Chapter Sixteen

Maya looked over the crowd and wished she was back at BookCrazy, holding her Friday night poetry reading with her best friend. The business dinner tonight was the turning point in Alex's career. She knew heavy hitters swarmed the halls for the chance at glory, and Alex needed to dazzle the crowd in order to get

a hearing.

She handed the hostess her coat and let Alex lead her into the packed ballroom. “I’m assuming you have a general plan of attack?” she asked.

“Who are the two players you need to concentrate on?”

He motioned toward a thick cloud of cigar smoke. A tight circle of conservative businessmen surrounded a man impeccably dressed in a gray suit and silk tie. “Hyoshi Komo is building the Japanese restaurant. His vote

is key to gain the third partner in the waterfront deal.”

“So, why don’t you go over there and give your pitch?” She plucked a salmon tart from the tray of a tuxedo-clad waiter and grabbed a glass of

champagne from another.

“Because I don’t want to be one of the c