Eye of the Beholder

occasion, he was constantly surrounded.
    A tall, statuesque, middle-aged woman wearing a pair of red-framed reading glasses and a no-nonsense haircut hovered constantly at Trask's elbow. Alexa concluded that she was Glenda Blaine, the Avalon Resorts, Inc., PR person Edward had mentioned.
    Center of attention though he was, Trask was not the only major attraction in the room tonight. Many of those who could not get close to him formed a tight cluster around the charismatic figure of Webster Bell, the head of the Dimensions Institute.
    Alexa halted near a pillar and watched Bell for a moment. She had spoken with him on occasion when he had visited his half-sister, Joanna, at her shop in Avalon Plaza . He had always been gallant and charming.
    Webster would have been hard to miss in any gathering. He had what, in the theatrical world, was called presence. Tall and dynamic, he was endowed with a rugged, handsomely weathered face that would have done credit to one of the legendary gunslingers of old Arizona .
    Bell was somewhere in his early sixties. He wore his silver hair in a ponytail secured with a black thong. His rakish black shirt and black trousers were set off with a wide silver and turquoise-studded belt. There was another loop of turquoise and silver around his throat. It matched the bracelet that circled his wrist.
    Many in the crowd wore similar bracelets. They were fashionable among the locals and sold well to souvenir-seeking visitors. Alexa thought about the one that Foster had given her. It was an expensive version, made with real silver and quality turquoise, unlike the cheap imitations the tourists bought in large quantities. Presently, it was sitting in the bottom drawer of her jewelry case.
    "There you are, Alexa." Edward, resplendent in an all-white tux, materialized at her elbow. "Personally, I can't usually abide the guru type, but I have to admit that Bell seems decent enough. He certainly cuts an impressive figure."
    Alexa grinned. "I suspect there's a bit of the showman inside every successful guru."
    "True." Edward popped a canape into his mouth and munched. "I'm a little surprised to see that he was invited to Trask's opening."
    "Professional courtesy," Alexa said. "When you stop and think about it, he and Trask are both in the hotel business."
    "You have a point. From what I hear, the Dimensions Institute gets almost as many paying guests each year as a major resort."
    " Bell and Trask have something else in common," Alexa said. "They're both catering to the high end of the market. Being trendy has its price. It costs as much to stay at Dimensions for a week as it does to stay at an Avalon Resort."
    "Given the choice, I'll take a week at an Avalon resort over two weeks at Dimensions, any day." Edward shuddered. "At least at an Avalon hotel the client isn't forced to eat tofu and meditate with crystals."
    "There is that." Alexa turned around to face him. "Level with me, Edward. What is the art crowd saying about my collection tonight?"
    "They're going wild over it." Edward chuckled. "You should hear the reporter from TCA. He's raving about the depth and scope of the collection. No one knows it yet, but you, my dear, are a brilliant success. In the meantime, I, of course, am accepting all the credit."
    An exuberant anticipation bubbled up inside Alexa. "I can live with that for now."
    "I'm going to take a little group through the east wing to look at the Deskey textiles and the Steuben glass." Edward cocked a brow. "Want to trail along behind us and listen in?"
    "No, thanks. I think I'll take my own private tour."
    "Just be sure you stay out of Trask's path."
    "Don't worry," Alexa said. "He's too busy with his guests to notice me tonight."
    "You're probably right. Still, we wouldn't want to take any chances."
    "Don't worry, I have it on good authority that I'm the risk-averse type."
    "Who told you that?"
    "My therapist."
    Edward gave her an amused, skeptical look. "If you're so risk-averse, why are you here tonight?"
    She tightened her hand around the strap of her small evening bag. "Because tonight is very, very important to me."
    Edward gave her a knowing look. "Some risks are worth taking, aren't they?"
    "Yes."
    "Don't worry, Alexa. It's all going to work out. You'll see, in a few months, you'll be back in business."
    "For myself , this time," she vowed. "If there's one thing I've learned since McClelland left me to the wolves, it's that I much prefer to be my own boss."
    "I can't blame you