Mile High Club

“Sheila! You’ve forgotten your bag!”

Jen smiled. Hearing the Australian accent immediately lightened her mood. She looked around for someone named Sheila, but she was the only female nearby.She saw two tall, handsome, tanned men looking at her with big smiles on their faces.

“Excuse me!” the cutest one said. “Is this your bag?”

“Oh, it is thanks. Where did I leave it?”

“At that last counter.”

Her tired eyes became very shiny as she focused on the young men. “Thank you. My name is Jen,” she said and held out her hand.

Both men stood tall, relaxed, and self-assured.

“G’day I’m Brolga,” the cute one replied in a heart melting Australian accent. “I’m here with me mate Richard. We’re from Australia.”

“I can tell by your accent.” Things were looking better by the minute.

Brolga was three to four inches taller than she. He had a sharp shock of strawberry blonde hair and freckles sprinkled all over his face. Richard looked to be five-foot-nine. They wore heavy hiking boots and warm flannel shirts with Levi jeans.

“How yer going? I’m Richard,” stated the other fellow with the hat still perched on his head. That made Jen giggle. Richard had wine bottle corks dangling freely, happily, and haphazardly from the brim of his hat. The entire effect was comical. Every time he moved his head the corks would hesitate a moment before being yanked along with the movement of the cap.

“What are those corks for?” she asked afraid to call them dingle balls lest she offend the fellow.

“This here’s a cork hat. These corks here keep the flies and bugs away,” he replied matter-of-factly. He removed his hat as he straightened up to shake hands with Jen. He had black hair and was thinner than Brolga.

“Where are you headed, Jen?”