"I know the plane is almost empty up here, but I really do hate to sit
by myself. Do you mind?"

Of course I didn’t and quickly made room for her to get by. She brushed my knees with her legs as she slid past me and I felt an electric shock shoot up my body. I watched her as she put her carry- ons under the seat and settled herself. She was beautiful, sultry. Now, I know that I’m pretty, but there are some (though probably only a few) men and women who don’t find my blue eyes and golden hair
appealing. This girl, though, was something else: irresistible. Everybody falls in love with a girl like this, including me.

As she was getting settled, I introduced myself and asked her name. She said it was Ashley. She said that with an infectious, impish smile that made me laugh for some reason. We chatted for a while as the plane taxied and finally took off. I told her about the conference and a little about my research. Ashley, in turn, told me that she had been visiting her dad (her parents had divorced years before.) He was a rock-n-roll legend of some kind, who had settled in Los Angeles after he retired from touring and started his own production company. She was heading back to Manhattan and her mom who had moved there a couple years before when she remarried a rich lawyer who taught at one of the universities in the city. Ashley teased me about all the things I had missed in Los Angeles by not having time to sightsee; I thanked her for rubbing salt in my wounds! I knew we were
going to get along.

After about thirty minutes or so, the last three days started to catch
up with me, and as attractive as I found the woman sitting next to me, the thought of some sleep was even more appealing. So, when one of the stewardesses (Paulette, very cute) came by, I asked her for pillows and blankets for the two of us. When they appeared a couple of minutes later, I told Ashley I was going to get a little rest. She said wanted to read for a while and asked if I minded having her reading light on. I told her nothing could keep me awake and in a few minutes, I was out.