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“You do this for fun? Goodwill?”
“No, for a percentage of how much they spend on the trip.”
“Ah!” He grinned. “I doubt I could afford you.”
“Few can,” she admitted. “That limits the number of clients I cater to. I get to keep my toe in, but only to the extent I want.”
“Still giving the big boys competition?”
“I’m an…irritant. Especially to the company that bought me out.”
He barked a laugh. “I’ll bet. You’re keeping the big spenders under your wing.” He flopped back agai
nst the chair cushion. “For ingenuity alone, I’d give you a five-star rating.”
His flattery made her feel good in a way it probably shouldn’t. She experienced a warmth she wanted to bask in.
“How did you like the minimalist prototype?” he asked.
Glad to be pulled back on track, she said, “There were an overabundance of outlets in which to plug in devices.”
“But?”
“The room was sterile. No personality or character. No—”
“Ambiance?”
“Good word.”
“Whew! Maybe I have promise as a writer after all.”
She gave him an arch look before continuing. “Everything was so high tech, it took me fifteen minutes to figure out how to turn on the lights and keep them on. I’m not particularly fond of baroque or chintz, but I do like a chair that conforms to the human body, one that I can actually sit in.”
“You won’t be recommending the place.”
“No. My clients appreciate having their travel streamlined, and having plenty of electrical outlets for their gadgets, but they also insist on creature comforts.”
“I’m a creature who likes his comforts.”
“Then why did you move into that tiny space with no air-conditioning and a lumpy mattress?”
“I hadn’t suffered enough yet. To be a good writer, one must suffer.”
“Self-flagellation?”
“I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m almost to that point.”
They shared a smile, then he asked, “When you go on these research trips, does Jasper ever go along?”
“Not that often. Only if I’m looking at something a bit more exotic than a hotel for the business traveler.”
“Do you ever go overseas?”
“I go two or three times a year. Jasper, never.”
“Why not? I’d think those would be the trips he’d want to take.”
“He doesn’t like the long flights.”
