In this chapter, Flint and Lady Jaye share a rare day off.
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Chapter Title: Raindrops on Roses
"This is your idea of a date?," Lady Jaye groaned as he took her hand and pulled her to standing. She shook the loose grass from her patterned maxi skirt.
"Well, I always do like doing things with a bang," Flint glanced nervously at the greenish, darkening clouds as a wild gust of wind sent a spray of rain drops.
She turned to stare at him in disbelief. He was making one of his a corny jokes, now?
Truth was, Flint had been planning their date for weeks, waiting for their days off to synchronise. Though many of the Joes were aware of their relationship, they were always careful not to advertise it, taking discretion to an entirely different level.
They had left early and he had driven her out, over single lane highways to long dirt roads and then he had finally pulled to a stop, parking his car alongside the road.
"Here?," she looked around in surprise.
"Trust me," he flashed her a crooked grin before holding up the barbed wire up for her to duck under.
"Aren't we trespassing?" she asked.
"No. The owners are old friends of mine," he scrambled under to join her on the other side.
He took her hand and led her on a leisurely hike through rolling hills to the place he'd already selected, to share a private picnic. He spread out the thick blue and white horse blanket and placed the picnic basket on top. Then, he slipped off his shoes and stepped onto it, pulling Jaye down beside him. From their hilltop, the velvety yellowing grass spread out in all directions, broken only by the occasional green of a dark oak tree.
"It's lovely," she murmured softly, leaning back against him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm glad you like it," he rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, breathing in the faint scent of her herbal shampoo, the light, heady fragrance of her perfume, and that special smell he loved that was entirely her.
The sun was warm overhead, with a few fluffy white clouds forming on the horizon. They sat in silence, listening to the beating of one another's hearts, enjoying the peace of the moment, the fact that they were alone together, away from the prying eyes of the Joes.
Finally, Lady Jaye pulled away with a sigh, "I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's see what you brought in here," she grinned.
"Not so fast," Flint laughed at her morphing expression as he pried her fingers from the basket. Then smirking, he reached in and slowly pulled out a single red rose.
Lady Jaye gasped, her eyes brightening.
"For you," he smiled.
"Thank you," she fingered the delicate, fragrant petals.
They shared the rest of the contents; french rolls, and sliced cheese and meats, a large red tomato, and a cherry pie for dessert. As they ate, the breeze began to pick up and billowy clouds thickened, racing one another across the sky.
"Looks like a storm might be coming," Lady Jaye said, glancing at the sky clouding above them.
"Let's hope not."
They finished their meal and then together, slowly repacked. The clouds continued to thicken, spreading across the sky until they blotted out the sun. A cold gust of wind blew over and around them, bringing with it a strong smell of rain. They both groaned.
Flint rose to his feet, extending a hand, "I take it that would be our cue to exit."
"I thought you checked the weather forecast," she said breathlessly, hopping on one foot as she hurriedly slipped her feet back into her sandals.
"I did."
The wind blew around them again, gusting even stronger, wrapping Jaye's skirt around her legs. The sky was darkening. In the distance, they saw a flash of lightening. The first few drops of hard, cold rain came with it. Moments passed before the soft rumbling of thunder caught up with them.
"Shouldn't we get out of the rain, find shelter, or get under a tree?," Lady Jaye yelled, her voice caught and tossed by the rising wind.
"No…there's no time…no shelters around here…We have to stay low…out in the open, away from the trees. Believe it or not, it's actually safer."
The rain began to fall. Lady Jaye wrapped her bare arms around herself, "Swell," she muttered unhappily.
He removed this jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders as he looked for a low-lying area, where rain water wouldn't be likely to gather.
"Down here," he grabbed her arm once again and led her hurriedly, their feet slipping and sliding beneath them, down the sloping side of the hill. He steered them toward the lowest point he could see, a ditch.
Growing up in Kansas, Flint had learned a thing or two about tornados…and thunderstorms and the fact that lighting likes to hit the tallest objects.
Just as they reached the bottom of the hill, the thunder clapped again, almost overhead, and the rain began in earnest.
"Lady Jaye, Get down…quick… all the way to the ground," he pushed her down roughly.
"Like this," he crouched down on the balls of his feet, making sure his heels touched. "Put your head between your knees and cover your ears," he yelled.
Crack!
The storm darkened sky above them lit up brilliantly. In that brief moment of light, their eyes met, wide with fear. Then the sky darkened to greenish greyness once more.
Crack!
The jagged white lines tore through the clouds. The storm was almost on top of them.
"Don't move, Jaye. Make yourself as small as possible."
The rain was pounding the earth, soaking through the light jacket he had given her, through his own polo shirt and jeans. They were getting wetter and wetter.
Crack!
A tree across the field suddenly exploded into flames. They both jumped.
"Hang on Jaye, It'll soon be passing," Even in the semi green-grey darkness, he could see that she was trembling.
Crack!
Lightening ripped jaggedly across the sky above them.
They sat huddled under the falling rain, not daring to move, not daring to speak. Slowly, very slowly, the storm passed over them and the lightening and thunder moved beyond and into the distance. As the winds quieted, they rose to their feet, their eyes surveying the damage left behind; broken tree limbs, areas of flooding, wisps of smoke and steam rising from the now blackened tree.
Suddenly, a beam of sunlight broke through the thick clouds, prying them widely apart. Drops of rain, still dotting the grasses, caught the light and blazed golden.
Lady Jaye began to laugh, softly at first and then more loudly.
"What's so funny?," Flint looked at her in surprise.
"We were in such a hurry, we left the picnic basket and blanket on top of the hill."
His eyes widened and then he began to laugh with her. Their laughter grew, mixing and mingling with the faint sounds of the dying thunder in the distance.
And when their laughter had faded, they finally took a good look at one another. Both were soaking wet with their hair dripping around their ears. The jeans Flint wore were cold and stiff and clammy. On Lady Jaye, Flint's jacket was soaked through, her dress underneath clinging to her goose pimpled skin, dripping with mud and water.
She looked down in mingled horror and dismay, all her attention suddenly focused on the futile attempt to wring water from her sodden skirt. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she had mud in her hair, across one cheek, on the side of her neck.
Flint, as he watched her, was reminded, once again, why he had fallen in love. Even soaked to the skin and covered in mud, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He stretched out his hand and stroked a flushed cheek.
She met his eyes in confused bewilderment.
"Do you even know how beautiful you are?," he whispered in amazement.
Her eyes warmed and softened.
Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close. Then, he bent down and kissed her, gently, lingering. The warm sun beat down upon their damp heads. When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their hearts beating rapidly in their chests.
He gave her a lopsided grin, "Come on, Mud Queen. Let's retrieve that picnic basket and then we'll trek back to my car. I, for one, could use a shower right about, now."
"In a minute," her eyes sparkled, "There's something I need to do first." She rose to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into another kiss.
Smiling, he growled and lifted her off her feet.