I was dozing in my first class seat when Jocelyn the stewardess passed by. She was a flashback to the Seventies with big blond hair fluffed and hair sprayed back from her oval face with high cheekbones, full rich lips, and rich brown eyes. We had been together on many overseas flights: I fly a lot on my favorite airline. Seeing my eyes open, she whispered, "Is there anything I can get you, Mr. Jenkins?"
"Water, no ice. Thanks."
She floated down the aisle and returned with a plastic cup. "You look tired. I've seen you a lot this past month."
"Yeah, travel's always hard on me," I said, taking my drink. "I don't understand how you guys do it. You got through dozens of time zones every month, and yet you seem to adjust pretty well. I've been to Hong Hong, Tokyo, Sydney, Mumbai, and Johannesburg in the past three weeks and my body doesn't know where the hell it is or what time it is."
"Sheesh, that's a lot of places."
"Putting out small fires before they became big ones. Used to do a lot of travel before the technology boom. Try to use videoconferencing all the time, but sometimes you gotta be there in person."
"Right. Is there anything else I can get you?" She unbuttoned the top button of her blouse with a twinkle in her eye. "You probably want to sleep a little more, we're still eight hours away from arrival."
"No thanks. We might chat a little bit if you have time. I'm afraid I'm irreparably awake for a while, but my eyes don't seem to want to focus on a screen, and my brain is overworked on business. Tell me a little about yourself?"
The seat next to me was empty for once, and Jocelyn sat down with a gleam in her eye. "Everybody else in first class is asleep or binge watching Friends. They'll push the button if they want me. Fred's on duty now as well. What can I say about me? I'm a small town girl from Remington, Indiana, halfway between Chicago and Indy. Won all my hometown beauty contests, majored in drama at a small college, tried to make a go of it at as a model and actress, but loved to travel, and ended up here."
"Do you always work First Class?"
"About half the time. Don't mind switching between First Class and Coach. People are people. Sometimes they can be shitty, sometimes they can be nice."
"Good. You're right, of course. I still live in the city I grew up in, live in the house I bought when I was starting out."
"That's interesting. I'd have thought you'd have mansions all over the world."
"Nope, Warren Buffett is one of my heroes. When I need to spend a lot of time someplace, I just lease a condo or beach house. I know perfectly fine hotels around the world for week long stays and less. Had to expand and remodel my house while the kids were growing up, but now I'm thinking of downsizing."
"Yeah, a lot of people your age are thinking that way. I notice you don't have your own jet, either."
"I would miss the company of fine people like you if I did, Jocelyn. And I've done some great business with people I run across traveling this way, chance meetings. Not to mention hearing some insider news that doesn't make the media. I like to live a leisurely life when I can, and I've never believed time is money, so I'm willing to live within the confines of ordinary travel."
She chuckled softly. "That's really interesting. Do you treat your employees the same way?"
"As? Oh, I know they have their own lives to live, and I give them space for that. I'm a benevolent despot. Don't put up with people who get nothing done, or crooks. Didn't spoil my kids, made them work for a living, and they turned out pretty well. Well, I spoil my youngest daughter Morgie and her wife, but not too much. At least they cook and keep the house clean. You want a job with my corporation?"
"Actually I was thinking of something more immediate. I noticed you got divorced last year, and I haven't had a boyfriend for the last ten months..."
I touched her cheek. "I appreciate the offer, and I'm sure the bathroom is free for the Mile High Club to convene, but two things get in the way of that. One, I'm so tired I don't think I can do it right now, and two, I have someone I care about at home, and although I'm technically free, I believe in fidelity. There's a big welcome home waiting for me, and I don't want to spoil it."
She stood up, making sure her blouse exposed a fair amount of creamy white skin. She winked at me, "I believe infidelity, too," and chuckled, then got serious. "Oh, that is really sweet! That just...if you change your mind, just let me know. Thanks for the chat. You know how to call if you need me."
"Yes. Thanks. Sure do. Put my lips together and blow."
With another wink, she went back down the aisle. I worked on a couple of puzzle apps on my iPhone and Morpheus visited me at last, keeping me asleep almost until arrival.
I made my connection on time, people watching during the layover, and took the local flight. Yes, I travel coach, but I bought two seats so I'd have enough room. When I got to my hometown, I hailed a regular cab, put my two bags in the trunk, and called Lydia at the office. It was 4:00 local time, and I need to stay awake and active a few hours to get reset. "What's goin' on, Lydia?"
"All quiet on the western front. We've adjusting well to the new line-up after getting rid of Judas and Iscariot. Looks like the travel put out all the wildfires. Troops are happy, and ready to go home for the weekend leave."
"Good. Hope you don't need me around much next week. I need to spend some quality time with my pillow."
She snorted. "Yeah, right, whatever. Sure, things will be all right, just like they were the past three weeks. Taylor's friend is working out fantastically as our new intern."
"Who?"
"You know, the redhead girl from Harvard."
"Oh. How long has she been there?"
"Two weeks. Fits in well with everybody and works like her hair's on fire. Brenda Foster's one of the best things that's come around here. Well, the best thing since Taylor showed up."
"Good, I'm glad."
"We'll have to hire her after the internship is over. Talent like this we have to hang onto."
"Sure."
When I walked through the front door, I found Morgie dusting the front room wearing nothing but an apron. She was bending over for a hard to reach place, and her bubble butt woke my libido immediately. God, that kid's got a nice ass. I gave that inviting target a loud smack and said, "Hi, baby. Daddy's home!"
She dropped her feather duster, spun around, and gave me a french kiss that took my breath away. I'm glad her feet weren't where I dropped my bags.
After what seemed like a lifetime, she let me out of her liplock. "I'm so glad you're home, Daddy, it's been way too long, did you have a good trip, Tay-Tay's been puking every morning, God I missed you, we gotta fuck tonight, Daddy, I missed you sooo much!"
It took me a couple of seconds to recover from the run-on sentence."I'm glad to see you, too, baby, it's been way too long. Okay, I know you missed me. Glad you've got the blinds pulled, Jerry Wilson doesn't need a naked lady show with his heart condition. What's been going on here?"
She whipped off her apron, reveling her huge puffy nipples, and danced around the front room. "We've been workin' hard, Daddy. Tay-Tay's been working hard at your office every weekday, just ask Lydia, and I've been doing the wifey domestic thing here. I got your favorite dinner ready tonight: Beef stew, cornbread, and mint chocolate ice cream. Do you wanna beer or somethin'?"
"I think a gin and tonic, baby, and don't let me drink alone. So you've been putting those cooking classes to good use?"
"Oh yeah, Daddy. You wouldn't believe the garden I put in. Oh God, I'm so glad you put in the high fence all around the yard so I can garden naked, but it's gettin' too cold for that. I'm even planning on canning next year."
She brought me my drink, and to my surprise it was perfect. Pouring herself a glass of white wine, she sat next to me on the couch, draping herself over me as best she could without smothering me. "So did you and Tay-Tay have any fun while I was gone?"