The man in the Brooks Brothers suit. It’s him. My next story hero.

I have to tell you. I was riding the GO Train home last week at the Crush Hour. Standing room only. I was hanging onto a pole with one hand, balancing my bags with the other. The train rolled to a stop and up climbed Brooks Brothers.

I never thought of myself as a suit-lover, but I went instantly on the alert. I had plenty of time to check him out without checking him out, if you know what I mean. I’ll leave that up to the heroine.

He had to squeeze in next to me. He dropped L.C.B.O. and Bay bags at his impeccably shod feet and began reading the investment section of the paper. The fact that he was reading the investment section was a turn-on. Okay. That’s so not my type, so I knew I was looking at him through the eyes of my next heroine.

He was tall, long-legged, lean, and dark with short clipped hair, which made him look more hot than intelligent, though I’m sure he wasn’t lacking there. He had long narrow fingers and would periodically whip a Blackberry out of his inside pocket and check messages. I didn’t have to work hard at taking in the detail; he was standing only inches from me.

He wore thin dark frames over barely navy eyes. His five o’clock shadow matched his hair perfectly. Both were black. He could have been a cliché, but he wasn’t.

My stories always, always start with character. And, just about anything can trigger them. Does it work that way for you?

I really can’t afford to spend any time with Brooks Brothers right now. He’s going to have to sit on the back burner while I finish what I’m currently doing. I can’t wait to hear his voice. But that’s okay. While he’s back there, he just might conjure up my heroine for me. While he’s at it, he can tell me all about that Flying Tiger jacket he’s got tucked-away in his closet…..and what that scent is he’s wearing. Maybe it’s just him.

I love my work.

Elen