What other reasons could drive someone to seek another person's bed? Money? Boredom maybe? Oh, what was she thinking? Evonne slapped herself again. What she-devil had possessed her to write this stuff down? It wasn't like she was going to act out any of it. She was a woman, a woman with morals and dignity. She couldn't go around seducing harmless hot guys like Ulysses for the sake of sperm
. She would find other ways to get that sperm. Happy with that thought, she quickly shoved the notes in the drawer out of her sight before she started thinking about it again. Then, picking up her presentation notes this time, she started reading.
It was only a one-hour presentation, so she should have plenty of time to dress up then meet James at The Burger by six. The Burger was a restaurant next door to Torque, one of the most prestigious nightclubs in all of New Zealand. She didn't know why James would want to eat there. It was just burgers anyway, and to get to The Burger, she'd have to walk past the nightclub.
She wasn't looking forward to it. The last nightclub she went to turned out sour. Then her dilemma about Ulysses, the art-of-seduction notes, and the potential baby sperm resurfaced in her mind again. She felt a nervous shudder run through her.
She shook her head to free herself of this feeling. She was here in Queenstown anyway, the land of fun, so there was no use sulking and having panic attacks over these issues. She'd sort it out once she was back in Auckland. Yes, let's present this talk with dignity, poise, and confidence.
***
Who was she kidding, presenting the talk with dignity, poise, and confidence? Pah! There was nothing confident or poised about her right now as she eyed her audience, her nerves a shivering mess. Her hands shook like she was having an epileptic fit. Thank Lord she was standing behind the podium and her mini-episode was unseen.
Otherwise, an ambulance would be called and she would be admitted into Queenstown Hospital. And it wasn't because she was scared of public speaking. No, far from that. She was nervous because Ulysses was here, at the Dental Hygiene Conference, sitting near the exit, talking to a few of the other hygienists.
What in heaven is he doing here anyway? was the first question that came into her mind. Yes, he was the owner of the hotel chain, but did he have to make an appearance now of all times? She didn't even know he was here in Queenstown. Just when she was thinking about him this afternoon, he suddenly appeared.
She was about to make her presentation and she didn't want to think about him just now. It just reminded her of how perfect the man was for her baby. To be so close yet so far away. She should just muster up the courage to ask him for that sperm. Just one single sperm. That's right. It would be her goal when she got back to Auckland to just ask for his sperm.
At that moment, while her mind was still mulled up about that prospect, Ulysses turned his eyes toward her. Ulysses couldn't help admiring the woman standing on stage before him, exuding a look of poise, confidence, and dignity. She was about to present her talk on dental implants. She was so beautiful, well mannered, delicate and small, like a china doll that needed to be treasured or else it would break.
He wanted to be the man that would treasure this china doll. Evonne had to swallow to wet her dry mouth because that staring contest with Ulysses was making the back of her throat feel like sandpaper. Turning to her audience, she finally broke eye contact with Ulysses and began to speak.
"Dental implants…" She began, eyeing the dental hygienists and dental therapists who flew from all over New Zealand to Queenstown for this particular conference. "How do we go about caring for implants for our patients…?"
Once she got going, she realized she had lost sight of time, place, and even Ulysses, who was sitting there watching and admiring her from afar, her focus solely on her presentation. After an hour presenting the many cases of implants she had performed and the many ways the hygienists could help care for them, Evonne found herself with a bottle of wine in hand as a parting gift and claps and applause on all sides
. The wine, Evonne knew, she would dispose of through Susan, since she couldn't drink even a lick of alcohol, what with her memory still fresh from that embarrassing episode from that night at the club on the day of her thirtieth birthday. She could still remember that foul taste of liquor on her taste buds, and no thank you, she would not be repeating that experience ever again.