They were two businessmen from New York, so much alike. Each was 6’4’’, each in a dark blue suit with beige overcoat. One weas slightly balder than the other.

Both were awaiting their flight at Westchester Airport to far-off horizons.

Both held domino black Paravel Aviator Luggage.

Then they rested to sip on their coffee.

From a JetBlue flight disembarked a girls’ softball team, fresh from a game in Fort Lauderdale.

Both men had women of note in their lives.

When they saw these young girls in their short and sport bras, they momentarily lost sight of their luggage.

When the girls had passed, each grabbed the other’s suitcase and boarded the flight.

They knew not that each suitcase carried within a note of importance.

Gentleman Number One, Andrew, arrived at his destination, Mumbai.

He had reserved a select room at Taj Land’s End. His senses were immediately held captive by the harmonious sounds of a grand piano. 

He held the key to his Room, A47 and was ushered into a suite of opulent furnishings, soft lighting, chic décor and high gloss floors.

A window overlooked the Arabian Sea.

Andrew sat on his well-appointed bed and his thoughts turned to opening his suitcase.

Genteman Number Two, Carter, arrived at his destination, Berlin. He hurried to his room at the Schlosshotel Berlin, a private luxury hotel with a historic villa, garden, and immaculate furnishings.

Carter also sat on his bed and contemplated the opening of his suitcase.

It happened they each opened their suitcases at approximately the same moment, albeit in their sections of the world.

Both instantly recognized that the contents did not belong to them.

Both could do nothing about it. Each had important meetings to attend. The clothing in each was suitable for those meetings and acceptable to both of them.

Both dug deeper into the suitcases.

Each found a neatly sealed envelope.

Both envelopes smelled like fields of lilacs.

Andrew, a cosmopolitan, already had a Hindi woman waiting for him at the hotel bar. “As spicy as her food,” he thought.   Before heading down, he tore open the envelope for a laugh.

It read:

Carter,
I wish you weren’t so far away. I hate to tell you this in a letter. I didn’t have the nerve to face you. I am returning to John.

Please forgive me,

Celia

Andrew smirked. “The darn fool,” he thought. “Bowled over by a skirt!” He thought on all the girls he knew in his life, and how none of them would ever get an upper hand on him.

He crumpled the letter and tossed it in the wastebasket.

In his room in Berlin, Carter took in the aroma of jasmine on the envelope. Upon the envelope was a woman’s name: From Jalyn, With Love.

He opened it. Inside was a small note on pink stationary.

Darling,

Every moment we re apart I die a little inside. Please tell me you are not just toying with me. All my life I’ve wanted a true love.

I will be waiting for you at the airport. I will be carrying balloons and a teddy bear.

-Jalyn

His business over, Andrew boarded his Quatar Airlines flight. In his seat, he laughed to himself once more thinking of that letter. Poor Fool, returning to a woman who won’t be there. I’ve got quite a harem waiting for my return!

Somewhere over the Arbian Sea, the plane exploded in mid-air.

His stay in Berlin ended, Carter boarded his Royal Dutch Airlines flight. He reviewed a few files and tried to get some shut-eye.

But, he couldn’t find sleep. He kept thinking about Jalyn. Celia could never be true to him, he thought. Why could he not have one fine woman to have, to hold…?

I’ll spend some time at the airport. I’ll look for a fair lady with balloons and a teddy bear.