There I was again, nose deep in a sales report on the New York to DC air shuttle for my
bi-weekly trip to our head office. "Thank God for business class." I thought as I stretched my legs in advance of the hour and a half flight. I was careful, however, not to wrinkle my skirt, since I was expected to go straight to our staff meeting after arrival. I had done this so many times before, that I begun to recognize some of the flight attendants, and gave half a wave to a few of them as they scurried by, readying the cabin for take-off.
My life seemed like an endless blur of meetings and paperwork. Buttoned up in my most conservative of suits, I considered whether I was in danger of losing myself in the sterility and repetition of my corporate existence. I sighed aloud and wondered what had happened to the unpredictable firecracker I used to be.
I glanced sideways at the reckless looking man sitting next to me in expensive sunglasses and a skater tee. What a contrast between the two of us, though he looked to be about the same age as me. He removed his sunglasses and placed them on the tray table along with his cell phone, then smiled at me momentarily, when he caught me stealing a glimpse of his bad boy looks. I immediately returned to my papers.
The flight attendant announced that the weather in DC had taken a turn for the worse, causing us to delay our take off by an hour. A united sigh of disappointment flooded the cabin and I called the office to let them know I'd be late. It seemed everyone was making calls, including my temporary neighbor. When I was finished, I couldn't help but overhear the X-rated things he was saying. I pulled my papers up to my face and smiled privately to myself, assuming he was talking to his girlfriend. I thought it odd, however, that he didn't seem to say goodbye or end the conversation in any recognizable way. He simply finished by saying, "Then, I will lick you clean." and he hung up.