Flight Delay

"Sir, I'm going to need you to stand over to the side, please."

"Is there a problem?" I asked, my stomach curling into a ball.

The agent looked at my passport again as she repeated, "Please, sir, just step over here," motioning to a section of the floor which had been marked with tape and cordoned off with retractable queue ribbon.

I stepped into the square as requested while the tiny TSA agent with a bun of fiery red locks picked up my bag and tray of personal items off the conveyor belt.

"Where are you headed today, sir?" she asked

"Sydney."

"Do you have business in Sydney, sir?" She was firm but courteous. All business.

"Yes."

"And what kind of business are you in?"

"Telecommunications. Listen, is there some kind of problem?" I was starting to get anxious. I had done nothing wrong, had taken this trip at least a dozen times in as many years, and had never had any problems. Why today?

"It says that you are headed through Bangkok. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Well, sir the Bangkok airport has been closed since this morning."

"What?"

"Yes, sir. Apparently there is some sort of protest that has turned violent so nothing is coming or going into that area."

"Shit," I mumbled.

"What was that, sir?" she demanded, clearly agitated.

"Oh...um...sorry."

"Not at all. Gather your things, return to the ticket counter and straighten this out with the airline. Then come back here and let me know about your schedule."

"What?! Why?!" This was ridiculous. What kind of police state is this, that the TSA needs to know my schedule?

"Listen!" I raised my voice. "I don't know what you think..."

She cracked a smile, trying hard not to laugh apparently. She bit her lips, pinching them closed between her teeth as she looked at me, her shoulders starting to shake a little as she laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, still smiling.

"Remember you from..."

She shook her head, still smiling. "Northbrook High, '96."

I tried to search for some recognizable feature. She sighed and rolled her eyes, handing me my passport. Making eyeglasses with her fingers, she said, "Picture me in cargo pants and no make-up."

"A...priiiill?" I asked, unassuredly.

"You do remember!" She slapped my arm lightly, as if it were some sort of congratulations.

"Yeah. Kind of," I nodded.

"Listen," she said, digging a card out and writing on the back. "Here's my contact info. Call me and maybe we can get a drink or dinner or something?" April looked uncertain

"Yeah, okay." I remembered us being in a few classes together, but we were never close. She looked good, though, from what I could tell. Her uniform made her look kind of square, with the baggy blue shirt and dark cargo pants that covered her black boots. "I'll let you know."

"Let me know either way, okay. Don't leave me hanging. Even if you don't want to, call me and tell me, all right?"

I nodded and smiled. "Sure," I said. She was cute. I would see if I could find her on Facebook and kind of dig up some more info.

She smiled and walked back to her post as I put my shoes back on and filled my pockets with my keys, wallet, phone, and change. Before I stood up to walk back to the ticketing counter, I looked over and she saw me, smiling and waving before turning back to wand the short woman with outstretched arms and bare feet.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry. We just heard this morning about the Bangkok airport."

"Well, I have to be in Sydney tomorrow. Can you get me there?" I was exasperated, but I also knew it wasn't the young blonde's fault and tried to keep my cool with her.

"Let me see...." She typed, paused, typed some more. "We may be able to get you there, but it will take you to Honolulu, to Seoul, then to Sydney, adding seven hours and... $300."

"Of course! Dammit!"

"Sir, please watch your language." She looked me dead in the eye as she demanded it.

"I'm sorry....Um, when does that flight leave?"

She looked again and said, "At 3:15." That was four hours away.

"Let me call ahead and see what I can work out. Is there plenty of room to give me a few minutes?"

"Sure. It's only two-thirds full."

"Okay, thanks."

I picked up my bag, stepped over to the window and set my bag down while I pulled out my phone. Scrolling down through my contacts I found Walt Folsom's number and dialed.

"Foltec Solutions," a friendly Australian woman answered, "Mr. Folsom's office."

"Adie, hi. Burton Hanks. Is Walt available?"

"Let me check, Mr. Hanks. Please hold."

After about two minutes, Walt's baritone voice with a thick accent barged into my ear. "Burt! How are ya?"

"Not good. My plane was supposed to pass through Bangkok, but the airport closed this morning due to riots or something. I can't leave for another four hours and have to add several more hours to my trip. There's no room for mistakes, so if there's any delay on any leg of the flight, I'll totally miss the meeting."

"Oh, yeah? What do you need from me?"

"I don't know. I can risk the flight and may be late or we can push the meeting to the next day just in case, or push it back even another day just to be sure. Or I can do the presentation over the network and not fly into Sydney at all."

"I see...Look, I already have the board here this morning. They all flew in for this deal and we're taking care of other business anyway. How do you feel about giving us a quick rundown over the network and meeting with us later this week, say Friday, late morning? That way we can get a general idea, go over the pricing and we can ask questions and possibly sign a contract on Friday. That would put us ahead of schedule if you treat us right." He laughed as he said it, but he and I both knew the job was mine to lose. I'd been working with Foltec for fifteen years and we had a good rapport.

"Sure, that sounds great! Let me find the business suite here at the airport, set up my flight for tomorrow and I'll call you right back."

"Great. Call on my cell so we don't have to bother Adie and I'll go ahead and have IT set up the conference room for your presentation."

"Thank you. I'll call you back in a few minutes."

We hung up and I set up my flight for tomorrow, which would put me into Sydney in plenty of time to land, rest up and make it to the meeting fresh. I went to the flight club that held my membership and asked about the business suite. Someone helped me set it up, creating a secure connection through their network, as I called Walt to let him know I was on.

For the next hour I had presented the package I was offering and took a few questions before expressing my gratitude and excitement for another partnership with the board. As I packed up my things, I decided to check up on April. I pulled out her card and sat down in the leather conference room chair. "April Barrett," I said to myself, and shook my head, laughing a little at myself for being willing to do this.

I was in my mid-thirties, almost married once, but the relationship ended, and never really pursued any real relationships after that. Tracy was a heartbreaker. Well, she broke my heart at least. I don't know if that was a habit of hers. Fortunately, business was good. After being cut back from a major telecom corporation, I decided to go into business for myself, offering cost-efficient options for start-up businesses. As a result, my business grew as those I partnered with grew. I outsourced the financial administration so I could do what I enjoyed: creating and selling. This kept me in the place where I still loved my job. I wasn't rich by any means, but I was comfortable and I was happy.

I had started showing my age, so I realized I had better do what I could to take better care of myself. I joined the YMCA and competed in a few local triathlons, which kept me motivated to run, swim, ride my bike, lift weights, and do yoga. A side benefit to this kind of routine was that it kept me from being bored with exercise. As much as I worked to keep my body in shape, I couldn't do anything about my hair. I didn't mind the gray, since it started at my temples and worked outward from there, but I wasn't a big fan of balding. Ultimately I decided to simply trim it short and not mess with it. Soon enough I shaved my head with a trimmer, but never going full bald with a razor. I came to like it and it looked good on me.

One of the things that kept business good for me was that I liked to learn and grow. I worked hard to stay on top of the latest technology and industry trends. It kept me knowledgeable, which also kept me competitive. The other thing that kept business good was that I liked people. Respect and courtesy were big in my family and I took it to heart. One of the things men liked about me was that I looked them in the eye, shot straight, and had a firm handshake. Women liked that I looked them in the eye, treated them as equals and with dignity, and still held onto some of the old fashioned skills of a gentleman. Businesses liked that I kept my word, met my obligations, took responsibility for my actions, and treated them with respect and professionalism.

I tried hard to think back to what April was like in high school, but I remember a name and face more than any specific activities she was involved in. As I said before, we were in a few classes together, but didn't hang out. I opened up the browser on my laptop and went to Facebook. I did a search and was surprised to find a slew of April Barrett's. I realized I didn't know anything about this girl. I didn't keep in touch with my high school friends so I had no way of knowing which April Barrett I was looking for. Fuck it, I thought. She wants me to call her anyway. I'll start there.

I dialed the cell number on the card and got her voicemail. I wasn't surprised, thinking she was still working. I left a message, telling her to call me. I would stay in the airport until she got off work, thinking it couldn't be more than a couple of hours. It was already two o'clock, after all. For good measure, I sent her a text telling her I was in the business suite for my airline and to let me know when she got off work.

Stowing my bags with the concierge, I grabbed a giant soft pretzel and a Coke at the pretzel stand, watching planes take off and land for a few minutes before going back to the suite. I pulled out my laptop and watched a couple of streaming show episodes from a free service while I waited for April's call. Just after four o'clock, my phone vibrated on the table. There was a text from April's number saying, "Just getting out. I will change and meet you there. Fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes later I was standing outside the lounge looking for the square-shaped, bun-haired redhead I had met a few hours before.

She never showed.

Instead, a stunning redhead with flowing red hair, slim-fitting jeans and a baby-doll faded green t-shirt walked toward me and called out, "Burton!" Her smile was the same as the agent who had offered me her phone number, but apart from that smile and her hair color, everything else was different.

I waved back. I guess. I don't remember, really. I was too distracted by the tight little body and cute smile. "Hi," I mumbled. When I returned my gaze to her face, I saw the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, obviously amused at my surprised reaction. "Oh...uh," I motioned toward the door, pulling my card out of my pocket, "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure. But not here. I'm in the airport all the time. Let's go someplace else."

"Oh. Okay. Let me get my stuff." I unlocked the door and she followed me in as I retrieved my bags from the host before exiting quickly. Her hands were in her pockets, her thumbs hanging over the sides, pointing toward her zipper.

"Where to?" she asked.

"I don't really know. I live about three hours away and I only come to the airport." I was kind of embarrassed about looking so clueless.

"All right. Do you want to drive or should I?"

"Again, I park in extended parking, so..."

"Okay," she laughed, shaking her head, "Come on." I followed her through a series of "employee access only" doors to a separate parking garage. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and remotely unlocked the doors to a black Mustang convertible. With the press of a button, the trunk released and she lifted the hatch so I could place my bags in it. "You want to drive?" she asked as she closed the trunk.

"No, that's okay."

"Okay, then," she shrugged. I followed her to the driver's side and she gave me a funny look until I opened the door and stood back, keeping my hand on the edge of the window. She looked at me sideways and said, "Thank you," before dropping into the driver's seat. I closed the door and walked to the other side. She had it started before I even opened the door to let myself in. When I sat down, she smiled at me before backing out and driving us to our next destination. She had some music I didn't recognize pouring from the speakers, apparently a playlist on her iPod, which was resting on the console in front of the gearshift.

She took me to a local restaurant with a bar, which had casual and after-work adults, but no children. Most of the clients were clearly dressed for work, which made April's wardrobe look that much more casual. I didn't like to travel in a suit, so I was still wearing a golf shirt and nice pants.

The drive over had been short and mostly quiet, but not necessarily awkward. She had to make a lot of rapid turns to weave through the lesser-traveled back roads, and I was looking at the unfamiliar landscape, occasionally looking back at April, not quite sure what to do from here.

As soon as we walked in, April waved and nodded to a handful of people before leading me back to a high table in the corner. "Man, I'm glad you called me, Burton," she laughed. Her mannerisms were a little gruff and she reached into a bowl of unshelled peanuts, breaking one open before popping the two peanuts into her mouth, dropping the shell into a second bowl. "I really didn't think you would. You know, it's kind of sudden, we didn't hang out in school, and all that." She smiled. "But here we are."

"Yeah. So you're a TSA agent, huh?" Man, what a jackass question.

"Was it the uniform?" she asked seriously. "The uniform gave it away, didn't it?"

"Sorry," I laughed. "Stupid question."

"Nah, it's cool. Yeah, TSA. For about three years now," she nodded.

"How'd you get into that?" I asked, reaching for a peanut after she withdrew her hand from the bowl. It was at that point that the waitress brought our drinks: two beers.

"I got a degree in criminal justice at State, then went to the police academy. I had just come out of the academy and was working as a beat cop when 9/11 happened. After about two years on the street, my sergeant ran for sheriff and won, asking me to come over as a deputy. I ended up working the county jail most of that time, but then when Homeland Security and the TSA started really amping up their workforce, I couldn't resist. The pay was better and working the airport meant I wasn't typically going to be getting shot at or spit on. I could handle the cursing and irritation, but didn't like meth heads spitting on me and shit...sorry...stuff like that. Besides, as a cop there's still a lot of down time, sitting around and stuff. On the line here, I'm always with people and it keeps me stimulated. It's a good job. I like it."

"Sounds like you've had quite a ride."

"Oh, I could tell you a story or two," she laughed.

"I bet."

"So what about you? What are you going to Sydney for?"

I told her about my story and how I had started my own business. She asked tons of questions and I started to loosen up, enjoying her company more and more.

"See, that's why I always liked you, Burton. You just do what you want and make it work for you. I always wanted that."

"I didn't know you liked me. We just had some classes together. I didn't think you even knew who I was."

"Really?" She sounded surprised. "Oh, yeah. I knew you. You were my high school crush, man."

"I was?" I laughed at that. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I always thought you were a lesbian."

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I get that a lot. But I'm not. I may not be timid or especially feminine a lot of times, but I like a good fu...I like sex with guys as much as the next girl. I may be past my prime for marrying and having kids, but I would still like that." She took another sip of her beer.

"So, you've never married, then?" I asked.

"No. Haven't met the right guy, I guess. Had a few relationships, but nothing too serious. A lot of sexual relationships, some good chemistry, but ultimately not finding someone I would be willing to spend my life with."

"I was close once."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Real close. But it didn't work out and looking back it's probably for the best. I miss the sex, though. She was pretty amazing. Wild."

"How wild?" April asked, idly twisting her beer bottle on the table.

"Pretty much anything. No water sports or anything like that, but a lot of other stuff."

"Cool. I like 'other stuff'," she said, emphasizing the phrase "other stuff." She looked me right in the eye as she said it. Her blue eyes were piercingly blue. Intense, almost glowing it seemed like. Maybe it was the light hanging down right over our table, but they seemed brighter than any I'd seen before. How did I not notice her in high school? Oh. Right.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Burton?" she asked.

"That depends," I laughed. She wasn't laughing.

"On what? That question was pretty straightforward. Yes or no?"

I swallowed some beer, afraid of what I was about to say. "Okay, sure."

"How long has it been for you?"

"How long has what been?"

"Sex. Release. You know, when was the last time you got laid?" My, she was a dainty little flower, wasn't she?

"I don't know. Six months?"

"Six months?!" she exclaimed, trying not to laugh. "How do your nuts even fit in your pants? Damn." She took another drink of her beer, smiling around the lip of the bottle as she did.

"I'm not blue-ballin' too bad because...uh...well, nevermind."

"No, it's fine," she said. "You don't have to explain." She wriggled her eyebrows as she slowly mimicked a masturbation hand motion.

"Hey, glad we could catch up, April. Nice to see you again." I rolled my eyes and took a drink of my beer.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I have to scratch my own itch most nights just so I can sleep. It hasn't been six months for me, but it's been long enough. If I don't cum at least once a day, I'm climbing the walls." She shifted in her seat a little bit.

I kind of didn't know where to take the conversation from here. Going back to the topic of work would seem like an obvious bail-out, but continuing on our current path could make me seem desperate. Was April my type? Not necessarily. Was she attractive? Without a doubt.

"Listen. April, I know we had just talked about getting a drink together and catching up, but do you want to grab some dinner?"

She turned her head and looked at me sideways. "Burton, are you finally asking me out on a date?" she teased.

"I guess if you want to call it a date, that would be all right," I laughed. I certainly hadn't planned for it to be a date, but by definition it would certainly qualify.

"Okay, playing it cool. I get it. Sure, I'll go to dinner with you."

We chose a middle-ground chain restaurant where we could both go as we were and not feel out of place. The drive over and new location seemed to give us a natural shift in focus so that our conversations turned toward old mutual friends (or at least names we both knew), our families and stupid pop culture entertainment. This made dinner more bearable and allowed us both to be more lighthearted.