They were listening.
She couldn't believe it. They were actually listening. She looked around the room at the audience. They had come here to listen to her and she had found the right tone, the rigth words and they were listening.
She took a deep breath and scanned her notes. She looked up again and focused on a man five rows back, in a heavy gray sweater.
After her presentation was over she sat down and tried to relax. There was one more presentation to be made and then the floor was opened for a short panel discussion. She looked out over the sea of people again. She scanned the fifth row in search of the grey-sweatered man who had helped keep her focus during the speach, but he was gone. She was disappointed, a little. It would have been nice if he had stayed around for the questions session. She listened half heartedly to the final speaker and wished she was back home in her study, answering questions over the net instead of in person.