Strangers

“So, are you more nervous or...umm, excited?”

Harvey Benson heard the disembodied voice a few seats to his left and sighed. ‘No one wants to hear every detail of your conversation. Turn your phone down a little and I promise you, you’ll still hear it.’ Now a laugh and reply.

“I think I answered that question yesterday and before I left hun.”

Benson glanced to his side and saw the speaker was a girl, probably in her early 20’s with her dark hair in soft curls, wearing jeans and a black hoody with gray and crimson letters emblazoned across the front which Harvey supposed was a declaration of her university of choice. He saw the woman grin as the voice was next heard saying,

“Look woman, you answered different both times! So here’s your last chance. Are you excited?”

By now Benson could see the young woman fighting to hold in her laughter, lest she disturb those around her. From what he had heard of her so far she sounded as though she might be of southern origins, though it was hard to say how long ago she had left Dixie Land.

“Maybe,” she giggled and uncrossed her legs to lean forward in the plastic seat.

Harvey grimaced at the sound but continued to listen, beginning to get interested in this conversation. Just who was this southern belle talking to?

“Don’t lie, tell me.”

Now the voice’s tone had changed, becoming something softer, more liquid than before. The Dixie girl’s cheeks coloured and with a side glance at Benson,she said in a quieter voice, “Yes Griegg, I’m excited. But by the time I get there I’ll be so nervous I’ll be shaking.”

Got where? Harvey knew the plane they would both be boarding shortly would take them to Cleveland and be his final stop. But what of her? Maybe she was going back South for the summer holidays and would be meeting family there, perhaps a brother or uncle. Caught up in his own musings, Benson missed this Griegg Fellow’s next

comment. But whatever it was it made the woman laugh again and say,

“I’m not that excited you dirty old man!”

‘Ooh. Well then, that certainly answers a few things.’ Harvey thought amusedly and raised his copy of the local paper to hide a smile. Ah, young love; so sweet, so raunchy. Now the question was whether she was traveling to meet him or if he was back home. That was answered though as the woman asked a few of her own questions.

“Is Brian gonna be able to give you a ride to the airport or are you takin’ a cab?”

Alright so she was meeting him...

“Actually with there being no school in the summer, Trent is off work for a while and offered to pick you up.”

Silence. Benson didn’t know who this Trent guy was but he was sure Dixie wouldn’t be happy about it. After a moment his thoughts were confirmed when she fairly shrieked-

“WHAT? Trent is picking me up?! So are you just too lazy or too cheap to come get me yourself?!”

As she quieted though, the sound of laughter could be heard on the other end of the line. More than one person’s laughter in fact and a new voice could now be heard on the phone.

“Heeeey Elle. Don’t be too mad at this old man, you know what an ass he can be.”

Benson could only guess that this new arrival was the infamous Trent.

“Trent, you’re an even dirtier old man than Griegg is and you’re an ass too so I don’t think you have any room to talk. So tell me, who’s meeting me at the airport, really? And for the love of God, take the phone off speaker!”

Again the laughter on the line soon joined by Dixie’s, or Elle’s, own laughter.

“We’ll both be there - Griegg, ‘cause he’s the one you’re coming all this way to see, me ‘cause you two are gonna need a ride home and to keep you from boinking like rabid weasels right there in the airport.”

“Thanks for bein’ a chaperone. All right, the plane’s here and boarding will start any minute. I’ll see ya’ll when we land, okay?”

Harvey missed the other two’s good byes but caught Elle’s smile as she clicked her phone shut. Her eyes slid over to him and the smile disappeared.

“So do you always listen to people’s conversations?” she asked, sending an impressive glare in his direction.

“When I can hear every bleedin’ word from 3 meters away and the pet name “Dirty Old Man” comes up a few times, I’m bound to be a bit interested.”

Benson stood and picked up his bag as he finished and walked towards the door, his boarding pass held ready in front of him. Elle stood up quickly and followed behind him. Passing into the plane she checked her ticket to see where her seat was.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Look, I don’t know where you get off lecturing me, you’re the one eavesdropping.”

Her annoyance was understandable: next to her window seat was Harvey Benson- the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

“Yes, well I did want to apologize for that. But you must understand that your phone was incredibly loud. And then there was the pet name and in general just an overall fascinating study of human interaction, from a distance at least. But I digress. I was wondering if I could ask you a few things, not too personal but just to get a better view of the whole situation, you see.”

Standing to let her pass, Harvey waited for Elle to say something. After a few

moments of silence passed he looked pointedly at her.

“What? Oh, umm, I guess I’ll accept that as a fitting enough apology. And you can go ahead and ask these questions of yours, it’ll make the flight a bit more interesting. But nothin’ too personal, you hear?”

With a sigh, Elle settled into her seat and watched as Harvey did the same. Honestly she was curious about these questions he had and felt a little bad about snapping at him earlier.

“Alright, firstly I suppose we should get to know each other a little better to help the whole process along,” Benson started and extended his hand for her to shake. “My name’s Harvey Benson and I am a professor of psychology at a small university in Liverpool. I’m on my way to Cleveland for a lecture on a new branch of study on the way people interact over long distances, so you can understand my interest in your situation. I’ll be in town for a little over a week. How about you?”

“Me? My name’s Elizabeth Pandric. Most folks just call me Elle or Ella though. I’m going to be a freshman at Indianapolis University this fall and I’m on my way to Cleveland to stay with friends for about a week before then.”

“Alright, fair enough. So I guess my first question, if you’ll answer it, is what sort of friends these are. Family friends? Church friends? School friends?” Professor Benson asked. While he talked he had pulled his laptop from its bag, set it up, and begun typing up a few things. “I hope you don’t mind if I take a few notes, I’d like to use this situation as an example in one of my classes. All names will, of course, be changed.”

“Umm, I guess not. Now, don’t think badly of me when I tell you what sort of friends these are,” Elle replied.

At this, the professor’s eyebrows raised a fraction and Ella looked down.

“I hope there’ll be no illegality involved in this visit. You seem like a nice enough girl.”

Harvey Benson was an older gentleman, rapidly approaching 65, and so he knew the follies of youth and how, at the time, such foolish ideas seemed perfectly rational. At the mention of illegality Elle looked back up at him.

“Well no sir, not exactly. I mean, not anymore at least. This group of friends I’m going to meet…well we first met online…and so we got to chatting…then we called each other. It only started with me and Griegg- the ‘dirty old man’ as I call him. Then he introduced me to some of his friends, his brother too. Trent is one of those friends, his best friend actually. Brian, the one I thought we would be riding with, is his brother. I’ve known Griegg for about 2 years and this is the first time I’m going to see him, so you can understand his comment on my nervousness.”

At every mention of Griegg, Elle smiled a bit and Harvey thought he was beginning to see what was going on.

“Go on, this doesn’t sound that bad,” he encouraged her.

Laughing, Elle continued her story, “Not yet at least. Anyways, when I had known him for about 6 months I realized how I, umm…felt, if you know what I mean.”

‘Aahh, so here’s the conflict’ Benson thought, but he said “If I may hazard a guess, I would say he didn’t feel the same way. Am I right?”

The professor now saw her look away again and thought she might be crying. But when she looked back her eyes seemed perfectly dry, though troubled.

“Not exactly, no. He had been in a couple relationships that had ended badly and left him… well, not exactly bitter but incredibly pessimistic and cautious about putting himself out there again. Jaded, I guess you could say. And then there’s the reason he’s my Dirty Old Man. Ya see, when we first started talking I was about 16 and Griegg was…” here Ella mumbled something so quietly Benson strained to hear but still couldn’t quite catch what she said.

“How old?”

She sighed and looked at him, begging for the understanding she didn’t think she’d find. “25." As she continued talking she got faster and faster as though making sure she could get it all out before giving Harvey a chance to judge her. "He said once or twice that if I hadn’t told him I was 16 he would have guessed 20 or 21 from the way I talked and acted. Granted, people have always been telling me how mature I am but…I dunno, I guess I never really thought much of it ‘till he said it. Anyways, that’s why he’s a dirty old man: for talking to and entertaining

naughty thoughts about a girl who’s 9 years younger than he is.”

As Elle finished this bit of her story the engines whirred to life and the plane began taxiing down the runway, preparing for takeoff.

A few minutes later as the plane reached the sky, Harvey asked, “And so Griegg said he couldn’t have feelings for you?”

“Other than lust? Not at the time, no. But I told him how I felt and that I wouldn’t push the issue, but nor would I pretend it didn’t exist. Of course this led to a few fights but we usually made up after a little while. Once or twice though we didn’t talk for a week. As time went by he gradually opened up little by little ‘till I saw the whole thing, who he really was. And I still loved him, even though he didn’t believe I could. By the time I had known him for a year and a half- longer than either of us expected our amazingly dysfunctional ‘friendship’ to last- he came as close to saying those 3 little words as I ever expected. I accepted it as as much as he could give.”

Ella paused for a moment and took a deep breath, looking at the professor for any signs of the disapproval or disgust which she had been sure she would find. So far though, only interest showed on his creased face and she decided to push on.

“Back when he first knew how I felt we had laughed about what would happen if and/or when we met. We ran through hypothetical situations of him coming to visit me, all of which ended in disaster. My family, namely my older brother and father, would kill him for laying a hand on me as a Dirty Old Man. Then the simulation of me visiting him turned out much better. I catch a plane to Cleveland, he takes a week off work, we hang around the house doin’…stuff. Maybe go out with some of his friends who he had promised to really introduce me to, not just over the phone. See some of the things he was always talking about like the 2nd string theater him and Griegg laughed at The Grudge in, the water front at night… I was a starry eyed teenage girl who was pretty damn sure she had found the last man she’d ever love.”

Here Elle stopped as the stewardess came by offering drinks. Harvey picked up a can of Mountain Dew and then the conversation.

“So you waited 2 years to put your plans into action. Lack of funds or lack of nerves?”

“Lack of legality, professor. Remember, no matter how mature I may have seemed I was still only 16 years old. And even if my parents agreed to let me go, Griegg would still be sent to prison on statutory if he laid a finger on me.”

“And now you are of consenting age and your parents have agreed to your visiting him for a week. Are my facts straight?” Harvey asked as he opened his drink.

“Yes. I’m of consenting age now; my 18th birthday was last October so now that it’s my summer vacation between high school and college I’m on my way to Cleveland.”

Though that answered one question, it steered far clear of the other. Realizing this, Benson decided to push the issue a little.

“And your parents? They know you’re going to Cleveland to see a man 9 years your senior that you met on the internet, right?”

Now Ella certainly looked evasive as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth before answering.

“Maybe…”

“Don’t lie, tell me.” Harvey commanded, trying to use the same method of persuasion that apparently had worked so well on this woman.

Suddenly her ambiguity vanished as Elle threw her head back and laughed warmly. When she calmed down a bit she looked over at the professor and said,

“Please Professor, don’t do that. You have no idea of the connotation behind that little phrase. But to answer your previous question, no. My parents think I’m in Indianapolis, on campus with some friends. They know about Griegg, though they don’t know he’s 27. They think he’s just some guy I knew through my guild who’s 22 and who I really have no interest in anymore. I’m gonna stick to that story, so please don’t try to guilt trip me into telling my parents the truth- I know they wouldn’t approve. Now that that’s answered, do you have any other questions for me Professor Benson?”

Shaking his head slowly, Harvey smiled.

“Just a few. What plans do you two have after this? Do you want to let things get serious or keep it casual, just a fling? Are you ever going to tell your parents about him?”

Finally, Ella grimaced and laid her head against the window.

“Honestly, I don’t know. All I’m really sure about is how I feel and how I think he feels. We’ll take things from there; see how this week goes for us. Can I ask you something now?” Without waiting for an answer, she forged on ahead. “Why such interest? I mean, you don’t know me really. You overheard a conversation in an airport and I’m not really sure that constitutes as grounds for such interest.”

Elle’s own insecurities had been exposed and scrutinized by the last round of questioning and she felt the need to strike back. She knew it wasn’t fair; the professor didn’t’ know he’d struck a raw nerve with his curiosity. At her retort, Benson recoiled at the venom in Ella’s voice and knew he had pushed a bit too far.

“I’ll admit this was a rather odd request, my asking about such personal affairs when I promised not to delve too deep. But I have no other explanation than that as a professor of psychology the story, or rather the previously overheard conversation, was too interesting for me not to explore. Though, if I remember correctly, you’re the one who started the conversation with me.”

As though to signify his good will, the Professor grabbed 2 more cans of Mountain Dew from a passing stewardess as a peace offering. Elle smiled ruefully and took them both off his hands, laughing at the look on Benson’s face.

“You’ve already got your own man, these are mine!”

Harvey was glad she accepted the offering and seemed to forget her earlier hurt. As she started on the first drink she stashed the second away in her bag for later. Soon a quiet chiming was heard and the captain’s voice was heard, telling them they were preparing to land in Cleveland. In less than 5 minutes they would arrive.

“My my, how quickly this flight seems to have gone. Here,” said Harvey and revealed a card he had pulled from his bag, “take my card and if you need anything while you’re here, say things go badly with Griegg, just give me a call

and I’ll do all that is in my power to help you.”

For the first time Benson looked grave, deathly serious in his intentions. Elle was speechless, simply astounded. Here was a man who, less than an hour ago, was a total stranger in an airport. Despite all her rudeness towards him he was now offering any help he could give, should she ask for it.

“Thank you, sir. I’m fairly certain I won’t be in need of it, but if I am I’ll be sure to call.”

The plane banked sharply as they came around to land. Moments later the tires touched down and Benson stood to leave. Gathering her things, Elle followed him out of the plane. In the press of bodies she lost sight of him for a few moments but soon saw him waiting at the end of the ramp. “Goodbye Professor Benson. Believe it or not, you’ve been a great help to me today. My nerves are calmed and I’m pretty sure I can handle anything this week will bring.”

“It was a pleasure Ella, and remember that card if you ever want to talk - even when you get home. I have a feeling your parents won’t be too pleased when they find out about this little visit and you may need a neutral party to mediate,” Harvey cautioned with a knowing look.

As the professor turned to leave he felt Elle’s arms wrap around him in a hug. He smiled and wrapped his free arm around her. As Elizabeth disappeared into the crowd to begin the next episode in her saga, Professor Harvey Benson called softly,

“Goodbye Elle.”