“I’m looking for anyone who might need a model for advertising.”
They all shook their heads ‘no.’
“Thanks,” I said, and went to the next group.
Before we got there, I clued them in.
“Think of this as speed dating. You’re not looking to get married, just find someone who might be interested. No one wants to do a deal at dinner, but they may take your call next week. So we need to work through the ones who have no interest to find the ones who do.”
Vivian looked doubtful. I went through half the bar with no success. Then we met a gal who was sitting by herself. She looked familiar.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt, but I’m doing a little networking before dinner. I was wondering what line of work you were in.”
“You’re a bold one. Is that some pickup line?” she asked.
“Of course it is. I see a beautiful woman, and I can’t resist.”
“The honest approach, that’s refreshing.”
“So what do you do?” I asked her.
She gave me a mischievous grin.
“I’m on the telly. I do the weather on Sky News.”
“Have you ever thought of doing modeling?”
“Let me guess, you’re a talent agent, and might want to give me an ‘audition’ back at your hotel room.”
I perked up and replied, “I never thought of that one. In fact, I do a little modeling myself. Let me introduce you to Vivian. She’s the head of Ford Models in Paris. Would it be okay if she contacted you next week?”
“Is this some dodgy scheme?”
“Nope, give me your business card.”
She did and I scanned it. I made a note as to who she was and where we met. I then sent a message to her to expect a call from Vivian. Her phone dinged. She checked her phone and hit the link to my website. Then she recognized me.
“You’re the chap who put Lord Smyth on his arse!”
“One and the same. Thanks for talking to us. Vivian will call you next week. Have a good time tonight.”
By the time we worked our way through the bar, our table was ready. We had picked up three solid leads.
“That was almost painful,” Vivian complained.
“It can be. This really isn’t the place for the people we’re looking for. I wanted to show you that even in a place like this you could find people who might help you.”
“I will say, you are persistent, and I can see the benefit,” she conceded.
“Think of what you could do at an industry party? Don’t you have big fashion shows in Paris?”
“We do.”
“When they have a party, what do you do?”
She laughed.
“Mostly drink.”
“What if you made a circuit of the room first? Then drank,” I suggested.
“I see your point. But I feel like I’m selling something.”
“Get over it. All you’re doing is meeting people. Any selling will be done next week. Tonight is just introductions. You have to stop thinking of this as just business. I’ve made some great friends doing this. My dad taught my brother and me, and he always says you never know whom you might meet and what they can do for you.
“If you stand in a corner and just observe, you’ll never meet anybody. I make a game of it when I’m networking. I want to see how many noes I can get. Because I know that for each one, I’m one step closer to getting a yes. That’s how I met Aubrey.”
We had a nice dinner. We ended up going to six different places before the night was out. By the end of the evening we’d added eighty-seven new contacts. Vivian and her team had their work cut out for them next week. Three of the leads had US needs, so I forwarded them to Tyler to follow up on.
Aubrey took me home around one in the morning. She let me get to sleep around three, or was it four? I really wish she was closer to my age and lived in the States. I knew that this was just a fling, but I had halfway fallen for her. I would take what I could get.
Morning came too early. I was glad that Devin had the corporate jet so we didn’t have to fight the crowds. I was home by noon even though we’d been in the air for almost eight hours. Everyone was gone to the funeral and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. I went running to take my mind off it.
Chapter 30 – Are We in the Twilight Zone?
Monday April 28
“I WAS WONDERING IF you’d do something for me,” Eve asked me.
“I’m trying to imagine what I wouldn’t do for you,” I said, my mind racing. “No, I would do that ... I would definitely do that ... Hmm. That I would have to be pretty drunk for, and even then, it would be a little dicey.”
“Yeah, not that ... yet, but maybe soon,” Eve told me. “No, I was wondering if your dance class would accompany me when I do my new song at the Talent Show. I’m not officially in the show because we just got this song together, but I got permission to play it if I joined another act.”
“We are talking about the one scheduled for this Thursday? Like three days from now?” I asked.
She just shrugged.
“How hard can it be?”
Since our dance routine for the upcoming show was terrible, at least in my opinion, why not team up with Eve and win it? I could sell them on this, right? Eve gave me a CD and sent me on my merry way.
“THERE’S NO WAY.”
“Before you shoot this idea down, at least listen to the song,” I begged.
“Alright! If it’ll make you quit whining, we’ll listen to it.”
I just shut up and let Eve’s song sell it. I put the CD in and pushed play.
“Take four. Loving My Cowboy.”
I’d heard the song for the first time yesterday. You could hear the emotion just pouring out of the speakers. Tami had reminded me not to fall for Eve even more because of it, but there was something flattering when a girl writes a song about you. I could just imagine every guy that heard it would be hoping that she was singing to him.
I watched the dance class as the song went on. They went from stiff as a board to nodding their heads to the beat. When the song ended, one of them started to object.
“We don’t have time.”
“But we would win,” I said.
They were all silent. I didn’t realize that I was holding my breath.
“We could still do the diner bit.”
YES! I didn’t have to do Grease. I did a little happy dance that had the girls laughing.
THEY SAY THAT IN LIFE you have to have balance. Since I was happy that we were going to be working with Eve on the Talent Show, something crappy was coming. Cue the ringing phone.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, David, it’s Adrienne.”
“I’m so glad you called. I need to know the color of your dress so I can get you a corsage.”
“About that, remember when I said I’d be your date if nothing conflicted?”
“Awww, don’t you do this to me. Prom is less than a week away. Plus, Ford has spent money to do our prom at my dad’s country club.”
“Sorry,” she told me. “I could get you a replacement date.”
“Hannah?” I asked hopefully.
“Let me see what I can do,” she offered.
This was a disaster. I’d been bragging since the first of the year that I was bringing a supermodel to Prom. I would be the laughingstock of Lincoln High. No one would go with me. Everyone already had dates; even Eve was going with Bill, as a friend, since neither of them had a date.
My phone rang, and it was Adrienne.
“I have great news, she said yes!”
“Really?” I asked, knowing Greg would green with envy.
“No. Sorry, Buddy. You’ll have to find your own date. What about your cute girlfriend? She’ll go with you.”
“No, she’s going with one of my baseball teammates. They’re going as friends. I couldn’t do that to him now. He would never have time to get a date.”