Page 13 of Let it Breathe
"Donovan"—I loved the way she said my name—"last night was fun. But that's all it was. I needed to calm my nerves, and you needed someone to have sex with. Let's not pretend it was anything more than that. We have nothing in common. We had a nice time, so let's leave it at that."
Then she had the nerve to kiss me on the lips. The peck was quick, but I felt it, and from the way her lips lingered after she pulled away, she felt it too.
But she still walked away.
* * *
"Hey, where have you been? I have a couple of people I want you to meet," Calvin said.
"Just getting some air." I followed him through the convention hall. Maybe asking the question was a bad idea; I had been recognized, and now, I had a little following as I walked. A few people shook my hand, and others gave me theI know youlook. I enjoyed it. My ego could use a little stroking after Chai's rejection.
"Mr. Smith." Calvin shook hands with a short, stocky bald guy in an ill-fitting suit. "Allow me to introduce Donovan Bryant."
"Nice to meet you," I said as I held out my hand. The guy shook it and held on a little longer as he stared up at me like I was a superhero. As a celebrity, I noticed that fans skated a fine line between adoring and creepy. Mr. Smith fell in the latter group.
"I am a huge fan. Huge fan," he said as she grinned and offered me a seat. Each company had a booth at the conference set up like a mini office or retail shop, depending on what type of business they ran. Mr. Smith's booth bored me. As he laid out his presentation on some highly technical and highly unsexy technology, my eyes wandered.
Two booths down, I caught a glimpse of Chai. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest as a man who stood too close to her stared down at her cleavage. First, he skimmed his fingers tips over her forearm. She dropped them and laughed, and his meaty fingers reached for her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Nothing inappropriate, but I didn't like it.
"Well, we'll take a look at your prospectus and get back to you," Calvin said. He voiced aget your head back in the game toneas he stood up. I missed the entire last five minutes of the conversation.
"Mr. Bryant"—Mr. Smith held his hands out—"did you have any questions?"
"No." I shook my head. "I think Calvin just about covered it. Thanks for your time."
"Oh. Okay." He frowned.
I knew what was coming next.
"You mind if I get a photo with you?" The guy was pathetic. I mean oh yeah, my business is in trouble, and I need your money, but you're also my hero, so please let me take a picture so I can tell people we are best friends.
"Sure, no problem."
The guys associated already had the camera ready. It wasn't a phone either; it was professional grade. I rolled my eyes at Calvin, who smiled and nodded.
We met with a few more companies. One or two of them held my interest more than Mr. Smith, but the whole thing seemed a little desperate.
We'd been at the convention long enough that people knew I was here but left me alone. A small crowd continued to follow me around, but they kept their distance and were respectful.
"So. What do you think?" Calvin asked as we headed toward the door. "Anything stand out to you?" We passed by the Darielle booth, and I noticed Chai holding court with two men. She spoke with confidence while her hands gestured. Her passion was evident in the way she stood. I could watch her all day.
"What do you know about the wine business?" I stopped a few feet away from her booth.
"It's fickle. Takes a lot of money to make money." He followed my eyes as I checked on Chai again. "Not a wise decision to invest in a company because their COO is hot."
"What if it's a good investment?"
"Donovan."
"Calvin." I matched his disapproving tone. "Seriously, just look into it for me. I'd like to invest in something I enjoy."
"You talking about wine or the woman?" He smirked and hit me on the shoulder.
"The wine." I slapped him on the back and walked toward the little group of fans. I shook each one's hand, took photos, and signed autographs. They appreciated it, and it was fun for me. I loved my real fans—people who only wanted a second of my time and were happy with it. It was a small price to pay because, without them, I wouldn't be paid to do what I loved.
I took one last look at Darielle's booth, searching for Chai, but I couldn't find her. I knew I had to see her again. She'd gotten into my system, and I wanted to know more about her.
Calvin had asked if I was interested because of the wine or the woman. Well … maybe a little of both.
