Early one Friday morning the attention of every man standing along the main concourse of Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport was drawn to only one sight. Walking purposefully before them, in 4.5" calfskin, leopard-print d'Orsay heels, that supported a spectacular set of lithe and athletic legs wrapped in a pair of high fashion distressed Capri length jeans, that in turn encased the most fabulous ass most of them had ever seen -- was Mrs. Danielle Parnell.
The 43 year old brunette had finished off her ensemble that morning with a tight fitting white tank top that permitted the slightest bit of her tone tanned midriff to show when she walked and that also revealed her perfectly fit arms to their full effect. A thin gold-buckled leopard print belt encircled her waist and, around her shoulders, to ensure that the look was "appropriate," she wore a white large-mesh wrap that was tied loosely beneath her ample 34Cs which were profiled magnificently by her top. Her hair was tied back in a pony-tail by a small leopard print scarf and aviator shades sat atop the forehead of her perfectly made up face - her emerald eyes were radiant in the morning sun.
The fetching Mrs. Parnell could sense the men eyeing her and she loved every second of it; for the vision that had entranced each of them that morning was also her favorite - more than anything else she loved herself. But what she loved almost as much is how her beauty, sophistication and confidence rendered other women around her almost invisible. How when she walked into any room, whatever gathered assemblage of "pathetic" men might be there immediately turned away from their wives, girlfriends and daughters, and how the women's loss of attention humiliated both them and their wayward-eyed husbands, boyfriends and fathers. They're all such "losers" she would think to herself smiling.
Today was no different, for as the haughty Mrs. Parnell strutted down the concourse, essentially shouting "you can look but don't even dream of touching" to the men, the women along the route could be seen unsuccessfully reprimanding their husbands and boyfriends for ogling the little show-off while staring daggers at the tease who had stolen all attention from them.
Danielle had come to the airport to pick up her nephew - Owen Parnell, or "Slow'en" as his aunt privately referred to him - the 18 year old son of her husband's brother and his wife Andrea. To his entire family's surprise, Owen had won the Midwest Regional Model U.N. debate tournament and was arriving in the nation's capital to compete in the international championship. Although Mrs. Parnell looked down upon her husband Rob's extended family as a gaggle of "flyover country hillbillies" - particularly that dumpy, stay-at-home mom Andrea -- Rob had played to his wife's own vanity by suggesting that Owen, a high school senior like all of the competitors, could greatly benefit as a debater from Mrs. Parnell's expertise as one of Washington's most accomplished trial attorneys.
Flattered by her husband's assessment, with which of course she completely agreed, Danielle reluctantly consented to help prepare Owen for the next night's big debate. The
quid pro quo
demanded by the always imperious alpha lawyer was that she would suffer neither any resistance from her nephew to what she thought was best nor permit his parents to make an appearance until the evening of the debate itself.
When these "terms" were conveyed by Danielle's husband to his brother and sister-in-law, Andrea Parnell was furious.
"Who does that little east coast
prima donna
think she is," the angry mom ranted.
"Poor Owen is intimidated enough by that woman. And telling us we need to stay away from our own son until she deems it acceptable . . . I've never liked her and I don't like this one bit."
That said, with money tight - the east coast Parnell's had agree to pay the cost of Owen's flight - and the credentials of Danielle as a fantastic public speaker beyond dispute, Andrea and her husband had agreed to Mrs. Parnell's terms.
Standing confidently outside her nephew's arrival gate, Danielle at last spotted Owen leaving the plane. The wan, undersized boy looked every bit the nerd that he was, thought his fashionable aunt. Standing only 5' 4" tall despite his eighteen years, Owen emerged from the jet-way wearing "high water" khaki pants, white athletic socks, running shoes and a faded World of Warcraft t-shirt.
"What a dork," Danielle thought to herself, "how did I ever agree to this nonsense?"
"Auntie D, auntie D," Owen shouted as he spotted Mrs. Parnell.
"Owen," waived Danielle, "I'm over here -- and it's Aunt Danielle if you don't mind - you're a grown man now."
Owen cringed, knowing this would be only the first of many corrections and reprimands to come over the next two days. He couldn't believe his parents were forcing him to spend the weekend of the national debate championships "training" with his stuck-up aunt. Her withering glances and constant criticisms always made him nervous and he feared with her lording over him all weekend that the good work he'd done to get here would be undermined.
"What's more," the intimidated lad thought to himself, "she always manages to make my mom feel bad whether it's about her clothes, her weight, her exercise habits . . . and I know she calls me Slow'en. She's an arrogant snob who is just not very nice."
"Stand up straight young man," his aunt chided him, stirring him from his musings about how miserable the trip would be, "and put some spring in that step. We need to go shopping to buy you a new suit and for me to pick up something as well. Lesson number one, part of being a winner is looking the part."
"Yes ma'am," Owen cringed, infuriated by his aunt's rebuke but too frightened to do anything about it.
As Mrs. Parnell led her nephew back toward the airport's parking lot, to the lustful gaze of any man that spotted the sexy sway of her jean encased hips and bottom, she spied an unfamiliar face waiving them down. A rather rotund middle-aged Asian woman and what appeared to be her son or grandson seemed to recognize Owen. The young man, who couldn't have been more than 5' tall, was wearing a pair of ratty brown loafers, what appeared to be pleated khaki pants and an over-sized shapeless black sweater that in turn covered up white turtle neck shirt. He was also wearing a baseball cap on top of his bespectacled head.
"Hi Owen," said the smallish boy.
"Oh -- hi Erica," said Owen to his aunt's surprise. "This is my aunt Danielle. Aunt Danielle, this is Erica Lee from Shanghai. She's the Chinese senior high school national champion; we'll be facing one another for the international championship."