As we pulled up to the front entrance, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. Why did this feel like a vacation? It most definitely wasn’t. I was, in fact, going to have to listen to a bunch of dental professionals speak for hours on end. But for some reason, the sight of the hotel was taking the edge off.
The valet approached Jay, and he handed over his keys. The two talked for a moment, and then Jay came around to my side of the truck. He opened the door for me and then grabbed our things from the back.
“Let’s go check in,” he said, gesturing toward the doors. He didn’t let me carry my own luggage.
We made our way inside and were greeted by palm plants and birds of paradise. A massive crystal chandelier hung in the center of the lobby, casting light onto the leather chaise lounges and ornate décor.
It was utterly gorgeous.
The front desk lady beamed at us when we approached.
“Welcome to the Fairmont Grand. How can I help you?”
“We can’t check in yet, but we’re here for the dental conference,” Jay explained, leaning his arm on the granite front desk counter.
“We can hold your bags for you until it’s time to check in, and after the first half of the conference is over, you can come pick them up, and your rooms will be ready.”
“Thank you,” Jay said.
The woman came around the side of the desk to tag our bags, then put them in a back room until it was time to check in.
“You ready to go check out the conference?” Jay asked.
I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
We left the luxury feel of the front lobby, despite how badly I wished I could go to the pool right now instead of a CE course. We followed the signs down the hall to the conference. A table had been set out at the front entrance to the giant hall, lanyards laid out with people’s names. One of the women sitting at the table helped me check in, handed me a lanyard and a complimentary goodie bag, and crossed my name off a list.
“You’re good to go, Ms. Elmswood.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking my things.
I turned to find Jay slinging his badge over his head and talking with someone who recognized him—another dentist, I assumed.
“I really need to show you this new technique. It’s been a game-changer in my office.”
“Let’s meet sometime. I’d really love to have you explain it more,” Jay said kindly.
I waited awkwardly until they finished speaking. Jay turned back to me with a lopsided smile.
“Let’s go find a seat, shall we?”
“You don’t want to sit with the other dentists?” I asked, my eyes flicking to the man he’d just been speaking with.
Jay smirked. “Trying to get rid of me already?”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “Just didn’t know if you’d want to be seen with me.”
“Hope. I always want to be seen with you,” he said, completely serious.
I opened my mouth to find something to say, but nothing came out.
“Come on, before all the good seats get taken.” His hand fell to the small of my back, and he guided me through the conference room doors.
As we entered the hall filled with dental personnel from across California, the nerves set in. I worried for some reason that someone might recognize me. A brief moment of panic hit when I wondered if my father might be attending, but thankfully, I didn’t see his face anywhere. He typically liked putting on his own CE courses at his office, so it was rare for him to attend events more than an hour away from Riverside.
When the coast seemed clear, I calmed down a bit. Jay picked a seat closer to the back, and it was just the two of us at our own table.
I pulled out the notebook that had come in my goodie bag, along with the cheap pen they’d thrown in. I set it out to take notes if I heard anything interesting, though I expected to be a little bored for the next few hours. Just in case it got really boring, I’d brought a book I could sneak under the table to read. I had plenty of practice pretending to take notes when I was really reading—I’d done it all through middle school, high school, and even college.
