Wishing Chapter 39
As soon as the words were out of Stacy's mouth his expression morphed from unbridled delight to somber concern as the implications of what he was saying began to hit him. He turned to Jess, who was silently staring at her lap and squeezed her hand to make her look up at him. "Hey, I'll be back before you know it," he told her in the most reassuring tones possible.
In response Jess just gave a quick shake of her head, then jumped to her feet, letting go of Stacy's hand as she stood up. "Well, I guess you have a lot of packing and things to take care of, so I'll let you be," she declared so hastily that her words almost blurred together as she strode toward the door.
"Oh, you don't have to go so soon," Mrs. Peralta told her.
"Yeah, we got time to hang out," Stacy added as he started to rise from the couch.
But Jess kept going as though she hadn't heard them. "Have a great trip," she told Stacy as she swung the front door open, unable to look at his now-startled face as she slipped out and pulled it to behind her, then ran across the porch and down the front steps.
But before she could even get halfway across the lawn she heard footsteps on the grass behind her, then felt Stacy's arms encircle her waist, forcing her gently to a halt. "Jessica, you can't just leave like this! C'mon now," he breathed softly in her right ear as he pulled her close.
At first she didn't trust herself to speak and couldn't turn to face him, either. Sensing her reluctance, Stacy relinquished his hold and went around to stand in front of her instead. He delved his fingertips beneath her chin and tilted her face upward. "Hey," he half-whispered when she finally made eye contact. "I know this has all come as a shock to you, and I was surprised at how long they want me to stay down there too, but try to be happy for me," he said, his blue eyes and his vocal tone both plaintive. "For years I've been wanting this to happen, and now I'm on my way."
Petulantly, Jess spoke up: "But just this morning you were saying that you were done with skateboarding."
Stacy ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but this morning I wasn't a sponsored pro, either. That's what the guy in Australia just said – 'You're a bloody pro now!'" Despite her distress Jess couldn't help noticing that Stacy pronounced the country's name with his laconic California accent as Awstrawlia. When she didn't reply he soldiered on. "Look, to be totally honest, if I'd turned the offer down then the guy would have called Alva. Or Biniak. Or Wentzle. And any of them would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. It's just something I couldn't refuse, I'm sorry."
Still silent and totally dry-eyed, Jess just looked at the ground and nodded.
Stacy took both her hands in his. "Hey, the time is going to fly by. And I'll write to you as much as possible while I'm over there," he promised.
After taking a deep breath, Jess made herself look him in the eyes again. "Don't feel like you have to write, though. You'll probably be way too busy for that," she countered, then made herself voice her worst fear: "And…and if you meet any interesting girls then – then don't feel like you have to- to tell them you're taken-"
Stacy's jaw literally dropped in shock. "Awww, Jessica! Do you really think I'd lie about having a girlfriend back in the States?" He threw his head back and rolled his eyes to the sky as he stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace again.
"Well, I just don't want you to feel tied down or anything," Jess murmured into his hair.
He sighed, then held her away at arm's length to study her face intensely. "Wait, are you saying you want to break up, or just that you want me to pretend I'm single while I'm in Oz?" he asked her, anxiety tingeing his voice. Because I don't want to break up, Jess. If you can wait for me, I will come back to you, ok? Ok?"
"Ok," Jess agreed. "I'll wait."
Stacy's shoulders sagged as he exhaled sharply in relief. "That's all I wanted to hear," he whispered as he pushed her chin up once more and brought his mouth down to hers, giving her a long-lasting soulkiss with no thought for spying parents or neighbors.
When the kiss ended Jess reluctantly stepped away from him. "I really should go so you can get packed," she announced in a sad, small voice.
"I guess so," Stacy said with a resigned sigh, then his face brightened as an idea occurred to him. "Hey, since you don't have classes, do you wanna take me to the airport tomorrow? Both my parents will be working and I hate to make them take the morning off."
Jess gave him a half-hearted smile. "Ok, what time should I pick you up?"
Stacy looked up as he calculated driving and waiting times. "7:30 should work. That'll get me to the airport over an hour before my flight. Should be plenty of time since I won't have to wait in line to buy tickets."
"They really are taking care of you, huh?" Jess said a tad enviously. Privately, she was reassured by the knowledge of the star treatment that his Australian hosts would be giving him. I really do hope the girls aren't too beautiful or aggressive to resist, Jess thought worriedly as she gave him one last hug and started for her car again.
Back at home, she refused the temptation of going to her room and sulking, instead making herself sit up and talk to Sandie about her day and the bombshells that Stacy had dropped on her. When she got to the Australia part, her mother's eyes brimmed with the tears that Jess couldn't shed herself. "Oh sweetie, I am so sorry to hear that," she told her daughter as she gathered her up in a big motherly hug. "I know you have to be pretty upset right now. What a shock! And just when I was getting to like him, too," she lamented with a little sniffle.
Jess pulled away from her and sat upright. "Mom, don't hate him for this. He's really sad to be leaving me, but it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. If he passed it up he'd be nuts," she explained in his defense. "Here, don't cry," she told her mother as she got a paper towel from the kitchen and handed it over so Sandie could blot her now free-flowing tears.
"I don't see how you can be so stoic about this yourself," Sandie murmured as she wiped her face and blew her nose.
"It probably hasn't really hit me yet," Jess replied in a faraway voice as she sat back down on the couch. "Anyway, there's really no point in my crying over it. He'll be back, he promised. And when he's home again we'll just take it from there. In the meantime I have school and work and friends to occupy my time. I'll be fine, Mom."
Sandie wadded the paper towel up in one fist. "If you say so, dear," she retorted quietly, then went to the kitchen, threw the towel away and announced that she was going to go read in bed, her normal pre-sleeping activity.
"So when are you seeing Sam again?" Jess asked before Sandie could leave the room. Try to end the night on a happy note so she doesn't have bad dreams, Jess wished privately.
At the mention of her new boyfriend's name, her mother's face brightened instantly. "We have plans to get together at his place for dinner tomorrow, actually. Hey, maybe you'd like to join us? I think it's time you two met."
"Oh, are things going that well?" Jess quipped, but with a delighted smile.
Sandie just blushed a bit, then told her daughter good night and went to her room.
It's time she found a decent guy who treats her right, Jess mused as she went to her own bedroom and sank down on her bed still fully clothed. Maybe Sam's the one, she thought optimistically. My relationship might be on hold, but hopefully hers will move along nicely. Her being with a steady guy is just one more locked door between her and Fred. May he rot in Sheol forever, that asshole.
She should have headed for the bathroom to perform her nightly face-washing and tooth-brushing ritual, but instead she remained on her back, her long dress spread out over the sheets and her hair echoing its shape as it spilled across her pillow and onto the mattress. Stacy, she thought as she closed her eyes. Oh Stacy, what's going to become of us?
Overwhelmed and dragged out by the long and emotionally fraught day, she soon drifted off to sleep. But shortly after midnight, a gentle but insistent tapping on her window caused her startled eyelids to fly open. A bit disoriented, she sat up and looked toward the source of the noise, not sure if she had really heard it or not. Then it came again, triggering memories of Stacy's clandestine visit on her birthday night, which had happened under very similar circumstances. She slid out of bed and lifted the blinds, half-afraid that the visitor would be someone else, but it was indeed Stacy, who grinned up at her and gestured impatiently for her to open the window.
Once he was inside her room he immediately fell into her arms and kissed her long and hard. "Were you asleep a minute ago?" he whispered as soon as he came up for air.
"Well, I didn't think you'd come over tonight," she confessed truthfully.
Stacy rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. "Aww, c'mon. Like I'd waste our last night together for three months," he told her with a little chuckle.
"Or four," she corrected while reaching up to stroke his chest through his yellow tee shirt.
"Yeah, or four," he agreed. "But there's just no telling at this point. God, I'm gonna miss you," he said with a deep sigh as he pulled her close and rocked her gently in his arms.
"I'm going to miss you too. A lot. But you're gonna have a good time down there, Stacy. Just send me a postcard from time to time and tell me about all the action I'm missing," she commanded.
He kissed her forehead. "I'll write you actual letters," he promised again. "Since I won't be out partying with any chicks, I'll have nothing else to do after dark," he jested. "So expect a lot of War-and-Peace-like epics about Australia's skate terrain every week, ok?"
Jess laughed for the first time since hearing his trip news. "Fair enough." She looked up at him and bit her lower lip slightly. "Seriously Stacy, I don't expect you to treat all girls like they're plutonium or anything. Hang out with all the girls you want, party, go to dinner, whatever. I just don't want you to feel caged up and resentful because of me," she added, but he held up a hand in protest.
"I have never felt 'caged up and resentful' about being with you, Jessica, and I won't feel like that over there either. Regardless of how many girls I meet. Ok?" Jess smiled shyly and nodded. "I want you to look me in the eye and say 'We are together,'" Stacy commanded. Jess obeyed, but too insecurely for his liking. "Say it like you mean it," he compelled her.
"We are together," she said more firmly.
"And we'll still be together while I'm gone and when I get back," he went on.
"We'll still be together while you're gone and when you get back," she repeated dutifully. "I really want to believe that," she added as he squeezed her tight in relief.
"Believe it, Jessica. I do." He brought his face down to hers for another kiss. "Man, I really wanna stay and be with you one more time, but it would be kinda shitty of me to um, hit and run, y'know?" he admitted reluctantly when their lips had parted again.
"No it wouldn't," Jess quickly assured him. "I'd really like to do it one more time before you go. One for the road, you know?" she added with a wink, already pulling him toward the bed.
After the barest resistance, he caved in and let her strip his shirt off before joining her on the mattress. Once under the sheets he took his time disrobing her, running his hands all over her form and inhaling the scent of her skin and hair deeply as though he was trying to stamp the feel and smell of her indelibly in his long-term memory. Once fully undressed, they engaged in a long foreplay session and then coupled unhurriedly while Stacy repeatedly whispered how much he would miss her and that he would always be true. When he felt his climax start to build, he forced himself to pause. Looking down at her languidly ecstatic face, he softly spoke her name. She opened her eyes and met his gaze openly. "I love you," he said, then resumed his movements.
"Oh Stacy, I love you too," she replied in a slightly choked voice as she reached up and gripped his upper arms.
Moments later he finished, then collapsed half on top of her, breathing fast. Jess pulled a damp handful of Stacy's hair away from the back of his neck and he shivered slightly as the cool air hit his skin. Then he spoke, his voice slightly muffled in her loose hair: "I really do love you, you know."
Jess traced her nails down his back gently. "I know. And I really do love you, too." She felt him smile and exhale warmly against her shoulder.
"I don't wanna move from this spot ever again, never mind board a plane to bloody Awstrawlia tomorrow," he moaned quietly.
Jess softly laughed, amused that the tables were turned and now she was doing the comforting. "It's ok. You'll be back before you know it," she replied reassuringly.
"Yeah, guess so." He pulled the rest of the way out with a regretful little sigh and rolled onto his back beside Jess, who turned onto her side and reached out to slowly trace his face from forehead to chin, creating a few sensory memories of her own. As her thumb paused over his lips he kissed it softly, then closed his eyes and silently gave himself over to her touch. When her exploration was complete she leaned over and kissed his forehead and temples, then pressed her lips to each to his eyelids in turn. She thought she tasted a hint of saltiness beneath his lashes, but a quick glance at his expression revealed nothing of his inner thoughts beyond obvious pleasure, so she bent back down and resumed her ministrations.
When her mouth got to his they laid side by side and kissed for several long minutes, then Stacy sighed hard again and forced himself to break the contact by sitting up. "I really should take off, still have a little packing to do," he told her with a crooked smile of regret.
Jess sat up too, finger combing her disheveled hair back into a semblance of order. "So are you taking any shirts that aren't striped?" she teased.
"Hey, what can I say? I really dig striped shirts," Stacy replied in mock defensiveness as he rolled out of the bed. Jess just giggled as he began gathering up his clothes. When he sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his boxers and jeans, she longingly ran her fingertips down his bare back one last time. I really hope I don't go crazy from the lack of sex while Stacy's gone, she thought to herself as he put on his shirt. It sure was nice while it lasted, though.
When he was ready to climb back out the window, Stacy crushed Jess to him one more time and kissed her hard. "See ya at 7:30, ok?" he confirmed, then made his departure quickly, as though he might change his mind about the whole thing and beg to stay.
Jess had a hard time falling asleep after he was gone, but she managed to get an hour or two of rest in total. She woke on her own two minutes before the alarm was set to go off, quickly washed up and dressed, then slipped out of the house while Sandie was getting ready for work in her own room, not wanting to have another emotional moment with her mom at that point.
As she pulled up at the Peralta house the sun was making a valiant effort to break through the early morning gloom. "Looks like it'll be a good day for flying," Stacy quipped as he answered the door and peeked over Jess' shoulder at the sky. A large beige suitcase and a small burgundy carry-on bag were standing by the door, his favorite yellow skateboard propped up next to them.
"Mom! We're going now," Stacy called to the back of the house, sending his mother bustling out from the hallway, her workday makeup only half-applied. "Oh Stacy, be safe and have a wonderful time," she told him as she took his face in both hands and planted a big kiss on each slightly pink cheek. "I'll miss you so much!"
"Gonna miss you too, Mom. I'll try to call once I'm at the hotel in Sydney, ok?" He bent down and picked up his bags and the skateboard, gently waving away Jess' offer to help carry something.
"If it's too expensive then you don't have to call. Just write us and let us know how it's going, all right?" his mom requested as tears came unbidden to her blue eyes. "Your father and I are so proud of you, Stacy. You just don't know." She gave him one more hug, then turned to Jess and thanked her for taking her boy to the airport. "It's no problem at all, Mrs. Peralta," Jess assured her with a warm smile.
The trip to the airport took less than fifteen minutes. Stacy instructed Jess to leave the Triumph at the valet parking curb in front of Terminal Two, where his flight was going to board. "Leave it to LA to have valet parking at the airport," Jess chuckled as she turned the keys over to the dark-uniformed attendant, but her laugh was hollow. I still can't quite believe this is all happening, she thought as she followed Stacy through the nearest sliding glass doors and into the terminal. He quickly located the Qantas service desk and gave his passport to the well-coiffed blonde behind the counter, who quickly produced his tickets and needed paperwork just as the promoter had promised. She even offered to take his suitcase to check-in for him so he wouldn't have to stand in line. Wow, the VIP treatment has already started and he hasn't even left the ground yet, Jess thought bemusedly.
They passed the hour until boarding time by stopping at a newsstand for some snacks and a couple of magazines for Stacy to consume during the flight. "Although once we're out over the Pacific I'll probably just go to sleep and hopefully not wake up until we're back over land," he told Jess as they made their way to the gate in a leisurely fashion. As they walked Stacy distractedly toyed with the folder that contained his tickets and passport until it became slightly dog-eared and he tucked it into the front pocket of his jacket.
When they got to the gate they saw the aircraft already parked at the end of the jetway, an impressively large 747 emblazoned with the Qantas jumping kangaroo silhouette. "Guess that's my ride," Stacy said pensively as he gazed out of the huge plate glass windows at it. "Looks like a two hundred model. I was kinda hoping for the new 747SP, but oh well."
Jess just shook her head. "Boys and airplanes," she said with a little laugh.
"Airplanes are cool. But I like motorcycles even more," he informed her as they sank down together on a wide ledge in the nearest window. For a few minutes they sat in companionable silence and watched the other passengers come and go along with various uniformed airline staff. Then Stacy discreetly took her hand in his and absentmindedly caressed it before looking into her eyes. "Jessica, I-"
"GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, QANTAS AIRLINES FLIGHT 52 BOUND FOR SYDNEY IS NOW PRE-BOARDING FOR ALL PASSENGERS IN FIRST CLASS."
While the announcement boomed out of the overhead speakers, they both laughed at the untimely interruption. After it ended, Stacy tried again. "Jessica, I really hope you're cool with all this," he said, a concerned look in his eyes as he tried to gauge her emotions.
"I am now," she told him truthfully.
He nodded. "Great, I thought so. Just making sure, though."
Jess squeezed his hand hard. "I just want you to be happy and have a good time over there. And that's an order, Mister Peralta. I'll still be here when you get back, ok?"
"Ok. And whenI get back I want you to be here to pick me up. And that's an order too, Miss Gioli."
Their laughter was drowned out by a second boarding call for first class passengers and families with babies and small children. "What seat do you have anyway?" Jess asked curiously. Stacy dug his tickets out and scrutinized them. "Looks like it's 18A. Hmm, row 18, isn't that…"
"GOOD MORNING ONCE AGAIN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. QANTAS FLIGHT 52 TO SYDNEY IS NOW READY FOR BOARDING BY ALL UPPER DECK BUSINESS PASSENGERS. ALL ROWS FROM 16 TO 27 NOW BOARDING PLEASE!" the Australian-accented female voice boomed out again.
"Hey, you're on the upper deck!" Jess exclaimed in surprise. "Man, that sports store owner must have some serious money to throw around."
"Yeah, guess so," Stacy replied dazedly, apparently realizing that this was a harbinger of things to come. He didn't get up immediately, but stayed with Jess in the window seat for a few more minutes speaking to her reassuringly about keeping in touch and how the months would pass quickly, she'd see…
At last the final boarding call came over the PA so they reluctantly left their window seat and walked to the jetway entrance. Before he walked through the doorway Stacy lingered at Jess' side for a few seconds, because a few seconds were all they had left. He reached out and caressed her hair where it fell beside her right cheekbone. "Well, guess this is goodbye for now," he told her with a crooked smile.
"Yeah. Bye, Stacy. See you in a few months."
"Yeah. I love you, Jessica." He leaned forward and placed a final kiss on her lips, lingering only slightly before he pulled away.
"I love you too, Stacy," she said, giving him a shaky smile of her own.
He grinned briefly, then turned and started walking down the long grey-carpeted jetway. At the corner he stopped and looked back over his shoulder to give her his trademark wrinkled-nose smile and a quick wave. And then he was around the corner and out of view.
With a huge sigh Jess returned to the window seat and watched the last of the passengers board. She looked outside and tried to spot Stacy's bright blonde mane in one of the oval windows set along the upper deck, but to her disappointment saw no sign of him. When the jetway door was slammed shut and the tug attached itself to the jet's nose gear and began pushing the enormous plane backward into the sunlight as its turbine engines began to spool up, Jess restlessly jumped to her feet and strode out of the gate area toward the nearest exit. The valet took only a few minutes to retrieve her Triumph, giving her a look that spoke his appreciation for the car if not the driver. She paid him with a ten that Stacy's mom had given her in payment for taking him to the airport, then jumped behind the wheel and zoomed away from the curb while rolling down her window, her manual shifting skills now silky smooth.
She turned onto Sky Way heading for Sepulveda, but got turned around in her unfamiliar surroundings and ended up on a small road that was surrounded on both sides by what looked like warehouses and hangars. Pulling over, she considered what to do for a minute, then decided to keep going in the same direction in the hope that it would lead her someplace familiar. She put the car in gear and started driving, but slowly, in case she had to turn around and try again.
As she passed by a last set of hangars off to her right the vista suddenly opened up to reveal runway 6R and a jetliner that was hurtling down it, its landing gear just lifting off the tarmac as it began soaring skyward. She peered at the artwork on the side of the fuselage and realized with a start that it was the Sydney-bound Qantas 747. As it approached, the four wing-mounted Rolls Royce engines made their distinctive keening sound which rapidly gave way to a near-deafening roar that filled the Triumph's interior as the airliner passed almost directly overhead, taking Stacy out of her life. She leaned over the steering wheel and craned her neck to watch as the jet, still climbing rapidly, made a sharp banking turn to the right that would take it south along the West Coast for the first leg of its very long journey. She kept her gaze focused doggedly on the plane as it continued to head upward into the sky, barreling for the far horizon and leaving roiling exhaust trails in its wake. When at last it had dwindled to a tiny dark speck and was lost to view against the shimmering morning haze, Jess dropped her head to the steering wheel and for the first time ever, wept for Stacy Peralta.