Up Up and Away

by Nesta Tuomey

  Dazed and stiff, they staggered out on the pavement. Powdery snow covered the grass, caked the gate pillars. Dave and Bill, their footsteps churning the recently fallen snow, carried the armchairs back into the house. Kay, with her arm about Molly, followed slowly.

  Considering his lack of driving experience, Dave had handled the van very well, Kay thought. It was to his credit that he had got them back safely. She would have liked him to come in and have a drink with them but when she asked, he said he was flying to London on business next day and had to be up early.

  ‘Goodnight, Katie,’ he sighed, his face pale and strained. As he began muttering something about an audit at work and more exams coming up, Kay quickly forestalled him.

  ‘Got a few overnights coming up myself,’ she told him and smartly put the gate between them. ‘So don’t expect to see me.’

  Dave glanced at her quizzically and then crunched away over the ridged snow.

  In the house Kay found Molly hunched over the electric fire, a steaming glass of punch in her hand.

  ‘Have some yourself, love,’ Molly urged.

  Feeling chilled, Kay gladly obeyed. She carried her drink to the window, where she stood tiredly sipping it, as she stared out at the snowy-mantled garden.

  EIGHTEEN

  The following day Graham Pender stood in the pilots’ lounge impatiently waiting to use the phone. It was the first time in a fortnight that he was forced to dally there and, as usual, he was hating it. .For God’s sake, man, get a move on, he silently urged. If he didn’t ring home now, God knows when he would get another chance.

  He had checked in that morning for his Paris flight, only to find that he was on his way to Karachi instead. It had come as a bit of a surprise as he wasn’t due to go for another week. ‘Two of Eastline’s pilots have gone sick,’ Rostering explained. ‘They’re in a hell of a spot. Can we say we’ll help out?’

  Graham nodded. Like most married men he was subject to the usual social and domestic commitments but nothing major prevented his going. Unfortunately he would have to disappoint his young sons over the Cup Match next weekend. Shamrock Rovers were playing Shelbourne and he had promised to take them. The lot of an airline pilot, he ruefully acknowledged.

  The First Officer was off the phone at last. Quickly Graham dialled his home number. Jeremy his eldest son answered.

  ‘Hi, Dad, thought you were gone to Paris.’

  ‘Change of schedule,’ Graham told him. ‘Going to Karachi instead.’

  ‘What’s happening?’ Graham could hear his younger son clamouring for the phone. ‘Let me talk to Dad.’

  ‘Put him on,’ Graham said, not relishing the boy’s reaction to the news. ‘Dad!’ Nicky’s voice wailed down the phone. ‘But we’re going to the match?’

  ‘Sorry, Nicky, can’t be helped.’ He ached for the boy’s disappointment. At times he hated his job. ‘I’ll make it up to you some other way.’

  ‘Okay, Dad.’

  He was a good kid, thought Graham. Although he loved both his sons deeply, he had a special soft spot for Nicky. Sometimes he thought the boys were the only reasons he had for staying married.

  ‘Is your mother there?’

  ‘She went to a drinks party in Auntie May’s house.’

  Graham had forgotten it was Saturday. There was always some do at her house at weekends. Thank God he was missing it.

  ‘Tell her I’ll ring some time tomorrow.’ ‘Okay,’ Nicky said. ‘Oh Dad, I’ll miss you.’

  ‘It’s only for a month, Nicky. When I come back we’ll do something special. Okay?’ Graham answered a little roughly to hide his emotion.

  ‘Okay.’

  Graham was relieved to hear a slightly brighter note to his son’s voice. ‘Bye, Nicky, mind yourself.’

  There was a muffled shout in the background as Jeremy roared out what sounded like, ‘Two or three hamburgers, Nicky?’

  ‘Bye, Dad. Got to go.’

  Graham replaced the receiver with a frown. Obviously, the boys were fending for themselves again. It was a far cry from his own childhood, he thought. But then his father wasn’t an airline pilot, he acknowledged wryly, nor his mother a social butterfly.

  As he walked across to the departure building, a dull ache started behind his eyes making him realize he was in for a bout of migraine. He swallowed one of the tablets he always carried. Could be worse. At least today was flying as a passenger.

  A week later Kay sighed happily as she packed her case for London. She had not lied when she had told Dave she had a couple of overnights coming up. Now she was really looking forward to her two days away.

  Overnights were bright spots on the roster and all too few and far between. This one was a relatively easy duty, the kind that made Molly sigh and say that it was well for her hopping over to London whenever she pleased. Kay just grinned and didn’t contradict her, knowing that Molly was well aware of the times she almost dropped in the door with exhaustion after a day hoofing it up and down the cabin.

  Carefully, she folded the skirt of her new navy and red Chanel suit and laid it with the jacket in her case. The case like the suit was new. It was just roomy enough to hold everything and yet leave a little space for whatever bit of style caught her eye.

  ‘Fabulous,’ Florrie said when she saw it. ‘Mind I don’t steal it on you.’

  Kay smiled. Florrie was like the sister she never had, a breath of fresh air in the old house. Molly swore she had gained a new lease of life since the Cork girl came to live with them. Certainly there was a lot more excitement, with the crew car calling twice as often, as well as having someone extra for Molly to fuss over.

  When she went downstairs, Molly accompanied her to the door.

  ‘Take care, love,’ she said, giving her a hug. ‘Why wouldn’t you get Dave to run you out with that case to the airport?’

  Kay returned the hug. ‘I’m a big girl now, Molly. Got to stand on my own two feet,’ she told her cheerily. ‘Anyway, it’s not heavy.’

  Kay would not have said no to a lift, but she wasn’t asking Dave for one. Not after all the fuss of the Confirmation trip. She still felt she owed him one for the Confirmation trip and she hated being under a compliment to anyone. Anyway, true to his word, he had not been around to see her since.

  It was a lovely mild afternoon and Kay reached airport in time. She checked into Rostering and went to the stores hut to collect the cash-float. The supervisor, ‘Smuts’ Allen, appeared with a smarmy grin. Smuts had earned his name ferreting out dirt on the hostesses in order to blackmail them into smuggling him in Playboy and News of the World. Some hostesses allowed themselves be intimidated by him but Kay was not one of them. She grabbed the cash- float and got out before he could approach her. He could go whistle for his porn, she thought indignantly. Dirty old man!

  Being mid-week the 66 seater Viscount was only half-full and with no first-class section there wasn’t a lot do to once snacks and drinks were served. Kay perched on a pulled-out drawer in the galley and sipped a coffee. It was a good start to the few days away, she mused contentedly. She was going to enjoy every minute of it.

  NINETEEN

  Several hours later, having been to the West End where they enjoyed every moment of the latest James Bond film, the hostesses arrived back to the crew hotel in Richmond.

  Kay entered the foyer jauntily, her senses still quivering from the impact of Sean Connery’s dark, suave charm and stopped dead in confusion at the sight of another dark good- looking man standing chatting to the night porter.

  Her heart did a double flip. The pilot turned and saw her.

  ‘Well, well, if it isn’t my Aphrodite,’ Captain Pender murmured, his face lighting up in a dazzling smile. ‘How very nice to see you.’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Kay blurted out before she could stop herself. She could have died with shame. As if there wasn’t every reason in the world to meet a Celtic Airways pilot in an airline hotel.

  ‘Overnighting like yourselves,’ h
e replied equably. ‘As a matter of fact, we shouldn’t be here at all. We were due out to Beirut this evening, but we’ve been delayed.’

  So he was flying eastern routes. That was why she hadn’t seen him since the emergency drill.

  Beside her Nicola gushed, ‘How exciting. I suppose the eastern hostesses are all terribly glamorous?’

  ‘If you like the sultry type,’ Graham smiled, his dark eyes resting briefly on Kay.

  She decided he was even more handsome than she remembered. And a little older. She was aware of a dusting of silver in the dark wings brushed back from the tanned face as he bent his head to catch what Nicola was saying. Wow! she caught her breath, he was gorgeous!

  She stole another look and meeting his amused glance, blushed hotly, uncomfortably reminded of the embarrassing encounter in Griffith House.

  As if reading her thoughts he said quickly. ‘How about a nightcap, girls? I was just about to have one myself.’

  They went into the bar.

  To Kay’s delight when Captain Pender returned with their drinks he by-passed the others to sit in the seat beside her. She sipped her gin and wished she could think of something brilliant to say that would mark her apart from the other rather vapid pair, but try as she might, her mind remained annoyingly blank.

  As another airline crew seated themselves nearby with much noisy laughter and talk, she was conscious of a lessening of tension within their own party and was at a loss to know how to rectify it.

  ‘Well, what do you know,’ a voice suddenly whooped. ‘This is my lucky night.’

  Startled, she glanced around, not at first recognising the young airman from the RAF station in Wales, where they had made the emergency landing, although the painfully butchered crew cut should have struck a familiar chord.

  ‘Now Kay, don’t say you’ve forgotten me... that crazy afternoon at the base,’ Hiram prompted.

  ‘Valley! Of course.’ Kay extended her hand, aware that her pilot was watching them, a slightly scornful look in his dark eyes.

  ‘How’s the blonde bombshell?’ Hiram demanded, ‘Got herself hitched to that poor fish yet?’

  Actually Eva and her fiancé had split up and a sulky Eva no longer sported the emerald rock, but Kay was too busy keeping an eye on the pilot to be able to answer Hiram intelligently.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him rise and go across to whisper in the ear of the attractive blonde stewardess. Kay trembled in an agony of jealousy, hating the familiar way he pressed the girl’s shoulder, the way she kept throwing her blonde mane about. Out off all the hotels in London, why had Hiram got to go and pick this one!

  With a last laughing rejoinder, Captain Pender moved on. Kay’s heart raced in panic. He was going! He probably thought Hiram was her boyfriend!

  ‘Look, Hiram, I’m sorry.’ she desperately cut across him. ‘I can’t have a drink with you. The thing is...’ she abandoned caution, ‘I’m with that pilot over there.’

  Hiram shrugged good-naturedly, ‘Heck, Kay, why didn’t you tell me to butt out. Should have known I couldn’t be that lucky.’

  As he ambled off, Kay trembled in her seat, miserably aware that her pilot was almost across the room. ‘Come back,’ she wanted to shout, but restrained herself.

  Graham glanced around and was surprised to see the young airman at the counter drinking with his friend. Perhaps she was on her way to join them, he thought. But no, another quick glance revealed her to be sitting with the hostesses. He paused, not in such a hurry now to get away.

  It’s now or never, thought Kay. Boldly she got up to intercept him, some scatty half- formed plan in mind. But drawing near, her nerve failed and she found herself outside in the foyer without having said a word.

  Damn! She gazed miserably at a figurine of a winsome shepherdess and her lad in a glass showcase, cursing the shyness that was ruining her life. Then, suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her. Her heart gave a great lurch of excitement.

  ‘Admire that sort of thing, do you?’

  She turned her head. ‘Not really,’ she answered shyly, pointing at some Edinburgh crystal decanters.

  ‘Nice,’ Graham agreed. ‘Though our own Waterford crystal is every bit as beautiful, Kay, wouldn’t you agree?’

  The sound of her name on his lips startled her. ‘You didn’t go with that young man,’ he queried.

  Kay shook her head. ‘I scarcely know him, I only met him once,’ she explained, as if this was sufficient reason for her lack of preference. She didn’t stop to think that she didn’t know this man for any greater length of time.

  It seemed to satisfy him, however, for the ruffled look smoothed from his forehead and he gave a deep pleased laugh.

  ‘Then why in tarnation are we standing here wasting precious time discussing this rubbish,’ he dismissed the contents of the showcase. ‘I’m off to Karachi in a few hours and I’ll be gone for days.’

  It was a declaration that was also a plea and Kay didn’t refuse it.

  He looked into her eyes and said softly, ‘Kay... ‘ and even softer. ‘My Aphrodite... are you coming with me?’

  She immediately nodded.

  As they moved quickly across the foyer, the other hostesses came sauntering out of the bar. Kay saw their curious glances, then stepped into the revolving door and was whirled before him out into the night.

  Sitting together in the taxi speeding rapidly towards the city, Kay glanced shyly at him and saw him smile at her in the half-light.

  ‘Since I first saw you I’ve been unable to think of anything else,’ he confessed. ‘Isn’t that terrible.’

  Kay stared down, thrilled and confused by his words. ‘I suppose you have a boyfriend... dozens maybe?’

  She gave a small laugh, glad of the covering darkness to hide her hot cheeks. ‘Hardly dozens.’

  ‘Anyone special?’

  She shrugged. ‘Not really.’ Apart from the laconic Dave there was Harry, but again his courtship was slow.

  ‘So there’s some hope for me,’ he murmured, taking her hand and spreading it on his thigh, making her conscious of the warm solid feel of his muscled leg through his uniform pants.

  When he covered her hand cosily with his own, she shyly froze, not daring even a flutter of movement between those two warm traps. Was she really here? It was all like some marvellous dream.

  ‘Hungry?’ he inquired suddenly.

  ‘Not very.’ Kay was taken aback. Hungry at a time like this! She was aware of all sorts of other emotions but hunger wasn’t one of them.

  The taxi drew abruptly into the kerb and stopped, meter ticking over. She followed him on o the pavement and waited while he paid off the driver. When he took her elbow, she shivered slightly at his touch and allowed herself be guided through a doorway.

  ‘I hope you like Italian cuisine,’ he murmured. ‘Yes, I love it.’

  ‘Good. I felt you might. See how well suited we are.’

  Politely, he went ahead of her down the narrow stairs. ‘You’ll like Luigi’s,’ his voice floated back to her.

  Below, an accented voice greeted him with loud and characteristic affluence. ‘Ah Captain Pender. Nice to see you. Buena sera, come right in.’

  It was the first time Kay had heard his name. ‘Captain Pender,’ she repeated quietly to herself. What was his first name? She felt stupid not knowing.

  He ushered her ahead of him into the dining-room, past a side table laden with elaborately dressed joints of meat and terrines of fish and pate. The proprietor seated them at a small table covered by a cream lace tablecloth and touched flame to a candle set in a garland of flowers. Kay was struck by the difference between this restaurant and the one she had visited with the crew in Soho. At the time she had thought it the height of sophistication. Now comparing it with Luigi’s lavishly elegant establishment, she realised her error. This was a trattoria of the highest order.

  What followed passed in a haze of pleasure as the menus were brought and Luigi proffered a bottle of w
ine for Captain Pender’s approval.

  ‘You may leave it, Luigi,’ he told him. ‘We’ll pour it ourselves.’ The proprietor discreetly withdrew.

  Graham leaned across and took Kay’s hand in both of his, stroking it gently with his thumbs, long sensuous strokes that caused Kay’s body to tremble with an answering lust.

  ‘You’ll never know how my heart failed me tonight when that young man turned up,’ he confessed as she sat transfixed, saying nothing. ‘I was terrified he’d carry you off. Not of course that you would have cared,’ he chided smiling. ‘Off you’d have gone without a thought and left me to drown my sorrows.’

  Kay took a shaky breath, her head in a whirl. Dizzily she stared at the dark silky hairs on the backs of his wrists and felt an irresistible impulse to lay her cheek against them.

  ‘Graham! I thought it was you,’ a voice intruded on the idyllic scene and a tall, sandy- moustached man banged the pilot on the back. ‘Aren’t you in Karachi this weather?’

  So his name was Graham, Kay thought. Graham Pender. Captain Graham Pender.

  Captain Pender laughed and released Kay’s hand. ‘Yes I am... practically. Been delayed till tomorrow.’ He hesitated, glanced meaningfully at Kay and laughed again. ‘I won’t ask you to join us.’

  ‘Quite understand, old boy.’ The sandy-haired man peered in Kay’s face. ‘Hello, my dear. Hope he’s looking after you all right. Be happy to take over if he’s not. Only got to say the word.’

  Kay gave a tight, polite smile, feeling an instant aversion to him. He reminded her of a slimy fellow in the Smithfield Insurance Corporation who was always spilling paper-clips at the typists’ feet, then sniffing up their skirts as he gathered them in. She was glad when he passed on to his own table.

  She looked at Captain Pender, eager to get back to the lovely intimate footing they were enjoying before the interruption and admitted shyly. ‘I never knew your name till now.’