Flying Without Wings

by Paula Wynne

  ‘Shirking off,’ she chuckled.

  ‘Yeah, shirking off,’ he joined in her chuckle. ‘He’d skin me alive.’

  ‘Is he a bit of a little Hitler, then?’

  The way she said it sounded like a throwaway joke, but still a little niggle wormed into his mind. ‘Nah. He’s okay.’

  ‘What do you know about him?’

  ‘Just what everyone around here knows.’

  ‘I remember the other day you didn’t want to talk about this. You said it was a long story, but I think you should let it out. Him and your dad were big buddies, weren’t they?’

  ‘Yeah. When they were kids. I lost my dad in the Falklands War though, so we hardly see Bomber anymore.’

  Cami reached out and touched his arm.

  Her fingers sent an electric shock through him and he just stared at her. He couldn’t think what to say. Or do.

  After a moment, she lifted her hand away and asked, ‘I’m trying to remember, wasn’t Bomber’s dad a pilot at this airfield in the war?’

  Just for a second it seemed almost like the tingling spot on his arm had been dulling his senses. Suddenly alert, Matt shrugged and kicked a stone, ‘I think so. Why?’

  ‘Maybe he knew about this Nazi. Maybe he even had a secret hiding place here at the airfield that he let him use.’

  ‘What?!’ Matt gaped, ‘Where did you hear such nonsense?’

  Cami pouted, looking offended, so he quickly backtracked, ‘Sorry, but that seems a bit of a wild card.’

  ‘Maybe, but you’ve got to admit that if you’re looking for someone who was taken out of Germany and then hidden away out of sight, it makes sense to ask about a pilot who flew to Europe and had an airfield that might have a perfect hiding place in it.’

  Matt frowned. ‘What do you mean “a perfect hiding place”?’

  ‘It’s something I saw on the news. That some water engineers found a hidden bunker under an airfield just like this one in Hampshire. They were digging to lay down some pipes and suddenly they broke through a brick wall. When they went inside they found a full-on war shelter under the airfield where someone could have hidden for years.’

  ‘That doesn’t mean there’s one here.’

  ‘Maybe not, but apparently it was quite common in the war. They used to build shelters near places where food and supplies could be flown in. And, of course, they kept people safe down there during bombing raids, so they were all set up to live in, if people needed to.’

  Matt suddenly remembered the door handle sticking out of the floor.

  ‘Imagine how terrible it was living in the war. Hearing the planes overhead and the shrieks of the bombs as they fell to earth, never knowing if it would be you or your neighbour who got killed. And―’ Cami stopped in mid-sentence and stared at him.

  He realised she was gazing at him curiously. ‘What?’

  ‘That look on your face. You just thought of something really interesting! Come on, keep sharing.’ She gave him a sweet, fun smile and leant over to give him a playful poke on his thigh that sent electricity through him again. He was amazed that she didn’t realise the effect her touch had on him. Or her cleavage as she leant towards him.

  ‘Nothing. Um, I just…remembered I found something odd when I was clearing the hangar.’

  Even as Matt said it, he suddenly realised maybe he shouldn’t mention it as he had no idea what that thing was sticking out of the floor and it could be anything. But it was too late.

  Cami stiffened. She slid off Bomber’s car bumper and stood in front of Matt, her legs apart. Her voice dropped to a whisper, ‘What? Tell me.’ Her tone suggested they were in a secret conspiracy together.

  It set his insides alight once again, to the point of boiling him. The spot where her fingers had rested for only a moment still tingled. He knew he was behaving like a starstruck kid, but he couldn’t help himself.

  ‘Well,’ he muttered, ‘it’s nothing really. But it was a bit odd.’

  Cami stepped closer. ‘Odd, like how?’

  Matt caught a faint whiff of her fresh berry scent. It seemed to set his tongue wagging, ‘Well, I saw this door handle sticking out of the floor.’

  Just when Matt thought Cami’s eyes couldn’t get any wider, they did. Her face lit up, like a kid who just got everything on their Santa list. ‘An underground bunker!’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘But it could be, right?’

  ‘I don’t really know. It’s just a handle. It could be an inspection pit for planes.’

  ‘But why?’ she demanded, ‘when these small planes’ engines are not underneath?’

  ‘Mm, I see your point.’

  ‘It must be a bunker!’

  ‘So what if it is? It’s probably all sealed up or caved in.’

  ‘Or hiding secrets.’

  They stared at each other in silence. Matt didn’t go with the ‘hidden secrets’ thing, but clearly Cami was captivated by the idea and her childlike excitement was contagious.

  Just then Mrs Cowden’s shrill voice pierced through their silence. ‘Maaaaaaaattttt!’

  Matt scrambled off the oil drum. ‘Oh, shit! I’d really better go.’

  As he levered himself upright, Cami threw her arm around his neck and tugged him towards her. ‘I’ll see you later, okay?’

  ‘Yeah, okay.’ Matt’s heart beat so loudly he thought she’d hear it.

  Not releasing her grip, she rose up on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek, then smiled and walked away, with no idea of the effect her cute butt waggling had on him.

  As he hobbled back to the tea serving tent, the little spot on his face radiated like a beacon.

  Cami had kissed him! Things were really looking up. Now he definitely knew they were dating. He couldn’t wait until after the show…tonight he would kiss her. A proper kiss.

  50

  Matt had gone back to tea duty, but if he’d been average to poor before, after Cami’s kiss he became entirely useless at it. He singed his hands, poured different sized cupfuls for every customer and quite often just stood there with his gaze far away and a stupid smile on his face.

  Muttering audibly, Mrs Cowden assigned him to tossing hamburgers and hotdogs over the scorching grill, and the proximity of flames kept him more focussed. In between turning the pieces of meat, he had to butter buns and keep the onions frying. There were even a few times the bottles on the counter ran out of mustard and barbeque sauce, so he had to top those up whilst making sure that nothing burnt.

  He was so busy that it was only quite a bit later that he realised there was still no sign of Allan. He’d meant to ask Cami, but then he’d got distracted…

  ‘Matt! Onions are catching!’ Mrs. Cowden’s loud hiss and gimlet eye wiped the smile off his face and jerked him back to the present moment.

  All the while, planes took off and landed. Some performed air acrobatics, while others inscribed smoke signals on the blue-sky canvas. Matt sighed. He wished he could go and watch every minute of every display, but he had to prove himself to Bomber. When it came down to it, who would want to just watch flying when there might be the chance to do it himself soon?

  As it turned out the refreshment stand went quiet each time the main displays were on, as everyone went to watch. ‘Go on with you then,’ said Mrs. Cowden with a theatrical sigh, ‘but be back here the minute it ends.’ And he got to see the best bits, rushing back ahead of the crowds who came queuing for burgers, talking excitedly about the amazing aerobatics they’d just witnessed.

  For another hour he toiled away, until finally he was allowed another break. He sat on the wooden bench beside the open hangar and opened his shirt’s top button to allow the cool breeze to lick at the sweat on his chest. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the breeze tickling the few chest hairs he’d recently acquired. After a moment, the breeze seemed to suddenly become more intense, and he flicked open one eyelid.

  He jolted up.

  Cami was leaning over him, her thick lips p
ursed as she blew air onto his chest. How come he hadn’t heard her? Or smelt her? Her strawberry perfume mingled with the sweet smell of candy-floss.

  ‘Hey, I didn’t really mean to wake you.’

  ‘I wasn’t sleeping. Just resting my eyes.’

  A smile teased her lips and lit her face with a naughty expression. ‘You looked so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to speak, so…’

  He waved a hand. ‘No! I’m glad you did.’

  ‘Look!’ She held up an armful of teddies and toys. ‘I won the coconut shy. Three times!’

  Chuckling, Matt reached out and squeezed the nose of the large teddy. ‘He’s huge.’

  She dumped the teddy into his lap and slid down beside him.

  Matt squirmed and shifted over a little, but Cami must have been short of space because she wriggled over, too, and he felt her leg next to his. ‘I saw you grinding away on the grill all day. You must be zapped.’

  ‘Sure am.’

  ‘That’s too bad.’ She glanced at him sideways. ‘I bought you a gift for what you’re about to do for me.’

  Matt swallowed hard. His pulse raced. It was bad enough smelling that lovely scent wafting around her and feeling her thigh pressed against his, making it hard to breathe. And speak. ‘W-what’s that?’

  ‘You promised to show me inside the hangar.’

  ‘Did I?’ He tried to recall that promise, but his mind was sleepy, and all it could think about, apart from Cami’s presence, was burgers, hotdogs and slicing buns.

  At that moment, Cami leaned over him and said in a breathy, husky voice, ‘I have something very special for you afterwards. Come on…’

  Although curious as hell, he didn’t dare ask. Instead, like a lamb following its herd, he got up and followed her towards the hangar. He found that if he let his limp show he could lag back a little and enjoy the view of her waggling, denim-clad bottom and her curvy back, oozing feminine charm. His mind raced at all the possibilities of what she might have for him. Some made him break out in a cold sweat, while others made him flush with excitement. She was very taken up with this hidden Nazi gossip, this girl from his childhood, but she sure as hell gave him the hots.

  Half an hour later, Matt waved as Cami waltzed off. ‘You sure you don’t need any help with that huge teddy?’

  ‘No thanks.’ Her tinkling voice slipped over her shoulder. As she strolled along, the last few people left on the grassy arena passed her. Matt noticed how men looked at Cami. Even married men with their wives beside them. One even craned his neck round to check Cami’s butt and was elbowed firmly in the side by his annoyed-looking wife. He pretended to clutch his beer belly, but even as he did, he took another opportunity to see what Cami offered from behind.

  Just as Matt was about to turn away and start clearing the bins, he saw Luke running up to Cami. For a moment, the green monster spewed flames into him as Luke and Cami greeted each other like old friends. Close friends. Unlike him, Luke wouldn’t take no for an answer, and grabbed her large teddy bear and the basket of books she carried.

  Damn! Why hadn’t he done that? She’d said no, so he’d taken that as an answer, but maybe it had really been some kind of test. Women did this stuff. He should’ve insisted, and now he would be the gentleman, not Luke.

  Damn. Damn. Damn!

  Matt couldn’t watch any more. He spun around and kicked the first thing he saw. A set of chocks.

  ‘Ow! Shit.’ They were the solid metal ones, not the lighter wooden ones. He grabbed his foot and cursed under his breath.

  His big toe ached. But not more than his heart.

  51

  Toying with the schoolboy brothers had been lots of fun. Amongst the exhilarating smell of aeroplane fumes mingled with candyfloss and ice cream, Cami had gone out of her way to identify the two brothers’ odours. That always helped her to find a man’s weak spot.

  Luke, full of fun and up for a laugh with anyone he met, had been easy pickings. Her body language came out in full force as she moved her lithe figure around him, weaving him into her web like a spider. Quickly tangled, he’d fallen instantly for her charms and quick wit. His body smell was sporty, of course, sweaty from working with the aeroplanes out in the sun, but his perspiration lent his active cologne a musky radiance.

  Quite sensual, really, and in fact, Luke would be a fine specimen of manhood when, or rather if, he filled out a bit and matured. She hadn’t played with such a young lad in ages. His eagerness had clearly aroused him and made things so much easier for her.

  Matt, also actually very pretty, but in a delicate, introverted sort of way, she had known would be harder work. The whole mooning around feeling sorry for himself because of his limp thing: it was all she could do to avoid giving him a hard slap across the face and ordering him to man up. He, or rather his teenage body, was desperate for her, too, but she had kept hitting his complex, quiet personality that had made him clam up just at the points where she thought she was about to get decent payback for dressing like a teen idiot and flashing bits of herself at him. It was like chipping away at Masonite, but she wouldn’t give up just because of a hard nut.

  That was often the challenge. Seeing how far she could push the nut around the table before it cracked. And of course, it wasn’t as though she’d got nowhere. He knew the hangar and had just spent the last half hour showing her around it. Including the strange door handle in the floor.

  When she had led him inside the hangar, which was empty because everyone was off watching the last air display, she had started by kissing him, deeply and sensually. Whispering in his ear that he was so handsome, with his dark curling locks and strong arm muscles. The muscles part was a lie, but who cared. It was probably his first real kiss, and the poor little boy had been bowled right over. It was easy to tell: men came with a built in indicator, and it had been as near maximum as his jeans would allow.

  So, all in all, a good day’s work.

  Suddenly, Luke caught up with her and grabbed the basket of books. ‘Let me take those.’

  She didn’t argue.

  Out of breath, he panted, ‘I saw you on the coconut shy. Wow! You can throw like I’ve never seen a girl throw before. Remind me not to be in the path of your oncoming coconuts!’

  She chuckled, and an idea popped into her head.

  Coconut. She had enough of them in the basket. She’d won three. She didn’t need that many, so she’d given one to a lady trying to impress her boyfriend and failing miserably on each count. Cami had stepped up behind her, tapped her shoulder and handed her one of her winning coconuts, even as she directed a coy glance to the boyfriend. It was much more satisfying than a large nut, not the lady’s gushing thank you, but feeling the boyfriend’s eyes glued to her as she sashayed off. She had no interest in him or any other man, but it was good to know she could take them so easily from any woman, any time she wanted.

  Now Luke coming to help her to her car, making a pathetic attempt to appear not like a love-struck teenager, had given her perfect alibi, and insurance.

  As they ambled up to her Mercedes, Luke whistled, ‘Whoa! This is really yours? Snazzy wheels!’

  Cami caught sight of Glynn, and with a slight jerk of her head told him to stay back. Surrounded by long grass, the Mercedes had only just managed to squeeze in beside a few other cars creatively tucked into small spaces between the trees and bushes lining the dirt track.

  Cami pressed the button to make the boot lid pop up and gestured to Luke to throw what he was carrying inside. As he leaned over and tucked her basket of books into the far corner of the boot, she saw Glynn step closer, ready to nab him.

  She shook her head and reached into her new grass basket carry-bag. Lifting a coconut out, she hefted it even as she said, ‘Thanks Luke, you’re a sweetie.’ Then there was a dull thunk as she slammed the coconut as hard as she could down onto his head.

  Uttering only a deep grunt, Luke slumped over the lip of the open boot. Cami reached down and lifted his legs, and his body
rolled sideways and fully inside. In a foetal position, he lay unconscious amongst the dusty books smelling of mould and the teddy bear. The coconut was cracked but it wasn’t dripping any milk that would ruin her boot carpet, so she tossed it inside.

  Cami leaned over Luke, checking to see if he was still breathing.

  Then she slammed the boot shut.

  52

  The last of the displays was over, but many people still milled around the aeroplanes, while others finished their picnics. There were no signs of anyone rushing home, and the carpark was still jammed.

  Matt downed his fizzy drink and rested his head against the hot aluminium of the hangar. Of all days, it had to be roasting hot today. That had made the kitchen even worse. And even now, when the afternoon’s warmth had faded, the hangar still radiated heat into his head. He didn’t care. His neck needed a rest. He hadn’t worked so hard in all his life.

  Hot, sweaty, greasy work, yet he grinned. He had enjoyed every minute of it. Especially when Ben and Josh had lumbered by and gawked at the name badge which proved he was now part of the airfield’s staff. They’d got hungry enough to buy food a couple of times and he’d slopped their meat into their buns with all the experience of a McDonald’s chef. Best of all, they hadn’t been able to think of anything to say except ‘Um...fanks’.

  From the corner of his mouth Matt blew his curly fringe out of his eyes.

  Mrs Cowden, who he was convinced could breathe fire if she wanted to, had bossed him around most of the afternoon, shoving him into any area that needed an extra pair of hands. He didn’t mind as, as well as getting him away from the grease of the burgers and the lingering stench of tea, it had given him the opportunity to meet some of the pilots and their families, who were all volunteering to help out at the show. He had made lots of new friends and couldn’t wait to tell Mum. She would be chuffed, and proud of him. It was a pity that she’d had to open The Cinnamon Stick, but with this many people in the town it was a chance for her to get her takings way ahead for the summer, and he’d told everyone who didn’t seem to want a standard tea or coffee to go and get one of Mum’s special Italian cappuccinos at The Fairground. Hopefully she had been as busy as him.