6

            "What seat do you have?" she asked.

            They compared tickets and were seated way apart.

            "We can change that," Chloe said, "The travel agent told me it would be no problem."

            "Let's go see," he said rising, inviting her with his eyes.

            At the counter they said not a problem, and asked for their tickets and passports.

             "Ms. Clhloe Fodor?"

             "Yes."

             "Mr. Sean Cain?"

             "Yes."

             Standing next to him leaning against the counter  gave her that feeling again of being with an old chum.  This was the same boy with whom she had sometimes exchanged rapid fire, witty, suggestive repertoires ?  Emails that had made her laugh giddily all day not  that long ago? Til one day a few months before the pilgrimage, she had caught sight of women doing the same with him, and  much more,  in the forum games, stuff they posted and on his wall. coming on to him in no sublet terms,  new women to the site rapidly expanding site. Whoa. The last thing she wanted was to be like any of them and immediately desisted. Let him teas her if he will, she would from now on be the straight-man... And here he was, inches from her, not doing a thing for the libido. But doing a lot for the id and ego. It felt like moving with her other, lost half. that none of her other guy pals made her feel. Nor had she carried on these daily witty repertoires online with any other guys either, whose emails eventually became banal and petered out. But not his. He always had a good comeback, a worthy  opponent . But who was she kidding, for aside from a few new friends from the inn and the hiking clubs, she did not have those pals she had had in Budapest two years ago,  never mind Nantucket, since she had moved to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. And this feeling of camaraderie clicking she had not had  since that affair of the heart in Budapest. And Robert, all those years back and forth between Nantucket and Boston, but she certainly was not going to think about him now.... Gal pals, real ones, she was forging a couple of friendships, but nobody who really made her cork float.. The ones she truly loved were scattered across the vast Americas, some in Europe, most married and lost, except for two women she kept in touch with online who were a saving grace. Sean, she knew he was still hurt by his ex from his lyrical hints online, and surmised he was experienced in online dating.The tickets were adjusted  quickly enough and within minutes they boarded the plane.

            She sat by the window and he sat down beside her with his looming mass. The arm rest was up so it was  like sitting on a couch. She examined his clothes now. Yep, Working class country boy, just like he'd said. Nice.Though she felt no erotic attraction to him whatsoever, it still felt comforting to have his body close, but not touching. She made a point of not looking at him, and when she did take a glance, as they were talking, between comfortable lull moments, it was like a shock evrey  time she glanced at him how strange he seemed to look, but that was probably the Irish look and she was just not used to it, and how like a Quasimodo he seemed each time she laid her eyes on him anew, but then he became cute, and then as you related to him, he became surprisingly quite attractive. She could see that sparkle of being pleased in her company in his face. They felt smooth in one another's company, as smooth as the plane taking off now toward Spain.
             Their course took them out over the Atlantic for several hours and then it curved left. An irregular, craggy coastline full of inlets, ridges, and mountains appeared below them. Galicia. They banked left, inland and were flying toward Santiago de Compostela somewhere below soon. And so what was she doing this Camino de Santiago for? 
             For though she might not be religious, she thought of herself as a Christian mystic and this invocation to James the Great was serious. What a blessing to be finally be able to do this pilgrimage, a dream of a lifetime. So which devils was shet to cast off her back? What direction did she envision her life heading? How could she be a better man?.
             

            At the airport they went to get his rucksack. Walking with him as he disappeared ahead now as if they were not together, she wondered suddenly with a downturn of mood how he expected to be treated. Would he expect to go off  during the day by himself, to exercise his "freedom" so that she'd have to make her own agenda?  But as  he turned to her when he got his pack,  his look was appreciative and by the time they were at the gates, she felt a sense of confidence they were friends. and all would be well.

            "Wait, do you know where we're going?" she asked stopping suddenly as they crossed the road. They had been chatting away as two kids and had been walking ahead mindlessly.

            "No" he said.

            Ahead was what looked like other drop off pick up areas and taxi parking. She looked back by the airport wall and saw the bus stops and people randomly querying up..

            "Over there, I think," she said and they turned and walked back. toward the terminal. But there were about two stops. When the first bus came up, he climbed in and asked, "Lugo?" and the driver pointed back  behind him saying something. So they went to the other stop.

            "I thought you spoke fluent Spanish?" she said.

            "What made you think that? I speak a little French."

            "Doesn't your brother own a villa on the south coast somewhere? I figured you came to Spain regularly."

            "No, it's a condo, a time share. I've only been to Spain once, for a couple of weeks." She knew he'd been in Spain the summer before.

            "And then I was in Majorca, not visiting my brother."

            "Ah, Majorca. I have friends that went there. It looks pretty nice."

            "The old town really is."

            The bus pulled up and as they stood up, he picked up her bag also on his shoulder and carried it to  the cargo area. opened the door, and put in their packs. This felt really nice to Chloe.As intended. As they were querying up he gave her some Euros and said, "say 'dos etradas por favor'." as if he were her brother or something

            

            She had her little change purse out and was gesticulating with it , not taking the money, but he gave an emphatic shake with his writ, and said, "You can get me back next time."