by Eve Gaal
While waiting for the pharmacist to fill her father's prescriptions, she absentmindedly decided to try on various shades of lipstick. First, she laughed at herself in Ribald Red and switched to Peony Pink, wiping that off and trying OrangeUmine. Finally, she tested out Coral Bay, a cream-colored peachy tone that went with her outfit, highlighting her eyes. Later, she thought maybe it was the Coral Bay that made him whistle across the store.
He strolled up the aisle in a navy uniform with sparkling buttons and gold stripes emblazoned on gabardine. Droplets of rain beaded on his shoulders, reflecting the glaring florescent lights and setting him aglow–like an archangel swooping down from heaven. On his lapel, his name badge showed an American flag on one side and said, 'Capt. Dan Losegg' on the other.
“Hey cutie, are you the answer to all my prayers?” He asked, marching towards her with pretzels, beer, toothpaste and a toothbrush in his arms.
Caught off guard by his forward behavior, Penny dashed away towards the pharmacy counter and decided to curtail the conversation. “I doubt it,” she mumbled under her breath. Feeling her cheeks starting to tingle, she didn't know what to say to the handsome stranger following her and standing next to her at the counter. Turning towards him, she pointed at the beer and toothpaste, “Looks like a bizarre combination.” Avoiding his gaze, she turned back to the pharmacy counter.
“Well? Are you?” he asked.
“Am I what?” A smile crossed her lips as she slid her ATM card through the machine. Feeling his eyes burn through her clothes, she decided to look up to check his expression. Dimples danced across his five-o'clock stubble, making her flush. Whoa, she thought, he is so good looking.
“The answer to all my prayers,” he said, batting his lashes and enlarging his eyes in an effort to look playful. His serious uniform commandeered respect and he didn't want her running away in fear.
A silly game, she remembered, but she enjoyed playing along. Enlarging her own eyes, she said, “I'm not sure about that, but I guess you could be the answer to mine–that is, if you can fix windshield wipers.”
Smiling at her comeback, he handed her the pretzels, and shook her hand. “Captain Dan Losegg, at your service. Don't worry, I don't use the toothpaste as a dip for my pretzels and I'm not promising anything regarding your wipers, but I can get you to Pittsburgh, LAX or Honolulu by tomorrow evening,” he said, chuckling at his own sense of humor and taking back the pretzels. When he glanced up at her matted hair, she felt like the owner of a used car, in front of the appraiser. The wind and rain had styled her delicate locks into a cap of tight-fitting curls, and sensing her uneasiness he simply said, “You really got drenched didn't you?”
Blushing, she said, “I probably look like a drenched red-headed rat with great lipstick.” Pulling out her comb, she tried adjusting some of her wayward ringlets.
Captain Dan Losegg laughed because he didn't think she looked like a rat. “Maybe like a lipstick model in a rainstorm.” He went on, “Don't you remember that ad on television, where a gorgeous woman is running to a taxi and another car comes by and drives through the puddle? The next shot shows how beautiful she is up close, because she's wearing waterproof whatever.”
Then it was her turn to laugh. “That's waterproof mascara…totally different.”
“Who cares, the point is…,” he tried to say something, but she cut him off.
Trying to sound serious, she looked straight into his hazel eyes and asked, “What, Captain Dan Losegg, is the point?” Smooth, she thought, waiting for his answer, this guy was syrupy smooth, but also extremely appealing.
“My point,” he cleared his throat and continued, “is that I am very attracted to you even in your drenched condition. I also want to know if you have decided on Pittsburgh, LAX or Honolulu?”
This struck her as funny for many reasons, mostly because LAX was only a two and a half hour drive from her home, and secondly because he sounded so sure of his–quest–or conquest. Smiling, she said, “I thought Captains are supposed to be normal. You, on the other hand are completely whacked.”
“I'll grant you that,” he replied. “But speak now or I'll leave you in the cosmetics department wondering about us forever.” He had that bad-boy, Hollywood chiseled look with blonde wavy hair, dimples and even a cleft on his arrogant chin. He reminded her of a Norwegian version of Affleck or Pitt with a sexy vampire-like gleam radiating with each smile. The world's largest butterfly twisted inside her stomach. Obviously, a ladies' man, his gaze dropped from her eyes and lingered calmly and comfortably on her small, unassuming hips. Opportunities at her age were narrowing and her dad wanted her to look around and start acting serious about her future.
“Please come with me to Hawaii, we'll have a great time,” he pleaded with a commanding and irresistible voice. “Besides, I want to see what you look like when you're dry,” he added, making her laugh. “It's sunny in Hawaii.”
Walking towards the checkout, Dan kept explaining about his home base in Pittsburgh, and this rare opportunity for a whole week layover in Hawaii.
“I don't even know you,” she laughed again. “What if you're a psycho or something?” Curiosity seemed to pull her along and though she wanted to tread lightly, she also felt like she didn't want to ask too many questions for fear she'd wake up and find out this was another one of her crazy, romantic dreams. It could have been the reassuring grin on his face, his uniform or something magical, making her feel safe and strangely comfortable.
“American Airlines doesn't hire psychos, but maybe they made an exception in my case,” he said, making her nervousness evaporate into giggles. Pulling open the door, they stepped out into the rain and quickly walked towards her car. He kept insisting about the trip to Hawaii. He kept pushing her and tempting every rational bone in her body. “By the way, are you going to show me those windshield wipers?” he asked following her and seeing her stop next to a large red vehicle.
“This ugly sled right here,” she said, pointing to a faded, fifteen year old Volvo with personalized plates that said, “TURN UP.”
“What's your name, pretty lady? He asked bending over the car's front window and trying desperately to hide his obvious lack of knowledge regarding windshield wiper repair. At first, he kept both his hands in his pockets and looked almost afraid of touching her dripping wet car.
After watching him loosen debris from under the wiper, she said, “Penny. See my license plate?” Pointing to her license plates, she added, “I'm pretty dang dependable and I always turn up, like a bad penny.”
“Penny,” he repeated, ignoring her comment about being dependable. “I'll level with you. I'm just flying through and I don't know anyone.” The rain started to subside. “I'm lonely for company and I'm going back to Pittsburgh in a week. After I fly to Honolulu, they told me I could fly to any other island and stay on the company dime at any property of my choice.” Slowly his facial features morphed into those of a droopy, sad-eyed dog at the pound, before continuing with, “and a whole week alone in Hawaii sounds like hell.”
Blinking away his puppy-like stare, she had to get a hold of herself–maybe he thought she was born yesterday. “I doubt you'll be alone for long,” she said with a trace of sarcasm. Holding the two plastic bags with his purchases in one hand, he put his other hand over his heart, and looking quite dismayed, said, “Ouch, that hurt, but you're probably right.” Then he pursed his lips and made a funny frown that made her struggling butterfly leap into orbit. “I'm not very good at being alone and from what I can tell,” He looked her in the eyes, “I'm not very good at repairing windshield wipers either.” At which, they both burst into laughter–it all sounded so…so honest. Standing up, he brushed the dust and water off his right sleeve before leaning across the open driver's side door.
Hastily, she got in and looked up at Dan, “It was cool meeting you but I really have to go now.”
Hating rejection, he grabbed her door, “Wait, Penny, will you at least have dinner with me?” Smiling and waving
goodbye, she gently backed out of the parking space, while Dan kept staring and his eyes kept pleading. “How can I reach you?” Desperation made him sound pathetic. Like someone about to be fired, someone left in the desert without water or a helpless lost soul. She waved again and rolled down her window.
“I work at the Daily Globe, bye.” She accelerated, zooming from the parking lot into the street, splashing water onto her windshield and wondering why she told him where she worked.
The following day, a messenger brought flowers to her desk, and she enjoyed a lovely dinner with Dan at a Courtyard restaurant. They discussed Hawaii and how she could leave the past and all of her troubles behind while snorkeling around coral reefs and diving into pools that matched the color of her eyes.
* * *
Chapter Eleven
Somehow, she managed opening the door and squeezing the giant box through it without falling into the parking lot. Tina anticipated the upcoming curb, but not the heel breaking off her shoe. Six feet of what appeared to be lace and legs sprawled out in front of John as he headed into the Globe at twelve-thirty.
“Tina, is that you?” He recognized her from all the recent holiday parties he felt obligated in attending. Sitting up, her face contorted and her lips formed a pout. “Are you okay?” he asked running up, grabbing papers and notes along the way. The stuff from her desk had flown out and onto the pavement, her pantyhose had ripped, her heel was lost and the wind had started to undo her hair. Some of her personal pink messages were flying like sparrows across the vast company parking lot.
“Yeah, can't you tell?” She grumbled. He reached down to help her stand up. She knew John from company events and the few times when he came to rescue his Miss Penny Petunia—like when her clunker ran out of gas or something. Though they had never actually spoken, she knew quite a bit about him from Penny's chattering phone calls.
What she didn't know was that John knew even more about her, because of Penny's colorful descriptions involving the giant taskmaster who loomed above her on a daily basis. If it were up to Tina, Penny would often say, she wouldn't be allowed to pee, or even have lunch.
John looked around at the scattering papers and said, “Let me go fetch some of those notes, they're probably important?” His typically patient behavior waited for her answer, as he stuffed several of her things back into her box.
“No, it's okay–ah—you're John, right?” Taking off her other shoe, she threw it into the box, and quickly straightened out and dusted off her red lace top. Her suit jacket, now crumpled, sat under ten 'Top Salesperson' plaques, leaving her vulnerable, cold and exposed to the cool air in the foyer. The drafty area made goose bumps appear on the top of her arms. “Well, your sweetie pie isn't here. I don't know where she is,” she barked with an underlying anger frosting her voice.
Yikes, he thought, thinking he should slowly back away and wave goodbye. Instead, he drawled, “Oh,” with a tone of disappointment. “Good thing I ran into you then, I guess I'll try seeing her at home.” Somewhere deep inside, maybe because he knew the Boy Scout oath to be courteous or perhaps a sermon about the Good Samaritan rushed un-apologetically into his head, making him ask, “Can I help put these things into your car?”
Penny deserves a nice guy like John, Tina thought, rubbing her hands up and down her arms and thinking of all her own past, failed relationships. Then again, she didn't know Penny very well. Tina had fears about getting too chummy with people she needed to delegate. In fact, she never gave much thought to Penny outside of work, because she wanted Penny focused on her job. Too much friendship in the office would have gotten in the way of their success. This current little disappearing act however, angered and curdled her blood. Then she thought about Ron and how he could smoke his management carrot by himself, if he actually thought he could find a way to save that huge amount of business with some new, untrained rookie. Like a hopeless, disgusting idiot constantly ogling her, he acted as if he ran some kind of used car lot off the main highway.
Her lucky Penny, normally a rock of Gibraltar, should have been the last person to let her down and leave her in the dust without saying goodbye. How could she forget to tell her about a vacation? Remnants of rage lingered, and thawed slowly as she observed John's casual, caring demeanor. How could Penny do this to her, considering all the pressure she faced on a daily basis? Didn't she realize that half of her dealers were testosterone driven lunatics demanding perfection? Racing around the oval shaped track in her brain, she tried figuring out why this day had starting out so wrong. “Of course,” she finally said, “I'd love a little help after this crazy morning.” Handing him the box she asked, “Do you believe in karma?”
“Well, I'm not sure…“he hesitated, worrying about her loaded question.
“What's your sign, John?”
That seemed like a reasonable question. “Virgo, why do you ask?”
“Just wondering, I'm into astrology and the synastry of romantic interactions based on the planets and the stars. If you're a Virgo then you're an Earth sign.” They walked in the breeze towards her car, and she popped open the trunk of a shiny sports car. “I'm pretty sure Penny's birthday's in April, which let me see–,” she opened her phone and flipped to the birthday files she logged in a special App. “Ooh, John, she's a Fire sign,” she said, arching one thin, well-defined eyebrow in a questioning manner.
“Thanks,” John said in response to the open trunk. Placing her box full of things into the back of the car, he tuned out most of her astrological mumbo-jumbo. “So what made this a 'crazy morning'?”
“Everything happened all at once. It kind of spiraled out of control…” She paused for a second, and dropped a bomb—“I just quit my job after five years of working my ass off for these jokers.” She opened her car door and started wiping gravel off her soot-covered soles.
John didn't know what to say and he looked at his watch while she got in and adjusted her seat belt. When her cell phone rang, it cut into the awkward silence and her mood seemed to lighten when she answered it.
“Hi honey,” she gushed, a huge smile contradicted everything she had just finished saying to John. “I'm going home. It's a long story, but everything's just fine.” Standing there, John felt helpless and out of place. Considering her situation, however, he felt he owed her a proper goodbye. All of a sudden, her voice changed dramatically, and he became embarrassed when she yelled into her phone. “WHAT??” Her voice screeched. “I thought the Hilo store was doing great.” She looked up at John and forced one of her classic, megawatt smiles. “You're sure?” she asked sounding shocked. “Whatever.” Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, her impatience obvious, she took a deep breath and said, “I'll see you in a couple of days then. You take care. Oh, if you talk to her, tell her John came by the office.” She hung up, threw the phone into her purse and sighed loudly.
John looked at her and looked at his watch again. “I've got to go, but it sounds like you're having quite a day.”
“Me?” She laughed, but it wasn't a nice, happy laugh, it was a scary, somewhat melodramatic hissing laugh, “Wait till you hear this.” It sounded almost delirious, the way she continued laughing, spitting whatever it was, while she spoke. “My boyfriend Darin owns a dealership in Hawaii, and the manager was arrested yesterday for cocaine or some other crap. Anyway, he just called me from the air and said he has to go interview a bunch of potential prospects to be his new General Manager.” She brushed a curl away from her eyes and stopped her hysterical laughter. Her eyes were moist and John thought she might burst into tears. “He's always gone when I need him the most.”
“I'm sorry–” John took a step towards his car. Hanging out with a disgruntled employee in the parking lot of his girlfriend's job felt like a bad idea. Raising his right hand, he started to wave goodbye and said, “Well, it sounds like…,”
She cut him off, “Wait John.” Her devilish gaze sprang forth like a cool, blue blade, the moisture now completely gone. Icicles sprang like s
pears from her eyes and her voice became robotic and entranced with the self-made drama, “There's one more thing….”
Seeing this weird side of her, the bi-polar personality that Penny spoke of so often, started to wear down his patience, “What Tina?”
Starting her car, she began to back out, but John waited for her to finish. Leaning out the side, music blared from her stereo, as she shouted, “Darin saw Penny on the plane to Hawaii.”
* * *
Chapter Twelve
“Hello, this is Mrs. Losegg; could you please connect me to the front desk?” Arlene had grown tired of Dan always taking off on these weeklong trips to faraway romantic places without her. After two years of marriage and his busy flight schedule, she barely saw him. In fact, she felt like some version of an army bride who might see her husband on his monthly leave and then another month later if she was lucky. Her friends had warned her about the difficulties involved with being married to a pilot. One of them had actually yelled at her and told her to find someone else. She had pretended they were all intoxicated– unhappy or delusional friends who didn't know anything about real love. Maybe this trip, this romantic resort, would prove she had been right all along.
Finally, the desk clerk at the Princeville resort came back on the line.
“Could you check the reservation of Captain Dan Losegg please? This is his wife and I'd like to come surprise him.” After they asked for a home phone number and verified a few details, Arlene Losegg started feeling excited about her idea and the impromptu trip.
“Yes, Mrs. Losegg, we have a bay view room on the third floor, with a king-sized bed reserved. Do you want to make any changes to this reservation?”
“No, that sounds fine. Thank you.” Hanging up, she hurriedly began stuffing all her sexiest lingerie into a tiny black suitcase.
