Dreams Take Flight

by Jim Dalton

  She yelled through the opened door, “Lucas, I’ll be right there! Be patient!”

  She pulled her pants off and tossed them into the corner. Now what? What’s wrong with this picture? I’m in my bedroom, bare-ass naked, and the guy I want to jump is in my living room completely dressed. Rummaging through her dirty clothes, she came across a pair of running shorts and decided they’d be OK for the night. In the same basket, she found a discarded shirt inherited from her dad. It was much too big, but it was comfortable. In fact, the shirt extended beyond her shorts, which gave the illusion of being without any pants. She wondered whether her thrown-together outfit was too suggestive, but quickly dismissed the thought in favor of toying with Lucas’s manly urges.

  Emerging from the bedroom, Heather headed directly to the kitchen area. She had to walk right in front of Lucas to get there.

  “Hey,” he said, acknowledging Heather as she headed to the kitchen. Seeing Heather in a shirt large enough to be a night shirt was a bit concerning following her announcement about getting comfortable. Once again, Lucas found himself wondering what she may or may not have on underneath.

  The kitchen was small and blended in with the living room, the two separated only by a breakfast bar. There was a narrow aisle between the bar and kitchen cabinets and sink. The refrigerator was located on the end wall. From the kitchen, Heather could see Lucas fidgeting, flipping through a People magazine that she’d left on the couch.

  “Lucas, what would you like to drink? I have Bud Select, a little white wine, a bottle of red wine, iced tea, and Dr. Pepper—or I could make coffee. You pick.”

  Lucas looked thoughtful before he said, “I’ll have a DP.”

  “You got it. One DP is headed your way.”

  Heather poured herself a glass of red wine and emptied a can of Dr. Pepper into a glass filled with ice.

  With wine in her left hand and Dr. Pepper in her right, she joined Lucas on the love seat. She handed Lucas his drink and then put a coaster on the coffee table within his reach. Heather positioned herself at the other end of her oversized love seat and sat facing Lucas. She pulled her knees under her chin and balanced her wineglass between them, using her hands to steady it. Her bare feet almost touched Lucas’s thighs.

  Just sitting on the same couch, so close to Lucas, made all logic disappear from Heather’s otherwise controlled mind. She’d gotten excited in the bedroom, and could feel the same warm glow overtaking her desire to remain calm and let Lucas take the lead.

  Heather found herself at a loss for words. She wondered how to make idle conversation with someone she didn’t even know, yet had such strong feelings for.

  “So, Lucas,” she said, “tell me about yourself. I see you at the airport and have been fortunate enough to fly with you a couple of times, but I don’t know anything about you.”

  “That’s pretty much it,” Lucas said. “I go to school during the day and fly at night.”

  While he talked, Lucas thought to himself, This is painful! Who gives a shit what I do? At the same time, he realized that perhaps the most beautiful lady he’d ever met was sitting on the couch across from him. If I allowed myself to, he thought, I could get a hard-on just looking at her. This reminded Lucas of the “fight or flee” concept that he’d learned about in school. Do I take the easy way out and flee, or do I fight all of my internal instincts and get to know Heather?

  “What about you?” he finally asked her. “You work the evening shift at Gold Coast—what else do you do?”

  “Generally sleep late, read—and I really enjoy exercising. Mostly running. I like to cook. It’s my way of being creative.”

  “Are you good?”

  “Everyone I’ve cooked for seems to like it.”

  “Interesting!”

  Lucas had never considered small talk his forte, and still couldn’t wait for the opportunity to bail. On the other hand, most pilots he knew were a little curious and open to adventure—risk had to be held to a minimum as a pilot, but exploration was generally OK. I probably fit that profiile as well, he thought. His internal conflict continued to build, since she was beautiful and sexy. Just sitting there, crunched up on the couch, she looked so cute. His dick started to get hard as he wondered what it would be like to slip it between her legs.

  A thought suddenly hit him, like a tornado swirling through his mind. If he didn’t relax a little, he might never know what he was be missing. Wow! Am I really interested in learning more about this gal, or do I just want to screw her? Damn it, I hate this relationship-building shit. Autumn made it easy; a quick fuck and it was over.

  Heather could sense Lucas’s uneasiness, and tried to relieve him from having to create small talk. She knew that all pilots had one thing in common: an endless supply of war stories. She also knew that the easiest way to engage a pilot in conversation was to get him started telling stories.

  “Lucas, what’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you in an airplane?”

  With a reflective, puzzled look on his face, Lucas turned to his left, so that he could look at Heather head-on. He turned back, as though staring into space, and looked at Heather once more. Giving Heather an answer required him to reflect on the previous several years. He suddenly felt relaxed, an unusual calmness that passed over him like the eye of a hurricane.

  “Hard to say; every flight is an adventure. That’s what I like about flying. Some adventures are more memorable than others, of course.” For whatever reason, just talking about flying makes this situation feel so much more familiar. “Two flights come to mind, although if we had the time and you had the interest, I could probably think of a hundred.”

  Oh my, I’m getting warm and excited just hearing Lucas say things like “if we had the time.” Mr. Lucas, take your time. I have all the time you need.

  “I was flying for Peterson and Peterson at the time, and the chief pilot was a little different. I got a call from him early one morning, asking me to take a flight leaving at nine o’clock. His name was Bud, but everyone called him ‘Bud the dud’—not to his face, of course. Anyway, I got to the airport at eight thirty and was told that we were ready to go, and that we would leave as soon as the passengers boarded. At about eight fifty, they arrived and we departed. Somewhere around twelve thousand feet, Bud got up, handed me a scrap of paper—the corner of a piece of notepaper he’d torn off—and said, ‘These are the navigation frequencies you need. Level off at twenty-five thousand feet; I’ll be back.’ With that, Bud left the cockpit, went into the cabin, and shut the door. I didn’t have a clue where we were going. I had never flown with Bud, I didn’t know him, and he didn’t know me. There I was—at twenty-five thousand feet, in the cockpit by myself, not knowing the destination—while the chief pilot hobnobbed with execs in the back. That doesn’t sound like much, but for someone who likes to be in control, like a pilot, it was an experience you can’t forget.”

  Heather just listened without saying a word. Lucas looked at his watch and said, somewhat startled, “My God, it’s already three in the morning and I have school!”

  As Lucas set down his glass and rose from the couch, he turned to Heather and said, “Heather, this was great. Let’s get together again sometime. I still owe you a story, you know.”

  “Sure would love to get together; just say when.”

  Both made it to the door, but neither knew just how to best say good-bye. Lucas put his left hand on Heather’s right shoulder, leaned toward her, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Without another word, he swung around and left. Heather was too taken back by the turn of events to even move. Instead, she leaned back against the closed door and slid down to sit on the floor.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Passion in The Sky

  Heather’s next evening at work was pretty quiet, with the usual hotshots and playful pilots passing through. Between flirtations with her customers, it seemed like she just made endless pots of coffee and bags of popcorn. She could never figure out why pilots drank gall
ons of coffee and ate tons of popcorn, as if the two were essential survival foods. She decided to ask Lucas the next time she saw him.

  In the blink of an eye, her evening improved. From her desk, she could see Lucas pull into the parking lot. Mesmerized by the sight of him, she didn’t blink as Lucas got out of his bright-red Corvette. Heather suddenly realized that he had either arrived earlier than usual, or that it was later than she thought. She checked a nearby clock and found that he was early, which was most unusual for Lucas.

  As he approached the door, Heather looked away, not wanting Lucas to know that she’d been watching him, must less awaiting his arrival. Grabbing a few gas bills, she turned slightly away from the door and began filing them. The cabinet was low, allowing her to remain seated.

  Lucas walked straight to the counter. Not wanting to make a big deal of his arrival, he approached the counter quietly, and then just stood there watching Heather.

  He stood just out of her line of sight. She’d heard the door open, so she knew he had entered the lobby. She kept listening intently to track his movements, but didn’t enjoy much success. Her curiosity finally got the best of her: she turned her head just enough to find him standing there.

  “I thought I heard someone come in,” Heather said as she swung around to face Lucas.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you; you looked like you were in the middle of something, so I just watched.” Damn, Lucas thought. She is one beautiful, sexy young lady. Do I actually see a hint of white panties up there? Jeez, I love those miniskirts! How does nature create such beauty?

  “You wouldn’t have disrupted me. I’d have been disappointed had you not stopped by.”

  “Well, you’ve been on my mind, and I just wanted to swing by and say hi.”

  “Glad you did; until now, this has been a forgettable day.”

  Lucas could hardly take his eyes off of Heather, who was still seated in her signature miniskirt. He was overwhelmed with feelings that are typically associated with seeing a beautiful woman in a mini skirt. His body felt tingly, and sexually aroused by the sight of her—especially her beautiful, soft legs protruding from beneath her skirt. With legs crossed, her skirt barely covered her privates. Physical beauty isn’t everything, but it was easy to see why every pilot in the Midwest talked about the receptionists at Gold Coast Aviation. Lucas wondered how he could have ever ignored this beautiful young lady, especially knowing that she had the hots for him. His disappointment in himself intensified when he realized that he almost allowed his stupidity to come between Mike and himself. All that time, Mike was just trying to do what he thought was in my best interest. And, I was an ass to both Mike and Heather. How can I ever make things right?

  “I know this is short notice,” Lucas said, “but we have a run down to Atlanta tonight. The weather is nice and, well, if you wanted to, you could sleep on our way down, back, or both. What do you think? Want to come along?”

  There was no need to think twice, no need to hesitate. Heather, with the enthusiasm of a six-year-old getting her first puppy, accepted the invite.

  “Fantastic!” said Lucas. “We’ll be leaving around ten thirty. I got here a little early, hoping you would say yes. Let me get things squared away with the plane, and then maybe we can spend some time together before I go to work.”

  “Great! When I get off work, I’ll go to the office or look for you around the plane.”

  Heather couldn’t believe that her persistence was paying off. She and Lucas were actually talking and doing things together, even if he was working. Knowing how challenging her road had been so far, she was glad to take whatever she could get, even if that just meant flying with him in the middle of the night.

  Lucas headed to the office and picked up several documents before proceeding to the Convair. That hunk of aluminum, engines, and electronics was considered a workhorse by those in the airplane business. Pilots found it reliable and stable. That night, Lucas saw a magical carriage rather than a workhorse. It was a carriage that would carry the woman who had captured his attention—who had excited every male hormone in his body. It would carry them into the heavens above, a world where only the two of them existed.

  After a few seconds, his thoughts returned to earth. Just moments ago, embarrassment had been a real possibility due to the bulge in his pants. That had been the result of nothing more than seeing Heather at her desk. Now, Lucas wondered how he could concentrate on flying the plane with her consuming his every thought.

  Lucas went through his usual preflight checklist. Following his inspection of the plane’s exterior, Lucas shifted his attention to the cabin, making sure the cargo tie-downs were in place so that once the cargo arrived, the loading would go smoothly. Unlike other trips, he dropped a short row of sling seats along the left side of the cabin, which would be out of the way of the cargo once loaded. He located several blankets and a pillow, in case Heather wanted to get some sleep during the trip. Finished with his preflight activities, he retreated to the office, hoping he could spend a little time with Heather before they left.

  While Lucas was prepping the plane, Autumn came in to relieve Heather.

  “Autumn,” Heather said. “You won’t believe it; Lucas stopped by a little while ago and asked me to go with them tonight.”

  “Are you going?” responded Autumn.

  “Does a bear poop in the woods? Of course I’m going. I’ve been trying to get Lucas’s attention for months.”

  “So you’re horny?” asked Autumn.

  “Let’s just say I get tongue tied when he’s around; I feel self-conscious just talking to him. If you felt that way about some guy, wouldn’t you try to get to know him?”

  “So you’re not just horny?”

  “No, I like the guy. What’s this ‘horny’ stuff?”

  “Well, I can’t say what I would do in your case, since a guy has never made me feel self-conscious, tongue-tied, or anything but horny.”

  “Autumn, I’m sure there was some guy, somewhere, who struck a nerve other than the one between your legs.”

  “Don’t bet on it. If guys didn’t have dicks, there wouldn’t be any need for them.”

  “Autumn, don’t you just enjoy their company sometimes?”

  “Nope.”

  “So you don’t know what I’m going through, do you?”

  “Not really, but I wish you luck. My track record with these pilots hasn’t been good. They all look good until you get to know them—but you hang in there and keep me posted.”

  “Will do. Right now I’m going to try to find Lucas.”

  Lucas returned to the office, but instead of finding Heather, he found Mike reviewing material important to the night’s flight—weather, routing, the maintenance record of the Convair, and those sorts of things. Lucas stuck his head in the door and asked Mike if he had seen Heather.

  “Nope. She wasn’t at the front desk when I came through, either. Why you ask?” With a gleam in his eye, he asked, “Things go well the other night? Get a little?”

  “Things went well and no, I didn’t get any!”

  “Well, something’s up or you wouldn’t be looking for Heather. Come on, what’s going on?”

  “I just thought she may enjoy going with us tonight, so I invited her.”

  “You invited her to go tonight? You can’t do that. The chief of operations is going with us tonight. How do you plan to explain this gorgeous young girl in the cockpit?” After a short pause he added, “Just joking! But something’s definitely going on; you should have seen the look on your face!”

  “All right. I think she’s cool. I was wrong to resist getting to know her. It pains me to say this, but I owe you one. Feel better now? OK, here’s the deal: I do want the airline job. School is a challenge, the homework is a challenge, and flying all night isn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. When it comes to dating, well, I haven’t had much time for girls since high school.”

  “Lucas, you’re fucked up! You’re a college student, for Chr
ist’s sake.”

  “I’m an adult who has returned to school while working. That doesn’t exactly make me a college student.”

  “Forget the student thing; you are young! You are supposed to get drunk on Friday nights and get laid three times a week, maybe four. What are you going to do, wait until you get that airline job—and are flying every day of the week—to put your dipstick in the well? Is that your plan? You dickhead! You should be like the rest of your friends, trying to get in every skirt you meet. This is what young people do. That’s what college is for. I know you’re not a real college student, but that doesn’t mean you can’t act like one! Didn’t anyone tell you that? Remember that night you and I got drunk?”

  “Which time?”

  “You dickhead, the time we got the tattoos.”

  “Sure I remember it; how could I ever forget it? I have a tattoo to remind me of it, thanks to you!”

  “Well, get your head out of your ass, you hypocrite. What did you insist that tattoo say?”

  “All right, I get your point. I already admitted to screwing up.”

  “What the fuck does it say?”

  “‘If it has wings, fly it,’” Lucas quoted. “‘If it wears a skirt, fuck it.’”

  “Lucas, you’re young. Live your own words. And incidentally, I didn’t force you to get that tattoo.”

  “All right, but I don’t want to fuck Heather.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t want to fuck Heather. I want to make love to her.”