Chances & Choices by Helen Karol Page B

 I'll bet you've flirted with other men you've interviewed to put them at ease."
    Claire considered.  "Yes, I must admit I haven't been above using that tactic," then she added, her eyes dancing.  "Mind you, I've never interviewed someone of your standing before.  I've only got the small fry in the past.  I guess I was just awed by your importance."
    Julian met her eyes, his own dancing in return, fully enjoying the flirtatious attitude she had denied him earlier.  "You're wearing that blouse wrong; it should be unbuttoned allowing the folds to fall."
    Claire sighed exaggeratedly.  "I know, that's the way I normally wear it.  Another one of my defences, I'm afraid.  I should have known your designer's eye would pick it up."  She touched her chignon.  "At least the hair must have worked.  My dowdiness in it must have shocked you."
    He spoke softly.  "Stunned would be a better description.  I never noticed till now what perfect bone structure you have.  You should wear it like that more often."
    Claire stared at him, the unexpectedness of the compliment overwhelming her, she said the first thing that came into her head.  "I thought you liked it down?"
    "I do.  In certain situations."
    The tone in his voice left her in no doubt as to the situations to which he was referring, and she found she had to look away from the desire in his gaze.  To cover her awkwardness, she sifted through the various papers on the desk and to her relief found a brochure that dispelled her slight tension.
    "Are you going to this?"
    What?"  Slipping from the desk she walked over to him handing the brochure into his outstretched hand.
    "Concepts in Fashion Merchandising,” he read.  "I hadn’t planned on it.  Why do you ask?"
    "You should," she told him, perching on the arm of his chair, her awkwardness forgotten in her enthusiasm.  "It’s in Las Vegas."
    She imparted the information as if it explained a great mystery; which it did to Julian.  He remembered her enthusiasm over the resort when she returned from a trip with her college friends in her final year, and her college reunion the next year had been a weekend there, mainly at her suggestion.
    He teased her.  "Are you suggesting we spend an illicit weekend there together under the guise of attending the convention?"
    "No!" she scoffed at him as if the idea was ludicrous.  Now that he thought about it, he decided it was a good idea, but he didn't tell her so, waiting for her to explain herself.
    "The thing is, I think I'm already going; all expenses paid by the magazine."
    Julian was confused,  "To cover the convention?"
    She shook her head.  "No, we're all going.  Greg got his eye on it and convinced Stella to request it.  She thinks we'll swing it because there's only the four of us, and John might feel we need a little encouragement."
    "How?  What has merchandising got to do with journalism?"
    Looking at him as if he were being as thick as a post, she elaborated, “Nothing. It's only an excuse to party.  All these conventions are.  You know Andrea always goes to everyone she can, and Stephen's involved in financing, which gives her rather a wide scope."
    "Maybe I'd better go.  It sounds like I'll be the only one who doesn't if I don't.  I have to see someone there in the near future and this is only two weeks away, so I can fly up a day early and take care of it at the same time."
    He dropped the brochure on the coffee table and clasped his hands behind his head once more.   "I think I'll stick to the fun part and give the meetings a pass.  Delia's doing a bit of that side of it now, so I'll let her come along with her husband.  Maybe it'll help her to get into the correct methods now.  I have my own system and anytime I've gone to anything like that I've discovered I've been doing all the wrong things for years.  It tends to make me feel inadequate."
    Claire protested.  “Not you, Julian, I can't imagine you ever feeling inadequate."
    He raised his