I was waiting in the Cincinnati airport headed home (my home now) to San Diego. I noticed a tall, attractive Laurie-type man in line. Well, what do you know, he ended up sitting next to me. It was Delta so by happenstance, not my choice, although my fortunate preference.
We immediately began talking. I asked about his family and he opened up as most people do with me. He was a few years younger than I and had marriage difficulty, but they were separated. Same old story, it became sexless and a less than loving marriage filled with incompatibilities, although I’m sure there was still love in some form. They had two small, beautiful infant girls. But something was missing, at least according to him, as that was all I had the privilege to hear. He was a free-spirited entrepreneur with thick skin but a gentle soul. He sat by the window and his eyes were golden. I will never forget the way the light literally shone through them.
We had a lot in common at first glance. Both were collegiate athletes and were loving, affectionate and open-hearted. From the Midwest. We were risk-takers owning our own businesses and probably went through life doing as we should, or rather, what was expected of us. Before our layover in Minneapolis after an almost 3-hour long conversation, I asked if we could keep in touch, or, it was also fine if I was that person he never saw again and just spilled his heart to. He obliged and we exchanged numbers. He asked if I had time to continue talking but I had to run to catch my next flight.
I immediately texted him when at my gate and said “I never thought I would say ‘that flight was too short'”. He agreed.
He was on his way to San Fransisco to work for a few days, and about two days before he was to fly home to Cincinnati, he texted and said “Why would I spend my last night alone in California when I’ve never been to San Diego?”. He re-routed his flight and we met in the restaurant at his hotel.
Of course, I Googled him, because he was a stranger after all. And amazingly, his wife’s sister was in my high school graduating class. We had been cheerleaders together. Small world. We exchanged our expectations of which there were none, and just to enjoy a night together. We stayed up all night talking. Had dinner, ramen actually, at this neat little sidewalk restaurant at 11:00 pm. We ordered too much but sat there forever. Then we went to Vin de Syrah and watched people dance in the dark. We finally sat on the couch and it took him until 2:30 am to kiss me. It was magical, but I could tell he was nervous.
We went back to the hotel room and held each other the entire night. He asked me if he was holding me too tightly, but I’d wished he could crawl in my skin. He told me he “liked” me. It was refreshing. He had an early flight the next day.
I never saw him again. We texted a few times. I know he was going through some hard times. I tried many times over the years to connect. He stopped responding. I hope he’s well. He had a good soul.
