Chapter Two

                                    

                                          
While we prepared for take-off the blonde attendant - whose name tag pronounced her as Rachel - brought bottled water and hot towels. As I wiped away some of the grime of my prolonged journey, I groaned at the luxurious feel of the hot scented moisture on my skin. God, that feels good!

                          
"Wow! I'll have what she's having!" an amused voice murmured softly from behind me. Recognising the quote, I realised I must have groaned louder - and more suggestively - than I had intended.

                          
"I understood that reference!" the geek in me replied, turning slightly to be heard in the row behind, though the layout of the seats made it difficult, as well as impossible to see who was there.

                          
"And I understood that reference!" came back and I laughed aloud, knowing I had stumbled upon another Avengers fan.

                          
After the safety demonstration we were served champagne and canapés and the two of us geeked out quietly between rows, discussing Marvel franchise directors and their differing techniques as well as the interweaving of superheroes throughout the Marvel Universe. When I introduced the subject of anti-heroes, his comments showed a depth of knowledge and character insight that surprised me. We were talking about Loki's many tricks and attempts to better Thor and take over Odin's throne when my fellow traveller quoted,

                          
" 'And thus I clothe my naked villainy with odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ ...' "

                          
" 'And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.' " I finished the quote with him - it came from Shakespeare's King Richard III - and sat without speaking for a moment as I absorbed the fact that he was apparently also familiar with my favourite playwright.

                          
Having had a mother who was an English literature professor, I had been raised on Shakespeare practically from the time I was out of nappies. Our talk turned to Shakespeare's other great anti-heroes - Iago, Hamlet and Macbeth among them - and by the time it became apparent that dinner was about to be served, I knew he was pretty well versed on the bard. All the while I was growing ever more aware of the impact this man was having on me. I had no idea who he was or even what he looked like, but the soft tenor of his voice rolled around in my head and the passion with which he spoke made me feel...well, I didn't really know what I was feeling. Warmth, excitement, nervousness - they all warred inside me, jostling for top position. I only knew that I was enjoying his company more than any man I had met for a long time.

                          
"I'm Tom, by the way," he said as I realised we had been talking all this time without introductions.

                          
"Kate," I replied, sticking to first name only as he had.

                          
"Kate, I would be honoured if you would join me for dinner." And there it was, an invitation to continue to get to know him without the awkwardness of airline furniture and space between us.

                          
"I'd like that, thank you," I said after a moment and unclasped my seatbelt, moving the bits and pieces from my lap to the safety of the tray beside me. As I stood and turned I caught my first glimpse of him and stopped in absolute shock. Paralysed for the briefest of moments, I stared at him before sinking slowly back down into my own seat and exclaiming, "Oh, that is so not fair!"

                          
"Kate, I'm sorry!"

                          
"The Avengers! You had me rambling on about The Avengers! And Loki! Oh my god!" I groaned, covering my face with my hands in mortification. "And Shakespeare! You've probably played half of those characters!"

                          
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

                          
Suddenly there was a flurry of movement behind me and I knew without looking that he was here, bending long limbs to crouch beside my seat and offer further apology.