A Chance Encounter... or Was It?

As predicted, she found very few items that were unique, stylish and affordable. One pair of sandals, however, fit her budget and looked great on her. She could wear them with any dark colors and they highlighted her toes and ankles that many men had admired. As the heat of the day and the mid-day pattern of rain clouds approached, Erin returned to the hotel and approached guest services.

"Could I speak with Ms. Sharon Tan, please?"

"Of course, Ms. Johnson." Jeremy called and Sharon arrived shortly.

"Good morning, Ms. Johnson. How can I help you?

"My friend, Kevin Larkin and I are flying very late tonight and he suggested I move into his suite and check out of my room. He gave me his room key."

"That's fine. The hotel policy requires me to have his personal approval for that. Can you wait just a moment? I'll call him."

She returned quickly and instructed the bellman to move Ms. Johnson's luggage to Mr. Larkin's suite. Sharon printed the itemized invoice and Erin checked out of her room before walking with the bellman upstairs.

The transfer occurred quickly and a nice tip sent him away smiling. Sharon had given Erin a second magnetic key just in case it was needed.

She was struck by the size and opulence of the suite. The live orchids, beautiful art, premium furniture and oversize bed were amazing. The bath and Jacuzzi were gigantic. Her employer would never pay for digs like this.

After a quick nap, Erin unpacked a few things needed for the evening and pressed a dress that she wanted to wear for dinner. It was the shortest one she had; and it allowed a perfect view of her long legs that were still firm and fit, a leftover from her swimsuit modeling days when she was in her early 20s. It had taken hard work and many hours in the gym to maintain her body to her standards.

It bothered her for years when men stared at her with obvious lust on their minds. Now she enjoyed their attention at an age when most women's bodies were slipping into middle age sag.

Once ironing was done, Erin moved Kevin's work papers to the bed. Her natural curiosity "forced" her to glance through them. It was mostly financial investment proposals for the various plant sites and a draft of a legal agreement written in French that appeared to be a sale of some property. Erin's French was rusty, especially when legal terms were involved.

After two hours of editing her shots of Singapore, she e-mailed them to headquarters and saved a third set on a memory stick, just in case her computer failed. It had happened one time... a total hard drive failure and many days of work had to be repeated.

Shortly after Erin emerged from the shower, Kevin called and said he would be there in twenty minutes. This gave her the impetus to quickly dry, dress and apply appropriate makeup. She wanted to be beautiful when he arrived.

When the knock came, Erin rushed to open the door after confirming it was Kevin. He walked in and they briefly hugged.

"You look fantastic," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you. Did you have a good day?"

"Very good. I'll give you the details later. Can I take a quick shower? The humidity here is brutal."

"Of course. Do you have anything that needs to be pressed?"

"Yes, if you don't mind. That white long sleeve shirt is a little wrinkled and I'd like to wear it tonight. We're going to Morton's The Steakhouse over near the Raffles Hotel."

"Oh. Lovely. Am I dressed appropriately?"

"You're perfect for that place. Your legs are amazing."

She grinned once again. "Thanks."

Fifteen minutes later, Kevin came from the bath wearing only his trousers. Erin watched as he walked to the closet for the fresh-ironed shirt. His chest and back were muscular with light hair... just enough and not too much. She had dated several men who were not this well-maintained although they were twenty years younger.

Erin asked, "How do you keep in such great shape?"

He smiled and replied, "You mean for my age?"

"No silly. I'm serious. You obviously work out."

"Yeah, I usually hit the gym every morning but wasn't able to do it today. But speaking of working out, you're in wonderful shape. You must exercise."

"Not every day but a few times each week. I don't want to be too muscular."

"Right." He grinned and reached for a tie.

"Since we're going to be near the Raffles Hotel, let's stop at the Long Bar. You need to see it."

"I'd love to. I think that's where the Singapore Sling was invented, right?"

"Exactly. The bar is huge and dates from the late 1800s. They serve peanuts in the shell and encourage you to throw the shells on the floor."

"That must be the only place you can litter here."

"It is. Singapore's littering laws are legendary for how much a person gets fined. That's why you never see litter on the streets or sidewalks. One can't even spit on the ground, if one is so inclined."

"In the article I'm illustrating, it says that if you're caught possessing or distributing illegal drugs, you get the death penalty."

"That's correct. They hang a lot of people here for crimes that would be punished by short prison time in the States."

"They still hang people?"

"Yep, on Friday mornings at dawn in the prison."

"That certainly keeps things under control."

"I imagine so. Are you ready?"

"I am," Erin replied.

They took a taxi to Raffles, which was opened in 1887 under British control of the island. It was and still is one of the great hotels in the world and no trip to Singapore is complete without a visit to enjoy its colonial ambience.

When entering the Long Bar, Erin gasped. "This bar is huge."

"That's why the name. Lots of famous people have imbibed here in the last 120 years including Hemingway, Hitchcock and Kipling."

"Yes, but not Erin Johnson," she added with a smirk.

He replied with a smile, "Now, their history is complete."

They sat at the bar and were quickly approached.

"Welcome to the Long Bar. What can I get you?" asked a smiling Cher Tong, the bartender for their section.

Erin replied, "I've got to have your Singapore Sling."

"Of course, and for you sir?"

"Macallan 18 on the rocks."

"Very good, sir."

Both reached for peanuts and began dropping the shells to join dozens of others. Erin glanced around the room and noticed peanut shells everywhere.

"I like this bar. It's just a classic English Pub on a grand scale. Look at the old wicker leaf fans and this ancient dark woodwork."

Kevin replied, "I always enjoy coming here. So much history."

"Are you a history buff?"

"More American and European than Asian. Leaned much of it from reading your magazine."

"Let me guess... you're a life long subscriber."

"No, just 20 years or so," Kevin replied with a grin.

"Please don't tell me you have them all on shelves arranged in order."

"No, of course not. They're in boxes in the basement." He grinned again as she laughed.

"I'll get you an electronic subscription. No reason to keep the hard copies."

"You're so nice."

"I am." Erin flashed that devious grin. "This drink is good. First one of these I've had since I arrived."

"The airline also makes good ones. Just have to be careful. They sneak up on you and after a few, you're looking up at the ceiling or down at the floor wishing you could find a bed."

She smiled. "What time is our reservation?"

"We have another 30 minutes. So tell me about your assignment here."

"The article focuses on the industrial development on the island so I took hundreds of shots of the commercial district at all hours of the day and night. I shot the harbor at sunrise and sunset and visited several of the industrial parks. But I also took photos during the night tour of the zoo and a tour of the bird park. The airport is fascinating with the indoor gardens and koi ponds and I received permission to shoot there."

Kevin said, "The entire island is like a garden. No matter when a person comes, there are trees, shrubs or plants in bloom. Where's your next assignment?"

"Ireland, in two weeks. We're doing an article on the ancient castles and ruins and what's being done to preserve them. I'll be hiking through the countryside for several days."

"Is someone going with you?"

"Not with me but I'll meet up with a guy and a woman who'll be helping lug equipment and meeting with the property owners. It's always good to have locals with you to smooth the path."

"I'll bet. Did you have anyone to help here?"

"No but I did in Japan and Vietnam."

"What will you do before you leave for Ireland?"

"I work as a contractor so I'm free to do anything I want. I often hang out with friends, research the upcoming assignments, and do free-lancing work for other publications, just whatever comes along. That course you attended was a one-off deal I had with NG.

Kevin glanced at his watch. "Let's walk over. It's in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the fourth floor. That's only a few blocks."

"Good, I'm hungry. Only had a salad for lunch."

"You won't be hungry after this meal. Morton's is as good as it gets for beef."

****

The next two hours saw one indulgence after another as Erin and Kevin started with jumbo shrimp cocktail and baked escargot, which they shared. Next was a very tender three-inch thick center cut filet mignon for Erin and prime ribeye for Kevin. They completed their feast by sharing a piece of Morton's special hot chocolate cake and coffee. Moaning and groaning was all they could do as they stood to leave. Each was stuffed and wishing they could just go to bed. Unfortunately, 26 hours of travel awaited them before they would see a real bed.

After a taxi ride to the Regent, they walked to Kevin's suite and relaxed for an hour until it was time to leave for the airport. They lay on the king size bed and faced each other, talking about the wonderful meal. Erin moved closer to Kevin and rose on her elbow to kiss him with a passion not yet shared between them. Kevin pulled her onto his chest and returned the kiss. Their silent eye contact said much more than words.

The bellman arrived shortly after 10:30 pm and took their luggage down to the waiting hotel limo. Kevin dropped off the room keys and bid farewell to the reception staff. They would later e-mail his invoice and hold it open until he reviewed and approved it by return e-mail.

Arrival at Changi Airport was efficient. The limo driver had a baggage handler waiting and the luggage was out and checked at the first-class counter in just a couple of minutes. The agent greeted Kevin by name as he approached and a quick flash of their passports was the only requirement. Within minutes, they were on their way through the VIP side of security and on to the first-class lounge to await the flight.

Once seated, Erin said, "I've got to travel with you more often. Never have I been treated like this. I would have been in line for an hour out there."

Kevin smiled, then walked to the bar for their drinks... more Tiger beer for each. "This will help you sleep," he told her. "Do you have any sleeping aids?"

"Just some Tylenol PM. That works well for me."

"Me too, but you shouldn't drink alcohol and take it."

"I'll wait for a few hours and let the beer clear my system."

"They'll offer us premium champagne when we board. You should try it as it's always top quality."

"You first-class guys always have the best."

"On Singapore Air, you're right."

Approximately 15 minutes before takeoff, an announcement was made for all first-class passengers to meet at the lounge door. Kevin and Erin joined six others and followed the flight attendant to the gate and directly onto the Boeing 777-300ER for the flight to London. They were in the center section of row one, Kevin's favorite seat.

Elizabeth Lim, the first-class cabin attendant, welcomed them with a glass of bubbly and a warm smile. "Mr. Larkin, it's great to have you with us again."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. Let me introduce you to my friend Erin Johnson."

"Good evening, Ms. Johnson. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you. It's great to be here and sitting with Kevin. It's my first time in this class so you'll need to help me with this seat, I think. It looks complicated."

Elizabeth smiled, "I'll be glad to."

The announcements were made and the massive plane took off on time, fully loaded, for the long flight to London Heathrow. It was scheduled to land at 7:35am GMT more than 14 hours later.

Erin gazed at Kevin. Reaching to take his hand, she said, "I'm glad I met you again. The last 24 hours have been very special."

"They have indeed. I've missed having a relationship with a woman and that feeling of excitement is now back. But there's 20 years difference in our ages. Can this possibly work?"

She joked, "Well, I've always wanted a father figure in my life." She flashed a sly grin.

"Gee, thanks." They chuckled.

"Of course it can work. Kevin, ages don't matter. You're not old and I'm not young. There are plenty of years ahead of us if we want to start down that path. For now, let's live for the moment and see where this goes. I feel very good about being with you. You excite me."

He smiled and gently squeezed her hand. "I've been thinking more and more about retirement and doing some other things before I die."

"Like what?"

"We've talked about my interest in photography and I'd like to pursue that, as a hobby of course. Just this past week, I purchased a house on the French Riviera that is just perfect for a quiet getaway. I want to spend time there with my camera. There's a wealth of history in that region, not to mention the wonderful restaurants."

"It's also one of the great beaches in the world. I was a swimsuit model and was in two shoots there about 15 years ago. We had a wonderful time in Nice."

"I also enjoy working with people and have been thinking about volunteering with some of the charities."

"I think that'd be a great thing for you. You could also travel with me and help with the shoots."

"Now that's a thought. I'd sure learn from you."

"I'll even give you a senior citizen discount."

"Wow, now I've got to do it." They smiled and Erin returned the gentle hand squeeze.

"How do you go about retiring when you own 40% of the company?"

"There are several ways of doing it. The simple way is to sell my shares to someone else. Or, being closely held like we are, the corporation itself may buy those shares and use them to reward our top employees down the road. Another way is to keep the shares, continue on the board but retire from the day-to-day operational role. A fourth way is to work with dad and my siblings to determine the future direction of the company and all act together... maybe even to find a buyer for the entire thing. We've had several suitors over the years but we weren't interested."

"Who started the company?"

"My dad. He was a research chemist at DuPont and his focus was plastics. After DuPont declined to pursue a couple of his developments, he bought the patent rights from them and went out on his own. That was in the 1960s. He found a couple of investors and built a small plant to further the development; and his products found a quick home in moldings for engineered applications."

"Those are the car parts you mentioned?"

"Yes, that's a good example. But we make product that can be molded into all types of end uses. We even sell waste and unsold, old batches for molded toys so we don't dispose of anything, to speak of."

"How did you come to own 40%?"

"Craftiness." Kevin smiled and Erin laughed.

She responded, "Please explain."

"Originally, my dad owned 90% and his two investors owned 5% each. As dad was getting older and planning for retirement, he sold 60% to us three children and even gave us the money to buy it. The company bought out the two investors. At that point, Trace, Jane and I each owned 20%. When it came time for dad to retire, we had a family meeting and I was chosen to run the company. After a few days of discussion, I offered to do it on the condition that Trace and Jane sell me half of their stock. In return, I agreed to a salary of only one dollar a year with the stock paying a nice guaranteed dividend to all owners. Trace and Jane were thrilled as that gave them a guaranteed stream of money from their holdings plus they would earn a nice salary for their work. Trace heads up production and Jane is in charge of marketing."

"That's neat. Your salary is nothing so you don't pay the huge tax rates on wages and your dividends are being taxed at a much lower rate."

"Exactly. Plus all my expenses are paid by the corporation."

"You are one sharp dude," Erin replied. "Why would you want to leave that behind?"

"To be with someone like you."

"Oh!" Erin didn't expect that and was quiet for a few seconds.

"Have you been looking a long time?" she asked.

"Only a couple of years. As the grief of losing Sarah eased, I realized my life was slowly evaporating before my eyes and I was very lonely. Even though I was with people all the time and working hard with our R&D, production staff and customers, it wasn't the relationship I had with her. I had many great friends but not the one I wanted the most."

"I know that feeling. When Rich and I divorced, I was initially relieved to have it over but then the loneliness set in. Sure, I had friends and stayed very busy, but it's not the same. I've missed genuine love. I wasn't made to be single and it's very hard."

"Have you dated much?"

"Yes, but that's even hard. I may be out of the country for a month at a time. When I come home, it's like starting over. Guys don't like that. Many of my dates end up as one-night deals that leave me even more frustrated."

"I feel the same way. I've dated several nice ladies and tried dating services a few times but nothing special happened. Many are looking for a sugar daddy and that turns me off."

"Rest assured, I'm not one of them," Erin replied. "I'm financially comfortable thanks to my work and the divorce settlement. That gives me the freedom to look for real love, not support."

Elizabeth returned and took their dinner orders. They wanted only a cheese tray to share with red wine and water. Dehydration is a big problem on the long flights so water was the drink of choice for most everyone on the flight. As they munched the tasty varieties offered, they continued to talk until the lights were lowered and the first movie came on. It wasn't long before Erin asked Elizabeth to help her with the seat adjustments. It made into a flat bed that was fairly comfortable with the pillows and blankets provided. Both settled down with earplugs and masks and tried their best to sleep.

****

Erin tossed and turned. The adrenalin from the discussions with Kevin was flowing through her. There was something very special about him and it both excited her and bothered her. She had learned from experience that if something seemed too good, then it was. She had always had to make compromises and accept less than perfection in relationships. Not once had she met someone like him and it made her uneasy, even suspicious.

Kevin pulled the blanket around him and tried to relax. Sleeping on a plane was always difficult with the noise level and ongoing work of the cabin crew. The flat bed-seat helped but it wasn't enough.

He thought about Erin. What were the odds of meeting her again half-way around the world? Even if both were in Singapore on the same day, what were the odds of them being in the same bar on the same evening?

He believed in miracles although the one he prayed for the most never happened. The cancer took her. She was ready to go and was very strong in her Christian beliefs. He had no doubt she was now in heaven and maybe looking down on him. Did she have anything to do with bringing he and Erin together? Maybe so. As Erin said, maybe she'll see the birth of her grandchild. He hoped that was true. He had prayed many times for the right partner to come into his life. Now he sees Erin again. Is she the answer to his prayers? It seemed too good to be true.