Had Maisie ever been attracted to a woman before? Not particularly. She’d never been the type to swear it couldn’t happen, but she’d never expected it to, either. If she were a different kind of person, Maisie might’ve blamed it on the rum. She was honest by nature, and with herself on occasion. Giving into the temptation to kiss Drew might’ve been influenced by alcohol, but the desire to do so had been there even when she was stone cold sober.
Maisie blamed it on the hat.
The very hat that was turning down her aisle this moment, perched on the head of the lanky cowgirl herself. Was it too late to hide? Maisie eyed the four corners of her booth, briefly contemplating a mad dash to crouch behind the cardboard box pyramid she’d so carefully arranged, but it was no use. Drew had seen Maisie and was coming her way at a rapid pace. Or maybe it seemed that way due to the woman having legs that were twice as long as Maisie’s.
“It’s you,” Drew said, coming to a stop in front of Maisie’s booth. She wore dark jeans that fit her perfectly, a simple plaid shirt, and a pair of boots that looked too nice to have been worn around the horses, suggesting she’d dressed up a little before going out.
“It’s you.” Maisie wanted to kick herself for not thinking of anything wittier, but it was hard to focus while in Drew’s formidable presence, the scent of hay and clean cotton delighting Maisie’s nose more than any expensive cologne.
“Why are you all alone?” Drew glanced around, the movement breaking Maisie out of her temporary trance.
“My coworkers are on a break. They’re hunting down food samples to hold them over until dinner.”
“You weren’t hungry?”
“Not really.” Maisie’s stomach chose that moment to betray her, rumbling so loudly everyone in the aisle could probably hear.
“Sounds like the two of you may not have discussed this situation,” Drew joked, gesturing at Maisie’s middle.
“The truth is I’m starved,” Maisie admitted, “but I’ve been too nervous to eat.”
Drew frowned. “Why’s that?”
“I have a promotion riding on my performance at the conference,” Maisie explained.
There’s this completely random woman I kissed, and I stayed up half the night trying to figure out why,Maisie added silently.
“I could go get you something,” Drew offered, “but I have to warn you, the only thing they had at the Parisian-looking cafe was bread smeared with some kind of fake butter.”
“That would be the new dairy substitute,” Maisie said. “It’s all the rage. I’ve heard that each year some flavoring or additive becomes the next big thing, and every company with food samples features it in some way.”
“But, dairy substitute?” Drew made a face. “Sounds like a bunch of chemicals. What would anyone want with that when you can have actual dairy? Not like there’s a shortage of cows.”
“I suppose you would know,” Maisie joked.
“Well, yes, ma’am.” Drew laughed. “What kind of food samples are you giving away? Maybe you could snack on that.”
“Cardboard boxes, I’m afraid.” Maisie pointed to the pyramid. “Taite and Greene Specialty Packaging of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We’re the leading manufacturer of food containers and display products in the Midwest.”
“Sounds fancy. Can’t eat it, though.”
Maisie’s stomach rumbled again, much louder this time. “I’m afraid I might try.”
“I’d sure like to help, but the only thing I have is some beef jerky.” Drew pulled out a gallon-size plastic bag from the canvas satchel she was carrying.
Maisie looked longingly at the dark strips, salivating.
“I don’t have much to spare.”
“That looks like enough for a month,” Maisie exclaimed, and not only because she was dying to steal a piece. The bag was bulging. “That had to have cost a fortune.”
“I guess I did pack more than I thought.” Drew’s cheeks turned rosy. “I’m on my way to meet with a Chicago food distributor my dad’s been in touch with to see if I can sign a deal to sell our product.”
“That’s from your ranch?” Maisie leaned forward for a closer look, her hunger momentarily forgotten. It was only when she caught Drew desperately trying to look anywhere but at her that Maisie realized her blouse was gaping, offering an unobstructed view of her creamy lace bra. She straightened up instantly, heat rising. “Wait a minute. Are you presenting a potential client with jerky in a Ziploc?”
“Uh, yeah.” Drew looked even more uncomfortable than she had a moment before, but this time she was at least able to make eye contact. “Is that bad?”
“It’s no way to present something you’re proud of and want others to value.” Maisie swallowed, her hunger returning as she eyed the jerky. “Tell you what. If I can have a few pieces to get me through until the day ends, I’ll put the rest in some proper packaging for you to take to your meeting.”