He Crossed the Line

Chapter 3 -- "...eyes that look right into your soul."

"When did you meet Sean?" I asked.

"We, Smith Electronics, participated in the various electronics industry manufacturers' trade shows. One of those was a recent sales conference in San Francisco. It was here that I had first met Sean." 

LaTonya was a clear articulate speaker, presenting on-point information without wandering down side trails as some people do when talking. She explained that her initial conversations with Sean began as friendly competitors commiserating over the tough economy and brainstorming on ideas to cut costs and find new markets. She had given him her cell number, and they had exchanged several calls about meeting or workshop schedules. But, after a while, LaTonya said that the tone of Sean's calls changed.

"What do you mean?" I queried.

"Well, for one thing, he began texting, rather than calling. And he would suggest that we go somewhere else, away from the meeting, somewhere more private." 

LaTonya's eyebrows rose to emphasize that last word. She shook her head when continuing as if trying to shed a bad memory. "When we would talk, he would slip in these,...these seemingly innocuous questions about my personal life. I kept bringing the discussion back to business issues, but he was persistent"

I probed for details. "You described Sean as persistent, what would he say? What did he do? How would you characterize his comments and behavior?"

LaTonya looked out the window at the Atlanta skyline for a moment, as she organized her thoughts. "He was a real charmer, that inviting smile, those dimples, those blue eyes that seem to look right into your soul. We met at a cocktail hour late in the day. At first, I thought he was some salesman trying to pick me up, you know,... 'what happens in 'Frisco stays in 'Frisco.' He comes on so warm and inviting that you are just drawn in. And there's these little comments, you know, innuendoes, that seem to have a double meaning."

"How so?" I asked.

"Like, 'I can show you around, help you get ahead in the industry, there's a special event in my room tonight, it'll be a real career booster for you.' Then he says he's some former football player like I'm supposed to be impressed." LaTonya glances over her shoulder and leans in lowering her voice so that it does not carry beyond the table. "This is what he tells me like I'm some starlet from Podunk, Georgia and he's going to give my career a real boost, ...up on to his casting couch. Come on! I wasn't born yesterday. I've heard better lines from better men, and they've all been shot down. This girl's worked too hard and paid too much dues to hop onto some horny toad's slimy ole casting couch."

"So, he started his pitch at the bar when he first met you?"

"You got it, girl! I didn't fly some 2000 miles for a one-night stand with some pretty boy ex-jock. I let him know I'm here to talk business, electronics business, and I walked away." LaTonya paused for effect. "You know, he chased me down, apologizing."