"American Airlines flight 1351 to Dallas is now boarding from gate A37."
The voice came over the loud speaker.
Kelly, along with one hundred and fifty three other people gathered their carry on luggage, laptops, purses and back packs and stood in line as the gate attendants scanned each persons ticket stub. A trip she had made many times in the past, she was accustomed to the cramped confines of the Boeing 737.
Her window seat in row 25 was near the very rear of the airplane, which hadn't helped her mood at all. Her customer, a larger bank in Dallas, had called an emergency meeting which required her to leave for the city as soon as possible, thus leaving her no options for an aisle seat. She was just glad she didn't get stuck in a middle seat.
The plane departed at 7:04 in the morning and would arrive Dallas shortly before 10am local time. With a taxi ride down town, she would just make the noon meeting. Assuming there were no delays. She settled in and waited. She watched as the passengers came down the aisles, each looking at the numbers on the cabin walls, searching for their seat.
She bided her time making up little stories about them in her mind. The mom and her two younger kids. Clearly going to visit a relative, she would tell herself. The young couple, all smiles, as they found their seats just in front of her. Great! Now I'll wind up listening to their little dalliances with each other.
Then came a taller man, nice build, not muscled up, but in shape. Looked to be middle to late forties. Wearing a sport coat, but no tie, jeans and cowboy boots. No cowboy hat though. She thought that odd and her mind trailed off, not realizing he took the aisle seat in her row. He only had a briefcase which he set underneath the seat in front of him.
He smiled at her saying good morning, but nothing else. Once the plane closed the passenger door and pushed away from the gate, she started to relax a little. She had prepped for the meeting the night before, but still had her material in her carry on bag for quick reference. After the plane had taken off, she pulled her material and reviewed it once more. Satisfied, she returned it to her bag.
The flight attendants eventually came around offering coffee, tea or juice. The man next to her ordered tea. Another oddity she thought from a cowboy. Her curiosity piqued, she said,
"Don't see many cowboys drinking tea."
"Well, I'm not a cowboy, but I'm visiting Dallas to meet a customer who is, so I figured, the boots and jeans may help me fit in."
He laughed as he said it.
"What kind of work do you do?"
"Sales manager for a small family run bottling company. We're looking to expand our customer base and I'm meeting with the owner of a winery in Fredericksburg." he lied.
Well it wasn't a total lie. He did have to meet with a wine maker in Fredericksburg.
"That sounds interesting." she genuinely said.
"So tell me. Whats a beautiful blonde heading to Dallas for?"
His obvious flirtations weren't surprising. Kelly had men pawning after her since she was a young teenager and she knew how to deflect their advances, but this stranger had something unique about him. A mystery that needed to be solved. She decided to play it coy.
"I have a rather boring meeting with a customer who needs their hands held. It's like baby sitting a teenager who clearly doesn't need babysitting."
She made an effort to sound annoyed but was failing.
"Perhaps they just wanted you there on false pretenses. Can't blame them actually."
He said as he smiled letting the sentence hang in the air. Kelly, didn't take the bait, instead, returned the conversation to him.
"This your first time to Dallas?"
"Yes."
It was another lie. He had been there many times, renting a large sized apartment, near the city center on the corner of Pearl and and San Jacinto streets. A little french cafe on the street below. The building also served as a private headquarters. He had taken many women there for rendezvous of a nocturnal kind. He had taken many clients there for various activities ranging from the mundane to the audacious.
"I'll get a rental car and make the drive to Fredericksburg, spend the night there and head home a couple of days later. I want to visit downtown and hit some of the local hot spots before I go back to Maryland."
His smile was genuine, his voice commanding and deep. Like someone who was in charge without being obnoxious about it. Clearly someone who was accustomed to getting what he wants she thought.
"How about you? You in Dallas long?" he ask.
"Only a couple of days. Meetings all day, the mandatory after meeting parties and then home."
"Sounds fun." he said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Oh sure. Fun as getting teeth pulled." she replied.
"Too bad I can't meet some handsome stranger while at these after parties."
On my God! Kelly thought to herself. Where did that come from? A rush of excitement coursed through her body as she tried to hide her embarrassment with a sheepish smile.
"Who know's who one might meet at a moments notice." he said giving her a reprieve.
"Ladies and gentlemen. The captain has started our decent into the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Please place your tray tables in the seat backs in front of you and kindly put your seats in their full upright position. Thank your for flying American Airlines." came the announcement over the loud speaker.
The plane landed without incident and taxied to the gate.
"Thanks for making the flight go so fast." he said to her.
"Good luck on your meeting. I hope the winery becomes your new customer." she replied.
He took out a business card and pen, writing his number on the back and handed it to her.
"Here's my cell. Call me if you get bored with your after party activities. Perhaps you can show me around the city."
She took his card without reading it and put it in her purse. They exited the plane and went their separate ways, but Kelly made a mental note to call him if things got too boring later. For now, she had to focus on the banking customer and hold their hands as they work out some processes for security on the new card system they were implementing.
She grabbed a taxi and headed straight for the bank. Having been there multiple times before, she knew everyone in the meeting. It was exactly as expected. Mundane, boring even. She could've participated remotely, but her boss insisted that she be there in person as a show of support.
Her phone vibrated and she carefully opened her purse to retrieve it then noticed the card the man on the plane had given her. Then it occurred to her that she never even got his name, nor had she given hers.
She took the simple looking card with no markings on the back and turned it over. There were no markings on the front. Confused, she put the card back in her purse and looked at her phone. A number she didn't recognize, so she let it go to voicemail, then turned her phone off.
The meeting ended without any real issues needing to be addressed, so Kelly took a taxi to her hotel. Normally she would've walked the many blocks, but it was raining outside. The driver took her to the Dallas Marriott City Center hotel where she was a frequent guest.
She walked into the lobby, it's upscale decor was pleasing to the eye with vaulted ceilings and glass roof. It allowed the days natural light brighten the entrance. Kelly saw a familiar face behind the counter who greeted her by her first name and gave her a complimentary room upgrade without having to be asked.
She liked it's central location in the prestigious art district. Close to many shops and restaurants, bars and grills. She was handed her room key card and took the elevator the the concierge level which gave her exclusive access to the new lounge area. She threw her purse on the table, the blank business card falling out. The sun shone through the window directly onto the blank card.
She didn't notice as she unpacked her suitcase. Her bra and panties in one drawer, her shirt hung up with care as was the wrinkle free fabric of her suit she planned to wear to the next days meeting. She took pajama's with her but didn't unpack those. Her cosmetics, tooth brush and toothpaste and other toiletries were placed in the bathroom before she sat down to rest for awhile.
Her mind raced with the days events. The man on the plane, his giving her a blank card, the meeting itself, a total waste of time in her opinion, and the phone call from some unknown number. She relaxed, trying not to think about anything, she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.
She awoke to the sound of her hotel room phone ringing. The clock on the desk said 1:00am. There was no way it was right she thought. She got up and answered the phone, but there was no one on the other line. She looked at the phone wondering who would be calling her at this hour, assuming they dialed the wrong room number.
She looked out over the city from her room. The multi level parking lot, the night club next to it. A french cafe and apartment building. If she looked the other direction she would see more buildings and businesses. Her floor to ceiling window was rare and yet she relished it. The view was undeniable as the city lights glowed up and down the street.
Traffic was minimal at this time of night, so any little movement caught her eye. The couple holding hands as they walked down the street. The group of men laughing in a drunken stupor as they left the nightclub across the street. A light turned on in a window above the french cafe. There was movement which attracted Kelly's attention away from the street below.
A man of unknown age could be seen. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but appeared to have a nice physique she thought. She could see him working out with dumbbells and free weights. She wished she had binoculars just then. She could imagine herself with him, working out with him and working on him. She suddenly felt flush.
She heard her hotel room phone ring once again. It was louder this time, like a freight train's whistle as it got closer and closer. The ringing not stopping. Kelly opened her eyes, realizing she had been dreaming. Her hotel phone really was ringing. She rushed to answer it.
"Hello?"
