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should have come earlier. You missed all the latest
gossip! Walk with me over to the luncheon—you are going
to it, I hope—and I’ll fill you in!”
        
Normally, she would have had nothing to do with Blake. Not only was she
repulsed by his chunky build, shiny face, and protruding nose hairs, but his
busybody approach left her more than annoyed. She looked at her watch. I’ll
have to kill some time before the luncheon, and Blake can sometimes steer me
toward new prospects if I can stand to endure his trite chit chat, so she smiled and replied, “Of course.
Let’s walk over there together.” Little did he know that she already planned to
think only about her upcoming appointment with a man who was so exciting that
he made all other men seem transparent. Blake would no doubt interpret her
unusually serene and happy disposition as a sign that she was enjoying his
company. Under the circumstances of having to tolerate Blake, her fantasies
were finally a welcome diversion. 
        
Blake waddled down the hall beside her, chuckling. He could not wait until they
were out of earshot of the others to spill the beans about some news he had
heard before the program meeting. “Oh, Allison,” he beamed, “you know how
competitive this business is. Even large agencies can loose well-established
accounts. I’ve got to point someone out to you—someone who might have her eye
on your client list and be thinking about stealing some of your business!”
        
As they entered the large hall, the place was buzzing with cocktail
conversations, but his stingingly tart remark left her feeling uneasy. Blake
took her coat.
        
“Thank you, Blake. What’s this about stealing my clients?”
        
“I’ll hang your coat up,” he said. “See if you can find a strategic set of
seats for us. I’ll tell you after we sit.”
        
Allison feigned confusion. “Oh Blake, I’m so sorry, but we should sit at our
assigned tables.” She walked away into the crowd, not really wanting to hear
his gossip. Blake stood there disappointed that they would not be sitting
together, but mostly puzzled that she had not been more interested in his hot
scoop.
        
The hall was set up with a long podium at the front of the room that was lined
with the keynote speaker, club officers, and prominent guests. Lavish green
draperies had been drawn open to enable sunshine to fill the room. The day was
so beautiful that Allison longed to be outside, but she dutifully found her
seat. To her joy, she could sit between her friends, Jeff Unger and Marshall
Wells. 
        
As she gracefully maneuvered her knees beneath the yards of hanging table
cloth, she playfully announced, “Why don’t we abandon the meeting and go for a
long walk?”
        
Jeff and Marshall laughed. They were media salesmen, working together for a
company that sold space in national publications. They were always glib about
their business, and Allison shared a positive-minded outlook with them. 
        
The meal was typical for that kind of group affair. One had a choice of fruit
salad or chicken. Allison chose the fruit salad, and she devoured the chunks ravenously.
        
“This is the first thing I’ve eaten all day!” she said.
        
“Slow down, girl!” Marshall affectionately teased. “You can have
some of mine if there’s not enough there.”
        
Allison grinned sheepishly. “I have been inhaling this, haven’t I?”
        
She dabbed her napkin at her lips, and suddenly noticed a dark-haired woman
sitting at the next table who was staring at her. When their eyes met, the
other woman did not avert her gaze. Allison felt somewhat unnerved and could not
help but wonder if her hearty appetite and vigorous chewing had been offensive
to the woman. She brushed her off, turned back to her friends, and asked, “Any
new prospects on the horizon?”
         Marshall began telling her about a new chain
store, but Allison could only