This was the sixth story I wrote in the late 1990s. This is about a seminar I spoke at in Seattle. It starts slow but builds up. As with most of my stories its about 95% true, with a little embellishment to cover the memory gaps over the years.
It felt like there was a pair of eyes focused on me. Sitting in the first row of tables at the seminar with the other speakers we were clearly visible to everyone in the room. Our backs were to the room, and it felt awkward to turn around to see who it was. Someone was staring at me. It was becoming uncomfortable. There was nothing I could do from my seat. The minutes dragged on while I felt the eyes.
At the next break I stood up and looked around the room. There were a hundred or so people, mostly fisheries executives and managers with a sprinkling of professionals, mostly maritime lawyers and marine insurance underwriters. We had all gathered to learn more about IFQs and the importance of A, B and C season. I was scheduled to speak that afternoon on recent legal developments in fisheries law, hardly an exciting topic but one that paid the bills and for many toys besides. Given the audience it was not surprising that there was a dearth of young women, a fact of life in the maritime world. Unable to figure out who was keeping an eye on me I hit the head and got some more coffee.
As the break continued I stood near the front of the room with the other speakers making small talk. I was actively trying to scope out the room without being too obvious to my colleagues. There wasn't much too look at. Most of the women looked little better than a rotten halibut, battle hardened from years on boats and docks in a challenging environment, both weather wise and culturally. A few looked acceptable but none of them did much for me. It didn't seem like there was much chance of meeting Mrs. Right here (or even Mrs. Right For This Afternoon).
The rest of the morning session passed slowly. Lunch was another mediocre hotel banquet meal spent with the other speakers at a table at the front of the ballroom. Part way through the lunch something piqued my interest. There was a youngish woman sitting three tables over toward the back. She was facing directly toward me but was busy chatting at her table. My initial take was that she was in her late twenties, a few years younger than I was. She had dark brown, almost black hair which was cut to the nape of her neck. The hair looked full and thick. The woman was wearing a burgundy sweater, which was logical given the cool weather outside. The face was a bit square but pleasant. Her eyes were brown and had a nice sparkle.
She must have noticed me eyeing her. She looked my way. I smiled and then looked away, somewhat embarrassed at being caught. After a few moments I looked back. The young woman was looking at me. This time she blushed and looked away. It seemed clear now that she had been the person that was staring at me.
My talk was the second scheduled for the afternoon. As sometimes happened I had begun to think with my dick and was not paying attention to what was going on. Moving up to the speaker's table on the dais, I could see the burgundy sweater sitting several rows directly behind where I had been. It was now clear why I had not been able to see her while I was sitting in the audience.
She was wearing a long black skirt. The young woman was at first impression of average body type, curvy but not full figured, perhaps with some baby fat on her bones. I managed to complete my part of the presentation and answer a few questions by not looking at her, otherwise it would have been difficult to concentrate.
It was the end of the session so most of the audience headed out. Like many seminars it ended around 4:30 pm. My mind was shot from concentrating on the speech and I knew that I needed to get out of there to relax. I didn't feel like going back to the office, and wasn't ready to go home. After checking my messages I headed for the bar in the restaurant at the top of the Hilton.
Avoiding the bar itself I went over to an area of couches and chairs that looked out to Puget Sound. Parking in a soft chair, I ordered a double Bailey's on the rocks and started to relax while I stared at the vessel traffic. There were some containerships unloading in port, a Navy frigate in drydock at Todd Shipyards, the regular ferries and a few pleasure craft, typical of a Seattle late spring afternoon. Occasional aircraft on final approach to Boeing Field crossed in front of me.
There was a deck of low level clouds, typical of Seattle much of the spring, but you could still see the green hillsides and gray water. About half-way through my drink I heard a female voice say "is this seat taken?"
Turning to see who was intruding on my quiet moment, I was surprised to see the burgundy sweater girl. "No its not, why don't you sit down and enjoy the view."
She already had a drink. The young woman introduced herself (her name was Alice), sat in a low chair next to mine and gave me a business card. She had recently joined one of the banks that finances a lot of fishing boats and permits. Alice had been rotated into the department and knew nothing about it, because almost no one studies fisheries. Alice had been sent up from the Bay area to learn more about the industry. She had graduated from a good Midwestern university just three years before (which made her about 25 by my guess). Alice had never been to the northwest before and was planning to go home the next afternoon.
Alice asked many intelligent questions about my practice and the fishing industry. I shared some thoughts on the players in the market, which might be good or bad risks that were not apparent on their balance sheet. We talked about the various vessel and aircraft traffic. She had been on one cruise with her parents as a teenager but had no idea what was going on in Elliot Bay. We finished our drinks and had another round.
Having run out of business questions the conversation drifted to the northwest. My blue eyes now met her brown eyes as we looked directly at each other, ignoring the people who had started to fill up the bar after work. By now the sun was headed toward the Olympic mountains across the sound and shone out through a gap to illuminate the city. It really is breathtaking, no matter how many times you see it and a good reason to live there despite the rain.
Alice was clearly enchanted by the moment and she crossed and uncrossed her legs several times. She was looking at me kinda goofy with a dreamy "I need a fuck" look. This got my blood, and dick up. I wasn't sure if she was getting uncomfortable from sitting in the chair for the past hour or so but I needed to stand up and stretch. Some other people wandered over to our area and started talking, breaking the spell that we had cast between us.
I asked whether she would like to get a bite to eat and suggested the hotel's restaurant which was one floor above us. Alice readily agreed. The place was still quiet and the host seated us by the window at my request. "I'm really not that hungry," I told Alice, "but the bar was getting crowded and I wanted to continue our conversation and this was the only place I could think of." "I enjoyed it too. I'm not that hungry either but the drinks were starting to kick in and I could use something."
We ordered appetizers and a glass of wine. The conversation wandered around various topics. I found myself smitten by this young woman who was very intelligent and well spoken. Illuminated by the candles on the table and the city lights, Alice's eyes flashed with passion as she discussed everything from politics to having fun in college. By the time we had finished our appetizers and wine it was dark and the restaurant was filling up.
She must have noticed that I had noticed the room around us. Until then we had focused almost entirely on each other and the conversation. Having broken the spell she smiled and excused herself to use the ladies room. I thought about Alice while she was gone. My feelings were that she was pretty but not sexual, that inherent quality that makes men attracted to women. Her face and figure were fine but she seemed a bit restrained. Wondering whether my feelings were shallow and I was missing the inner beauty I sat and looked out the window. Her reflection appeared in the window. Turning to look at her afresh I saw what I had missed. Alice was a beautiful woman, albeit young. Her modest mouth on the squarish jaw created a slight pout that struck me as very kissable. Without looking down and being obvious I was aware of her generous breasts beneath the sweater. This is someone I would like to be with. "My turn" I said as I stood up and went to the head.
