Cabin fever, p.1
Cabin Fever, page 1
Cabin Fever
Synopsis
Morgan Allen arrives at her first national trade show expecting to make a splash and a ton of sales. She didn’t expect her biggest rival, Shelby Howard, to be there, stealing her thunder and all her clients. Why couldn’t Shelby just stay home and let Morgan have this one? After all, Shelby doesn’t believe in her product, not like Morgan does. She’s just successful because she’s charming and magnetic with a killer smile and legs for days.
Still, Morgan has a heart. When a major snowstorm cancels both their flights home and Morgan snags the last rental car, she offers Shelby a ride. That kindness turns into a nightmare when bad cell reception and a missed exit leaves them stranded in a secluded hunting cabin with a wrecked car and no way to call for help.
The longer they’re stuck together, the more their feelings grow. Could Morgan really be falling for the woman who might just cost her everything? And that’s nothing compared to the question that plagues them both once they’re finally rescued. Do they really have feelings for each other, or was it just cabin fever?
Cabin Fever
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By the Author
Visiting Hours
Bird on a Wire
Across the Dark Horizon
And Then There Was Her
Queen of Humboldt
Swipe Right
Two Knights Tango
Almost Perfect
When It Feels Right
Pumpkin Spice
Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever
© 2024 By Tagan Shepard. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-631-4
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: May 2024
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editors: Ashley Tillman and Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design by Inkspiral Design
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
There are always so many people to thank when I put out a new book and this time the list feels even longer.
Thank you to Brittany Shanley for letting me interrogate you about your job and how people even get picked to go to trade shows. I’ve never been so happy to be in service rather than sales!
Thanks, Laura, for introducing me (and by extension Shelby) to the glory of low-calorie wine. Also for being a cool cat and everything you do for the community.
The BSB family is so amazing and I’m so proud to be a part of it. Thanks to Rad, Sandy, Ruth, Cindy, and, of course, Ashley, the most kick-ass editor in the world.
I couldn’t do any of this without my Sapphic Lit Pop-Up family. They inspire me and make me laugh and give me a community I need the way I need oxygen. Cade, Louise, Serena, Bird, Rita, Anne, and Nan are rockstars like no other.
What can I possibly say about Cris? She’s my heartbeat. When I’m out there, grinding up pavement through rain and snow and horrible Maryland drivers, hundreds of miles away, she’s the one I’m always driving home to. She’s the light at the end of the tunnel. My whole world. Thanks, baby. There’s no one else I’d rather be an indoor cat with than you. I love you.
Dedication
For the medical lab technicians and technologists who save lives every day even though no one knows who you are, what you do, or what you sacrifice. You’re all heroes.
Chapter One
“Take it all in, kid. You’ve arrived.”
At thirty-five years old, Morgan Allen didn’t think she qualified as a kid and she was relatively certain that no one had ever truly “arrived” by walking into the Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Conference Center in Rochester, New York, but she wasn’t going to begrudge Chad his moment of hyperbole. After all, he had been the one who had plucked her out of her mundane and increasingly dissatisfying job in a hospital laboratory two years ago. Rochester might not be glamorous, but it was new. So was the feeling of satisfaction her new job gave her.
The cynical part of Morgan—and that comprised a major part of her personality—knew that Chadwick “But You Can Call Me Chad” Hicks had only suggested she apply because of the generous referral bonus he stood to earn if she got the job. That didn’t change the fact that she appreciated his efforts—and his reference. And he had taken her under his wing the minute she was hired.
In fact, she wouldn’t be at this trade show at all if it wasn’t for her self-appointed mentor. Usually, you had to have the top sales in the country to land a company-paid invite to a big national trade show like this one, but Chad had insisted she come along, and their boss did just about anything Chad wanted. He was good and she could learn a lot from him this week if she accepted that the lesson would come with a large side order of grandstanding.
“Let me show you around,” Chad said.
He slapped an arm around her shoulders and puffed out his chest like he was the father of the bride and Morgan did her best not to tumble over from the sudden impact. In truth, he could have been her father. Chad was in his mid-fifties, with dark hair graying at the temples and a bit more gut than he had during his days playing baseball at the University of Virginia. He still had the same ridiculously dark tan that switched abruptly to pale white at collarbone and mid-bicep, and he still had the charm of the big man on campus. Unfortunately, at his age it came off more used car salesman than fraternity bro, but he was genuine and kind and that was rare in the world of medical equipment sales.
As they marched through the convention center’s main floor, Morgan kept meticulous mental notes on the layout. The sheer number of vendors was dizzying. Anything and everything one needed to run a medical laboratory was on display, from sub-zero freezers the size and cost of a Buick to disposable plastic pipettes that sold for a few pennies a pound. And no matter what was for sale, Chad seemed to know the person selling it. For over an hour, they wound their way through aisle after aisle, stopping at every table for all the world like they were here to buy rather than sell.
When they finally made it into the rows of analytical instruments, Morgan’s interest perked up. She was here to sell her instrument for sure, but she was also here to scope out the competition. Since starting this job two years ago, she’d been moderately successful, but she was losing market share to one competitor in particular and she was eager to meet her rival and discover what was so special about their instrument and their sales team.
“Nick. How’ve you been? How’re the kids?” Chad’s voice boomed out, cutting through her distraction.
“Chad. Great to see you, old man.” A white man with the squarest jaw Morgan had ever seen shook Chad’s hand like he was trying to rip it off.
“Let me introduce you to the little lady who’s going to take all our jobs. This is my protégé, Morgan Allen.” Chad wrapped an arm around Morgan’s shoulder again as he introduced them.
“Nice to meet you, Morgan. You’re lucky to have a wiz like Chad teaching you the ropes.”
Morgan did her best to listen to Nick wax on about all the times he and Chad had met at events like this and all the ways her mentor was superior to everyone else. Sure, Chad was great and she was learning a lot from him, but she was eager to get to their own table and check out the setup. She’d seen a dozen different table configurations as they’d walked through the room, and she knew which one she wanted for their own table. If she didn’t get there soon, the installation team might set it up wrong, and she didn’t relish having to move it herself.
Eventually, Chad ran out of chummy things to say to Nick and they finally reached their section of the vendor floor. As soon as they turned down the row, Morgan could see the trademark primary blue and stark white of the Pulsar sign. Every time she saw her company’s logo, she felt a swell of pride. This time that swell was matched by the sharp sting of tears forming behind her eyes, so she looked quickly away. It was one thing to be proud of the company where you worked, it was another thing entirely to burst into tears on the floor of a vendor show. Her rival was around here somewhere, and she could not embarrass herself right now.
With the swell of emotion under control, Morgan made a shocking discovery. The Pulsar booth was the only one with a bare table. Apart from the banner and tablecloth sporting their logo, their booth hadn’t been set up. A young man in a polo shirt stood behind the table, fiddling with his phone and looking around the room impatiently. That had to be the service engineer assigned to install their sample instrument, and he was obviously waiting for her and Chad for direction. As much time as they’d wasted talking to every single salesperson in the room, they were running out of time before the doors opened for customers. If they didn’t get to the
ir table soon, they might be in the embarrassing position of setting up while potential customers watched. That was not the impression she wanted to make.
Just as Morgan turned to walk toward the table and get their display up and running, Chad put a hand on her shoulder. “Morgan, let me introduce you to one of the best saleswomen in the world.”
Morgan had every intention of walking away without a word. She was determined to make a splash at this event, and she knew she could if she could just get over to their table and start presenting. The only reason she stopped was that she had only met male sales reps so far this morning and she was starting to crave the company of another woman. There was only so much testosterone she could take.
Turning to meet Chad’s newest friend, Morgan nearly tripped over her own feet. The woman currently wrapped in Chad’s arm was stunning. She was the definition of petite—short and slim with wiry, almost spindly limbs—but her smallness did nothing to detract from her presence. She had long blond hair, a button nose, and eyes so deeply sapphire blue they could have passed for purple. But the feature that really captured Morgan’s attention was her smile. It very nearly encompassed her entire face and was one of those captivating smiles that made everyone want to smile back. She was possibly the most attractive woman Morgan had met in a very long time.
“You’re too sweet to me, Chad.” The woman turned her smile’s full force on Morgan and held out her hand. “Shelby Lynn Howard. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Morgan’s hand felt big and awkward wrapped around Shelby’s.
“Shelby is the best in the game. She’s the one stealing food out of my kids’ mouths, but she’s too sweet to be mad at for long,” Chad said.
“It’s not my fault. I learned from the best.” Shelby wrapped her arms around his waist, her shoulders going up to her ears and her voice pitching up an octave.
The sharp edge of Morgan’s interest in Shelby dulled at the obvious flattery. It would have evaporated entirely, but she released Chad quickly and went right back into professional mode so quickly Morgan might have imagined the whole thing. Before she could think too much about it, their small group was joined by another stranger. This time it wasn’t a beautiful woman, but a white guy in his thirties who walked with his thumbs hooked in his belt and a smirk on his face that begged to be slapped right off.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” he said as he shook hands first with Chad, then Shelby.
“If it isn’t Joshua Andrews. How the hell are you?” Again, Shelby’s voice had changed, this time dropping lower and catching a gravelly edge. Instead of the hugging him like an adoring daughter, Shelby grabbed his hand and shook it low at hip level.
His grin flashed Morgan’s way for less than a second before he fell into conversation with the others. The first topic of conversation, introduced by Shelby, was their respective golf games.
Morgan stood in awe, her gaze shifting nonstop between the three of them. If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she wouldn’t have believed it. The malleability with which Shelby shifted in her conversation between the two of them was mind-boggling. And she was talking to them about golf. Golf!
It was obvious to Morgan what was going on here. Shelby was a Pick Me Girl, trying to ingratiate herself with the men by pretending to be interested in their manly pursuits so she could prove she wasn’t like other women. It was such a common tactic of women in business it didn’t shock her to see it here, but it was no less disappointing. Of course, Chad’s allusion to Shelby’s success made Morgan suspect a friendship with Shelby would have been doomed anyway. Shelby was standing in front of the table for their biggest competitor, Ashworth Diagnostics. Apparently, Morgan had just met the rival who was stealing all her market share. And with that penchant for sucking up to men, she could guess why Shelby was so successful.
“So which one of you landed that account at Potomac Shores Hospital?” Joshua asked.
“That would be Shelby, of course,” Chad answered.
“No surprise there. That lab director was pretty hot. I knew Shelby would be able to sell her an instrument.” The way Joshua said “sell her an instrument” was the way some men said “nail that chick” and the dig of his elbow into Shelby’s side only emphasized his obvious meaning.
“Ah, come on. You know I’m not the kind of woman who would flirt on the job,” Shelby said.
“No?” Joshua said, a hint of disbelief lacing the word.
“Nah. I waited until after she signed the contract to go out with her.”
Shelby’s reply earned her a roar of laughter and a high five from Joshua. The whole exchange made Morgan’s skin crawl. So Shelby wasn’t a Pick Me Girl. It was even worse. She was a Bro Lesbian who objectified women to make herself one of the guys. While Morgan normally associated that behavior with insecure butch women, it was no less disgusting coming from a femme in a tight skirt suit and four-inch stilettos. She had no desire to be friendly with anyone who would act like that.
“Chad, I’m heading over to our booth to get set up,” Morgan said.
Neither of the men paid much attention to her departure, but she did catch a look almost like disappointment from Shelby. She didn’t care whether Shelby was insulted or hurt or disappointed to miss out on an opportunity to flirt with any woman around. Morgan was not the kind of lesbian who objectified women and she wasn’t the type of salesperson who spent more time schmoozing than selling. This week was one of the most important of Morgan’s life and she wasn’t going to be distracted.
Chapter Two
“It’s not that I’m not interested, it’s just that I think we deserve a substantial discount given how large our hospital chain is.” The man leaned his elbow on the demonstration instrument and smiled so wide he showed nearly all his teeth.
Shelby would have done anything to just slap the guy. He’d been roaming the trade show floor, stopping at every booth and putting on this same routine. Of course, with the male sales reps he hadn’t been nearly so forward as he was being now. He seemed to think he was attractive and that would help him win another five percent off the instrument price. Little did he know he was barking up the wrong tree with Shelby. Still, a sale was a sale and this one had the potential to be many sales.
“I’m certain we could work something out. After all, a partnership between Ashworth Diagnostics and Mid-Atlantic Hospital Corporation is a no-brainer, isn’t it?” Shelby made sure to hit her North Carolina farm girl accent hard and she even batted her eyelashes a couple times.
“I can definitely see the benefits of a partnership between us.” Between the smile and the wink he threw at the end of the sentence, his meaning was perfectly clear.
Shelby had to grit her teeth through the flirting. He was giving strong Gaston from Beauty and the Beast vibes, but she could deal with it. It’s not like this was the first time a man had made a pass during a presentation. Once she got a commitment to let her do an onsite demonstration at one of his hospitals, she could schmooze the lab director rather than this blowhard. All she had to do was bite back her disgust for a little longer and she would make her sales goals for the rest of the year. Maybe even part of next year.
It took another ten minutes before she could work through his uninventive innuendo and bring the conversation back around to the instrument. She was still doing the doe-eyed thing when they were joined by two women in expensive power suits. He introduced them as colleagues without taking his eyes off Shelby’s tits and she found herself having to pivot. These two were clearly no-nonsense types and would not take kindly to her batting eyelashes at their obnoxious colleague.
“Let me introduce you to the Ashworth ID-Flow 1500 PCR analyzer,” Shelby said.
As she repeated the benefits of her instrument, the man’s attention slipped. That allowed Shelby the opportunity to subtly shift her presentation style. She kept the emphasis on her Southern accent since she couldn’t very well drop back to her normal speaking voice with him still present. Besides, there was a certain charm to a Southern woman. Though she’d worked hard in college to train the twang out of her voice, she could slip back into it with ease when the situation called for it.
