It's been two days now, and I just can't stop thinking about her.

The woman from the plane.

Have you ever noticed how people will talk on flights? They'll always wait until landing to introduce themselves to one another. It's as if they don't want to commit that far so early in the trip, especially on a long flight. I did it myself: I didn't ask Christine for her name until we were standing in the aisle, waiting to deplane in Newark.

And since then, I've not stopped thinking of her. I thought for a brief moment of asking for a date there, but it didn't seem right. In truth, I didn't really feel like it.

I probably should have. After all, on my flight out to Phoenix, I saw her walking down the aisle and hoped she'd sit next to me. When she sat in front of me and almost immediately began talking to the man next to her, I was annoyed that I'd been so close ...

Then when she was sitting next to me -- in my assigned seat, in fact, and I in hers -- on the flight home, perhaps that was a sign. Or I should've seen it as one. Or made it one.

At the time, on the flight home Wednesday, I was content to leave it at pleasant conversation at 29,000 feet. The movie was Remember the Titans, which she had seen ("It's a great movie.") and I hadn't, and we both watched for two hours.

But I could've spent the entire four and a half hours talking with her. I just didn't want to overwhelm her.

Almost from the moment I got home, I regretted not asking her out. Sure, she lives and works in New York, and I work nights and weekends living in New Jersey. Who the hell cares? I may never know if that would've mattered.

Frustrated I didn't remember her last name exactly (I wasn't sure how to spell it), I conducted a few random searches on the Notre Dame website and came across one possibility. When I checked with the alumni site, I got confirmation, as well as an e-mail address.

So I wrote to her.

And I haven't heard back. It may have been a little too much -- a little freaky? Weird? Forward? Overbearing? Stalker-like? But I had to try. Best case, she says yes and we get dinner or a drink or something. Worst case, I never hear from her -- which is frustrating in itself, because I don't know if she even got the inquiry.

I feel like a freak. But I insist I'm not. I'm probably a tool to write it like this, too, but I wanted it to be simple and not freak her out. I also wanted to get just a hint of charm in there:

Hi,

I hope this isn't too forward of me to write you out of the blue, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the flight home yesterday. I've never enjoyed talking so much with someone on a flight before. In fact, I could've spent the entire trip in conversation, but I was afraid that might be overwhelming.

Is there any chance you'd like to get together sometime? When I woke up still thinking about the flight home, I came online to find a way to write to you.

If your answer's Yes, I'll look forward to hearing from you. If it's No, then you don't have to say anything.

In either case, have a happy new year.

Dan

Which is where I stand now, a little more than 24 hours after I wrote to her. I haven't heard from her, and I wonder if she read it, what she thought. But I told her in the e-mail I wouldn't bother her again, and I won't.

I may just never know.