Good lawyer mat he was, Steve never missed an opportunity to eke precedent
“… tike to thank those of you who are visiting Australia or going on to connecting Sights for choosing our airiine. For diose continuing to London with us after the stop, please feel free to stretch your tegs and enjoy die airport’s restaurants, shops, and odrer amenities….”
BIO-STRIKE
Steve unfastened his seat belt, slid into the aisle, and took the flight attendant’s advice, stretching, massaging the small of his back with his knuckles. His achiness and complaints aside, he had to admit mat there were worse things in life than rubbing up against his neighbor in the window seat
He glanced over at her, an appealing blonde of about thirty in a sort of retro hippieish outfit consisting of a peasant blouse, hip-hugging bell-bottoms, and big, round red earrings like three-dimensional polka dots. At forty- four, Steve could recall an era when clothes of mat type hadn’t been so, well, form-fitted, as if they’d come straight out of a chic fashion designer’s showroom.
Not mat she didn’t look good in them. In fact, he’d been very aware of how good she looked the moment they boarded the jet in Hong Kong, and had tried striking up a conversation with her soon after takeoff. Just chitchat, really, while he’d checked her finger for a wedding band-a quick glance verified there wasn’t one- and tried to assess whether she might be inclined to pursue a more intimate dialogue at some later point in time. He’d told her his name, that he was an attorney who had been in Asia doing some patent and licensing work for a Massachusetts-based toy manufacturer, and that he was about to take a few days’ R and R in London before returning to the grind. She, in turn, introduced herself as Melina, no surname given and none asked, her English subtly laced with an accent he couldn’t associate with any particular nationality. It was kind of exotic, that name, especially hanging there exparte, so to speak. With a whimsy peculiar to the solo traveler, he had speculated that she might be an actress or pop star.
At any rate, she’d been reserved but pleasant, re
Tom Clancy’s Power Plays
spending to his comments on the weather, their runway delays, and the lousy airline food, not revealing much about herself in the process. When he thought about it, she seemed almost secretive … although it was likely he was coming off too many days of legal gamesmanship to be a reasonable judge.
Steve got his travel bag out of the overhead stowage compartment, figuring he’d find a restaurant, eat a halfway decent meal, then maybe step some cologne on his face in the rest room to freshen up for the next long leg of the transcontinental haul. He’d batted around the idea of asking Melina to join him and was still undecided. Why. necessarily take her reticence as a snub? It was understandable that a woman flying alone would be cautious toward some strange guy talking her up. Besides, he couldn’t see anything inappropriate in a friendly invite.
He stood looking at her from the aisle. Still in her seat, she’d reached into her purse for a pen and a paper bag with the words Gift Shop printed on it in frilly silver lettering, then slipped some postcards out of the bag. It appeared she meant to stay put during the layover… unless he could persuade her to do otherwise.
He took a breath and leaned toward her. “Excuse me,” he said. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a cup of coffee, maybe grab a quick bite. My treat.”
Her smile was polite, nothing more, nothing less. “Thank you, but I really have to fill these out.” She placed the postcards on her tray table. ‘It’s the kind of thing that can sup right by.”
“Why not bring the cards along? A change of scene might inspire you to write better. Or faster, anyway.”
The cool, unchanging smile was a rebuff in itself,
BIO-STRIKE
making her clipped reply superfluous. “No, I think I’ll
stay right here.”
Steve decided to do some face saving. They would be
sitting together for another seven hours or so once the ‘plane got back in the air, and he didn’t want the situation I to get awkward.
He nodded toward the postcards in front of her. I “Guess you do have a fair-sized stack there.” l> “Yes.” She looked at him. “You know how it is with
obligations. They’re like little plagues on my mind.”