Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2020 13:12:36 +0000 From: Alain Mahy Subject: Robin and I 1 Please, don't forget to donate to Nifty as to keep this site free : https://donate.nifty.org/ The plane was about to land at the destination I had chosen. Four hours flight were more than enough for me. I actually chose my destinations according to the hours I had to be on the plane. Everything that was over the four hours was automatically banned from my list, except if it was for work, but that didn't happen that much. The cabin crew was busy with the pre-landing check. I enjoyed the view as two of the cabin crew were guys and I supposed the airline chose their crews on good looks. It was a feast for the eye. Even their uniforms were made to accentuate their assets. Tight fitting trousers and shirts that were as a second skin, made those guys look absolutely fabulous. To top it all off, they had really enticing smiles and both had blue eyes where you could get lost in. One was clean-shaven and the other had a very neatly trimmed beard of about three days. Very attractive indeed! It was incredible how people didn't listen to the instructions that said to stay seated till the engines stopped. The aisle was suddenly full of people who were in a hurry to leave the plane as if there was a fire in the back galley. I preferred to stay seated and have the rush of people go by. I was in no hurry and even less when the two stewards were looking at me with smiley faces. I wouldn't have mind to stay awhile longer and engage in some conversation with the two hunks, but it was impossible. I took my hand-luggage from the overhead bin and reluctantly exited the plane after shaking both their hand. The bearded one held my hand a bit longer than for politeness purposes while looking me straight in the eyes. Looking straight? No, definitely not! My gaydar was still working at a hundred percent and I had no doubts about his sexual orientation. Just a pity I couldn't get better acquainted with him. Maybe I would have to allow myself on longer flights to get to know the cabin crew... or maybe chose night flights when available. Anyway, I disembarked and followed the flow of people to baggage claim. There again, they were pressed on each other as if their luggage was going to fly away. I waited at the a careful distance and saw my luggage pass by, but I couldn't get to it with all the people drumming around the carousel. It seemed they all wanted to be out of the airport first. What's the use? They were probably all on holiday. Shouldn't they have left the stress and the worries at home? I really had problems understanding people and even less when I saw how they were acting. I was on holiday and it was not five minutes more or less that would change anything. I guess I am a patient person. Once through customs and baggage claim, I hoped I would find the person responsible for my transport to the hotel. The travel agency had promised there would be someone with a board with my name on it. Indeed, a very nice looking young man held a board above his head and so I knew where to go to. He was friendly and helped me with my luggage towards a waiting car. I was soon on my way to the hotel and had a very talkative driver. Unfortunately, my knowledge of foreign languages is equal to zero and I didn't understand a word of what he was saying. The only thing I understood was "quince minutos" and I guessed that was the necessary time to reach my hotel. It was indeed and I was immediately greeted by a friendly lady at the reception desk, who asked me to fill in a client card and gave me the key-card to my room. While she was doing that, the crew of the plane arrived at the reception as well. That could open possibilities... I didn't remember clearly what they had said at the travel agency but I was pleasantly surprised to be in a junior-suite with marvelous views to the sea. There was a bottle of white wine chilling in a bucket; courtesy of the hotel with a welcome card as well as the hours at which the meals would be served. I unpacked my bags and changed into more suitable clothes according to the setting sun. I had about an hour before dinner would be served and I thought that a drink before the meal was a good idea. It would also allow me to discover the hotel a bit more and see where all the amenities were located, such as swimming pool and gym. The hotel was not huge and there was a very pleasant atmosphere. Fortunately for me, it was an adult-only hotel. It was not that I didn't like children, but during my holidays I didn't want to have them around. In the bar of the hotel there were quite a lot of people gathered around the television screen. It seemed that we were going to enter a total lockdown due to a virus that was spreading very fast: Covid-19. Oh my! I just hoped that it was just an alarm panic and that it wouldn't be as bad as what I heard on television. I spotted the crew of my plane at the far end of the bar. They were all looking at the television and were clearly worried about what was going to happen. From what I understood, they were supposed to stay just one night before flying back but there was suddenly no certainty anymore. Airlines were expecting more news as to what they would be allowed to do and what not. There was a kind of indignation among the crowd that it was impossible to oblige people to stay where they were. Most of them just wanted to fly back home on the scheduled date. I am a doctor and couldn't understand the panic that was being created. From the first information I got, it looked like yet another kind of flu. Each year there are thousands of deaths because of the flu. Why was it necessary to call for a lockdown. In my humble opinion it was a foolish decision if it was only for health's purposes. Maybe there was some political reasons behind it. That was my first impression and I always believe my first impressions. Call it intuition if you want, but that is how I am wired. From the end of the bar, the nice-looking steward was winking at me quite blatantly. I smiled. I thought that I wouldn't mind having that guy in my arms and in my bed. The mere idea got me excited. Once again I was thinking about lust and lust only. I had sworn to forget about that pure sexual activity with strangers. What I wanted was to find someone I felt connected to, with whom I could have feelings with the goal to build something more serious with a look to the future. With my job I had very few occasions to flirt or to hit on someone. It was obvious that I kept my private life completely separated from my professional side, although I had had more than one patient hitting on me, being it man or woman. I have to admit that sometimes it was really hard to say no, but I did it. The problem in fact was that I was convinced that in a relationship, sex was very important. If two people were not sexually compatible, there was very little chance the relationship would work, depending if one or both were sexually very active or with a high sex-drive. At the moment of meeting someone, it was almost normal to try out that aspect before engaging in a serious relationship. That was the point where I felt being a slut, although I wasn't. I had not had that much sexual partners, just enough to acquire experience and to know what I liked or not. It was also obvious that quite a lot of people confounded love and lust and it was true that the limit between these two concepts was a very thin line or border. As I looked at the steward of the plane, I realized it was clearly lust. I didn't know him or anything about his life. It was a fact that the first impression goes through the eyes. I think it is very difficult to fall in love with someone you don't find attractive. The ones who think that the beauty is inside, whatever they mean with it, still have a lot of illusions. The VERY first impression, as I said, goes through the eyes, point final and that steward had caught my eye without the slightest doubt. I imagined myself having him in my arms and kiss him and do the necessary to both reach orgasm. Apart from that, my rational mind told me that we would probably have little future together. Just the fact that he was blatantly winking at me, indicating he would be willing to join me in my room, told me he was part of the ones searching for just sexual satisfaction. I could be wrong, of course, but his global attitude told me that. I went to the hotel's restaurant where a stylish Maitre D led me to a table of two as they had no single's tables. It was only a few minutes later that the same Maitre D asked me if I would mind to have a dinning partner as the restaurant was full. I agreed and half expected a woman to be seated in front of me. I couldn't believe my eyes when it was the hunky steward of the plane sitting down. We introduced ourselves and that's how I learned his name : Robin. -How come that you are not sitting with your colleagues ? I asked. -It's easy... were are seven crew members and the restaurant has tables of maximum six persons. It is not the first time it happens. I volunteered to sit somewhere else. I see that this time I am lucky. -How so ? -I prefer to sit with an attractive man. He didn't beat around the bush, that was sure. At the same time I felt flattered. At least I knew there was a physical attraction between us, according to his latest comment. I wanted to let him know the attraction was indeed mutual. -You are not looking bad either, I said with a smile. That induced an easiness in the conversation that followed, where the main subject was what had been said on television about the lockdown. -For the moment there is no lockdown for us. We will go on working as there are thousands of people out of their own country and who will want to go home as soon as possible. There is a lot of chance that we will fly out to wherever it is, with an empty plane and just load passengers to fly back. According to our Captain, quite a lot of Embassies contacted us to bring back people to their homeland. I expressed my opinion about it, being it really exaggerated and that never before it had been done for a flu. He did agree with me although he didn't know what was all behind these catastrophically insane scenarios that governments were announcing. Once we had agreed on that subject, Robin went over to more personal questions that I answered in total honesty. I just didn't say I was a doctor, but rather that I was working in health care, which was not a lie. Robin was blunt enough to ask me if I had a boyfriend. -No, I don't ! It seems that my Mr Right is hiding from me. It is true that with my work schedules it is difficult for most people to even try to know me, let alone start a relationship with me. Sometimes I feel a stranger in my own house as I pass more time working than being at home. -I know what you mean, Robin answered, as I have the same problem. I tried several times to build something with someone, but the main thing was that they didn't trust me... with the fame we have as cabin crew. That fame is not justified. I can tell you that. After a flight with stop-over, we just want to grab something to eat and go to bed as to be well rested for the flight the next day. A few air-hostesses and other flying personnel are indeed promiscuous and bed down as much as they can. These are the people who gave a bad reputation to our profession. -Does that mean that if I ask you for a let drink in my room, you would refuse? He smiled. -I would indeed as I never go to bed with someone on a first date. That is if we can call this a date. It is not that I wouldn't like it, but I have basic principles. I was happy with his answer which indicated he was serious and just like me wanted to know the person he would eventually go to bed with. He raised in my esteem. We had coffee at the bar where we continued our conversation, giving out more and more information about ourselves. At 12 sharp, he got up and said goodnight as he had that early flight in the morning. I couldn't let him go just like that and gave him my cellphone number. He returned the favor and off he went, promising to call or text. My problem was that I had been in company of a gorgeous man all night. On top of that he was intelligent and with good principles and values. Yes, I was horny like never before. I could see myself wanting to know him more and more and, of course, crossing my fingers that sex would be wonderful. For the first time in many years I sincerely hoped we would meet again and... who knows ... maybe even get further than a one-night-stand. From the few things I knew about Robin, I was convinced we had a mental connection, that we were on the same wave length. I was thinking about already sending him a text, when my phone told me I had received one. "Thank you for the lovely evening. We'll keep in touch" I couldn't help myself to send a message back. "The feeling is reciprocal. We definitely have to stay in contact" I had to smile. The feelings were a two-way street where we met in the middle. A few minutes later, I received another message. "You better cut your holiday short. We're submerged with that Covid thing" That was not coming from Robin I realized. It was from Randy, a colleague of mine at the medical center we were running. I called him immediately. He updated me about what happened in the last 24 hours since I left. He called it a total chaos after the announcement of the lockdown. It was 12:15am and he had just closed the door of the medical center. My God ! I couldn't leave him alone in that panic situation. Just like me, he couldn't understand this panic as he as well was convinced it was just a flu, but the waiting room at our center had been full all day. As it was, I thought that my tour-operator and the embassy would both have people answering the phone after the disastrous announcements on television. I was right and could change my return flight for the next morning. The only positive thing about it was that Robin would be on that flight. I didn't look forward to cutting my holidays short, but I had what is called "professional consciousness". I went back to my room after warning the reception desk that I was leaving in the morning. I packed my bag, leaving out what I would wear the next morning. Before going to bed, I sent a message to Robin. "Flying back with you in the morning" I didn't receive an answer and guessed he was already asleep. I laid down, naked, between the sheets and switched off the light. I thought I had been sleeping about five minutes when I heard my alarm clock. I got up, showered and dressed and went down for breakfast. Robin was already leaving the restaurant when I arrived. We smiled at each other. His colleagues went on to retrieve their luggage and Robin waited till they were out of sight. Then he unexpectedly kissed me on the lips. -See you on the plane... When I boarded the plane, Robin had upgraded me to business class without me knowing it. From where I was seated, I could see him being busy in the front galley. I had taken him to be just another steward on the plane, but realized he was the purser and thus the chief of cabin. Whenever he had a free moment, he came over to me to talk, but he was often interrupted. What I remembered of the snippets of conversations was "I dreamt of you" and "I want you". The message was as clear as water. He surreptitiously touched me whenever he could, caressing my hand, squeezing my shoulder and so on. I wanted to kiss him. Of course I couldn't. He was at his job after all and even if it was well known that there were a lot of gays in his profession, it was neither the time nor the place for public signs of affection. During the four-hours flight I had a hard-on most of the time and I didn't do anything to hide it. Robin was a good observer and when he saw it, he winked discretely at me. For once I wouldn't have minded that the flight was longer. After landing, I got my luggage and found my car on the huge parking lot and drove directly to the medical center. The place was packed. Randy and Roberta, our secretary, were totally overwhelmed. This was insane. I soon realized that more than half the people who were waiting to see us, came to get some answers about that "deadly" virus. I made Roberta print out the number the government had given, where people could receive the necessary information, and hang it up in the waiting room. Then I went to the waiting room myself and addressed the people there, explaining them there was no need to wait for Randy or me. I gave out some general information according to what previous patients had asked me. When I was finished about a third of the people in the waiting room left. As the government warned that surgical masks would be obligatory, I sent Roberta to the pharmacy to buy a good stock. The rush for these masks had not started yet and so she was lucky to be able to buy what we needed. Fortunately for us, there was only one person who had all the symptoms at high level and we called an ambulance to take him away as those were the instructions we had received. We received more and more instructions and were even advised to close the center and attend the patients by phone. It seemed absurd to have a medical center closed while in a health crisis. What was going on ? The political world did everything they could to scare people to death. A total lockdown and surgical masks had to prevent a so-called deadly virus to spread... A surgical mask (that is basically a paper mask) ? Really ? Even in science-fiction films about deadly viruses they made more sense ! It made me angry ! But in all that madness, there were a few sunshines as well and one of them were certainly the messages that I received from Robin who insisted that we should meet. With the lockdown we knew we couldn't, but I mentioned in one of my messages to him that I was a doctor. "Great ! They can't forbid me to go and see my doctor !" He was right. The comments and feedback is what makes us want to go on writing for you. Let us know what you think about the story and even make suggestions at amahy1957@gmail.com To be continued...