two people found happiness and pleasure.
Ryan realized that he was spending more time in Detroit than he figured. So he decided that he needed to meet other business folks from the city. Both for business – and for cover. So he did research and found the Detroit Economic Club. It looked like a good group to get involved with. He had attended a lunch meeting and now it was time to attend one of their evening networking events. It was being held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center – the hotel he was staying in that week. He was excited for the opportunity to meet more people in Detroit, even if that meant he was not having dinner with Summer.
Ryan drove from the client's office downtown, and got to the hotel. A quick stop at his room where he dropped off his briefcase. A quick brushing of the teeth, mouthwash, and a splash of cologne. A quick look in the mirror to straighten his tie – he smiled. He was fighting the coming grey – but everyone told him it made him look distinguished. He hated it.
He headed down the elevator to the lobby and walked into the main restaurant area. Volt, the main establishment in the hotel, was the location for the event. He saw a table with a young man and woman, what looked like registration. He checked in, put on his name tag, and took a glass of red wine from the waiter standing just inside. Taking a sip, he looked around the room. Ryan scanned the attendees, about 60 people. Most looked 40 and over. Most were in business wear. This looked like a group he should get to know.