A brown suede blazer occupied the window seat already. I took my aisle seat next to the blazer, the morning sun straining to get past the plastic airliner sunshade. This was a rare but stressful trip, delivering my father-in-law to the opposite coast and flying home the next morning via first class. A man appeared at my right, and I stood up to let the blazer’s owner into his seat.
We began a four-hour conversation. He was attractive with a white goatee and glasses. We were about the same age and married with kids and pets. I told him that I was a tech writer but also had a blog about sex and relationships. And so we discussed everything–long-term relationships, affairs, attraction, low-sex marriages, health, our sexual preferences, and on and on.
He downed Bloody Marys, four in all. He showed me a photo of himself as a young man, and I suspected he missed being the handsomest in the room. We exchanged emails. We flirted.
With another flight to catch, he was nervous to get off the plane. He indicated that I should come with him. We walked quickly to the moving sidewalk, down the stairs, and found the train. Holding a metal support, we talked a little as I leaned against him for balance. Suddenly, we arrived at his stop. He turned to me, said softly, “Take care” and kissed me on the lips. I returned the kiss. Then he was gone.
The train lurched forward. I stared out the glass doors, quietly elated, genuinely confused.
I did hear from him again a few times but a reason to continue a flirtation was absent. So I quit writing. But I still ponder the unexpected kiss.
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Those intersection moments of life are the fertile grounds of fantasy. What would happen with a small change to the timing or the surroundings? What secrets does they have, what skills can they employ?
Those intersection moments of life bring joy and wonder into the mundane.
You are so right. It’s like a small blip in the universe that wakes you up, makes you wonder.