This is not only the first story I've ever posted, it's the first one I've ever written. I had a great time writing it and hope you enjoy it... please let me know if you like it and I'll keep posting!
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A single traveler fumbled with an itinerary as he traversed the moving walkway leading to Norfolk International's Concourse A. The last time was here was over two years ago, a memory he was currently dwelling on. The airport was much busier then, and it seemed even more crowded with everyone's attention focused on his desert camouflage as he walked through the concourse. Everywhere he looked the ladies were smiling at him, young boys were saluting him, and men nodded their approval and silent thanks as he proudly marched his way towards gate A12, the same gate he was destined to travel to tonight. He could have had anything the airport offered for free he remembered saying to himself, including his choice at the beautiful locals that blushed as he returned their smiles. At the time, he settled for a beer at the sports bar and enjoyed the last hour of English television he'd be able to see for a while; there were a lot of things he used to do differently back then.
A grumble ahead of him fast forwarded time two years in an instant, "your driver's license is expired sir." He looked down at his Florida driver's license and tried to read through the glaring hologram of the great Florida seal that covered his vital information. He read his name and address well enough, but late as it was he couldn't figure out where it said it expired, perhaps sensing the frustration the agent continued, "it expired at the end of last month sir. Do you have another I.D?" A month ago this wouldn't have been a problem, a quick flash of a military badge would have him through this check point in a second; how different life outside of the Navy was proving to be. It took a few minutes to convince the TSA Agent that he was indeed recently returned from overseas and without a military ID since his service ended only two weeks prior; perhaps it was the late hour of the meeting or his convincing argument, but moments later he was sitting at his gate and staring out into the night.
His thoughts trailed back to the last time he sat in front of A12. He carried only one green sea bag with him then, which allotted him very little space for personal effects. Between uniforms and traveling necessities, he only carried a flip book with some photographs of his family, a copy of his favorite book, and an old toy compass, which had somehow found itself in his hands once again. It was a small, cheap, and seldom pointed North, or any single direction at all for that matter, but he valued it more than anything else in the world. "It's so you can always find your way home" came a soft whisper from the depths of his mind. He was suddenly filled with the warmth of a beautiful memory, and some small measure of hope for his future; the last two years of his life were a greater cost to his humanity than he was ever willing to lose.
He looked around the concourse for any familiarity and found nothing. The sports bar he had visited the last time he was here was now a Starbucks, and from the looks of it he figured it must have closed hours ago, just like everything else in the airport beyond the realm of A12 at this hour of the evening. From the looks of the gate area he was going to be one of maybe two dozen passengers on this flight, should be plenty of window seats at least he thought to himself. He took a seat overlooking the tarmac and quickly discarded the Sky Mall he stole off his last flight, opting instead to read a three week old Newsweek he found beneath his chair.
Outside the light rainfall was suddenly overwhelmed with the roar of a pair of turbine engines. As the 757 approached the gangway, its lights bombarded the sleeping travelers slouched in various positions and signaled that it was time to wake up. Shortly thereafter, a small crowd gathered by the ticket counter and business men and women now eagerly awaited an uncomfortable chair to continue their restless sleep. Kevin stood up and stretched his arms and legs in every direction before putting his compass away and sitting back down; lines were not something he was going to deal with at 1:00am.
As the line dwindled away before him, the slender figure of a young brunette came into view just across the aisle. She wore a grey business suit that was modest, but offered enough to let your imagination run with what was hidden beneath it. Enjoying the view immensely, Kevin's eyes began to caress every curve of her body. After two years traveling the desert, women were something of a rare commodity, and Kevin hadn't quite adjusted his senses to seeing one like this very often. He started at her left foot, which she had extended out into the aisle leading her leg over the right, which was tucked tightly beneath. As she thumbed through her magazine she slowly bounced her foot ever so slightly to the beat of an unknown song she must have been listening to on her headphones; Kevin watched closely as her toes danced up, down, back, and forth. The movement encouraged his eyes to dare upward to the seat of her chair, where each slight of her leg pushed against her skirt, slowly sliding the soft fabric higher and higher. By the look of crease in her side, it must have been some time since she last adjusted herself; Kevin wondered how much longer this display would go on. The skirt was cut just above the knees and low enough to remain professional, but too high to completely cover the top of her black nylons in this position, which were now sneaking their way into view under the retreating skirt. The exposed skin radiated an aura of sexuality that completely engulfed his senses, whether or not she could see him was suddenly no longer a concern.
Kevin's gaze searched every inch of her legs before moving upwards again. Her suit top matched her skirt's color; nicely accented by a turquoise blouse three buttons shy of reaching their neckline destination. He watched her chest push against her suit with each breath, barely exposing the thin straps of a black bra near her shoulders where the blouse now lifted freely from her chest. Her breasts were full and round, but not excessive by any standards; he contemplated her cup size for a moment. At last her neck and face came under the assault his eyes had started what seemed hours before. Her complexion was darker than her legs, but natural just the same; everything about this girl seemed to be natural. Her hair flowed long and dark around her neckline, tucked neatly behind her right ear but flowing free around her left. And last but not least, he looked at her eyes... dark brown, beautiful, and very aware of the man across the aisle looking at her.
Speaking in a language without words or sounds, she let him know that his intrusion was not appreciated. She closed her magazine, put away her headphones, and boarded the plane with a very audible sigh as she stepped away from her chair while Kevin sat for a moment and considered what had just happened. He was interrupted by the woman at the ticket counter pointing to the clock, suggesting his immediate seating was required. Not overly anxious to end up in line behind the woman he had just offended in an even more awkward situation in the gangway, he took his time gathering his belongings before heading through the gate.