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I always get very tired along about mid-afternoon of the second day at these conventions. It has something to do with strolling the endless aisles of the exposition in between attending seminars and lectures. The Las Vegas Convention Center goes on for miles and, as is usually the case, I was hitting a wall that Wednesday as I cruised up Aisle 2100, bobbing in and out of booths and making small talk with the salespeople. You can only take so much computer gibberish after awhile. So I figured it was time for a cup of coffee – pop down enough caffeine to get me through another hour and then head back to the hotel to hang out and relax at the bar.
This was the first convention in some time that I'd attended without company, either my wife or one of my colleagues. So loneliness was settling in as well and I was already looking forward to my flight home the next afternoon. I was standing on line at one of the convention center eateries, Styrofoam cup in hand, when I noticed a familiar face in the next line.
"Michelle?" I queried. She looked up from her transaction at the register, saw me and lit up with a smile.
"Ray!" She was taking her change so she motioned for me to meet her outside.
I had met Michelle six years back when she was fresh out of grad school and working at the university on their IT system. As the liaison between my company and the university, we had spent a fair amount of time together developing the transition plan for the implementation of their new system. At that time she was in the throes of an engagement and had been preoccupied with her impending nuptials. I remember her taking a two week vacation for her wedding and honeymoon. She came back with a big smile on her face and looked like someone who had been well fucked, or so I liked to fantasize.
Soon after that we finished our project together and went our separate ways. The last I had heard she had moved down to Pennsylvania, given birth to a child and taken a new position with a college outside of Philadelphia.
I paid for my coffee and headed out of the food court. Michelle was waiting outside.
"Michelle. How are you? What a surprise?" I gave her a platonic hug, enjoying her slender frame and wonderful scent for that split second.
"Likewise, Ray. I've been waiting to run into someone I know at this show and you're the first. It's so great to see you."
I had always been secretly attracted to Michelle, even though she was twenty-plus years my junior. She was very petite – five foot three might be stretching it. She had a cute young face with expressive brown eyes that gave her the quintessential "girl-next-door" look. Her pale luminescent skin was soft and supple and her silky chestnut brown hair had grown out some and was now well below her shoulders.
We had spent enough time together in the past that I had gotten to surreptitiously check out her body from every angle. Her best features were her shapely legs and tight little round butt. Her breasts were small and not assets she had ever shown off with the clothes she wore. They were still somewhat of a mystery. But there was an innate sexuality that always seemed to be lurking under her innocent appearance. It's perhaps what had always intrigued me about her.
We sat down at an empty table and began to catch up. It didn't take me long to find out her life had taken a few left turns. She was now divorced from her husband, Dan, and had sole custody of their four-year-old daughter. Her husband had left her shortly after the birth of Emily. Michelle had moved back to her home town to be near her parents so they could help with child care. She was working full-time at a new job, but was finding it difficult to juggle the needs of a full time professional position and motherhood.
"I'm sorry to hear all of this, Michelle. All I can say is Dan is a fool. His loss"
Michelle smiled sadly, but looked like she was enjoying having someone to listen to her woes. My life seemed pretty ordinary in comparison to hers, so I deflected the conversation back to her when she asked how I was doing. We continued to talk and our conversation drifted toward our present circumstance.
"How are you enjoying the convention?" she asked.
"Not bad," I replied. "Same old stuff. Gets pretty tiring after a few days. And I'm here alone this year, so it hasn't been as much fun as other years."
"Yeah. My parents are taking care of Emily so I could come here, but I have to say I was expecting to have a little wilder time in Vegas. I've never been here, heard so much about it, but it's a tough place to be flying solo."
It didn't take a brain surgeon to see an opening and I pounced on the opportunity.
"Listen. I've got an idea. Why don't you have dinner with me tonight and we can go out on the town – hit a show, the tables, maybe a club. Get all dressed up and get out and own this place. What do you say?"
Her face lit up with the suggestion. "That's so nice of you, Ray. What a great idea. I would love to do that." We exchanged cell phone numbers and she gave me her room number at the Mirage. I said I'd make a reservation somewhere nice for dinner and swing by around six to pick her up. We parted ways, both of us with big smiles on our faces.
I was staying at the Venetian and headed back to clean up. I was suddenly awake and very excited, and it was more than a cup of coffee at work. I took a shower, shaved, and did my thing getting ready for an evening out and about. I may be 52 now, but I've taken care of myself over the years, keeping my figure trim through working out and running. My hair has thinned, so I keep it short. I like to think it's testosterone working overtime.
Although I'm six foot one, I've always found myself attracted to small woman, can't explain it really, but certainly Michelle fit the bill. The thought of spending an evening on the town with her had my head spinning. I walked out the door a little before six, a spring in my step as I headed down the Strip to Michelle's hotel. I called her cell phone to tell her I was on my way.
"Are you ready to ramble?" I questioned.
"I am so ready you can't believe it," she replied.