The Last State Is The Best - Chapter 7 free porn video

Chapter 7 - On the right trail At 3:27 PM, Lois walked into the office of the MGM Grand Hotels in Las Vegas and introduced herself to the receptionist and gave the purpose of her visit. The receptionist gave an encouraging smile upon hearing Mr. Cockburn's name pronounced correctly. Of course, when it comes to employment interviews, they never start at the appointed time. Mr. Cockburn's secretary, Judy, came out to meet Lois at the reception desk. Once inside, the paperwork had to be taken care of first. This process was a little easier now for Lois than it had been at the beginning. But she never totally got over the apprehension that came with knowing that much of this work history had been compiled under Louis's name. Meanwhile, Judy was looking over some notes that she had taken earlier that day. "Melissa Stone referred you for this interview? That will be a plus for you. Melissa is highly regarded here at the corporate office." Lois was encouraged by Judy's comment and her face brightened. "I am becoming very aware of just how special she is," she replied. "Melissa mentioned that you are here on vacation. If you don't have a resume with you, that is understandable. If you can get a copy to us next week, that would be acceptable." "Actually, I have a copy right here," Lois said, pulling it out of the folder and walking it over to Judy. "Well prepared, too." Judy glanced at the resume and added, "Your work history is very impressive. And you know how to pronounce the boss's name." Judy lowered her voice and added, "Just between us girls, you are far above the others who have interviewed for this position." "Thank you, Ms. Degraw." "Please, call me Judy. If you get the position, we'll be roughly at the same level in the organization." The brief exchange gave Lois a moment to study Judy. She was definitely "old school". Her use of the term "girls" was evidence of that. In her late fifties, Judy was perfectly content knowing that her office skills, including her ability to provide helpful information on everything from office politics to personnel matters, gave her boss a tremendous advantage over the other executives. Judy had worked hard to move up the ranks over the years, looking for the right star to hitch her career and be the one in support of the successful top executive. When she came to work for Mr. Cockburn, she believed that she found that star and with her help, he was now being mentioned as a possible future CFO. She trusted if that should occur, she would be promoted with him. As Executive Assistant to a top corporate officer, it would be the culmination of her career and she knew she would be well rewarded. To that end, she was always on the lookout for other key staff members that would further the ambitions shared by her and her boss. The truth be told, she was just as fussy as Mr. Cockburn about who would be hired for certain positions and was a primary reason why an opening had remained for so long, even though it meant extra work for her. Of course, as women are apt to do, Lois also did a quick appraisal of Judy's appearance. She was too professional and polished to be called matronly at her age. Time had added some gray to her hair and wrinkles to her face. Handsome would be the best description. She was shorter, more full-figured and more attractive than Nancy Kulp, the actress who played Miss Jane Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies. But they were of the same ilk: efficient, friendly and ethical. Lois returned to the obligatory employment paperwork and soon finished it. Judy brought the forms and resume to Mr. Cockburn and remained in his office for a couple of minutes before coming back and ushering Lois inside. Lois noted a stern exterior that matched the brief description given by Melissa. But she also sensed a friendliness in his eyes, heralding a boss who would be demanding and tough on mistakes, yet generous with rewards when the job was done well. What Lois didn't realize was that she was part of the reason for the pleasant demeanor. With first Melissa and then Judy paving the way for her, and Mr. Cockburn's eyes and ears confirming their reports, the interview was little more than a formality. In his mind, the search was over. In fact, the interview was over sooner than expected. At first, Lois wondered if she had done something to spoil her chances. Many of the questions related to why Lois was relocating and was she sure she would want to stay in Las Vegas. Lois responded that she had been contemplating making a change and thought something might develop at the business conference she had attended the previous week in Phoenix. When nothing surfaced in Phoenix, she assumed that the rest of the trip was going to be strictly vacation. The job opportunity was quite unexpected. But she believes that when opportunity knocks, you answer it and give it the investigation it deserves. "So what is it you like the most about Las Vegas, the glitz, the glamour or the gambling?" "To be honest, Mr. Cockburn, I was disappointed when I drove down the Strip. I remember the detective show filmed in Vegas around 1980. The city seemed much classier back then." "A very astute observation, Ms. Simmons. Unfortunately, change, even growth, does not always mean progress," Mr. Cockburn replied wistfully. "Still, we can't complain too much about the engine that creates our jobs, can we?" Lois nodded and said, "I agree." "So that leaves glamour and gambling." "Well the shows are nice. I could see going a couple of times a year. But then again we have Broadway, Radio City and Carnegie Hall in New York City, just to name a few of the venues. "And I spent one evening here with the high rollers. That was certainly more glamorous than the main floor of the casino. And it included gambling, too. But it wasn't with my money and I was mostly observing. My fascination with gambling ended in my teen years when I understood the implication of the odds being in the house's favor. I don't even buy lottery tickets." Lois paused for a moment and then asked, "The fact that I don't use your main product won't count against me, will it?" "Not at all, Ms. Simmons. In fact, it is a plus that you feel the way that you do about gambling. At times, your work will put you in a position to, shall we say, influence the disposition of large amounts of money. We need to know that our employees in the accounting department are above reproach. Therefore, we do our best to avoid hiring anyone who regularly gambles. Obviously in a place like Vegas, it can be hard to find people with that mentality. And it is good that you have been exposed to gambling and know that you can take it or leave it, but mostly you leave it. Sometimes we get an employee here who was always sheltered from gambling. Suddenly, perhaps fresh out of college, they find themselves in the middle of Las Vegas. Quite frankly, there is no way to predict how they will react when they are exposed to gambling the first time. We've had to transfer, or in a few cases fire, people who developed gambling problems under those circumstances." "I understand, Mr. Cockburn. For some people it is a terrible disease. I once fired a client because I realized that she never seemed to have the money to pay my bill, but she could always come up with the money to gamble." "Precisely, Ms. Simmons. But based on what you've told me so far, I haven't heard you tell me why you'd be happy in Las Vegas. I would be annoyed if I had to refill this position six months or a year from now, because the person I hired decided they did not want to stay here." Lois felt Mr. Cockburn looking more intently now. She felt as if this answer could make or break the interview. She took a moment to frame her answer and then said, "In some ways, Vegas reminds me of New York City, which I love. It is urban, fast paced and has museums, show business and pretty much anything you could want to do in a city. But the surrounding area is much different. It gives me a whole new world to explore. For example, I could spend years using weekends and vacation time to explore the nearby National Parks in Utah, Arizona, California and right here in Nevada. Plus I have some family in Los Angeles that it would be nice to reconnect with, not to mention that being closer to LA is a plus for me. "Finally, I have already made some new friends in Las Vegas." Lois noted that Mr. Cockburn smiled when she said "friends". She continued, "And if I stay, I know that those new friends will introduce me to other people, some of whom will become friends. So I feel like I will fit in very well here, maybe even like I belong here." "Very good, Lois. Between your resume and this interview, I have the information I need. Because I just received your resume, I need to check into your references, but I am sure that will be a formality. You will still be in town tomorrow morning, right?" "Yes, Mr. Cockburn." "I will get back to you no later than eleven tomorrow morning." "That would be fine, Mr. Cockburn. Thank you, again, for seeing me on such short notice." "You're welcome, Lois. I'm glad we could accommodate your time schedule." Mr. Cockburn stood up, offered his hand to Lois and showed her to the door. "Good bye, Lois. Talk to you tomorrow." "Good bye, Mr. Cockburn." Judy waited until Mr. Cockburn closed the door behind him and he would be a few steps away from the door and then asked, "How did it go, Lois?" "I feel like it went well. Mr. Cockburn seems very pleasant. But the meeting was shorter than I expected. And he seemed more interested in how I felt about Las Vegas than my skills for the job." "Lois, there is only one reason that an interview is short: the interviewer has no reason to waste time on making it any longer. Now that could be for one of two reasons. Either it has become obvious very quickly that the person is not right for the job, or it is obvious that the person is perfect for the job. Lois, I can't say anything more than that officially. But I can tell you that Mr. Cockburn didn't have to ask about your skills because he knows you have the skills to do the job. And when you check back with Melissa, she can talk more freely than I can," Judy said, giving a little wink when she mentioned Melissa. "Thank you, Judy. If I get the job, I know that I will enjoy working with you and Mr. Cockburn." "When you do your job well, he's a great boss to work for. Now you have a friend waiting back at New York New York who wants to know all about your interview. And I will let you have the pleasure of telling her yourself." "Oh yes, I can't wait to let Melissa know how it went. This has been the most amazing day. Everything is turning out wonderfully." "Bye, Lois. I hope your amazing day ends with a perfect evening," said Judy, winking again. "Bye, Judy." Lois left the office happy and excited. It was all she could do to maintain a ladylike gait as she walked the skyway back to New York New York. She couldn't wait to tell Melissa about the interview and to hear her opinion about how it went. Talking to Melissa also meant that she would be talking to Steve again, too. A little tingle went through Melissa when his name came to mind. Lois thought to herself that she really did have it bad for him. Then she thought of how nice it was to have friends like Josie who knew her well enough to sort out her feelings when she was too jumbled to sort them out for herself. When Lois arrived at Melissa's office, it was close to Melissa's normal quitting time. But she often worked odd hours, and she would be staying later this evening to catch up on the work that went undone because she spent so much time with Lois that morning. Melissa smiled when she saw Lois's face at her door. She could see by the look on her face that it went well. This morning - was it just this morning that Melissa was figuring out how to patch things up between Lois and Steve? But when something is meant to be, it seems the earth, moon and stars work to make things turn out right. Melissa said a quick, silent prayer of thanks to The One who controls the earth, moon and stars. Then she waved to Lois and said, "Come in, girlfriend. How did the interview go? Tell me all about it." "Oh, I think it went okay. Most of the interview was spent with Mr. Cockburn asking me how I liked Las Vegas and did I think that I would want to stay here. He hardly asked about my skills at all. And the interview was shorter than I expected. But Judy Degraw told me that these were all good signs. By the way, she had very nice things to say about you." "I knew you'd like her. She took me under her wing when I first started working here. I owe a lot of what I have achieved to her. And she will be a big help to you, too. Oops. That isn't official yet. You didn't hear it from me. Mr. Cockburn will probably look through your resume and make one or two calls just to cover himself. But let me ask you this, Lois: have you decided whether or not you will take the job, if it is offered to you?" "I am leaning that way. But I am still not certain. I think I need to talk to a few of my closest friends back home, the ones I have learned to trust over the years." "Of course. I would be doing the same thing. This is a major decision and it has come upon you overnight. So touch base with the people that you can count on and who know you best. "But before you make those calls, don't forget that there is a guy out there somewhere in Las Vegas who cares about you and has been suffering all day, learning first-hand what girls feel when they are sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. I think he has suffered long enough, don't you?" "Steve! Oh yes, I need to call him and apologize to him." Melissa pulled out her cell phone. "Honey, you need to learn that a man who feels guilty is like money in the bank. But it won't last forever. Take advantage of it while you can." Lois wrinkled her nose and replied, "Maybe being on the other side rubbed off on me a little bit. But I feel uncomfortable doing that sort of thing." Melissa chuckled and said, "Well, Lois, all I can say is that you are a better woman than I am! But I guess I understand." She went to the first name in her contact list and handed her cell phone to Lois. "Here you go, my lovestruck friend. Don't leave your guy waiting a moment longer." Lois eagerly took the phone and dialed Steve's cell phone. The call was answered immediately. "Melissa, is there any news?" "Steve, it's me, Lois." "Lois! Oh Lois, I am so sorry for what was done. I've been thinking about you all day, and I've been dying, wondering if you would ever speak to me again." "Shhhh. Steve, it's okay. I understand now what you did and why you did it. And I am sorry, too, for how I responded. I overreacted. So let's just put that behind us. Okay?" Melissa shook her head, but smiled and then she traced a heart shape in the air with her finger and rolled her eyes. In response, Lois stuck her tongue out and waved her away, and then smiled at Melissa. "What's that, Steve? ... Of course, I would love to see you tonight. ... A show sounds lovely ... and then a bite to eat after would be perfect. ... The show is right here at New York New York? ... Okay, I'll ask Melissa about it. ... Yes, I can't wait to see you again, too. I want to tell you all about what happened today. But I'd better hang up now, for me to be ready in time to meet you at 7:15. I'll give you back to Melissa. ... Yes, she's here, listening to my half of the conversation. ... No, I don't have you on speaker, silly. ... Yes, we'll talk after the show. ... Okay, hon, I've got to go. Here's Melissa." Lois almost added "I love you." But she held back for now. Lois waited for Melissa to say a few words to Steve. After she ended the call, Lois told her, "Steve is taking me to see Zumanity." "I know. Very sexy. If that doesn't get your motor running, you don't have a motor!" "Oh, I have a motor, alright. And I know that Steve has one, too. But maybe this isn't the right thing for us to do tonight. Steve and I need to have a serious conversation. If Mr. Cockburn calls me tomorrow morning and offers me the job, what Steve and I tell each other tonight will help determine what I tell Mr. Cockburn tomorrow." "I'm sure that Steve will be able to keep it together no matter what show you see tonight, and the two of you will have a very good conversation. So don't worry about it another second. "But I need to get back to work. Even as much as they love me around here, I can only push that so far and for so long. So go and make yourself even more beautiful, if that's possible. And I will talk to you tomorrow." A few hours later, Lois and Steve were seated watching Zumanity. They had greeted each other warmly and were holding hands as the show began. At first, Lois enjoyed the athleticism and artistry of the dancers. She was familiar with other Cirque de Soleil productions, and was expecting a top-notch show. But even though she knew it was an adult-oriented show, nothing prepared her for how over the top it was. She began to feel like one of the executives sitting on the bench watching Paula Abdul and her dancers performing the erotic dance to "Cold Hearted Snake". She could tell it was having an effect on Steve, too. Both of them were squirming In their seats, discomfited by the intensity of emotions it was producing. At the end of the show, they both applauded vigorously. Each of them hoped that they weren't blushing and they could only take comfort that no one else would be paying any attention to them. At the end of the show, their feelings were so heightened that they found it hard to look at each other. At least neither of them would make the gross understatement that the show was "nice". As the audience began to leave, Steve and Lois numbly worked their way to the exit. Finally reaching the cooling night air, they gulped it in and felt the flush leaving their faces. Steve was able to speak first. "Ummm, we haven't had dinner yet and I'm starved. How about you? Are you hungry?" "Ohhhh. Oh yes, Steve, I am very hungry," replied Lois, hoping that Steve could not tell just what she was hungry for at that moment. "I know a place where we can park and see the lights of the city against the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains. It's a lovely view. And we can pick up something at a drive-through window and eat in the car while we admire the scenery." "That would be fine, Steve. And that will give us the opportunity to talk while we eat. I would like to tell you about my interview with Mr. Cockburn. I want your opinion about what to do if he calls me tomorrow morning and offers me the job. And I need to talk about us. What is our relationship if I stay? And do we have a relationship If I go back to New York?" "Suddenly this has gotten very serious. But I understand, Lois. Things are happening so quickly. You need to know where you stand." "Thank you for being so understanding, Steve. I can't tell you how much this means to me." "You're welcome, Lois. Now let's get something to eat before our stomachs start growling and they mistake us for the MGM lions," Steve said, holding the car door open for Lois. Lois giggled in response. A well-timed joke is an excellent way to break the tension. They drove for a few minutes and then Steve announced, "The last restaurants with a drive-through before we reach the parking spot are in this area. Is Wendy's okay?" "That's fine, Steve. I've eaten at a lot of fast food restaurants recently because of my vacation travels. But Wendy's has some good salads. And I can have a Frosty root beer float. I may be health conscious, but I'm not an extremist." Steve smiled. It was one more thing to like about Lois. He had known his share of diet-obsessed women. Didn't they know what a turn-off it is when that is the constant subject of conversation? Soon, they were parked. Lois opened her garden salad and put her root beer float in a cup holder, while Steve was unwrapping and ready to dig into an obscenely man-sized burger and fries. "Steve," said Lois softly, "could you please say grace before we eat?" "Of course, Lois. I'm happy to do that." After they both said "Amen" to Steve's prayer, Lois absent-mindedly stuck a fork in her salad and then nervously nibbled on a few green leaves. In between his bigger bites of cooked red meat, Steve broke the silence, asking, "How do you like the view?" "It is very pretty, Steve. I've always enjoyed the twinkling lights of a city in the distance. And the shadowy mountains make a nice backdrop. Thank you for bringing me here to see it." Steve noticed that Lois's tone of voice did not match her words. "But ..." he prompted and then paused. Lois picked up the cue. "But I need to decide if I will come back here often, or could this be the only time I will ever see it?" After a short pause, she added, "Assuming I get the job, of course." "From what Melissa tells me, you need to be prepared for that to happen. When Melissa says something like that ... well, I'd be willing to put money on it. It's like betting with the house." "I know. I got that sense from Melissa, too. Even though she warned me it's not official, she is telling me that the position is mine. "I have a life-changing decision to make and not much time to make it. So I need to think about it and sleep on it tonight. Then tomorrow morning, I will take advantage of the time difference and touch base with a small group of friends that I learned I can count on for honest counsel and a wise perspective, in good times and bad. And then, when Mr. Cockburn calls me at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning, I will have an answer for him. Whatever that answer will be, it will be the best I can do under the circumstances." "You're a very intelligent lady, Lois. I'm sure you will figure it out by morning." "Thank you, Steve. It's sweet of you to say that and very reassuring, which is what I need right now. But I would also like to know what you think about this, Steve. How do you feel about this on a personal level?" For a moment, the only sound in the car was Lois munching demurely on her salad while Steve looked out into the Nevada sky and searched for the words to say. Then he took the meager remnants of his meal, wrapped them up and put them on the dashboard. Wiping his hands on a napkin, he held them out to Lois. She swallowed, and placed her hands in Steve's, letting him tenderly engulf them. She looked at him hopefully, expectantly. "Lois, even though we have only known each other for a couple of days, I think I love you ... at least as much as any man can say that to someone he has known less than a week. But I feel as if I have known you forever. And I have already seen so many dimensions to your personality. I love you when you are shy and I love you when you are feisty. I love you when you are relaxed and enjoying yourself, and I love your courage and how you overcome your fears. I love your femininity and I love your intelligence. I admire your values and I admire what I know about your spiritual beliefs. I enjoy you sense of humor and I want to take care of things when you feel bad. "Lois, you know that I have been around the block a few times. Until now, I have never found what I was looking for: someone that I felt I could spend the rest of my life with. Lois, I believe that person is you. I don't think it would be right of me to propose to you right now. We need to get to know each other over a little more time. And it would be unfair to throw something like that at you right now and possibly sway your decision emotionally. "But I can promise you this: if you come back to Vegas and if you'll have me, there won't be anybody else for me but you. And while I would understand if you decided to go back east and stay there, it would upset me very much if you didn't come back." Tears of joy trickled down Lois's face. How she had longed to hear a man speak those words to her. As they filled her heart, it didn't matter that she had to wait so long and travel so far to meet the man who would say them. She gripped Steve's hands tightly. Lowering her face toward their enmeshed hands, she rubbed her tear-stained cheeks on his fingers and then tenderly kissed those same fingers. The lyrics of an old song about Christmas and New Year's Eve flickered through Lois's mind. In her heart, Lois was feeling love AND gratitude. Steve stretched out his fingers and while still holding Lois's hands in his, he began to stroke her cheeks and then her hair. The he gently pulled her close while he leaned in and kissed her lips. The mixture of salty tears, pungent salad dressing and moist lipstick was heavenly to Steve. When you are head over heels in love with someone, that's the way you feel about everything about that person. Love so deep, so grand, so special, is the most wonderful feeling in the world. The warm, passionate kiss felt like it lasted for hours, but it was only a few seconds in reality. Still it was long enough that Lois needed a second to catch her breath. Then she began to say in mock seriousness, "So as I was saying about the decision I need to make ... " before she stopped and began to giggle. "Steve, my mind went into silly mode for a second there. Otherwise I would have been so swept away, my mind and heart would be floating down the Colorado River right now. Trust me Steve, your words and your gestures have brought indescribable joy to my soul. You are making it hard for me to conceive of saying "no" to you or your city." "Oui. Zat iss ze plan, mon cheri," said Steve in a cheesy French accent. "However, sounding like Inspector Clouseau is not a plus. Or was that Pepe LaPew?" replied Lois, who began to giggle once more. Steve chuckled. "Lois, you're delightful!" "Now that has been MY plan for a long time. Thank you for being the first man to see it." "You're welcome, my love," Steve answered. "Seriously Lois, my desires were intense after watching Zumanity, I wasn't sure what I would do when we came up here ... or at least what I was going to try to do." "I understand, Steve. I felt very aroused afterwards also. And I can't say that Melissa didn't warn me." "And of course, I was well aware of the show's reputation. You know what calmed me down? When you asked me to say grace before we ate." Lois smiled. "Well you said that you want a girl with old-fashioned values. And I can tell that basically you are a guy with old-fashioned values. It's your job to make advances so that I feel desirable. And it's my job to fend you off without hurting your feelings ... until the time is right, anyway." Steve pondered that statement for a moment and then his demeanor lightened. "Thank you for holding out hope that someday the time will be right. And I must say that you do your job very well. Very well, indeed." "So do you, Steve honey. So do you. "But Steve, I have had a very long day. And I need to wake up early tomorrow morning if I will have time to reach all of the girlfriends I want to talk to. And even if I make me decision before I talk to some of them, that doesn't mean that I still won't want to talk to all of them. Half the fun of being a girl is sharing moments like these with her friends. Let's see, if I wake up at five, that will give me six hours to talk with everyone. That is barely enough time." "Just how many friends will you be talking to?" "Four, five maybe if I have time." "That's over an hour per call! An hour and a half, if you only talk to four of your friends." "I know. I'd prefer at least two hours, but sometimes circumstances require you to compromise. Oh, I know. You're shocked at the idea of a two hour conversation, because you think it's all about the job, don't you?" Steve nodded. "Well darling, you had better put extra sun block on your ears tomorrow, because they are going to be burning. I'll let you in on a secret. Much of my conversations tomorrow will be devoted to talking about you. Don't worry. My friends will think you're wonderful after I tell them about you. "But tell me, Steve, any chance you are going to tell any of your close male friends about tonight?" "Maybe one or two." "That sounds about right. I can picture the conversation now. 'Hey Bob.' 'Hey Steve, what's up?' 'Had a date with Lois this evening.' 'Cool. I like her. How was it?' 'Good, Bob. Real good.' 'Real good? Did you get some?' 'Nah. Lois isn't that kind of girl.' 'I heard that. Anything good on ESPN tonight?' 'Not really. Just some Australian rules football and Sportscenter.' 'I think I'll pass. See you.' 'Later.' How long did that take? Thirty seconds? A minute at most. Ugh. I couldn't live that way," Lois said, making a face. Steve roared with laughter. "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into? I didn't count on the fact that you spent so much time in our camp. I'm not going to have any secrets from you." Lois grinned. "No Steve. And don't you forget it. "And Steve?" Lois added as Steve was turning the key in the ignition, "I love you, too." Both fell silent for a little while until Steve asked Lois if she would like to hear some music on the radio until they got back to New York New York. Lois opted for the Oldies station and they commented a bit on the songs and their musical preferences. Lois normally would have sung along with most of the songs, but she wasn't quite ready with Steve. Not yet, anyway. And soon, they were pulling into the now familiar New York New York parking lot. Steve walked Lois through the lobby, past the casino and into the elevators. Their relationship had survived a major blow up and had come so far since they did the same thing the night before. Lois leaned into Steve as they walked, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders. As they moved through the hotel and then waited for the elevator, it felt like they were one person to Lois. The tiredness in her body told her that it was late and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she would fall asleep once inside the room. But that was okay, for she realized that she had pretty much made up her mind about whether she would move to Las Vegas if the job was offered to her. Even so, she still held out a little possibility that she would say, "No", if only so her conversations with her girlfriends would be more interesting. Once more, Lois and Steve stood in front of the door to her room. But now, the worst was behind them. Hand in hand, Steve asked Lois, "I have to work during the day tomorrow. Will I see you tomorrow evening?" "My last evening in Vegas before I have to fly back east? Of course, Steve. You're the only one I would want to spend it with." They faced each other, right hand in left hand, staring into each other's eyes, not wanting the moment to end; not wanting to spoil the moment with words. How can time be so deceiving in that It feels like hours pass in just minutes, and yet feel like it comes to an end too soon? A wonderful psychic, spiritual energy was passing between them and shared by them. And then, Lois detected a familiar look growing on Steve's face. "I understand, Steve. I want to, also. But not yet. All I can tell you tonight is that when I have my first time, I can't think of anyone else I want it to be with than you. Yes, Steve, my first time ... as a woman, anyway." With that, Lois stood on tiptoe and kissed Steve on the cheek, hugging him as tightly as she could. They hugged each other until Lois's calves protested. She unwound herself from Steve, rocking back so that her heels touched the ground once again. A light press of her fingertips on Steve's shoulders signaled him to release her from his warm embrace. Lois pulled the keycard out of her purse. Turning away from Steve to insert it, they said their good nights in that position, lest they see each other one more time and lose their resolve. Steve kept his right hand on Lois's back to make the moment last as long as possible. But with the LED green light shining brightly and the door opening, they had to part for the night. Lois closed the door behind her to the sound of Steve's footsteps receding down the hallway. As Lois took off her makeup for the night, there were no tears. No strange dreams would invade her sleep. Nor was she as giddy as a schoolgirl. Staring back at Lois in the mirror was the contented smiling face of a mature woman who had finally been offered the brass ring of true love. It was hers for the taking, and it was her choice to take it or not. It was one of her deepest desires. It was her ultimate validation as a woman. Tomorrow would be a new day. For tonight, Lois enjoyed sweet sleep.