Cancun Conference

There were rumblings of big changes coming for the company, so when Scott had been told to be in the boss' office at 10am sharp, he was more than a little worried that this would be the end of the line. He was a good employee, been promoted to a shift supervisor years ago, but was passed over more than a few times since. He wasn't completely upset by this. Where he was paid well, hours were good for him, and his family and he liked the people he supervised. Was it all about to end? He tried to calm his nerves as he opened the door to the outer office and greeted the boss' secretary.

"Morning, Pam!" He said as joyfully as he could muster, "I'm here for my 10 o'clock with Mr. Peterson."

"Good morning, Steve" she responded with a smile. "He just stepped out for a quick break. Once he comes back you can follow him right in."

There didn't seem to be any sense of doom or gloom in Pam's voice. She seemed somewhat jovial. Did she know and was just trying to put on a happy face for him? He thought about asking her if she knew what was going on when Mr. Peterson walked in. As soon as he entered Steve jumped to his feet and spoke a quick greeting like someone in the military would do when a 4-star General walked into a room.

"Steve! You're here, excellent, excellent. We have a lot to talk about. Big decisions coming up. Let's not waste any time."

One thing everyone knew about Mr. Peterson was that time was money and he didn't like wasting either. Steve hurried in right behind him, shut the door without being asked and immediately wondered if that was a good decision. The boss pointed to a chair at the conference table next to the head as he walked over to his desk to grab some papers. Steve waited for his boss to sit down before he did the same.

"Steve, you've been with us for over a decade now is that right?"

"Yes, sir. 13 years next month to be exact."

"Would you say you know all there is to know about us? If the opportunity arose to do a presentation on the company in front of a large group of people, answer any questions that may be asked, could you handle it?"

Steve had so many emotions running through his mind he was finding it hard to answer. He had run the gamut mentally, physically and emotionally from the moment he stepped into the office. His body temperature had risen exponentially when he first saw the papers on the table and desk, thinking they were for his termination. His palms were sweaty, armpits drenched in sweat, heart beating as if he had just run a mile. Now there was exultation, it appeared he wasn't getting fired but getting new responsibilities instead. You don't fire someone who you are about to give more work to. Unless of course you screw it up while talking to or in this case NOT talking to the boss. Realizing he was taking too long to respond, he finally blurted out,

"Yes sir, yes sir. I absolutely could talk forever about how great this company is."

"Good, good. I knew I had the right man. Steve you have probably heard rumors of a big shakeup in the company."

Steve just nodded.

"We are not looking to downsize but to expand. Where we want to expand is overseas, starting with Latin America. There is a conference next week down in Cancun. It's going to be big, and we want you to be our point man. You'll need to network; attend certain panels and presentations that we want a report back on. Can you be our guy?"

Without hesitation, Steve agreed to go. All of the papers on the table and desk were schedules and highlights and blurbs about each of the companies being represented. The company would send him everything he needed and take care of all reservations. He was to leave on Sunday and return the following Sunday. Although the conference would be over Friday at noon, the boss had authorized whomever to go to get a full day to relax before returning home. Upon his return, he would be allowed to work from home if he wanted to, as long as his final report was ready to be presented on Wednesday.

As he headed back to his desk, all smiles, Steve thought of a great idea. He picked up his phone as soon as he sat down and called his wife. Since the company was paying for his trip, they would only have to pay for one plane ticket. He was sure she would go for it. He was certain either grandmother would come down to watch the kids for a week. They hadn't vacationed by themselves for even an overnight since their oldest was born 11 years ago. Frankly, ever since the birth of their second child two years later, the romance had pretty much died between them.

Steve still loved Rebecca with all his heart and was certain the feeling was mutual. It's just that with babies, then toddlers and now school age kids the time for romance and passion have all but disappeared. They were at a point now where they had sex maybe 5-6 times a year. Normally on the holidays when you would likely expect some extra romance; NYE, Valentine's Day, 4

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of July (after some summer cocktails), Halloween (after party) and around Christmas. Steve was kind of screwed over on his birthday, it is July 8

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. Only one year was he lucky enough to enjoy his wife on both days and his daughter was born 9 months later. This, however, was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up. They both needed a no-kids vacation, even if Steve would be "working" during the day. He couldn't wait to get home and see Rebecca's reaction.

All the information he needed for the trip was e-mailed to him after lunch. Round trip Business Class tickets, both hotel and convention confirmation and the list of presentations and panels they wanted him to attend and report on. He immediately searched for the hotel/convention center online and was amazed with what he saw. He made the decision to practice his PowerPoint skills and prepared a briefing for Becca on why she should come with him.

"No! I can't just pack up and leave for a week. The kids are on summer vacation, who is going to watch them for that long?"

Steve was stunned by the immediateness of her response and that it was so negative. He felt his little PowerPoint slideshow was convincing. He covered every base; cost, kids, to-do's and even said he would fly her home after 3-4 days so she wouldn't be gone for so long. Nothing doing.

Steve was a bit upset that she didn't even take a little time to think it over before saying no. There was no legitimate counter argument that she could provide. This was a perfect opportunity in his eyes. Really, the only cost they would incur would be her plane ticket and meals. Everything else the company would pay for.

"At least consider it before saying no. I can call my mom this evening and see if she would be willing to come down and watch the kids. I have no doubt that when I explain what is going on, she would help us out" Steve said.

"There is nothing to consider" Becca answered back. "I'm not going to Cancun to sit in a hotel room all day by myself while one of our mothers watches OUR kids. I'm sorry sweetie, I just don't think it is a good idea."

Steve, fuming at the rejection, dropped it with a "fine." He walked out of the room and went out to the garage for a beer. How could she not see how much they, but especially "he" needed this. They had been together for almost 15 years. They went to the same high school and knew each other but never really spoke. It was in college that they finally hooked up in their junior year and have been together since. Sometimes Steve felt he was letting life pass him by being with only Becca. He didn't like it when he felt this way, but sexual frustration is real and was becoming a serious problem for him mentally. He finished his beer and began to walk back inside when an idea struck him. He paused to think about it for a moment. Could he really do it, or would he chicken out at the last minute? He still had a couple of days of work before he left to give it some thought. If he did decide to go through with it, he knew exactly to whom to talk.

By Friday afternoon, he had talked to everyone in the company above him to get their input on his presentation and ask for any advice they had. He saved Doug for last. He and Doug were hired about the same time and started in the same office. Doug was a jovial, life-of-the-party type and was fast-tracked to the top. He was great at the job and could probably run the company someday soon. Although a couple levels above Steve, they were still friends and got together when they could. If anyone could help him with his idea, it was Doug and he wanted to speak to him last in case he decided not to go through with idea. He made the decision that morning to go all in.

"Everything looks great Steve. Relax, you're the right man for this opportunity. Make sure to have some fun while you're down there. Just because it's a work trip doesn't mean it needs to be all about work."

"Speaking of fun, Doug, I was wondering if maybe you could help me out with that part of it. I know you have been down to Cancun a few times; any chance you know someone I could have some fun with?"

"I do know quite a few people who are going to be there from past conventions. Are you looking for a golf buddy, drinking buddy or what?"

Doug's reputation was well known. He made no secrets about it. He would come back from business trips talking about the women he hooked up with. Some organically at the bar and others who were a bit more "professional".

Steve hesitated a bit before answering. Asking himself one last time if this is something he really could do. "I mean more like someone I could spend an evening with alone. Someone who could give me a night to remember".

Doug asked some questions, wanting to make sure he understood what Steve was asking for. Steve explained the situation at home and how intimacy was not so common anymore. Told him how she flatly turned down the chance to come with him. Once Doug was sure they were on the same page, he assured Steve that he was going to hook him up with one of the most beautiful women he would ever see. He asked Steve what night he wanted to meet up with her.

Steve had to think about this for a minute. The longer he waited, the more time he would have to think about it and the more likely it would be that he would back out. It had to be Sunday night, before the conference started. He was scheduled to land at 11am. That would give him time to get his room, something to eat, a few drinks to help calm him down and a good shower.

"Sunday night, say 9 O'clock, if possible."

Okay, man. I will make the call tonight and have everything set up for you. You need to understand, this woman I am hooking you up with is high demand. She is that good at what she does. Once it is set up there will be no turning back. Don't call me and try to cancel, I am not going to answer. Treat her well, don't be a dick and treat her like you just picked her up for $50 on 5

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Avenue. She's a good friend of mine and I want to keep it that way.

Steve agreed to be a perfect gentleman and not screw anything up. He sat in his car before leaving the office thinking about what he was about to do in 2 days time. Maybe he should run up to Doug's office and cancel the entire thing right now before he had the chance to make the call. After a few minutes arguing with himself he started the car and went home. He needed this more than almost anything he ever needed in his life.

On Sunday morning Becca and the kids drove him to the airport. He would have much rather said his goodbyes at the house, but the kids insisted they be allowed to go to the airport. They arrived early enough that there was plenty of time to grab a quick bite before he went through security. His nerves were starting to unravel as he was just over 12 hours away from cheating on his wife. Something he never felt he would be able to do but there was no turning back now. He kissed his kids, promised to bring them back something nice and held Becca in a hug longer than he planned to.

"I really wish you would have agreed to come. It would have been a great time."

"I know. I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I thought about it last night after you had fallen asleep. We really could use a trip like this. Maybe something soon, just the two of us".

Steve was shocked to hear her say this. Immediately pangs of regret filled his soul. Was she serious? He wished he hadn't said anything. Now this was going to weigh heavily on his mind.

The flight took off as scheduled. About a 2-hour flight. Not really time for a movie so he decided to try and get a little bit more sleep. Cancun was one hour ahead of home. He would have to remember to set his phone ahead an hour upon arriving, he didn't have it on automatic update.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Steve checked into both his room and the conference. Got his badge and an updated schedule of events. Thankfully, his presentation was still set for Wednesday. When he got to his room, he texted Becca that he arrived safe and sound. He showered and went for a walk to make sure he knew where to go the next morning and find a place to eat and afterwards some drinks. He met a few other conference attendees in the bar and before he knew it, he was about six drinks in. Being in Cancun, on the beach, these were overpriced fruity cocktails but that didn't matter. This place was all-inclusive, and the company was handling the tab. When he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, he saw a missed call from Becca about 30 minutes prior. He excused himself from his new friends to go back to the room and return the call. He double checked the time, being a little inebriated, he wanted to make sure he had enough time to call and get ready for his guest. It was 6:45, plenty of time.

When Becca picked up, he could tell she was in a car. He said he'd call back later but she insisted it was ok. She was about to arrive and would get out of the car momentarily. Had he not been a bit inebriated, he would have recognized the fact she didn't say where she was going to arrive at. He just expected she was going home from the grocery store or something. They made small talk, he told her what he thought of the hotel so far, the flight, etc. She asked what room number he was in. Becca had a passing interest in Numerology.

"I'm in room number 624. Is that a good number or am I doomed to fail miserably during my presentation?" he chuckled.

"Well, it would be better if the numbers descended in the proper order" she replied.

"I'll check with the front desk tomorrow to see if 642 is available."

After a couple more minutes of small talk, Becca said she was about to arrive (again not saying where) and that she'd talk to him again soon. They had talked for about 30 minutes, leaving him an hour and 45 minutes to make sure he was ready. He tidied up the room, made sure none of his belongings were just lying about and jumped in to take another shower.

After the shower, Steve was working on his hair, still wrapped in his towel when there was a knock on the door.

"Who the hell could that be?" he wondered aloud to himself.

He hung his towel up and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his suitcase. Told whoever it was that he'd be right there and quickly checked the time. It was just after half past seven. Still 90 minutes to go. Hopefully whoever this was just had a message or something and didn't want to talk.

Steve didn't give any consideration to the safety measures one is always told to take when in a hotel, especially one in a foreign country. He didn't look through the peep hole, the chain wasn't attached to the door, he just opened it up like he was expecting someone he knew to be on the other side. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he did know the person standing outside the door.

"Surprise!" came the loud but not too loud shriek once their eyes met.

"B-B-Becca, hi Sweetie! W-wh-wha-What are you doing here?" He was able to stammer out rather quickly despite the circumstances. She made a move to walk into the room but Steve, shocked that she was there, was unable to move.

"Someone in here with you that you don't want me to see or something?" she said with a mischievous grin, or can I come in?"

"What? I-I mean yes, yes of course come in come in. I am just completely shocked you're here. You kind of made it abundantly clear that you had no desire to come down."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry about that. That is how I felt when you told me about the trip. Then I called my mom on Thursday and asked her what she thought about it, and she said I was crazy to not take the opportunity to come down with you. She immediately said she'd watch the kids and told me to get a ticket. I tried to get on your flight, but it was booked up, so I had to take the next available flight. I was going to tell you but then decided that since we weren't going to be on the same flight I could surprise you. So...surprise again! You're not mad are you?"

"Of course not" Steve said as he grabbed Becca's suitcase and helped her into the room. His mind was going into overdrive. What was he supposed to do now? His "guest" would be here in less than 90 minutes. He thought about texting Doug and asking him to cancel but that wouldn't work. Besides it was probably too late now anyway. He figured his best bet was to take Becca down to get something to eat or drink and when no one answered the door, the woman would just leave. Hopefully, maybe. How the hell did he get himself into this mess?!

Becca agreed she was a bit hungry but wanted to lay down for a few minutes then freshen up before going to the restaurant. Being unable to come up with a plausible reason that wasn't a good idea, Steve agreed to it and went into the bathroom to finish getting ready. He felt like he was going to throw up. He checked his phone once again. 8 O'clock. He had one hour to get Becca out of the room...or so he thought.

Halfway through his teeth brushing routine, Steve froze when there was a new knock at the door. Rebecca, who had been relaxing on the bed, got up to answer while Steve hurriedly rinsed his mouth out. Being a bit more cautious than Steve had been, Rebecca kept the "chain" on the door and peeked out through the small opening. Standing in the hallway was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. The woman was professionally dressed in an obviously high-end business suit. The most striking thing about her was how tall she was. She skyed over Rebecca who was 5'9", with the help of at least 3" inch heels, but even without them she would be taller.

"Good evening" she said appearing to be a little startled a woman answered the door. "I am with the hotel's convention staff and am looking for a Mr. Steve Adams who is identified as occupying this room. We are conducting a quick check to make sure everything is working correctly and there is nothing wrong with the room."

"Ok, uh Steve, my husband, is finishing up in the bathroom. He should be right out. Calling over her shoulder, "Steve, you about done in there."

"Just a second," came the response.

"According to hotel records, this room was supposed to have only one occupant. Will you be staying for the entire week? Did you check-in at reception?"

"No, I didn't. I just arrived about an hour ago and surprised my husband, he had no idea I was coming. I'm sorry for not checking in as soon as I arrived. Is this going to be a problem?"

"No, not at all but all adult guests are required to check-in to get the all-inclusive benefits the hotel offers. Once we are done here, I can escort you down and get you taken care of without waiting in line if you'd like. Plus, you can't miss the complimentary free drink. Trust me, you're going to love it."

"Hey honey, what's going on?" Steve asked as he approached the door. Rebecca realizing, she was still talking through the small crack, closed the door enough to get the chain mechanism unlocked and swung the door wide, stopping Steve in his tracks. With all due respect to his gorgeous wife standing right there, only one woman existed right now, and it was the statuesque beauty standing in the doorway. She was tall, mocha colored skin, blondish-brown hair, just a little wavy and worn past the shoulders. If she wasn't exactly 36-24-36, the breasts would be the only measurement off and likely 34C. Steve felt like he was in a museum looking at a priceless piece of art.