Nothing’s shocking

I AM TALKING to a couple in the back galley.  She has a seat in coach and he is sitting in first class, but he has walked back to the aft galley to talk to her. They know each other, are together in some way.  She is in her late 20s, pretty, blonde, trashy, brassy in a Janis Joplin, Courtney Love kind of way.  He is a famous musician.   I am talking to Dave Navarro.

I’m not a fan of his music, but of course I know who he is.  He looks me over top-to-bottom, smiling.  I feel vaguely self-conscious in my flight attendant uniform, a serving apron tied around my waist.  He is drop-dead gorgeous, darkly handsome with a meticulously sculpted beard, mesmerizing brown eyes shadowed by dark brows.  He is one of those men so exceptionally handsome you don’t know where to look first, but you can’t stop yourself from staring, trying and failing hopelessly, miserably, to be discreet.  He is shorter than he appears on television.

I offer the two of them a drink.  “It’s on me,” I say.  Dave only wants a Diet Coke but she orders vodka.  “How do you like it?” I ask, pulling a miniature bottle of Absolut from the beverage cart.  She takes it out of my hand, unscrews the top, throws back her head, pours the vodka straight into her mouth.

I admire Dave’s tattoos.  They cover his arms, his hands, his knuckles.  The young woman tells me Dave’s nipples are pierced. “Oh, really?” I murmur. “Yes,” she says.  “Do you want to see? He’ll show you!” Dave, a salacious grin on his face, pulls up his shirt. Two silver rings adorn his nipples. “Go ahead,“ she says. “Touch them!”  I gingerly bat one nipple with my finger. I raise my eyebrows, nod my head in satisfaction. We all laugh. 

Later, I am aghast at what I have done.  I don’t know what came over me but it seemed nonchalant, lighthearted, acceptable at the time.  No one saw me touch Dave Navarro’s nipple- I hope!  Delta would not look agreeably on an interaction like this between a flight attendant and a passenger, especially a first class passenger, much less a famous first class passenger!  I hope and pray this foolhardy behavior doesn’t get me in trouble. 

I decide if it ever comes back to me I will deny, deny, deny.