Crew barely managed to keep his laughter from exploding. He somehow pictured them for a much different type of film than one that would win an award from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
"Yes, we can be seen sitting at the bar during a seriously intense scene midway through," the other one piped in eagerly.
"After the filming was over, another director came and spoke to us. He was greatly impressed. We're meeting him next week. Soon, we'll be front and center on the red carpet."
Crew had no doubt which kind of director wanted to meet with them. He was sure that if he himself were interested in triple-X movies, he'd see the two of them front and center and wide open.
"That's wonderful. I'm sure I'll see you in the next big Hollywood hit," he said, amazed he was able to keep a straight face. The two of them beamed at him.
"I'm Kadence, and this is my bestie, Roxanne."
He could not care less what their names were. But a businessman's gotta do what a businessman's gotta do. "Lovely names for lovely ladies," he said as he refilled their glasses. Keep drinking up, girls. The poor saps they were completely ignoring kept on shelling out cash, and it would probably work in the men's favor.
"You are such a charmer, Crew. What are you doing later tonight?"
The invitation in both their eyes was easily read. He had no doubt that one little nod of his head would have him in bed with the both of them. Nope. He'd never been big on threesomes and he never would be.
"Ah, ladies, you are too much for me to handle. One night with you and I'd never be the same man again," he said as if filled with regret.
"It doesn't need to be just one night, sugar … " Kadence's red-tipped nail trailed down his forearm and Crew was coming to the end of his patience. His flirting wouldn't win him any great-communicator awards.
"Crew, you're free to go do your real job now." Crew turned with relief as his replacement showed up with a smirk on her face. She could read him well, and she knew he wasn't enjoying himself.
The two girls stuck out their bottom lips with a pout. No doubt they'd learned that at acting school for extras.
"It's been a pleasure visiting with you lovely ladies this evening, but duty calls," he said, backing away.
Their disappointed sighs grew fainter and fainter as he fled the bar and made a straight path to the theater. It was time he found Haley. If she'd gone off elsewhere, he was tracking her down one way or another.
Slipping inside the dimly lit room, Crew looked around, wondering how he was going to find Haley in the throng of people crowding the intimate tables arranged strategically around the warm setting.
Like the rest of his resort, the room was filled with a mixture of modern and old-world charm. Tables for two and four were positioned so everyone had a perfect view of the stage, but people weren't knocking into each other.
Along the back wall, where the lights were at their lowest, round bench seats circled tables that were just large enough to hold drinks and appetizers. He saw couples snuggle together while listening to the magical voice of his latest hire, a young woman whom he wouldn't be surprised to hear on the radio quite soon.
Her voice carried the customers off to another world as she sang of lost love and burnt bridges. He wasn't normally a fan of mushy love songs, but with her vocals, it didn't matter what she was singing about. Hand her the Congressional Register and they'd still listen …
Crew finally spotted Haley in a small booth in the back corner. Since she hadn't noticed him yet, he took a moment to appreciate her understated but profound beauty, the dim glow of the lighting leaving half her face in the shadows.
The vocalist had Haley as mesmerized as the rest of his guests; like theirs, her eyes stayed glued to the small stage up front.
Crew was gratified to see his staff moving quietly from table to table, not disturbing the performance in any way, but keeping the guests supplied with drinks and plates of nibbles both warm and cold to keep any loud stomach rumbling at bay.
In the middle of an original song about young heartbreak, Crew slid in next to Haley, finally capturing her gaze and seeing her eyes grow round in pleasure. He knew he was a goner.
In such a ridiculously short amount of time, he was falling head over heels for this woman. She took his breath away, and he found himself wanting to give her the moon and stars. Oh, good grief. Shaking his head, he blamed his sappy thoughts on the lyrics and voice bewitching the room. Who wouldn't think of happily-ever-afters here? He'd created the room with just that in mind - though not for himself.
Trying to gain back the breath that seemed to have left his chest, Crew leaned closer and took Haley's lips, running his tongue along the soft lines of her lush mouth until she lifted her hands up and grasped his neck, deepening the kiss as if their recent time apart had been painful for her, too.