Page 12 of Forever Mine
“You know I’m happy to help,” I said, distracted by the missing-in-action woman I was trying to find.
Diana trotted alongside me, oblivious to my preoccupation. “Mr. Oldham and Mr. Mair, from OMG Corporation are here and would like to meet you.”
I slowed my steps, knowing I couldn’t decline meeting the sponsors of this shebang. “Where are they?” I asked.
“In The Palms, where we’re all eating.”
“Okay, I need to make a stop, I’ll be along in a minute.”
Her hands fluttered and then settled on the pearls at her neck. “I’ll tell them you’ll be along shortly. Don’t be too long.”
Her words were light, but she meant business. Diana was a strong-willed old dragon. She knew the business side of the industry and could be a formidable opponent.
Frowning, I entered the alcove to the washrooms at the end of the corridor. I wouldn’t have time to find Shevaughn, so a quick call to let her know we’d catch up later was in order. I raised my head and there she was, emerging from the other entrance.
“I thought you’d disappeared on me.”
She shook her head, and I wondered if she’d heard the diminutive form of her name. “I went to get something from my room and thought I’d make it back before the end, but I got a call from my office.”
Pushing the hair off my face, I said, “We have to take a raincheck on lunch. The conference sponsors want to meet me.”
“No problem,” she said, “I understand. Later.”
She didn’t seem let down, and it bothered me but I killed my runaway thoughts. I was getting a little too serious, too quickly, especially after the disaster that derailed my life. Raising both brows, I said, “We irie?”
Shevaughn chuckled and tipped her head back. “Really?”
I smothered a grin. “Yeah, really. I’ve got more stuff in my repertoire, girl child.”
“You’re just wrong for that.” She smirked as she went past me. “I need a word with this man who’s encouraging these bad habits.”
“It might happen. You never know.” I glanced over my shoulder, thinking I had to be crazy. A moment ago, I was warning myself about jumping off the deep end and here I was tickled because I’d said something that amused Shevaughn. I had to slow this freight train. Falling for anybody wasn’t part of my plans. I’d do well to remember that.
The meeting with the sponsors went well. I pulled out the charm my mother swore I had in vast quantities and talked my way through lunch.
Despite the fact that OMG Corporation was putting up the money as a goodwill gesture, they wanted a return on their investment. This, by way of the platform the company developed for animators. My job was to gently persuade the attendees that OMG's software was the best on the market. Diana had given me access to their software, which was excellent, and I’d been playing with it for the last two months.
I put Shevaughn out of my mind and focused on the part of my job I didn’t especially enjoy, but knew it came with the territory. My reward would be dinner with that intriguing Jamaican woman, which I wouldn’t miss for anything.