Edited by Angel Love
Chapter 1
"Wish I could go sight seeing instead of attending this dumb convention!" Mark thought as he stepped into the lobby of the famous San Antonio El Palacio Hotel.
His boss in Seattle set his foot down on this particular trip, knowing Mark would do everything to get out of going to yet another convention. His boss knew that SoundTek's annual software package would be the craze at the San Antonio fair, not to mention that the city was Mark's hometown, so he insisted that Mark attend to represent their company. He could, after all, learn what new features the new package sported and maybe network with other users to evaluate how plausible SoundTek's audio innovations might be to research and development.
Now in the lobby, Mark dodged a flurry of mutual convention goers as he made his way to the check-in desk. Two lines had formed to accommodate guests. Both seemed rather long so he chose the one on his left, mainly because it put him behind a lady rather than the two men who were boring the crowd in the other. In his line, however, he stood directly behind a female who oddly enough, seemed familiar to him.
Why, he didn't know but for some reason, his gut feeling was that he knew her from days past. As his line moved forward, she eventually stood directly in front of the counter. A hotel employee greeted her but Mark couldn't quite hear the conversation over the noisy lobby crowd and the fountain gushing geysers of water to his right. Then checking his watch, he noticed it was about six o'clock, time to go and get some of San Antonio's famous Chicken Fajitas.
Suddenly, the lady in front of him stepped to her left, turned, and walked past him, allowing him plenty of room to move forward. As she did, they mutually caught the other's eye for a moment.
"My God, she's lovely!" Mark thought as he took two steps forward.
While the hotel clerk processed his reservation, Mark kept searching his database of memories to see if he might have known this woman. She looked so familiar, probably his age, and her smile was much like a girl he'd known in high school.
And as he maneuvered his way to the elevator to ascend to the ninth floor, he caught a glimpse of her again from behind. Several people cut in front of him blocking his view as several elevators opened to receive their prey. By the time he reached the panel, she was gone. He pressed the up button and waited for the first door to open. When it did, he stepped in only to receive the shock that comes when one encounters someone he hasn't seen in over thirty years.
Mutually, the two inhaled sharply as the realization hit them simultaneously. There in the hotel, Mark Styles stared directly into the beautiful eyes of his high school sweetheart, Vesta Brandon.
"Mark?" Vesta said in surprise.
"Vesta?" he responded in like kind.
Immediately, they wrapped their arms around the other while several inhabitants entered the elevator. Neither noticed the others nor would they care what anyone else might have imagined. Their hug lasted several flights until the eighth floor dinged its announcement.
"Oh Mark! I can't believe its you!" Vesta said. "This is my floor! Can we?"
But Mark interrupted quickly and said, "You bet we can! Dinner! Meet you in the lobby in thirty minutes!" then her charming face disappeared as the door closed between them.
When the door opened to the ninth floor, Mark stepped into the hallway with a dance like step, all the way to his room, #952. His keycard unlocked the door in a flash. He threw his suitcase, bags, and laptop on the king size bed nearby, and immediately pulled his cell phone out to report in with his boss, who was probably fixing his afternoon cup of coffee.
"Bill here!" his boss muttered as he answered the phone.
"Bill, it's Mark Styles and I'm at the hotel now," he said in his business like voice.
Though he tried to sound like he was worn out from his flight, his tone sounded suspect as he did everything he could to cover-up the sheer excitement he felt from meeting his old fling. A little surprised by the detection of a faint sound of enjoyment in Mark's tone, Bill made sure to remind Mark that this was supposed to be a working trip, Monday through Friday afternoon.
In his typical commanding voice, Bill said, "Now Mark. I know San Antonio is home turf for you but remember! You're there to work, not to look up your old buddies and go gallivanting around!"
Occasionally listening to his boss but mainly pondering what the night might hold, Mark managed to respond, "Uh, what? Oh sure, Bill, I'll report to you each evening on the day's progress in software development."
"See that you do, Mark!" Bill demanded knowing all the while that he'd would most likely forget.
As they disconnected, Bill smiled at what he deemed to be his best employee, one who might even become a vice president in the next few years. He'd been grooming Mark for the position but he knew well that Mark lacked one credential that was a must for a vice. Mark simply didn't know how to have fun! Bill would have to teach this man how to loosen up, how to live as a professional but have a rip snorting good time.
Mark, on the other hand, had completely forgotten the phone call. He stood in front of his bathroom mirror to get a quick shave and brush his teeth. Then he spritzed on his favorite cologne Halston, and quickly changed into a clean pullover shirt. So he wouldn't be interrupted, he decided to leave his cell phone behind, just in case Bill decided his working week should start that night.
Then Mark flew out of his room, trotted down the hall to the bank of elevators, and went directly to the hotel lobby to meet his beautiful Vesta Brandon. Some five minutes early, he walked quickly into the lobby, looking all around to see if she had arrived. Not finding her, he decided he'd wait near the fountain so his view of her might be, as she stepped off the elevator.
And when she did, his eyes filled with the wonder of his high school sweetheart though now a mature woman. She walked gracefully across the Spanish tiled floor, wearing dark brown slacks and a pale yellow top that fit nicely to her well developed form. Quickly, Mark's lips formed a wow like pose and it made Vesta smile.
Thirty some odd years of distance hadn't made one bit of difference to him or her. His wow was exactly the same response he'd given to her many years before when he drove his old bomb to pick her up for their senior prom. In like kind, she shot him her special look that he alone would understand.
Her hair was dark brown but much shorter than the style of the seventies. Her skin tone appeared to be the same unblemished hue that he'd previously known. And of course her smile did as it always had done to him, a smile of warmth, acceptance, and longing to be with the man she'd hoped to marry but couldn't.
Enchanted by her beauty, Mark walked to meet her in the middle of the lobby. There, he offered her his right arm and she slid hers inside, making sure to mash some of her womanly charms against him. At the sensation, Mark felt a stirring in his pants but didn't want to let her know of such desires.
In front of the hotel, he hailed a cab and they sped off to one of his old jaunts, a favorite restaurant called La Sonora Mysterio, romantically located on the river walk. And as he remembered from years past, the Spanish decor set the mood for romance at it's finest. A waiter greeted them; complemented Vesta in Spanish, then seated them at a more secluded table for two. After they ordered their food, they settled into the background music while flamenco dancers twirled colorful dresses on the dance floor. Mark slid his left hand forward to hold Vesta's and she laid hers onto his.
With a broad smile on her face, she said, "Mark, it's so hard to believe we're together after all these years!"
"I know, Vesta, I can't believe it either!" he said.
"It was so hard leaving you for college, Mark!" she said as if she were about to cry.
Mark didn't say anything but desperately wanted to respond, to say something, to share the feelings he'd felt when they parted. But he found himself without the right words to describe the heartache he felt over losing her. He'd wanted to marry her but her parents were not about to allow such a union so early in their young lives. Vesta had to attend the college of her father's choice, some one thousand miles away from Mark's. The decisions then seemed nothing short of cruel and secretly Vesta wanted to run away to marry Mark behind her parent's backs.
As Mark gently squeezed the beautiful woman's hand, he finally found the words to tell her what he'd wanted to say at the tender age of eighteen.
"Vesta! You were so pretty years ago but are definitely the most beautiful lady in the universe now!" he said with a heart of confidence. "I feel so honored to be in your presence again!"