Okay, here we go with “Joe in Africa.”

He saw her coming his way as he looked up.

She was dressed nicely in a comfortable pants suit and a scarf wrapped around her throat. He noticed that skin on her face and above the scarf, under her chin. It was smooth and white. The passing of time had spared that skin that is so often damaged by years of sunlight. For perhaps the first time he noticed how attractive Charlene was.

He never took a second look at the women who worked in his office. He had been in a long standing relationship of over two years until a few months ago. There was no need to look at the young, attractive women that he worked among.

He had thought that he had found his soul mate and that part of his “man” brain that is always on the hunt for something had been quieted, as best it could be. He thought forever, but that was not to be.

But things had changed and he had noticed Charlene, but she had really had made the first move. He was, “always late to the party,” or so some of his friends had often said.

She was hard not to notice. She dressed rather plainly at the office but her clothes always looked expensive, or so the gossip was. They fit perfectly and she did look the best of the women around her most of the time. Joe tried not to notice things like that. What a woman wore or how much it cost seldom had crossed his mind of late.

He did notice whether a woman who fit his list of desirable characteristics, however. He wasn’t dead.

Joe was mesmerized as Charlene walked toward him. He tried to shake the image from the carnal part of his brain and put in the social contact area, but it was difficult.

Thousands of years had prepared his and every other man’s brain to put a woman in the possible conquest section of his brain at every first sight or meeting. There was no getting around that no matter how hard one might try.

Joe tried to think of something to say as she walked across the wide floor with the bright reflections of the lights shinning from overhead. She reached him after a long slow walk. Her hips had put him into a bit of a trance. It was beyond his control and Charlene knew it.

She knew men and what they wanted. The only difference among them was just how hard they would work or how much they would give up to get what made the world “go round.”

“How are you Charlene? Nice to see you here so early before the flight. I was getting worried. It’s my nature. I know you are quite early, but I was starting to wonder where you might be.” Joe tried top stop talking long ago but hadn’t been successful.

Charlene thought his jabbering was cute. “Joe was a different man out of the office, that was for sure,” she thought. He seemed in complete control at work but here he was now showing his weaker side. It pleased her. “This may be easier than I had thought.”

“Was your ride her satisfactory?” “Satisfactory,” she wondered. “An odd choice of words,” she thought. “I see snow starting to fall outside.”

Charlene let go of the handle to her expensive carry on bag and sat very close to Joe. He slid away instinctively.

“Joe, were on vacation now. The office rules are a little more relaxed. We agreed upon that.” “Yes, sorry Charlene, old habits die hard.” “Yes they do Joe, and I understand.”

Charlene did understand. She was a tough, smart woman and all her former lovers would admit to that. She was a great catch as long as you let her have her way. She was a generous lover and would do most anything that one might expect and perhaps a few things that one might not.

She wondered of once she had Joe in control if he would come around and take a few chances. Sadly, he didn’t look like one who took many chances in life.

She knew he had taken at least on chance on his ex fiance. So that was a plus on his side of the ledger. The rest might be up to Charlene to bring out in him. If it was deep in there to bring out. He was a man after all, and so it surely was in there somewhere.

“Did you come by cab or subway Joe?” I came by subway. It was starting to snow and I didn’t want to miss the plane by an accident or something out of my control. The weather seems to be turning for the worse.” “Yes, the roads are getting slippery out there Joe.” “That’s what I like about the subway, it never snows down there.”

Joe and Charlene talked for two hours waiting for their flight to arrive. Time passed quickly for the both of them.

Joe kept up with her in several conversations that covered many topics. He wasn’t stupid, no doubt about that. He seemed willing to talk about most anything as they sat and watched countless people shuffle over the thin carpet carrying small bags and larger boxes out through the gates to their destinations.

Joe and Charlene talked about new York restaurants, the theater, which he seemed to enjoy and about the various museums around the city. Joe seemed to be a well rounded fellow. Museums seemed to be his favorite. “No problem,” Charlene thought. “At least we can do that when the weather is bad in the city. Cheap entertainment with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.”

They talked about childhood dreams and the interesting realities that followed.

There were few lulls in the conversation. There was no doubt that they would and could have some great conversations over the next few weeks of this work, slash, vacation. But could Joe keep this up for fifty years?

They talked like this until the arrival of more travelers and the noise they bring made conversation all most impossible. They were both glad that they had arrived at the airport early when it was as quiet as a library and they could talk and get sense of each other out of the office. It had worked nicely.

Then the loud speaker that few can understand announced arrivals and departures for what seemed like half an hour. Their plane number and Kigali was mentioned and somehow Charlene understood the words flung out with static and no spaces between them.

“Perhaps I’ll see you on the plane Joe. I’m in group one.” “Oh, Great Charlene,” Joe said quietly, understanding what that ment. “I’m in group four. It’s a long walk up to your section if I can even get into it.” “I’m sorry Joe, I used some points for an upgrade,” she lied. “I assumed you flew first class.”

“No, the company only does business class now and then. It’s been a rather lean year so I”m flying on a budget. But since I’m flying alone now, no use splurging on just myself.”

“Don’t worry about that Joe. I think you’ll find someone very soon, when you’re least expecting it. I can feel it in my bones.” That’s just Fall, Charlene.” “No, you’ll see Joe. That’s how it usually works, or so I’ve been told. I’m alone too Joe. You’ll get used to it soon enough.

That’s how we are made, I think.” Joe nodded his head as he watched a large plane left off of the runway and slowly climb up and out of sight.

“Let’s get together in Istanbul during our layover Joe. We can have a few drinks and lay out a plan that will make our “working vacation” a success. “The’s a great idea. I have a few ideas for my travel book I’d like to run past you. I’ve been thinking of this book a good deal lately.” “Sure Joe, that’s what I’m here for, she smiled.

It will be a trip of a lifetime Joe, I promise.

——————————————————————————————————

So, there you go. Another installment of “Joe in Africa.”

I have more written, but I’m not going to give it to you all at once. Like Charlene, I’m playing it a bit coy.

Hey, this isn’t as easy as it seems.

Don’t forget to check into my books on Kindle if nothing else. Or you might even dig deep and buy one of my many novels available on Amazon and Audible.