gliderboy
Well-Known Member
She was cute, and quite a bit younger than I. We were sitting on the only couch in the hotel lobby, waiting for our rooms. When she sat down next to me I could sense reluctance on her part, so I moved over to give her as much space as possible. I was going to say something to break the ice but thought better of it. Age has schooled me well in the ways of women. I had long since learned that if you want to strike up a conversation with a pretty girl the best thing you can do is ignore her. Besides, it had been a long day, and all I really wanted to do was get my room and hit the sack. Through the open foyer I looked out into a velvet night perfumed with plumeria and thought of other times. But when she turned to me and asked me where I worked, I thought for a moment and answered, “In the sky.”
She seemed puzzled by this and fell silent. Then, after a pause, “And what do you do in the sky?”
“Well, I deliver packages to people.”
This brought a wry smile to her face, as she could see that I was toying with her. And if there is anything that a pretty girl cannot stand it is not being taken seriously. She turned away, and we lapsed again into silence. But before very long her curiosity got the best of her. “What kind of packages?”
“Whatever people want,” I told her.
“How do you know what people want?”
“They write and tell me.”
She thought about this too for a bit, then asked, “Would you bring me what I want?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not you’re a good girl.”
“But how would you know if I’m a good girl?”
“Oh, I know.”
She frowned at this. “Well then, I guess I won’t be getting what I want.”
“Don’t be so sure. Most of us are better than we think.”
This seemed to put her mind at ease. She relaxed and moved closer to me. Her leg brushed against mine.
“Captain, your room is ready,” came the call from the front desk.
As I walked over to pick up my key a well-dressed woman came hurrying down the hallway towards the lobby. When she saw the girl she beckoned to her impatiently. The girl leapt up from the couch, ran towards the lady and exclaimed, “Mommy, Mommy, I just met Santy Claus!”
She seemed puzzled by this and fell silent. Then, after a pause, “And what do you do in the sky?”
“Well, I deliver packages to people.”
This brought a wry smile to her face, as she could see that I was toying with her. And if there is anything that a pretty girl cannot stand it is not being taken seriously. She turned away, and we lapsed again into silence. But before very long her curiosity got the best of her. “What kind of packages?”
“Whatever people want,” I told her.
“How do you know what people want?”
“They write and tell me.”
She thought about this too for a bit, then asked, “Would you bring me what I want?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not you’re a good girl.”
“But how would you know if I’m a good girl?”
“Oh, I know.”
She frowned at this. “Well then, I guess I won’t be getting what I want.”
“Don’t be so sure. Most of us are better than we think.”
This seemed to put her mind at ease. She relaxed and moved closer to me. Her leg brushed against mine.
“Captain, your room is ready,” came the call from the front desk.
As I walked over to pick up my key a well-dressed woman came hurrying down the hallway towards the lobby. When she saw the girl she beckoned to her impatiently. The girl leapt up from the couch, ran towards the lady and exclaimed, “Mommy, Mommy, I just met Santy Claus!”
