They say the best time to visit a college campus town on business is during the holidays when the dorms are closed and the students have all gone home. I used that advice on many occasions to visit my clients in Florida. I don't mind students and I don't mind the seniors in Florida, it just makes it easier to get around when they have all gone north. On my last trip down I ventured into something that I had managed to avoid in all previous visits. In fact, I had never had an experience like it. I made a rule long ago that I would not accept offers of evening entertainment with clients or their female friends. My professional reputation and the network of clients could potentially be at risk if I made any mistakes in the field. Therefore clients, coworkers, and close friends of theirs always were listed as acquaintances and nothing further.
I usually stay at a major hotel chain that has a manager's reception each evening and a cook-to-order breakfast. My lunches frequently include clients and I get my share of eating in when you consider I make good use of the free breakfast each morning. When I return to the hotel each evening I am good for a snack and not able to even think about a big dinner. Therefore the manager's reception works out just great even if I don't drink the free wine or beer.
For all of the same reasons the business travelers are usually thinned out making the available scenery of woman and other people fairly slim pickings. I have spent many a night in the lounges and breakfast areas of these large hotels alone. I don't mind since it is a business trip and I use the downtime to relax and prepare for the following day ahead. It is early in my life and I figure that once I get a little older, a little better off financially, and knock some of the immaturity out of my system I can work less and look to settle down.
It was at the end of the day on a Tuesday and with a little extra time I was able to shower, put on some jeans, thrown on a polo and head down to the hotel lobby. For the first fifteen moments I was alone in the dining area eating some chips and salsa. A couple of woman came in and sat a few tables away from me and further away from the food counter. I watched them as they spoke quietly to each other and after taking a closer look decided their age difference most likely placed them as a mother and daughter with very similar figures and facial features. I also noticed the younger one was dressed very conservatively with a loose thigh length dress that hid her figure.
They made their way up to the counter for beverages and a snack and on their way back the mother and I met each other's gaze and said hello. She momentarily stopped at my table and mentioned that she hoped there would be enough food for the three of us which was funny because there looked to be enough for ten people or more. I promised I wouldn't eat it all on my first or second trip but after that who knew?
She was looking at me rather closely as we talked and I felt like I was being sized up for something. She studied my face then my clothing and then back up to my face. Her daughter looked to be college aged near nineteen or so if I had reason to guess. The mother appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties compared to my twenty five. She took a break from her interrogation of me to go back and sit with her daughter but kept looking at me and saying something that caused her daughter to look back every so often as they talked. I only wished that I knew what was being discussed?
When her daughter got up to refill their soda's I said hi to her as she passed. This caused her to blush and keep walking without ever looking back at me. She didn't know me and I didn't know her but I planned on saying something else to her in an attempt to break the ice. Her mother was staring straight at me smiling when I looked over so the fact that I had even tried to speak to her was OK.
I had to laugh at the ice machine that would make a lot of noise giving you hope that ice would eventually come out if you held your glass long enough and then just when you are about to give up twice as much ice as your glass can hold would come out. It almost buried the young girl's arm who briefly screamed and jumped back a step sending ice all over the counter and floor. I sensed that she was about to turn and see if I was watching so to avoid embarrassing her anymore I looked away quickly catching her mother's smile once again with mine.
"You know that is not fair." I said as she walked back carrying both glasses.
"What, excuse me?"
I am pretty sure I was loud enough for her to have heard me but she responded as if I had caught her off guard.
"I said it is not fair that you and your mother get to sit over there and talk about me and I have no one to talk about you with?"
"Oh no, we didn't think you could hear us. We were being kind. It was nothing bad I promise."
"I couldn't hear you but figured that since you kept looking at me and laughing I must have had salsa on my nose or something."
Caught in a surprise conversation with a stranger brought a blush and caused her to retreat back to her table the moment she got a chance. Their talking and occasional glance back resumed and I sat amused by it all until the mother got up and walked over to my table and sat down.
"Can I ask you a favor?" She started with?
"My daughter is away from home at college for the first time and she is struggling to make friends and specifically is not comfortable around boys. I mean men, I am sorry."
"That's OK."