Day 6: Holiday travels
For the umpteenth time, Alfred checked the time on his phone. Still another hour left.
Across the aisle, seated on an equally uncomfortable airport seat, was some other passenger, presumably waiting for the same flight as him. In the seven hours Alfred had been waiting, the other man had barely moved. Occasionally a page turned, a leg crossed, uncrossed, sometimes he would reach for a tea tumbler and take a sip. He was some sort of avid reader, being on his third book without a break in between.
This wasn't the first time Alfred had considered interrupting him, and instigating a conversation. His two hours of infinite Candy Crush lives had run out and he just didn't have the patience to read a book. He drummed his hands on his lap, softly humming some mainstream pop tune and nodding his head. His foot tapped to keep the beat.
Alfred's gaze had shifted to stare out the window, at the light dusting of snow and planes taking off to reunite families, separate quarrelling lovers, and take lonely travellers off to exotic new locations. It was really quite romantic, the holiday season.
Alfred continued his actions, effectively perfecting the art of being a one man band.
"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me."
The beat faltered when the avid reader across from Alfred opened his mouth. His book was now closed, and his attention was focussed on Alfred.
"Well? Continue on, lad, I don't see anything else around here who can drum."
He was British. If hadn't Alfred hadn't already been attracted (disregarding his sly stolen peeks between Candy Crush moves), he most certainly was now.
The beat resumed, Alfred shifting the beat to suit his singer.
"Too late, my time has come." Smooth vocals filled the boarding gate. "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?"
No one would have expected the uppity Brit dressed in stylish high end designer clothing looking very much like a graduated upper class boarding school brat to be a natural rock singer.
Later, Alfred would learn his singer, a Lord Arthur Kirkland, was the son of the 6th Marquess of Oxford with a budding career as a tenor and was on his way to America for a stint in Juilliard.