Lori Ann

He liked to think of himself as able to pass for a guy with a bum leg, but it was a tougher sell in the summer. Waiting out the daytime sun and cutting through the air-conditioned casino hadn't been enough to overcome the heat of a triple digit day. And as he made his way toward the Subway, he was soaked through by the time he reached the top of the stairs.

As he paused to switch his cane and reach for the railing, the last of three young women coming up the steps stopped next to him.

"Are you having fun?" she asked.

"No. Just a sandwich," he replied with a lopsided smile.

And somehow that overcame everything else working against a good first impression. They exchanged names and a handshake.

She wanted to know if he was a local. True for nearly ten years, but still not fully accustomed to the heat. She thought it must have reached 45 that day, so he asked which province she called home.

She liked how quickly he'd recognized her as a Canadian, and that living 3 hours inland from Vancouver most likely meant she was from BC's relatively dry & dusty interior, but shy of Kamloops or Kelowna.

Her face was pink from a day in the sun and her bright blue eyes opened even wider when he suggested it would've been a good day to knock back a Kokanee, but he'd never seen BC's favorite local brew on sale in Las Vegas. Indeed, she'd been relegated to a Budweiser... And even that one proved to be one too many for her taste.

They seemed to connect so easily for two people separated by great distance and 3 plus decades. And as that thought formed in his mind, she reached up to wipe away the perspiration from his cheek.

"Why did you stop to talk to me?" he wondered aloud.

She had guessed not enough people did, and he admitted looking down to navigate without tripping limited eye contact. She knew he wasn't as old as the seniors she worked with at home, but found conversations with older people rewarding... They had better stories.

So maybe part of it was her being professional. Maybe another part was his looking more than a bit pathetic. But on vacation in a distant place with her girlfriends, she was definitely off duty... And he had felt an unmistakable and highly personal tenderness in her touch.

He realized he hadn't told her any of his story beyond what she could infer from their conversation, but he'd soaked in all the details of their moment. And as he wished Lori Ann a safe and pleasant stay, she embraced him enthusiastically in a good bye hug.

"Thank you for remembering my name," she smiled.

He would, with affection... Each time he retold their story.

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Postscript: The hit map app picked up a visit from Merritt, BC on 11/08/10, a very plausible hometown. I wonder if it was her... And did she recognize herself portrayed beside someone elese's picture?