There I was, standing in the lobby of some reasonably nice hotel in Austin, checking in with the honey blonde receptionist whose Texan drawl was beginning to grow on me. 'There you go Mr MacDonald, room 246. The elevators are over there to your left and the hotel restaurant is behind you to your right.' I thanked her with the manners my parents instilled in me and she laughed prettily, ' Mr MacDonald, I just love your accent. Scotland is so pretty, I've seen that film Highlander. Is it really true that Scottish men wear nothing under their kilt?'
I laugh and leaning forward reply, ' It's absolutely true. We don't like anything to delay us when we meet a pretty Texan girl'. The receptionist erupted in peals of laughter. Her eyes flashed and she smiled, ' Well, if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask for Stacy.'
'Why thank you ma'am,' I said, tipping my invisible Stetson. I took my luggage up to the room and jumped into the shower. I washed myself thoroughly, shaved, cleaned my teeth and put on some Sienna cologne from Crabtree & Evelyn. I put on clean jeans and a polo shirt with a Scottish flag motif.
I made my way down to the bar and ordered a sparkling water; it wasn't Highland Spring but I was a long way from the glens. I checked my watch and discovered I was still early. Good manners are everything. Five minutes elapsed while I shut my eyes and dreamt of sitting in the grass outside Bothwell Castle, smelling the fields of daffodils and inhaling that fresh air, so crisp and cool.
I had just seen a kite in the sky when a rich bouquet of perfume and a soft breathy voice interrupted my reverie saying, ' Well, my Eagle, I hope you aren't bored waiting for me.' I looked up into the large ocean blue eyes of a tall blonde lady. She smiled mischievously and bent down to kiss my cheek. Her perfume was intoxicating and her face captivated me. It always had. After we had our dinner, finishing with a cognac I suggested dancing. It's not my thing but please the lady if possible. We stood up and I put her jacket on for her and she turned and put her arms round me. I held her close, holding her as close as possible, not wanting to crush her but equally determined not to let her go. She angled her head towards me and I kissed her, longingly. I had ached for her for so long and when I wrapped my tongue round hers, it was as if a stone dissolved inside me. As I inhaled deeply the outside world ceased to exist and all I could feel was her touch, all I could hear was the increased beating of my heart and all I could taste was her apple freshness.