Saucy Tales From RWA 2013 (PART DEUX)

#2 The Case Of Mistaken Identity
If you missed part one (click here)
     Actually, mistaken is an overreach here I’m thinking, as we hadn’t identified this woman as being anyone other than a conference goer because her badge was turned around. There we were, sitting chatting about the riding crop incident the previous night in one of the upscale restaurants in the hotel (don’t ask, but I will share with you it involved a rather nervous gentleman addressing me as ma’am and offering to buy us a drink. It wasn’t until he left that my daughter pointed to the crop I’d gotten as a party favor and said, “You may want to do something with that.” I looked to my right and noticed the darn thing standing at attention out of my purse. Quickly I wrestled with it and put it in a less conspicuous place while we dined, but it certainly intrigued a few patrons, as two more men came to our table. Long story short, we concluded that a riding crop was a good icebreaker if one was looking for a date. Who knew? Not Honey, so don’t tell him, okay?) Anyway, back to the case of mistaken identity. There we were, chatting about our upcoming pitch session (“we” as in – I’m co-authoring a book with my daughter) that we were getting ready to run by an editor, when we start regaling our new friend with thoughts about how to garner a solid request from said editor. This involved bringing the crop with us and just gingerly placing the item on the table, before quietly staring the poor editor down. Then we began riffing and embellishing on the notion, getting really ridiculous about things and suggesting we’d bring the Wartenberg wheel – here is what it looks like



(We dubbed this “The Wheel of Dis-fortune” for obvious reasons)
and when my daughter mimicked bring the pinwheel up in front of an eye like a magnifying glass and made as if she were spinning the spikes in a villainous and dastardly manner, we all lost it. There was more of course, because I’m not going to lie, with us there’s always more, but it wasn’t until the tears were dried and our new friend announced it was time she had to go get ready for her appoints – that we all exchanged cards. And there I was confidently assuring our new buddy that we’d email her to let her know how our appointment went, that I noticed her name. I tried not to lose it when she stood, but it was kind of hard. My head snapped up and I can honestly say this was the first time in a good long while I was speechless.
She was so great about it. All she did was grin and say, “I’m sorry I’m not the editor you’re pitching to this afternoon. Good luck ladies, you’ve got my card.”
I sat there and replayed the whole conversation in my mind when my daughter asks, “Wait, was she an editor?”
I nod and my daughter snatches the card out of my hands and says, “Sweet.”
Sweet? Oh, to be twenty-four again. *sigh* The upside? I do believe in this case me not knowing was an advantage. Maybe.
Riley – who shall be sharing The Case Of The Mistaken Genre on tomorrow’s post. Still LMAO over that one!