Conference Cupid
Authors: Eden Elgabri
Conference
Cupid
By Eden
Elgabri
Copyright 2010 Eden
Elgabri
This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are products of the
author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real.
Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.
All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of quotations embodied
in articles or reviews.
Cover Design by D. C. Charles
This book is dedicated to Blanche.
Thank you for introducing me to RIRW and making me believe in
myself
as a writer.
Chapter One
Devin Barnett pulled at his hair in
frustration. They’d been descending upon his hotel for the past twenty-four
hours. Extra pillows, extra towels—more, more, more, of everything. A hotel
full of men could get a little rowdy, but one full of women bordered on the
insane.
He’d endured more than one predominantly
female conference. Make-up, jewelry, even Tupperware. None of them compared to
the onslaught of women entering the hotel in droves this fine April morning.
Romance
writers.
They looked normal enough. But they
couldn’t be. Devin helped set up the marquee and the promotional table and read
the excerpts on some of the bookmarks. From what he read he expected the ladies
to resemble wannabe hookers. I mean, really, what kind of women wrote those
things?
And their conversations?
Hard to distinguish between who lived and breathed and who
only existed on the page.
The graphic sex far surpassed his frat buddies
in their college bragging days.
The main benefit, other than his hotel
being full, was he’d see his cousin Peter, body builder and romance cover
model. Ten years his junior, Peter, at twenty-five, took no interest in either
the contracting business or the hotel business associated with the Barnett
family.
“Dev.”
The one word echoed across the lobby and a
gaggle of women turned to ogle his cousin. Peter strolled over to him,
grinning. He nodded to his fans and shook Devin’s hand without taking his eyes
away from
the ladies
.
“Your groupies are already lining up.”
Devin didn’t envy his cousin’s lifestyle. These women shared an intense gaze,
one that said they’d enjoy tying Peter down and taking turns until the poor guy
died from exhaustion.
“What a life, huh?”
Peter slapped Devin’s arm and nodded in the direction of another group of women
who giggled and laughed while pointedly checking him out. Their leers went from
one cousin to another.
Devin’s eyes widened in
horror.
The creatures had added him to their feast. He pulled at his
tie, instantly uncomfortable. “It’d scare the shit out of me.”
“Are you kidding? I have women drooling
over me, fighting to have their picture taken with me, and if I see anything I
want...well, I never have to sleep alone at one of these affairs.”
“You’re a dog. Know that? Don’t you think
it’s about time to get a job that’s a little steadier?”
“Oh, I can see my father got hold of you.
Come on, you’re an old man before your time. Running this place must be boring.
What’s the most excitement you get here?” As he said it a young woman dropped
her purse and bent down to retrieve it. Her skirt hiked up so the bottom of her
tattooed ass graced their eyes. “Um, let me take that back. You must get your
share of interesting guests.”
“Something to consider if
you ever
graduate from being eye candy.”
“They’re looking at you too. There
is
a family resemblance. You could join us. How toned are you under that suit, old
man?” Peter gave Devin a playful jab in the gut.
“I work out in the hotel gym every day
before it opens.
One of the perks.
Come on, let’s move
into my office. These women look hungry.”
“Not like you to be intimidated.” Peter
followed Devin to an ante room behind the front desk, next to his office. “Can
we wait here? I’m looking for the conference coordinator so I can get the
schedule. I know we’re taking pictures with authors after dinner tonight and before
the awards ceremony.”
“I’ve got your room information set aside
anyway.” About to turn, Devin stopped breathing. A slender blonde placed her
envelope on the front desk. Desire hit the second he saw her.
It couldn’t be. Could it?
* * * *
Keary’s
hands
shook
as she placed them on the front
desk
.
Why had she
ever let her friends talk her into this? It would have been different if she’d
been able to ride up with her friends or if she registered in time to share a
room with one of them. But in spite of being a secret writer for years,
Keary
just recently joined a local writers group whose
members talked her into this conference.
“
Keary
,” her
critique partner, Susan, crooned, stepping up beside her. “I’m in room three
twelve. Soon as you’re settled stop up and see me. Actually after checking into
your room, come down and register. You’ll want to look through the schedule and
figure out which workshops to attend. You signed up for the bonus workshops
like I suggested?”
“I paid for every extra per your orders.
Don’t worry; I’m going to get the full experience.”
“Good. I’m glad. You’ll enjoy the meet and
greet with the models later. They get everyone juiced up enough to start a new
book. A couple of hours with one of them and you’ll go from straight romance to
erotica.”
“Hey, my manuscript is pretty spicy.”
“That it is and I can’t figure out how
considering you haven’t had sex in about forever. What are you doing, writing
from memory?”
Keary
glanced
around,
glad the girl behind the desk remained occupied on
the phone. “It hasn’t been that long.”
“You haven’t dated at all since your
divorce. And that was before we met.”
“It’s been about a year, not a century.”
“Honey, a year without sex is a long time.
Especially for someone who writes about it for a living.”
“I only write about it part time. I’m not
as lucky as you. I still have a day job.”
“Consider this time to play. There are
male models here. And my friend told me there’s a dentist’s convention in the
hotel down the street.” She laughed and placed a hand on
Keary’s
shoulder. “Some of the girls went there by mistake, but figured it out after
they saw false teeth covering what should have been the goodie table.
Practically
peed
their pants. Some of the single
ladies might check out the bar there later since the place is swarming with
men. You should join them. Do some research and make those love scenes shine.”
“Susan, you’re really sick. Is your
poor
husband a research tool?”
“Of course, why do you think he’s so
happily married? We try out every love scene.”
“TMI,
Suz
.”
Keary
shook her head to try to delete the last love scene
she’d read of her critique partner’s. Somehow it didn’t play the same.
The hotel staff member came up and took
Keary’s
information and her credit card while Susan
continued to instigate and antagonize.
Keary
Galloway.
Impossible.
According to the eavesdropped
conversation, she’d rid herself of the pompous and irritating Jacob Galloway.
Devin
had been introduced to her after she started dating the most
boorish member of his fraternity. He’d never liked Galloway
and had always dismissed him as the worst example of nouveaux riche. Galloway’s acquisition of
Keary
made Devin like him even less. The green-eyed monster had never appeared before
and Devin found he didn’t like his company. Of course, Devin had known
Keary
since their freshman year of high school, but he’d
never appeared on the ex-cheerleader’s radar.
She’d never recognize him. The years
hadn’t changed her. Her blonde hair, although shortened to shoulder length,
shone like bright rays of gold. Her eyes, the color of spring grass moistened
with morning dew, made his heart quicken. Her slender body now boasted more
curves, heavy breasts. His mouth watered at the thought of suckling them.
Time had changed Devin significantly. From
weed-thin to
filled
out and buff, everything about his
appearance had altered. But standing there taking in the sight of her, he
shrank in height, weight and ego as he recalled the exact emotions of his
hormonal teen-aged years. As he remembered those tumultuous times his cock grew
thick and hard.
“I’m going to buy you some alone time with
one of those models,” the brunette joked.
“You’re not serious?”
Keary
called after her, her heels clicking at a faster pace as she tried to catch up
with her friend.
Devin looked at Peter who raised an
eyebrow a fraction of an inch. “None of us are prostitutes that I know of, but
we are guys, so anyone that’s unattached will oblige a lady in need.” He
grinned at Devin. “Thinking about becoming one of us for this conference?”
Peter elbowed him. “With the right clothes no one would know the difference.”
Devin caught the eye of his employee and
crooked his finger at her.
The girl at the front desk walked into the
alcove where her boss stood.
“Small change of plans.
Galloway. The room you just assigned to her
change to the one I reserved for Peter here.”
“Hey,” Peter protested.
“She paid for all of the extras.” He
turned to wink at Peter.
“But she has her key card and she’s gone,
Mr. Barnett.”
Devin looked at his watch. The workshops
started in an hour. “Wait an hour and a half and then have housekeeping knock
on her door. If she’s there, inform her of her good luck. If not, pack up her
things, send them to Peter’s suite and leave a note to contact the front desk.”
The woman stood for a second, silent and
motionless in confusion.
“Um, sure thing, Mr. Barnett.”
“What the hell was that all about? And I’d
better still have a suite.”
“You’ll be staying in my suite and hopefully,
I’ll bunk with
Keary
.”
“Pretty sure of
yourself, huh?”
“She believes her friend is giving her a
man for research and she hasn’t fucked in a year. What do you think my odds
are?”
“Pretty damn good. But not dressed in a
suit and tie looking like an undertaker. If you’re going to look like you’re
paid for, show your body. Help me unpack and you can borrow something of mine.
Remember how to seduce a woman, Dev?”
“If I run into trouble I’ll give you a
call.”
“Have to admit, Dev, you’ve changed a bit.
I can imagine me pulling this kind of stunt, but to be honest, I didn’t think
you had
cojones
that big.
Especially
with some random woman.”
“Who said anything about her being
random?”
Peter’s eyes widened. “You know her? Won’t
she be acquainted with the fact you own this little slab of stone? Might be
difficult to convince her that a hotel owner can be bought as, um... research.”
Devin shook his head. “I remember
her,
but I don’t even resemble my high school self, and at the time she didn’t even
seem to see me. She only met me once in college. She was so infatuated with the
man she ended up marrying she didn’t see anyone else.”
Peter crossed his arms over his chest and
nodded sagely. “Ah, a little revenge of the nerds thing.”
“I
wasn’t a nerd and it’s not
revenge. You heard her. It’s like
Keary’s
given up and doesn’t even realize how attractive she is.”
“So you’re what, doing the girl a favor by
slipping her the salami? Not getting anything out of this
yourself
?”