Blowing In The Wind
In response to Ginger S's challenge, I offer this saga. Please enjoy.
Do you ever wish that sometimes you could freeze-frame a moment in your day, look at it and say "This is not my life."? – Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire)
The morning radio tones sounded at station 51 waking sleepy fireman from what had been a short nap, though one might think night time shouldn't qualify as a short nap. It had been a long shift, and everyone crawled out of bed glad to see shift change ahead.
Drowsy men filed into the washroom, or across the apparatus bay for the day room, depending on whether the need for physical release, or revival was in order. Morning needs were attended, coffee was made and consumed, and finally the hour of release approached.
John Gage stood in front of his locker unbuttoning his light blue uniform shirt. His paramedic partner Roy DeSoto sat on the locker room bench in civies tying his shoe laces. "What you doin this weekend?" Johnny inquired of his friend.
"I promised JoAnne and the kids I'd take 'em to the beach. Wanna come along?" Roy replied.
Johnny slipped his cream colored cotton button down shirt on over his t-shirt saying with a light hearted chuckle "Nah, gonna have to pass Pally. I've got a date with Cindy Wills, that new nurse in neurology at Rampart."
Roy had finished dressing and now stood in the doorway of his locker gathering up dirty clothes to pack for laundry at home. Smiling to himself he replied "Oh, you mean the girl who's been giving you the cold shoulder all week? We are talking about THAT Cindy?"
"Yep, that's her. But Ro-oy….it was all a put on. She said she really thought I was cute, and wanted to go out, but didn't want me to think she was one of THOSE girls." Johnny replied with a victorious gleam in his brown eyes.
"That old Gage charm won her over, eh Gage!" Chet Kelly said, as he strolled into the locker room.
"That's right Chet!" Johnny said with a note of defiant irritation in his voice.
Chet looked at Roy and waggled his bushy brows saying "Ya know what that means Roy. He's gonna come back here Wednesday all depressed cause she dumped him….and you're gonna hear about it all shift!" And Chet chuckled merrily to himself as he proceeded to change out of his uniform.
Johnny, who would normally take the bait, ignored the phantom's dangling hook today. He was just in too good a mood to bother with Chet!
Roy slid his duffle bag across his shoulder, and easing over to his partner slapped him on the back saying "Just ignore him. He's probably jealous because I heard Chet made a play for Cindy and she turned him down."
"Yeah, well she just wasn't my type." Chet defended. "Too goody goody, if you know what I mean. Bet Gage has a really boring time with her."
Johnny looked at Chet, a full blown crocked grin abloom now "sour grapes Chet, that's all it is." Slamming his locker door, Johnny turned and walked with Roy from the locker room.
"So you're going to the beach this morning?" Johnny inquired of his partner as they walked.
"Probably gonna go home and nap till about one, then head out. Thought we would have a picnic, and I hear there are some great spots around Morro Strand State Beach. Thought we might do a little bit of exploring."
"Hmm….sounds good, but what were you planning to drive? Some of those dunes are pretty good sized." Johnny said.
Roy looked thoughtful. "Hmmm…hadn't thought about that really. This was sorta spontaneous."
"Say, I got an idea" Johnny said, take the Rover. I'm not plannin any camping for several days. That way you and the family can have some fun exploring the dunes at Morro." Johnny suggested holding out his keys to his best friend.
"Well…..that does sound like a good idea." Roy considered. "Sure you wouldn't mind?" he said looking at Johnny seriously.
"Naa…It'll be great. Let's just trade cars, and I'll drop by your place tomorrow morning, and we can trade back." Johnny said.
The men exchanged car keys then, and parted company with Roy climbing into Johnny's Land Rover, and Johnny stepping over to Roy's little Porsche.
Later that same evening, Johnny drove the little yellow Porsche up to the front of Cindy Wills apartment building. He had the rag top down, and was prepared for a wonderful evening. Stepping out of the car, Johnny was quite the dapper fellow decked out in soft gray dress slacks, with a lighter gray silk dress shirt, slender black tie and narrow black belt with shining silver buckle. He had stopped at a small florist shop on the drive to Cindy's place, and selected a single long stemmed rose to bring for his date. Johnny reached Cindy's apartment door and rang the bell. As he waited for her to appear, he smoothed his dark hair carefully, and ran his slim fingers down his tie.
Cindy opened the door to her date. The handsome young man had brought her a single rose, and she smiled graciously accepting it. "Oh, how sweet. He is such a romantic guy." She thought to herself.
Of course she'd heard the hospital gossip about Johnny Gage. He was quite the ladies man, if the tales she'd heard were true. Cindy had no intention of being just another conquest for some eager young hot-shot paramedic. So at first, she had rebuffed Johnny's advances. But, like a puppy dog that follows you home, he kept coming around flirting, and asking her to go out with him. He was so cute, and he seemed so sweet and sincere, she had eventually given in.
She'd been warned though to watch out for this guy. He was known to have dated many girls at the hospital, and Cindy's mother had always told her that when a guy flitted from one girl to another, he wasn't to be trusted. "Their always after one thing Cindy." Her mother had warned. "Once they have what they came around for, they'll never call you again."
Her mother's stern warning echoing in the "old fashioned" girls head, she now cautiously approached her date with the handsome paramedic. She vowed no matter how charming this man was, she would stay true to her moral principles.
Johnny escorted the lovely young women out to the yellow Porsche. Cindy eyed the little car, and smiled. "Hmmm…nice car." She thought.
Johnny walked Cindy over to the passenger side of the car, and gallantly opened the door for her. As Cindy prepared to slide her lovely leg in to the vehicle, a gust of wind suddenly blew something pink from under the car seat, across the floorboard of the auto. Johnny and Cindy spotted the windswept object almost simultaneously. Cindy reached down curiously as Johnny's deep brown eyes at first studied the mystery thing, and then filled with instant horror and realization. He made a mad dash to grab the fabric he now recognized.
But Cindy was now sitting in the front seat of the Porsche, and her fingers reached the article first. Lifting her hand, Cindy looked at what was now easily recognized as a pair of slinky pink lacey women's panties. Her mouth fell open in dismay.
Johnny too was gaping at the undies. "Holy Hell! Those must be JoAnne's panties! Roy and Jo did have one of their date nights this week….and Roy did seem quite pleased at the evening. Eeewwwww! They must have….. Oh geeze! Shoot me now!" Johnny's mind screamed!
Cindy knew in that moment, everything she'd heard about John Gage was true! He had only wanted to date her to take advantage of her. Instantly she was furious, and turned her fire breathing gaze on Johnny. She threw the pink frilly silk mass in Johnny's face, and scrambled from the car. "Ughf! You Pig!" she bellowed, and ran to the door of her apartment angrily slamming the door behind her as she dashed inside.
Johnny could only stand suspended in the freeze frame of the moment, pink panties in hand, mouth hanging open. "What the heck! This can't be happening to me! This can't be my life!"
Very early the next morning, Johnny called Roy. They exchanged pleasantries, and arranged for Johnny to come over to the DeSoto's for the vehicle exchange.
About an hour later, Johnny arrived at his partner's house. Upon hearing his knock, Roy opened the front door. Johnny's face was unreadable.
"Hey there Junior" Roy ventured, "how was your date?"
"Awful, it was just awful Roy" Johnny said, shaking his head.
"What do ya mean, what happened?" Roy enquired, and Johnny let him step in to it.
"You happened, that's what." Johnny said, with seemingly rising ire.
"Me" Roy said, eyebrows rising in dismay wondering how his partner could blaim a bad date on him.. "What could I have done to..…?"
Johnny raised a hand in a "stop" gesture, refusing to let Roy continue speaking. Slipping the pink panties out of his pocket he dangled them in front of Roy's face.
Roy's mouth gaped, his eyes growing wide." And both men stood frozen in a suspended moment of silence.
JoAnne had heard the knock at the door, and had expected to see Johnny's lanky frame saunter into the kitchen. "Hmmm…wonder why Johnny hasn't come in." she thought. Slipping out of the kitchen, she walked resolutely to the front door and found Roy standing in silence, Johnny with dangling undies before him.
"Oh my God! Why is Johnny holding a pair of my panties in his hand?...oh wait…." Her mouth fell open with sudden insight. "Johnny had Roy's car…...and the other night when Roy and I...….Oh my gosh! I must have forgotten to pick them up!"
Authors Note - It's true, some moments do last forever. No doubt about it, all three of these people would have agreed with our friend Daniel Hillard.