full of questions when they first meet
me."
Nodding, Cade said, "Yeah, that seems likely," and nothing more as they
approached the elevator.
He pressed the 'down' button and stood beside her as he'd stood before;
silent to the extreme. Mandi suddenly realized that she hadn't noticed his
footsteps in the hallway, either.
"Why are you so quiet?" she asked.
"Just a habit, I guess."
For once, the elevator arrived quickly and they boarded. As Mandi stepped in
and turned around to face the door, a brief and almost complete silence occurred
around her and she wondered if her pictures had already somehow been leaked.
As the con-related chatter resumed around her, she heard two teen guys
whispering in the back.
"Wow! Check her out, man!"
"You think I'm not?! Jesus! I'd lick my way up to her..."
A woman said, "One more word, Tim. Go ahead. One more."
"You aren't my mom, Jackie. I can... Ow!"
"If you don't knock it off, I can tell your mom what a wonderful little
gentleman you weren't at DragonCon. Now can the crap or I'll pinch your other
tit, you little twerp."
There were snickers and giggles and a snort of laughter. Mandi glanced at
Cade with a grin and Cade returned it as the elevator doors opened and they
stepped into the lobby.
As the woman herded the two teens past them toward the escalators, Cade
said, "There goes your adoring public."
"Oh, wow," Mandi said in a flat tone. "Be still, my heart."
They set forth toward the Orchid Ballroom as Cade said, "Most men never grow
out of that stage, you know."
Grinning, she said, "I've noticed that now and then."
Sighing dramatically, Cade said, "I feel so transparent."
Mandi laughed, looked at him, and laughed again.
"Ed, you're probably one of the most un-transparent people I've ever met."
"The word for that is 'opaque', ma'am."
After a quick, sharp glance at him, Mandi gave him a wry grin as she said,
"Yes, I know. I wasn't sure you would."
"Gee thanks. That, by the way, was an 'antiphrasis'."
Mandi stopped and looked intently up at him for a moment, nodded, then
continued walking.
As they reached the escalators that led to the ballrooms below, Cade asked,
"You had to look that one up, didn't you?"
When Mandi didn't answer, Cade said in German, "I'm very sure you have been
told often that you're a very beautiful woman."
Without a hint of hesitation or unn