Canceled Flight

Hello everyone I am new here and have looked around to see how things are done. I guess I can just start writing and someone will join in. Simple story here, looking for a gentle guy to show the new girl the way...

Canceled Flight

At this point Julia was numb to it all, having to stay over at the airport because the evening flight got canceled. But there were lots of others who were angry and dramatic. She saw a tall, nice looking man with a serene look on his face, so she took few steps towards him so as to absorb the positive vibe.

The stranded passengers were packed into one of those shuttles on their way to the airport motel. Like most of the others, she had gotten on the 9:23 flight the next morning. So at least she could get a full night's sleep.

Julia stared out the window into the darkness. She was 28 and doing installation trips for her company all on her own. With wispy light-brown hair and creamy skin, she felt alive and beautiful. She felt that her life was an adventure, and there were always unexpected events like canceled flights to make things interesting.

The shuttle suddenly lurched to avoid hitting a car. Julia, standing, gripped the rail to steady herself. But the tall man had pulled out a newspaper and swayed against her before he could steady himself. She looked up and gave him a consoling smile.

Shawn's eyes widened momentarily as the shuttle he was riding jerked to the left. He grabbed the strap hanging from the luggage rack to catch himself, the newspaper he had been reaching for falling to the floor. Before he could right himself, his body pressed against someone's. He stabilized himself and looked over to the woman he had just bumped.

She smiled at him, as he apologized, "Excuse me, sorry about that. Picked the wrong moment to get my paper." As he spoke, he looked at her more closely. She had been on his flight. He had noticed her as she had stowed her luggage. When he saw her body moving, he noticed her more intently. And now she was on this shuttle.

"Bumped from the Seattle flight?" he asked.

"Canceled flight. Couldn't get out till tomorrow morning." Julia smiled again. "I got on the 9:23 flight. Is that the one you're on?"

Julia was grateful for the friendly conversation. He was nice looking, and tall. She liked tall. She turned away to look out the window, stealing a quick glance at his ring finger to see if he was married. She felt silly, she did that most every time she met a guy, no matter what. In her mind she roller her eyes, scolding herself.

She could see the motel in the next block. Across the street was a strip mall with a couple of restaurant/bars and a gas station.

"Yup," he replied, "assuming that is not cancelled." They both griped casually about the trials and travails of air travel. He found himself smiling at her, and laughing easily. She was bundled up against the elements, so all he could see was her face. He liked what he saw, with her smooth pale skin, laughing eyes, and distractingly full lips.

He could see her looking out the window and his gaze followed her. "Ah, I see they are sparing no expense for our accomodations," he joked.

A patch of silence followed. She would soon be off if he didn't say something. "Hey, I seem to recall this hotel chain has a particularly dull buffet," he continued, "I was thinking about taking my chances at one of those places across the street. Care to join me?"

"Sure, that would be great." Julia stepped out into the cold. "We should check in first I guess."

The crowd from the shuttle converged around the desk. Fortunately there were two large families so it looked like the wait wouldn't be that long.

"My name's Julia. I'm on my way home from a business trip. How about yourself?"

Julia pulled off her hat and unbuttoned her jacket. She ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it a bit. A second and then a third desk clerk came on duty and began checking people in.

"Looks like it should only be a minute until we're done."

"Yes, and if you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate 20 minutes to shower and change. It has been a very long day," he suggested, "Pleased to meet you Julia. I'm Shawn. And actually, I am on my way to Seattle for business, so will be around for a few days."

She took off her hat and opened her jacket, just enough for him to get a look at the curves beneath. As she ran her hands through her hair, he watched her body move, discreetly. A clerk soon asked if he could help them, and he gestured to Julie, "after you."

"Thanks," Julia said, and stepped up to the desk. Soon the next clerk was free and Shawn was checking in also. Julia finished a little ahead of him and stepped aside.

"I'm in 238. Why don't you just come down and get me when you're ready."

Julia lifted her bag onto her shoulder and headed down to the room. Once inside, she flopped everything down on one of the beds and slipped off her shoes. She sat on the other bed and took a deep breath. She clicked on her phone and looked at her email inbox. Hmmm, nothing that can't wait, she thought, and clicked it off.

Julia looked at her suitcase: one last set of clean clothes she thought to herself. She dug through and found them and then headed for the shower. The water ran down over her shoulders and she tried to visualize the stresses of the day washing away also. She washed herself, shut off the water, and dried off.

She grabbed her jeans and was about to slip them on and then stopped. Hmmm, she eyes her suitcase, thinking of the skirt. She rocked her head back and forth with indecision.

Skirt. That meant she liked the guy, but was it too obvious? Yes, but she just felt that way. She buttoned the skirt, slipped on her blouse, brushed her hair, then slipped on her shoes. Then she sat on the bed, her purse and coat beside her, and began looking again through her email. He should be here soon, she thought.

Shawn was signing his credit slip when she told him her room number. He smiled at her, "sounds good. See you in a bit."

He watched her as she walked off down the hall, enjoying the swivel of her hips as she walked. He handed the clerk back the pen and the clerk tried not to grin at him. Shawn shouldered his bag and took the stairs to the 4th floor. He keyed himself into 414, dropped his bag on the bed and shed his clothing. He turned the water on and enjoyed a good wash and quick shave. When he dried off, he went to his bag and considered his options. Slacks and a button down shirt with his jacket seemed right. He slipped them on, glad his shirt and jacket were both size long. He wanted to look good.

He put on his shoes and left the room, smiling. No matter what, he was going to have a pleasant evening he thought.

He exited the stairwell on the second floor and walked down the hall. 236, 238. There. He took a breath and knocked.

Julia heard the knock and quickly scanned down to the bottom of the email. Then she shut off her phone and opened the door.

"Hey," she smiled. "I'm glad you bumped into me on the shuttle. Otherwise we'd both probably be eating alone."

Julia pulled her coat tight around her and they went out into the cold. They dodged cars crossing the street and then stood between the two restaurants. The one on the left, Pasqual's, had a bar.

"Can we go to the one with a bar? I'd really like to get a drink."

She opened the door and he was pleased at what he saw, the lines of her blouse and skirt accentuating the curves of her body. He laughed at her comment about the bump, "See, it was meant to be."

It was chilly out as they stood between the restaurants. She indicated her preference and he happily acquised, "sounds good to me."

They wandered in. He hung their coats in the foyer and they walked to the bar. They seated themselves and the bartender greeted them. "A smokeless Manhatten," he ordered, looking over at Julie.

"I'll have a glass of wine, house red is fine."

Julia asked where he was staying in Seattle and what he was there for. Then she told him all about the neighborhood he'd be in, what was fun to do there, and about her favorite spots to go. "I''ll have to show you around while you're in town."

At one point she was talking about herself and used the phrase "we." She stopped and sighed. "Really, I don't know why I said that, it was over nearly a year ago. I guess it's just habit." She told Shawn that she'd initiated the breakup, that it had just run its course. She wouldn't have minded saying more but felt that was enough for now.

"What about you, what's your story? You attached to anyone?"

Shawn nodded at the bartender as he sipped his drink. Just right.

Julia asked him where he was staying in Seattle and then proceeded to give him the inside scoop on the town. This would have been of marginal interest to him, until she mentioned showing him around. That piqued his interest.

He enjoyed listening to her, the quality of her voice, and watching her lips move. She had finished her first glass of wine and the bartender had refilled it as she had begun talking about herself, and her break up. He would have to have been deaf, dumb, and blind not to have understood that she was interested.

That was good, because he was definitely interested, and getting more so the longer he spent with her. He also felt more relaxed. She lived in Seattle. Even if nothing happened tonight, she was not far away. There were possibilities here.

And then she asked if he was attached. He grinned, "well, I have to admit that I am quite attached to Jennie, my dachshund."

This elicited a giggle from his date, so he continued, "but she is turning out to be a real bitch, so I don't know if we will ever go anywhere."

He smiled broadly, "so, no, I have no commitments."

He had almost said more. He had had several past relationships, all broken off because his girlfriends were not as sexual as he was. But, there was no way to say that without it sounding like he was bragging, or had mental issues, so he let it pass.

"And now that we have that settled, how about dinner?" he asked, not adding, "and you look delicious."

With the second glass of wine, Julia felt herself relax. Listening to Shawn talk about himself, she felt that same warmth she had felt on the shuttle. She definitely liked him.

When Shawn said she looked "delicious," it startled her at first. She smiled and may have blushed briefly. Then she looked at him, looked straight into his eyes, engaging him completely. But suddenly she felt things moving so quickly, and this frightened her. She had really never done anything like this before.

Julia took a sip of wine and smiled, allowing herself to slip under the spell of his gaze. She wanted to be there, but she hoped he was as gentle he seemed.

Thankfully, dinner came, distracting her from these thoughts. It was tasty, but not elegant. Julia hesitated, and then ordered a third glass of wine. Now she was feeling light and silly.

"Shawn, tell me something about your dog. Who's taking care of him? Do you have to take him on walks every day? Or..oh..it's a 'she' I guess, right?"

"I live in a triple-decker, and the family that lives below me takes care of her while I am away. Its a great deal. They have kids who love Jennie, but they can't commit to owning a dog right now, and I am out of town a lot, so it all works out. I am glad for Jennie too. I inherited her after my last break up. She was the best thing to come out of that relationship," he laughed.

The food had proved to be better than the hotel buffet, but that was not hard. The company, however, was quite stimulating. "Are you a dog lover?" he asked.

He had noted her ordering another glass of wine, and she seemed to be working on a good buzz. She didn't seem like the "one night stand" kind of girl, or the "fuck on the first date" kind of girl for that matter. But as she got silly, he found that he liked that side of her too. In fact, he hadn't seen anything he hadn't liked, and hoped to see much more.

A different waitress cleared their table, asking if they would like dessert. A wicked thought passed through Shawn's mind, and he replied, "not for me right now. How late are you open?"

"Actually I have two cats," Julia answered. "We had dogs when I was a kid, but I decided I didn't have time for a dog. My boyfriend had one, but he took it and I took my cats."

It was nice talking about pets, it helped Julia relax. But all the while she was also thinking about Shawn, watching him move. His body excited her, but at the same time frightened her. For a brief moment she thought of Shawn touching her, his fingers gently grazing her breast, and a shudder of terrifying excitement shot through her. She toyed nervously with her necklace.

Julia wondered what he had in mind with dessert and the late hours at the restaurant. She thought they ought to go back to the room, well, one of the rooms, and carry on their chatting there.

She looked at the waitress, then at Shawn. "I'm ok without dessert, or maybe we could take some back to the room." Julia was aware of her decisive tone in saying, "the room." But Shawn seemed to have something in mind that she didn't want to discourage. "But Shawn if you've got something in mind, that's fine. I like adventures."

"Take out? Spendid idea! I would like a slice of german chocolate cake to go," he said grinning.

"And," he said, looking at Julia, "what would you like for later?"

He had not missed her reference to 'the room,' and she was openly encouraging 'adventures." He also couldn't help but notice her playing with her necklace, her hand on her chest, the necklace pointing the way towards her cleavage.

Julia ordered, and Shawn asked for the check. A few minutes later, he carried a bag with the desserts and they made their way back to the hotel. It had gotten quite cold, so they both were glad to be inside again. As they stood in the lobby, he joked quietly, "where to now? My room has a lovely view of the street here. How about you?"

They were laughing as they left the restaurant. Julia had ordered ice cream, forgetting that it would melt if she left it for later. Shawn ran after the waiter, catching him at the kitchen door, to change it to custard with maple topping.

"Actually I'm glad I didn't get ice cream," Julia said half-way across the parking lot, "It's sooooo cold."

She snuggled against Shawn and put her arm around him, matching his steps so they could walk close together. They had to separate crossing the street and hurry across. In the lobby, Shawn asked where she wanted to go.

"Yours is fine, though I think I've seen enough of this street."

They got on the elevator and Shawn pressed "4". Julia leaned against the wall and gave Shawn a half-smile, looking at him carefully. She sighed, feeling her desire well up inside her. As the elevator passed 3, she reached for his hand and held it gently, tracing his palm with her finger.

Then she squinted. "Hmm...I was just thinking whether I need anything from my room." After a pause, she said she couldn't think of anything. Then the elevator door opened, and Julia followed Shawn out into the hall.

He had experienced aggressive women before, who would have mauled him the moment the elevator door closed, and had done a certain amount of mauling himself. But he found himself truly enjoying the calm, almost assured, way she was walking into, what not seemed, assured intimacy. There was no pressure, save the mounting erotic tension between them. He had been cautious enough not to get grabby, and she had been the one to put her arm around him and to tickle the palm of his hand.

He exited the elevator and waited until she stood by his side. He gestured to the left and they walked down the hall, as he fished the key card from his pocket. He opened the door and let her in. She flipped the light on as she entered. He followed, closing the door behind him. She had taken a few steps into the room, and he was glad he hadn't thrown his clothes everywhere earlier. He set the bag down and hung up his jacket. He turned to see her watching him, and he asked, "may I take your coat?"

Julia set the desserts down on the desk, took off her coat, and handed it to him to hang up. She slipped her purse off her shoulder and set it on the lounge chair, hoping it would encourage Shawn to sit near her on the bed. Shawn had left the heater on, so she slipped her sweater off also and laid it near the purse.

Then she sat on the bed and watched Shawn hang up the coats. Julia had on a knitted blouse and a near-white retro pleated skirt that hung somewhat lower than most did, a few inches above her knees. It seemed like a summery design, but she liked the way it brought out color in her skin.

"Let's see," Julia felt playful. "What would you be doing if I wasn't here? A: Watch sports. B: Read the newspaper. C: Read a novel. D: Watch a movie." She thought it was enough to list just four, but then added. "I guess I may have left some things off the list." She decided to let it go at that and see what he said.

After he finished hanging up her coat, he turned back to her, watching as she took off her sweater, then sitting down on the bed. He felt his temperature go up a notch as she did. Seeing her remove clothing was quite stimulating.

As she rattled off a question, his eyes drank her in. Then, he had to think. Ack! "Umm, none of the above," he replied, "probably get on my laptop, answer email, surf."

He sat down next to her on the bed, close enough that he could catch her scent. "How about you?" he teased back. He had a few thoughts as to how he would enjoy her spending the evening?

Julia sighed and gave Shawn a smirk. "You know. Exactly the same." She looked at her purse, with her phone inside, and thought about making a joke about checking email. She decided not to. "I mean, what did people do before they had internet?"

She looked at Shawn, realizing that her remark was clever. She reached her hand out and ran her fingers through his hair. "Maybe more of this kind of thing," she smiled and said.

Julia swung one leg up on to the bed so she could turn slightly to face him. She had a small tattoo a few inches above her knee on her inner thigh. She hadn't thought about it, but she saw Shawn's eyes dart downward and then quickly away. She wasn't sure, but he may have blushed a bit at having been caught looking at her legs. She realized what happened and decided to explain.

"Oh," Julia looked at her leg and inched up her skirt slightly. "I got that last year just after I broke up with Neal. I wanted a small one because of work and all. But the tattoo artist kept joking that I'd have to let people get real close to see what it was." She paused. "Well...don't you want to look and see?"

He had almost purred when she ran her hand through his hair. He turned his head slightly, his gaze dropping, falling to her skirt and her parted legs, and to... a tattoo. His eyes widened slightly and he inhaled.

And then she saw that he was looking, and for some silly reason felt like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He looked back up to her face and saw that she was smiling and heard her offer a better look.

He grinned and teased back, "why, I don't mind if I do."

Before she could move, he slid off the bed onto the floor, sitting down between her legs, facing her. His legs slid partly under the bed, so he was close. Her legs had to part further to make room for his shoulders. He had locked eyes with her as he had moved. And now that he was in place, he brought his eyes to the tattoo. "Very nice work," he complimented, "but it does make me wonder how many other tattoos you have hidden."

And with that, he bent his head and kissed the inside of her knee, his eyes moving up her legs...

Julia gave him a warm smile. "That's it. No more tattoos." She caressed his hair again with her hand, gently pressing, so that Shawn leaned his cheek against her soft, creamy thigh.

"Shawn, I was with Neal a long time, and Rodger a long time before that. There really hasn't been anyone else in my life of importance. Suddenly last year I was feeling like, here I was nearing 30 with this guy who wasn't maturing the way I was. It was really hard to leave him, he loved me."

"So the tattoo, that was a big deal. I didn't let Neal see it, or my parents. When I got it I thought I'd be dating a lot and all, but the leftover emotions from Neal and work and all just took over my life."

"What I'm saying, Shawn, is that mostly I've been a nice girl. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, I mean, with a guy I don't know that well. So you see, aggressive and scared at the same time. You figured that out, I guess."

Julia hadn't wanted to say all of that. It just came out. Her hands seemed a little shaky from the confession she thought. She also wanted to tell Shawn that she was attracted to him like crazy, but she just couldn't speak any more. She needed some reassurance before anything else.

He closed his eyes for a moment when she pressed his face to her thigh. He inhaled. She smelled good. He looked up at her as she started telling him about herself and where she was at, at this moment. And despite his arousal, he listened, just listened. When she was done, he lifted his head from her thigh and smiled, saying softly, "Julia, at no moment have I ever thought you were anything but a nice girl, a very attractive nice girl, but always a nice girl."

He eased back from her a little, continuing, "And if this is too much, too soon, I understand."

He chuckled, "I may have take a very cold shower tonight, but I will understand."

He got off the floor and sat down on the bed, asking, "would you prefer dessert now?"

Julia reached out to him with both her hands, gently clasping his cheeks.

"Oh, Shawn. No cold shower. Goodness! If you did that I'd have to take twenty. But, yea, let's have dessert. But kiss me first so you'll know how desperately I want you."

Julia raised up on her knee and swung her other leg around Shawn, so that she was straddling his lap facing him. She lowered her face until her lips gently grazed his, brushing against him. Her lips delicately toyed with his lips. She closed her eyes and let this kiss linger, waiting to see what he wanted to do.