Chance Meeting

Durene waited patiently in line while her appointed benefactor from the air crew took her documents and waited while she went through all formalities and had her documents inspected minutely by US immigration. Then took them and returned the stamped passport and documents to Durene as she was waved through the barrier before heading for the line where airline crew were processed promising to meet Durene on the other side and see she was delivered to her relative when finally cleared to leave.

Outside international arrivals the crew member assigned to her Julie scanned the welcoming crowd fending off taxi drivers looking for business and scanned the crowd looking at the picture given to her before they boarded in Jamaica. She was anxious to catch up with the other crew members waiting by the airline vehicle impatiently. She scanned the crowd again and caught sight of a sign that said Durene Brown printed in large letters being waved over heads of the milling crowd meeting their disembarking passenger friends or relatives. She indicated Durene should follow closely and pushed luggage through the crowd toward the sign waving as she went. The sign was lowered, and a young adult in late twenties emerged who didn’t look like the picture provided to Julie at Norman Manly International Airport. The young man approached smiling with the sign lowered but Julie put up her hand to stop him. She showed him the picture.

“This is not you. Who are you?”

The young man laughed pleasantly.

“My name is Aaron Brown and I’m the son of the one in this picture Professor Gilbert Brown who unfortunately has unexpected university business to attend to so sent me to accompany Durene on a domestic flight to St Louis. I’m temporarily at home on holidays taking a break from my PhD studies and quite trustworthy. I’m his eldest and what’s your name pretty lady?”

Julie looked him over and realizing he was harmless, relaxed and laughed.

“Please show me the tickets from here to St Louis quickly as I must join my crew members. I’m holding them up and they’re becoming impatient. I’m responsible to the family to see this young woman is received safely. Oh, and my name happens to be Julie.”

Aaron produced the tickets quickly glancing at where Julie was pointing to her crew member friends and seeing an impatient group standing with hands on hips.

“Julie, I promise to phone you and have Durene confirm we have reached our destination safely if you give me your number.”

Julie laughed out loud as Durene looked at her inquiringly to try and understand what was so funny.

“That’s the cleverest excuse I’ve experienced in all my years of travel with airlines to try and hit on a woman Aaron, but just in case you did have pure motives for requesting my number here it is.”

She reached into her purse and handed him her calling card. Then she turned and rejoined the crew. They needed to rest up at the hotel overnight ready for the next assignment the following day. Some of them would party tonight but she was not into the party scene and would enjoy a book in bed and a good night’s sleep to follow.

Next morning Julie received her dry-cleaned uniform and clothes at the door of her room and packed the small bag permitted by the airline for them to carry on board then locked the door and went to the hotel restaurant to eat breakfast and relax before the airline bus picked the crew up to return them to the airport for their next flight. She’d just taken her food to the table to join those crew friends who’d ventured out for breakfast when her cell phone chimed. She placed her things on the table and looked at her phone. The number did not register as one she was familiar with but Julie decided to take the call anyway and moved away from the table so she wouldn’t disturb her friends.

“Hi, this is Aaron, the one who received my relative Durene from you at the airport. We reached home safely and as promised I’m letting Durene speak with you to confirm that so you can report back to the Brown family in Jamaica you did your job. We’ll be phoning them to confirm she is with us but as you looked uncertain about my bona fides yesterday I’m phoning you to put your mind at rest. Before I hand the phone to Durene, I’d like to give you my phone number so if you are in the US with an extended stopover some time, I’d be very happy to show you around.”

Julie hadn’t expected Aaron to follow through on his promise, especially after she’d insinuated, he was attempting a hit job on her. She was impressed and remembered Aaron was very good looking and had felt drawn to him in a strange way she hadn’t experienced before.

“Thank you, Aaron. I’m surprised you followed through on your promise and apologize for not trusting you, but you must understand I have to deal with men who are always trying to fool around with me and need to protect myself and those given into my charge. My martial arts training has been used effectively on a couple of occasions, so I can look after myself. Are you really doing a PhD or was that meant to impress me?”

“Yes Julie. Only two years to go before I graduate hopefully and am going to pursue a career in education like my dad. I really would like to see you again if that’s possible and am not scared of your martial arts.”

“I’m saving to do my master’s degree Aaron so look forward to meeting you to get your advice on where and how when I save up. It costs an enormous amount to do that in the US so I’m looking around the world at possibilities. Give me your number unless it’s the number you’re calling from now which will be on my cell phone because of this call. I just need to put your name against it and enter contacts.  and I’ll give you a call if I’m heading to the city, you study in. Where is that city incidentally?”

“Same number I’m phoning from Julie, and I really hope we can connect. I’m living in Cambridge across the river from Boston.”

Julie realized that would be Harvard University Aaron was studying at. Aaron was obviously a good catch then, and she was determined to keep in contact with him to see if any chemistry developed between them. So far, she was too busy working and saving to take any approaches to her by men seriously. Some of the men she worked with at the airline were obnoxious and thought they could conquer any female they met and that had helped her keep all men at a distance. Work relationships OK, romance with those guys a definite no.

“Aaron no need to put Durene on the phone unless she wants to speak with me and let’s keep in touch.”

There was a pause while Aaron inquired if Durene wanted to speak with Julie and Julie listened to the conversation. Then a change of voice as Durene took the phone.

“Thank you for looking after me on the plane and helping me through immigration and customs. I was really scared and needed that help so thank you.”

Then quickly the voice changed as Aaron took the phone off his relative quickly to ensure he didn’t get cut off. Julie thought of her breakfast and the fact they’d be picked up soon by the airline bus.

“I have to go now Aaron but will be keeping in touch from now on and look forward to meeting you should the airline list me for a trip Boston way.”

To be continued

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