The Meeting
The sound of sweeping classical music and gay laughter swirled out of the 50,000 square foot ballroom through the Denver Convention hall and to the very streets of Denver where many of the cities homeless were sleeping in the nearby alleyways. It was somewhat ironic then that the sound could be attributed to a benefit in these people's name. The Benefit for Denver's homeless was an extravagant affair that took place every year, it never failed to attract the wealthiest in Denver who often used the benefit as an excuse to catch up with old friends, make new business acquaintances, or in the case of the Denver Lady's Society pass some hot new juicy gossip along. Maude Standish was not interested in any of these affairs and in fact she was busily scrutinizing the crowd for her new potential mark. Maude's latest con or as she liked to call it business deal had quite literally blown up in her face. All Maude knew was that in the future deal's with men who dabbled with becoming an oil tycoon were strictly off. Right now she was looking for a nice, easy mark and since she had paid the last of her money to attain a seat at this musty affair she was determined to walk out with a fish on her hook.
She had already met a few potential marks earlier and then had met their wives. She had determined a long time ago that angry wives never worked well into the scam and was now sitting at her five hundred dollar seat eyeing her next mark. He was a tall, distinguished looking gentleman with the air of gentleness about him. All night he had whisked different women around the ballroom floor but never once had he settled on one woman. He was kind and courteous to all, almost shy in some cases and if Maude had not known that the suit he was wearing alone cost as much as her seat she might have brushed him off as a simple country boy. She had heard him discussing politics and philosophy with some of his obviously bored dance partners and now had found a way to approach the man. In Maude's eye he was the perfect mark, she was just waiting to make her move. The air smelled of heavy perfume and wine and it was starting to give even Maude a headache. Apparently her mark felt the same way because suddenly he got up from the table where he had been politely conversing with a Senator whose wife had sat nearby throughout the whole conversation and made eyes at him. Excusing himself he made for the double doors on the far side of the room. Maude seeing her chance at last got up and followed in his footsteps.
Josiah Travis tugged uncomfortable on his borrowed suit as the cold mountain air hit him. It seemed his luck had been failing him all night. He was never comfortable at party scenes such as these and in fact would at the moment rather be discussing an interesting philosophy with some college professors over coffee at the nearby colleges in "Lo Do". Unfortunately policy demanded that he be here at the moment, rubbing shoulders with some of the wealthiest in the city. It was not that Josiah did not enjoy the cause; indeed he was one of the main supporters of the cause and enjoyed the money brought in by the benefit. It was just that although he had to have swirled ten women around the room tonight not one of them seemed to be able to follow his conversation. They seemed for interested in talking about the newest foot fashion or what was the newest rage among the movie stars. As soon as Josiah started talking about the upcoming political race or the space continual theory they gave him blank looks and soon excused themselves.
It was not that Josiah considered all women of wealth to be unintelligent; in fact he had known many intelligent women of wealth in his lifetime of fifty-two years. It just seemed that lately he had been cursed with no luck at all when it came to the ladies. If his boss had not made him come to this extravagant affair and given him a free seat Josiah would have avoided the event like the plague. He could at the moment come up with a list of at least twenty other things he would rather be doing at the moment not the least of which was visiting his family in the outlying town of Four Corners. For now though it seemed he was stuck with it and had best make the best of this event. He was about to turn back inside and mingle again when a gorgeous women in a blue fancy gown emerged from the door he was about to enter.
"Oh, dear, Excuse me. I didn't mean to almost run you down like that good sir." She practically purred in a sweet southern tinged voice. "It's just that the room was crowding in on me and I felt that I needed a breath of fresh air before I fell over of pure overload of twittering gossip shrews. I swear if I heard another comment about what foot fashion was going to be in this year I just might have regurgitated my whole dinner all over their pretty gowns."
"I might have joined you." Josiah surprised himself by replying. It seemed his luck with ladies was changing right before his eyes. If only he knew what the future held for him.
The sound of sweeping classical music and gay laughter swirled out of the 50,000 square foot ballroom through the Denver Convention hall and to the very streets of Denver where many of the cities homeless were sleeping in the nearby alleyways. It was somewhat ironic then that the sound could be attributed to a benefit in these people's name. The Benefit for Denver's homeless was an extravagant affair that took place every year, it never failed to attract the wealthiest in Denver who often used the benefit as an excuse to catch up with old friends, make new business acquaintances, or in the case of the Denver Lady's Society pass some hot new juicy gossip along. Maude Standish was not interested in any of these affairs and in fact she was busily scrutinizing the crowd for her new potential mark. Maude's latest con or as she liked to call it business deal had quite literally blown up in her face. All Maude knew was that in the future deal's with men who dabbled with becoming an oil tycoon were strictly off. Right now she was looking for a nice, easy mark and since she had paid the last of her money to attain a seat at this musty affair she was determined to walk out with a fish on her hook.
She had already met a few potential marks earlier and then had met their wives. She had determined a long time ago that angry wives never worked well into the scam and was now sitting at her five hundred dollar seat eyeing her next mark. He was a tall, distinguished looking gentleman with the air of gentleness about him. All night he had whisked different women around the ballroom floor but never once had he settled on one woman. He was kind and courteous to all, almost shy in some cases and if Maude had not known that the suit he was wearing alone cost as much as her seat she might have brushed him off as a simple country boy. She had heard him discussing politics and philosophy with some of his obviously bored dance partners and now had found a way to approach the man. In Maude's eye he was the perfect mark, she was just waiting to make her move. The air smelled of heavy perfume and wine and it was starting to give even Maude a headache. Apparently her mark felt the same way because suddenly he got up from the table where he had been politely conversing with a Senator whose wife had sat nearby throughout the whole conversation and made eyes at him. Excusing himself he made for the double doors on the far side of the room. Maude seeing her chance at last got up and followed in his footsteps.
Josiah Travis tugged uncomfortable on his borrowed suit as the cold mountain air hit him. It seemed his luck had been failing him all night. He was never comfortable at party scenes such as these and in fact would at the moment rather be discussing an interesting philosophy with some college professors over coffee at the nearby colleges in "Lo Do". Unfortunately policy demanded that he be here at the moment, rubbing shoulders with some of the wealthiest in the city. It was not that Josiah did not enjoy the cause; indeed he was one of the main supporters of the cause and enjoyed the money brought in by the benefit. It was just that although he had to have swirled ten women around the room tonight not one of them seemed to be able to follow his conversation. They seemed for interested in talking about the newest foot fashion or what was the newest rage among the movie stars. As soon as Josiah started talking about the upcoming political race or the space continual theory they gave him blank looks and soon excused themselves.
It was not that Josiah considered all women of wealth to be unintelligent; in fact he had known many intelligent women of wealth in his lifetime of fifty-two years. It just seemed that lately he had been cursed with no luck at all when it came to the ladies. If his boss had not made him come to this extravagant affair and given him a free seat Josiah would have avoided the event like the plague. He could at the moment come up with a list of at least twenty other things he would rather be doing at the moment not the least of which was visiting his family in the outlying town of Four Corners. For now though it seemed he was stuck with it and had best make the best of this event. He was about to turn back inside and mingle again when a gorgeous women in a blue fancy gown emerged from the door he was about to enter.
"Oh, dear, Excuse me. I didn't mean to almost run you down like that good sir." She practically purred in a sweet southern tinged voice. "It's just that the room was crowding in on me and I felt that I needed a breath of fresh air before I fell over of pure overload of twittering gossip shrews. I swear if I heard another comment about what foot fashion was going to be in this year I just might have regurgitated my whole dinner all over their pretty gowns."
"I might have joined you." Josiah surprised himself by replying. It seemed his luck with ladies was changing right before his eyes. If only he knew what the future held for him.