Chapter 3
The phone rings waking me, I answer it. I look at the clock, its 4:00 pm. It's Claudia, looking for Lisa and since she couldn't find her at home and Lisa had called into work she assumed she was here. Lisa had her arms wrapped around me with her head on my shoulder, sleeping.
"Lisa . . . Lisa", I said gently.
She looked up at me with her big emerald eyes and smiled.
"It's Claudia," I whisper in her ear. She sleepily reaches for the phone "Yes", she says groggily. I hear Claudia asking where she has been all day, Lisa retorts, "Where do you think?" I hear, "Oh!" from the phone.
"Well, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner. Of course Rick is invited too".
"That would be nice, what time?" Lisa responds.
"How bout' my place, 8:00, that should give you two time to freshen up".
She hangs up the phone but before she does you can hear Claudia giggle in the background. Lisa reaches over me and puts the receiver up. She then collapses onto my chest and wraps her arms and legs around me, she then looks up into my eyes. There is passion on her face, and love. No, more than that, contentment, if she were a cat she would be purring.
"I guess that means we have to get up?" I ask.
"Not just yet." she says with a coy look and begins kissing me again.
The alarm goes off at 6:00 pm. I set it after the phone call to ensure we were prepared to go out for the evening. I roll over to wake Lisa but she is up already. I hear the shower shut off. When did she get up? I ask myself and hear the bathroom door open. Lisa steps out but doesn't notice I'm awake. I get a chance to admire her beauty again, long, lean, athletic, she obviously works out, but she is still soft and supple with gentle curves. She is stunning! I can't help but smile. That's when she notices my stare and covers herself. She blushes again and says.
"I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were awake".
"That's O.K.," I say, grinning, "I would be a very happy man if I could wake up to that every morning".
She blushes even more and says, "Well, it isn't morning it's 6:00 in the evening and we have a dinner date". That's Lisa; she always knows how to get to the point.
I crawl out of bed not bothering to cover myself; I figured I got to see hers she could see mine. Of course, I know I'm getting the better part of the deal. She gasps and I look over at her. She is staring at my scar. I had told her about it but the reality of it must have just sunk in. I received it when I was a kid from the surgery to mend my leg. It still hurts to think about the accident. It was my first plane crash and I had hoped my last.
One day, while performing in the flying circus, I was in the middle of an outside loop. Near the bottom of the loop, I notice another plane had moved onto the runway, it was excessively early.
My routine was only half over! What is he doing! Get out of the way!
But it was too late. I banked my plane to avoid his. His wing ripped into my plane as I flew by at 200mph, catching my right leg as it went through, smashing it, practically severing it from my body, I never felt it. By now, I was spinning out of control. His plane exploded, killing the pilot instantly, I wasn't so lucky. I was tumbling end over end but side ways, right toward the crowded infield. There was nothing I could do. To be honest I didn't know which way was up. I blacked out. The last thing I remember was the face of a little boy. I don't know if he was injured or not. I woke up in the hospital, my leg in traction; they had reattached my leg and had set pins in it to help hold the whole thing together. I was told that I would never fly again but I would prove them wrong. I was back at the circus, performing, with-in a year. I later learned that Roy was the one who pulled me out of the wreckage. He saved my life but he never mentioned it to me. I think that is part of the reason he left the circus. He knew that even though people died in the service; he at least knew what the risks were and he would be serving the greater good.
I hurried myself to the bathroom and crawled into the shower. I could still smell Lisa's perfume lingering in the air; it was wonderful, not too sweet but refreshing and flowery. I let the warm water run over my body, I ached, it had been a long time since I had pulled an all-nighter and even longer since I had one this intense. I quickly finish up because we still had to go to Lisa's so she could get a change of clothes.
