Chapter 2: Playing Hooky

In the morning I registered at the conference and attended a few conference sessions, did some networking with a few of the hundreds of people attending that I knew, and then went into the luncheon. About eighty round tables were spread out across a huge ballroom with eight to ten chairs per table. There was a dais with about ten seats. Lots of people were milling around. As I usually do, I took a table in the rear so I could sneak out if things were unbearable. Food arrived in waves. Eventually, the conference moderator stood and started the introductions.

Kim Winslow was introduced as the youngest, most influential person in the room, a person who was going to change the face of energy technology, etcetera, etcetera. She was the newest member of the Young President’s Organization, an honor she’d failed to mention to me. I felt privileged to have such a person as my friend even before the introduction started, now I was wowed by a few facts I learned about her that she hadn’t mentioned the day before, probably due to modesty.

Kim’s address to the 800 people in the room was visionary and controversial. She had an engaging and energetic speaking style and she painted a new picture of energy provision in the world that was dramatically different from the conventional and yet did it in a way so that every person in the room believed they could contribute to making it happen and more importantly they wanted to make it happen. The speech was later published in the conference proceedings and was well worth the read. As I looked back a few years later, much of what she said was coming to fruition just not as fast as she’d projected. Kim got a standing ovation.

I greeted a few of my friends and colleagues as I milled around the ballroom and then slowly wound my way up toward the dais to shake her hand as many others were doing. I hung back a little so she could collect her well-deserved accolades but she saw me and flashed me a huge smile.

“Ron,” she yelled out above the din. “Come here, join me.” I closed the gap to her as she continued in an animated discussion with a dozen people at once, some of who were the conference leaders. Much to my surprise she gave me a hug when I reached her; it was a polite, professional hug, the kind friends give to each other. She whispered in my ear, “If I’m not through here in ten minutes you throw me over your shoulder and carry me out of here.” She grinned as we parted. I stepped away slightly.

Kim gave me a stellar introduction to her nearby colleagues. Suddenly, I was in the inner circle of the futures conference, a nice place to be. Much to my surprise there were business cards exchanged and upon learning a few of my credentials an invitation by the moderator to speak at the conference the following year – as a keynote. I glanced at Kim and she gave me thumbs up.

At the ten-minute mark I made eye contact with Kim as she continued to be inundated by adoring colleagues. She nodded at me. I said in an audible voice so others in the circle could hear, “Excuse me, Kim, we have a conference call in a few minutes and we need to talk about our plans and things before then.” She acknowledged and said, “Oh, yes,” made polite goodbyes and thanks to several people, promised to see them later in the hallways, and we headed out of the ballroom at a rapid, business-like pace.

“Whew,” she said as we reached the hallway, “I’ve never spoken to a group this large. Could you hear my knees knocking?” She led me towards to the elevator and as the doors closed she latched onto my arm again and stood well inside my personal space. I was glad. “It took me five minutes to find you in that huge room; I was worried you’d skipped my talk. I really wanted you to hear what I had to say; I want your thoughts about it. I really just talked to you the whole time.”

“I’m honored,” I responded by extra hugging of her arm into my body in a polite way. I prattled on about how wonderful her talk was as we rode the elevator and then I asked, “What is your pleasure for the afternoon? I’m all yours. More conference? Play?”

She looked at me sideways and then in a slow childish voice said, “Play. I want you to take me to Disneyworld.” She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek after I’d said I would. She added, “I’ve never been to any of the Orlando parks.”

The afternoon got more romantic as it went on. We changed into really casual clothes and running shoes, and left the hotel and drove to the park. We were drawn to each other on so many levels. We walked through the amusement park and even went on a few of the rides – those without a waiting line.

We talked about everything – family, business, consulting, homes, hobbies, flying, and more. Neither one of us planned our hearts skipping around, it just happened. We touched each other – deeply and tenderly, but a little tentatively a first. Maybe it was because each of us was lonely, or alone, or away from home, or maybe there was a cupid flying over us frantically shooting arrows into our hearts. We held hands everywhere we went.

I was properly chivalrous to her when I had held the car door then offered my arm and she took it. A while later we held hands then she held my arm again. Then she wanted my arm around her shoulders and next she put her arm around me too. On the roller coaster she held on to me for dear life; I closed my eyes and figured I could live through anything for ninety seconds.

We shared some snacks and then on a park bench she just snuggled up against me and held my arm around her. We just sat in silence and watched the people go by. At about six o’clock, I asked, “Is it wine time yet?” She laughed and said, “Oh yes, but we can’t go back to the hotel just yet. I’ll be mobbed and we’ll never get to spend the evening together. Let’s go somewhere else. Someplace no one knows us.”

We ended up in the very dark and very empty cocktail lounge of a steak restaurant just off the Interstate. Kim cuddled up to me as we sat and pulled my arm around her again. We ordered our chardonnays and a couple of hors d’oeuvres. She kissed my cheek again.