One Night Standards by Cathy Yardley Page A

macaroni art?”
    â€œNo, wait, Mom’s onto something,” Lydia agreed. “You definitely need to figure out a way to replenish. Mom’s going to be doing the heavy lifting for the next round, anyway. I’ll do packaging, Mom will do product. You should do something to take the edge off in the meantime.”
    â€œWe can talk about it when we get home,” Sophie said, feeling weary right down to her toes. On the flight back to L.A., she wanted to go over the numbers Carol had been spouting off about Trimera. Carol might have misread Marion & Co., but Sophie could use that information nonetheless….
    To Sophie’s surprise, her mother shook her head, taking her suitcase out of her hand. “Your sister and I have decided,” she said firmly, “that you need a vacation. You should stay here in Vegas for the weekend.”
    â€œHere?” Sophie said, grimacing. “Why? I don’t even gamble.”
    â€œThe hotel has a great spa,” Lydia said as she finished packing her own suitcase. “There’s art galleries, there are shows, there’s a ton of stuff to do. Mom and I will get to work, but you definitely need a break. So don’t show up at the office until after this weekend.” Lydia scooped up Sophie’s laptop.
    â€œHey!” Sophie made a grab for it, but her mother prevented her, shaking her head.
    â€œYour sister’s right. You’re working too hard,” her mother said. “So take this weekend off. We love you.”
    They both hugged her, then took their luggage and left.
    Sophie sat in the hotel room, looking around, feeling restlessness jittering across her skin. Without her laptop, she had nothing to do. She still had the adrenaline from the presentation pumping through her system, but no outlet for it.
    I wonder where Mark is?
    She felt a flush of excitement start to curl through her, starting with her stomach and radiating out to her breasts and between her legs. Now that the excitement and stress of the presentation had passed, she felt almost dizzy with relief.
    If he meant what he said, she thought, stroking her fingertips over her cell phone, then he’s absolutely right. Being “involved” didn’t affect our business one bit.
    The more she thought about it, the more liberating the idea became. She had thought that sleeping with Mark would be one of the most disastrous acts in her life—personally damaging, as well as professionally, since her business and personal life were so inexorably intertwined. But she’d had an incredible night with him, and then she’d managed to pull off one of the biggest successes in Diva Nation’s history.
    She grinned broadly. She was worrying about nothing. And she really did need to relax, and get rid of some stress.
    I know the perfect hobby.
    She called up Mark’s cell phone. It rang several times, then shifted over to his voice mail. “I can’t answer the phone right now,” his voice said, the drawl eliciting another shiver through her. “Please leave a message.”
    â€œMark,” she said after the prompt, her own voice going husky. “I’m staying in Vegas through the weekend. I was wondering, do you think you’d be free? I don’t know what your plans are, but I’d love to spend some time together.”
    She left it at that, hanging up. She hadn’t packed anything sexy, so she decided to go down to the hotel shop. It was Vegas, she reasoned. There had to be a lingerie shop somewhere in Sin City.
    She smiled. Mark might make the perfect hobby, after all.

    T HAT NIGHT , M ARK STAYED UP in his room at the hotel, refusing Carol’s halfhearted dinner invitation. The two of them had already said all that needed to be said after the presentation itself.
    â€œWell, that went swimmingly,” he’d said, as Carol had packed up her laptop disconsolately. He didn’t want to tell Carol I told you so.