Dumb Luck

by J G Jerome

  “Charles recommended the burger and curly fries.”

  “Is that the gate agent?”

  “Hm-hm,” she confirms with a nod.

  “Well I don’t see anything else on the menu that is screaming ‘eat me,’ so I guess I’ll go with that.”

  She cocks an eyebrow. “Nothing?”

  Let’s try the deadpan face again. “Not on the menu.”

  “Good answer.”

  The server, Billy, returns with our drinks. We order and settle in. We talk about all the places we have traveled while we start on our drinks. I had spent a fair amount of my time in the army stationed in Germany; consequently, I have traveled to a number of places in the surrounding countries. I have been to a number of “middle eastern cities that I’m not at liberty to discuss,” plus about 30 of 50 states, a couple of Canadian cities, and a couple of Mexican border towns. She has been in every state of the union, all the Canadian provinces, several cities in Mexico, most of the capitals of South America, all over most of the major cities in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, and a couple each in Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and North Africa.

  We share a love of London, Paris, Nurnberg, Strasbourg, and Vienna. We agree that Venice is charming, but we neither have a desire to hurry back. She shares her love of Padova, Florence, and Rome. I share mine of Muenster and Augsburg. In the states we agree that San Francisco is a nice place to visit, but would never live there. She loves the forest of the upper northeast, whereas I prefer the mountains of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. She laughs at my joke about ‘how do you know the wind stopped blowing in Casper, Wyoming?...everyone falls down.’ That convinces me right there she is divine.

  Billy brings our meal, and we tuck into it. Compliments to Charles; it’s quite good. We take our time, getting to know each other. We discuss how we like to spend what little free time we get from work. We both do a variety of fitness activities to stay fit. I do HIIT, swim, and a variety of body weight exercises. She runs instead of the HIIT and swimming, but also does body-weight training. We both trained in martial arts at various times in our lives, but neither of us is really concentrating on it heavily now. I keep in T’ai Ch’i, do some apparatus work, and archery; she fences. I talk about learning to play guitar a few years back, and how I like to play in front of forgiving audiences periodically.

  A little over an hour later the burgers are gone. I pull up our flights on my phone to get a status. Apparently, the flight delay has grown from 2 hours to 4 hours. I call the customer service line from our table. There are no seats available on the next two flights; so, we are stuck on the current, delayed flight. Instead of getting back into town at 2:30 pm, we will land around 6:30.

  I tell Myra, “Well, I am not going to make it back in time to get my car out of the shop. I better call them to arrange to pick it up tomorrow. What does this do you you?”

  “It is no tragedy for me. I had planned to overnight in Phoenix, and then ride up to Sedona in the morning. I should contact my driver and let her know about the delay, but I know she is keeping an eye on the flight status. She won’t expect me for another two hours even if she has missed the delay.”

  I ring the dealership as she pulls out her phone and pulls up the number. Then she stops, and looks at me with an expressionless face. I arranged to pick up my car at the dealership in the morning and hang up the phone. I smile at her and ask, “What’s on your mind, Myra?”

  “Jack, I have had a lovely day today.”

  “Me too, honey. I really am not looking forward to saying goodbye to you at the airport when we get back to Phoenix. Are you struggling with that too?”

  She solemnly nods, “What are you doing to me?”

  “Dearest Myra, I am only reveling in the sunshine that you have brought into my life today. I did not know my life was overcast until you first smiled at me. I feel like a fumbling 14-year old boy stuttering in front of the prom queen, and I don’t want it to stop.”

  “I have trouble with playing the role of the prom queen,” she says with a slight smile, “but, I agree I am not happy with the thought of leaving you this evening.”

  “Well, how about we keep doing what we are doing for now, and watch for opportunities to address this dilemma together in a way that better suits us.” She nods with a growing smile on her face.

  “Did I really just say that? I must have been watching too much PBS. I sounded cultured and wise. Who'da thunk it?”

  Myra lets loose a gentle laugh as the joy returns to her eyes. “Myra, I just watched the laughter return to your eyes. I would do just about anything to keep it there.”

  “Oh really?” Uh-oh, she just turns on a mischievous smirk. “You have just given me power over you, dear Jack.”

  Now I laugh. “Love, you’ve owned me since the moment you first spoke to me.”

  We just smile at each other like a couple of idiots until Billy comes to clear our plates and asks if we have any other desires. We order another round of drinks.

  “Myra, I do need to spend some time on this proposal. Do you have anything that you need to work on for a little while?”

  She grimaces, “Yes, I need to catch up on correspondence. I imagine that I have a variety of email from our head office that I should address, but I have been studiously ignoring it in favor of bantering with you. I suppose I can do that if you must spend our limited amount of time together working…,” as she sketches another smirk to accent her arched eyebrow.

  I clasp my hands to my heart exclaiming way too loud, “The lady casts her dart with accuracy, and grievously wounds the cad masquerading as a gentleman with her righteous wrath!”

  Her laughter bubbles out of her throat, and then we enjoy a good laugh together.

  “Yes,” she says. “I will gladly work while we are sitting here as long as you are here with me. I will still enjoy your companionship even if I cannot discuss the details with you.”

  “Well, if I have anything remotely interesting, I’ll share it with you to alleviate your boredom.”

  * * *

  We spend the next couple of hours working through our tasks in companionable silence while occasionally throwing out comments to the other for a short discussion. Myra calls her driver in Phoenix to give her a couple of updates throughout the afternoon. I get my proposal finished and returned to my customer. Myra catches up on her correspondence. All throughout, we keep an eye on our flight status, rotate to the loo, keep ourselves relatively well hydrated, and share little jokes that keep us in good humor. We tip Billy generously when he ends his shift and his replacement when we leave. The delay ends up being nearly six hours.

  We approach the gate in time to hear the boarding call for First Class, so, we walk directly to the gate agent and board the plane. There is no arrogant prick trying to steal my seat or accost Myra; so, we have an uneventful boarding. We share comparisons between the Phoenix flight’s safety briefing and Erica’s earlier performance. That reminds both of us to put her info into our phones, and then we share digits as well. The flight pushes back, and Myra wraps her arm under mine, laces her fingers in mine, and we lean toward each other so she can rest her head on my shoulder as we take off. I swear I hear her mutter something like “cursed tin cans in the air.”

  We discuss where we would like to travel if we had a long weekend free or a week. I talk about my plans to look for property upon my return. We talk about what I would like to find in a property, and she raises some good considerations. Together we review and amend my list of requirements.

  * * *

  She ponders for a moment and then opines, “So essentially, you want a country manor house with the potential to be completely self-sufficient.”

  “Wow. I had never thought of it that way, but yeah.”

  “Where are you planning to look, Jack?”

  “I have a couple properties lined up for tomorrow around mid-day just north of Cottonwood, and one in Prescott down along Senator Highway. After that, I have a reservation at the Tavern
a hotel in Cottonwood tomorrow night. I’ll update my plan based upon what I learn up to that point.. Saturday, I will be playing a couple of sets at the Burning Tree cellars. Sunday’s plan is dependent upon tomorrow. As I said, I like Prescott because of the climate and flora, but it’s growing like crazy. I like Cottonwood because it feels more pastoral. The outskirts of Flagstaff, Williams, or Seligman are all options. Maybe up by Payson, Grier, or Pinetop, but they don’t work as well for connecting to air travel as Prescott, Cottonwood, or Flag.”

  “Arizona may not offer what you are looking for, Jack.”

  I consider that and nod, “I know. I want to exhaust the options there first before I go looking elsewhere. I like Sierra Vista, which has connecting flights to Phoenix, and Tucson, which has even better flight connections, too. I used to live in Sierra Vista when I was a soldier. It’s beautiful down there.”

  “It is. I’ve been there a couple of times. If not there, then where? Northern New Mexico? Utah? Would you consider farther east?”

  I looked off into the mid-distance. “Maybe. It’s more of a feeling that I’m looking for than a specific place. Does that make sense?” I glanced at her quickly, and then return my gaze back to the mid-distance. “Certain basic attributes with the right energy or resonance that allow me to build what I want. I sound like one of those spiritualist nuts in Sedona.”

  “It sounds absolutely idyllic, Jack. Will I be welcome there?”

  I whipped my gaze back to Myra’s eyes. “You are welcome wherever I am, whenever you can make it to my side.”

  We just look at each other for a moment until the flight attendant interrupts us to pick up our service in preparation for landing. After the attendant leaves, I reach for Myra’s face, gliding my fingers along her jaw.

  Then I lean in and kiss her gently. Her eyes are still closed as I open mine and backup a moment. She opens hers, and then we kiss again. It confirms everything I recall from that smoldering kiss in the airport. I think it’s a short kiss, but apparently not. We are both startled as the wheels touch down.

  “Wow,” we exclaim in unison. Then we chuckle as we lean our foreheads together.

  I ask her, “Did you lose time, too?”

  She shakes her head, “No. I stole it; so, I can cherish it forever,” she says with a shit-eating grin.

  “Oh! I did not know that the lady was such a romantic!”

  She chuckles as she replies, “Nor did I.”

  “What were we talking about,” I ask. “Oh yes. You are most welcome wherever I am. Oh, and my schedule. Despite the other permutations, Monday I will need to talk to my Hartford prospect. I can really do that from anywhere. Saturday’s amended plan won’t be constrained much by that. Am I a blathering idiot? I feel like I’m blathering.”

  Myra shakes her head, and reaches in to quickly kiss me again.

  We repeat our escape from the aircraft minus the guy having a phone conversation in the aisle. We march out the concourse and towards security. As we leave the screening area hand in hand, I notice a blond supermodel standing by the escalator. Before I can comment, Myra drags me off to the right to the far side of the shoe shine. She turns to face me directly, puts both of her hands on my lapels and leans into me. Looking up into my eyes she asks me, “Wherever you are, whenever I can make it to your side?”

  I responded immediately, “Yes.”

  She looks into my eyes for a moment, and then says, “Okay. Then take me home tonight. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring either of us, but tonight I want you to make love to me.”

  “Okay then. Let me get a car.”

  “My driver should be here. She can take us.”

  “Is that permitted?”

  “Yes. Trina is at my disposal to drive wherever I wish for whatever purpose, official or personal.”

  “Then I accept.”

  Myra gives me a 100 kilowatt smile before turning around to wave at the blond supermodel. The blond slinks towards us flashing Myra a bright smile.

  On closer inspection, Trina strikes me as a cross between a special forces soldier and a supermodel. Her build is similarly proportioned as Myra’s, but with a leaner, more compact build. She is nearly as tall as Myra, but with smaller breasts, a leaner face, slate blue eyes, and shoulders that almost precisely match the width of hips. Her glowing ash blond hair reaches just past the point of her breasts as it bounces and flies as though it has a life of its own. There is an underlying sense of danger to her - like a coiled spring about to explode. She is wearing black ankle boots with a low heel, a black wrap-around dress that only gives her treasures inches of cover, and a heavy, black biker jacket. ‘It has been a cold November so far,’ Jack thinks with a mental shrug. ‘If Myra wasn’t here, no one would notice another person in the terminal.’ Where Trina is beautiful, Myra is magnetic. They are different kinds of ‘O-M-G’ wonderful.

  Trina wraps Myra in a warm, tight hug and gives her a quick peck on the lips. “Miss me?”

  “Oh Trina, more than you know. This is Jack,” as she turns to look at me without moving from Trina’s embrace.

  Trina narrows her eyes and looks at me suspiciously. “Charmed, I’m sure,” she smirks. Myra smacks her ass. “Hello Jack,” she corrects herself with a wider grin. ‘She’s gorgeous and ornery. That’s a deadly combination.’

  “Hello Trina. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say assuming there is a mischievous twinkle in my eye. She smirks back at me.

  Myra disengages from Trina’s hug and grabs my arm in a death grip, presumably to prevent my escape from Trina’s fearsome behavior.

  Myra asks her, “What are the arrangements for this evening? I have changed my plans.”

  Trina says, “There’s probably not much impact. I made no arrangements for lodging, thinking that we would run up to the Sedona…,” she hesitates as looks at me, “...uh, office with the late arrival.”

  Myra slides her left hand down Trina’s arm to grab her right hand. “I am staying with Jack tonight. We have had adventures together today, and I would like to enjoy his company for a while longer.”

  Myra then gives me a worried look, “Jack, do you have a room for Trina, too?”

  “Of course! I can’t have my close personal friend Trina sleeping in the car or on the couch. The guest room is already made up. I’ll just need to tidy up a bit. I have my bags for tomorrow on the bed.”

  Trina gives Myra an adorable little pout and twists in place like Shirley Temple, “I’d rather sleep in your bed.”

  “Who wouldn’t,” I quip. ‘That paints an interesting picture,’ I think to myself.

  “I am going to be in Jack’s bed tonight, Love. I could probably talk him into letting you join us, but I suspect that you would not be comfortable with that.”

  Trina throws a considering look my way for a second and then shrugs, “Yes. You’re probably right,” she concedes shyly.

  I snort a chuckle out my nose. Trina gives me her own version of the shit-eating grin.

  “So, guest room it is.” I turn to Myra, “Do you have any checked bags?” She shakes her head in the negative. “Do you need to go to the loo before we head out?”

  She smirks at me, “Loo, huh? I don’t hear that frequently on this side of the pond.”

  “Oo! She strikes me with my own words! What cruelty, my lady! Seriously, we’re looking at 35-55 minutes depending on traffic.”

  “I’m good, Jack. Go ahead if you need to.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll be right back.” I leave my bag with the two lovely ladies as I march off to get rid of the last two cups of coffee and waters wondering how I managed to get three gorgeous women to flirt with me in one day.

  Chapter 4 - a Quick Check-in

  Trina slides in next to Myra, wrapping her right arm around her waist as they watch Jack walk away.

  “Myra my love, this is not your normal game. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know, Darling. There’s something about him that draws me.”

  Trina
slowly turns to look at her as Myra watches him enter the restroom.

  “He is witty, self-deprecating, and humble compared to all the other ‘self-made businessmen’ and ‘important’ men I’ve met in my life. Yet he also appears to be supremely confident in his abilities, he is unapologetic about using force when it’s required, courteous, and gallant. Plus he is rather handsome.”

  “He is not as handsome as your normal playthings. They usually border on pretty. This guy is more rugged and worn.”

  “True, but he’s tall enough I have to look up to him when we stand and he has acres of shoulders. Paired with how caring and kind he is, it makes him devastatingly attractive to me. I’ve been accosted three times today, and each time he was there giving me support but not acting like he had to protect me. It was perfect really. He even let me bitch-slap one of them. Also, we talked for hours on the planes and in the bar waiting through the delay.”

  “Who talked? Surely not you! I’ve seen you string guys on for hours and never say a thing about yourself. Wait a minute...what did you tell him about the court?” Trina does a quick survey to ensure no one is standing within eavesdropping distance.

  “Nothing directly. I told him that I work for a very private organization that provides unspecified benefits to its varied membership worldwide, and that I travel around the globe resolving issues between factions of the membership.”

  “Wow. Completely true, and yet so far from reality. That was masterfully done even though it doesn’t come close to conveying the true horror of it.”

  “I think I also managed to keep my eyes turned away from him as I ran the two influence charms.”

  “You had to ‘influence?’ Godess, I knew I should have gone with you!”

  Myra finally turns to look at her and strokes her left cheek. “It worked out fine, my love.”