Disclaimer: SM created these people, and I am glad I get to play with them a little. Also, New Moon had them fly Virgin Airlines (humor in that choice noted), whereas I take them on Pan Am, baby. While SM owns the Twi universe, the remaining content is all mine. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.

BPOV

I had been a smitten kitten for days at least that is how Alice would have described me. Even though I knew I wouldn't be seeing Edward for a while due to our conflicting flight schedules, I was bursting with all the excitement that comes with a new relationship. I didn't want to jump too far ahead, but deep down, I had a good feeling that this one was really special.

The morning after our big date, I woke up early and prepared for my flight to Chicago. Even though Edward would be in some other Pan Am terminal several states away from me in the coming days, I could still feel his essence at Kennedy. As I checked in with Mrs. Cope, she seemed to pick up that something was different about me.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Cope. How are you today?" I smiled at her while lifting my skirt just enough to show her I was wearing a girdle.

"Oh, I'm fine as ever, dear." She motioned for me to do a full circle before asking me to step up on the scale. This was my most dreaded part of the 'Mrs. Cope inspection,' but fortunately it only happened every month or so. Since my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Edward, I found I was more at ease with this invasive procedure.

"Something's off, Miss Swan," she said while attending to her clipboard.

"Why? What?" I glanced down at myself, confirming that my uniform laid flat and that I had on two matching heels. Seeing that everything was in order, I nervously looked at the scale to ensure my weight had been maintained.

She put her clipboard down. "No, no, not that dear." She eyed me inquisitively before continuing. "What is it that I usually have to remind you to do before you scurry off to your gate?"

"Smile," I replied, quickly understanding what she was getting at.

"Yep, that would be it," she agreed, smiling back at me in return. "It suits you well, dear. Now off to work with you."

I excused myself and headed to the check-in office, where I was surprised to find Alice and Angela. They had arrived to Worldport long before me as they had earlier flight departures, but they said their flights had been slightly delayed. Even though they had to report to their gates soon, they insisted I provide them with some of the highlights of our date at the Fair.

Again, I could tell that things were quite different for me that day. Whereas I normally would have been kind of shy when being asked to divulge information related to romance, I found myself bubbling about Edward and giving the girls more of the personal details.

"You did WHAT?" Alice's bright blue eyes grew wide as she promptly swatted me on my shoulder. "You naughty minx, you!" While I loved the girl to death, she spoke just loud enough that several curious eyes looked my way.

"Shhh, Alice. We all know full well how information and gossip flies faster here than our jet airplanes!" Alice's expression reflected both sorrow and excitement at the same time.

Angela whispered, "Luuuccyyy, you have some 'splaining to do," in her spot-on Desi Arnez impression. "Aww, seriously, Bella, we need to catch up! I have heard tidbits from the others, but I want to hear it right from the horse's mouth! Yet right now, we both have our flights to catch. More soon?"

I nodded before giving the girls quick hugs with promises of a more detailed dish session later in the week.

"Safe flights, you two!" I called out as they quickly whisked away to their assigned gates, leaving me to prepare for my own flight without them...without him.

Four days later, I was back in the city watching Tanya drag her travel bag into the living room. I was sitting on the couch, touching up the nail polish on my toes, while she yelled to Alice in the bedroom to not forget to pack this and that for their weekend away.

Some rich guy, who Tanya had met through her travels, invited her up to Newport, Rhode Island for the folk festival. She had asked us girls if we wanted to join her because she did not want to go solo and send mixed signals to this man. While I would have jumped at such an opportunity, especially to see Bob Dylan, I was going to be busy doing small stints in Cincinnati and the Midwest. Fortunately, she was able to corral Alice to keep her company and act as a buffer between her and her hopeful male friend.

None of this was unusual for Tanya. By far, she was the most experienced girl in the house when it came to men. Some were friends; some were lovers. There was no shortage of suitors, who spanned from Manhattan to all across the globe. Of the many men, we mostly heard about a certain 'unnamed' actor she met in first class; Armando, a real Don Juan of sorts; and Iain, the businessman from Edinburgh whose accent was music to her ears. It was also apparently music to her body as well. Of course, there were countless others who would never get to see her "chaste chamber" as Tanya so politely put it.

"So sad you can't join us this weekend, Bella. It's a shame Pan Am has you, and we can't steal you away!" Tanya pouted at me, before returning to zipping up her overflowing travel bag.

"You know I would love to join you girls and the stew bum if I wasn't working." I could hear frustration in my voice. Yet I wasn't all that upset about the Newport festival, I was more sad that a certain guy would be returning on the 25th and I wouldn't get to see him.

"Yeah, but let's not lie now. I know you wouldn't be spending the weekend with us if you had it free!" She gave me a knowing look. Damn, she was good.

Tanya continued, "Here's a little unsolicited advice from your older and wiser friend. Don't get in too deep with each other. You have to experience some of the perks of our profession. You think Alice and I would be having an expense paid weekend away if it weren't for a certain charming man I met on a flight? Enjoy it while you got it, honey."

"But-"

"Trust me, when they start letting you fly off this continent, you are going to see it is a big world out there, full of delicious men. They are going to be enamored by you. You will dine at the crème de la crème of places and be showered with gifts and passion. Live a little by avoiding entanglements. There will be plenty of time for picket fences and babies and all that kind of stuff later."

I shook my head at the redhead in front of me. I wasn't much like her. Everything about her exuded sexuality. You could tell that ever since she showed the first signs of becoming a woman, she always had the pick of the litter. I had never been that type of girl.

Sadly, Alice joined Tanya in the living room after she had finished her preaching session, so I didn't have Alice to come to my defense. She placed her bags down by the door and came over to hug me goodbye.

"Be good," I whispered into Alice's ear.

"And when am I ever not good? It's her we all have to worry about!" We giggled, knowing truer words had never been spoken.

Tanya blew me a kiss as they exited out the door.

After they left, I carefully walked into the kitchen, so as to not ruin my newly painted toe nails. I pulled a bottle of Coca Cola out of the refrigerator, popped the cap, and sat down on a dinette chair.

Sipping the soda pop, my eyes glazed over as I grew lost in thought. While Tanya's comments shouldn't have rattled my cage, I pondered whether she might actually have a point. I came into this job, rather this career, because I wanted to see what this world had to offer. I didn't want to be cooped up in an office having my ass pinched by some fifty year old boss. If my ass was going to get pinched, at least it would be more under my terms. If I had wanted all that, I would have just stayed back in Forks. Charlie probably would have been happy with that decision, but not me. I wanted so much more than the life I had a year ago.

Tanya suggested that I be open to meeting more men. It's not like I had them falling at my feet as they did for her. But was she right in saying that I shouldn't focus so strongly on just one person so soon? I hated that she even made me think this way. It's not like we were going steady...yet. Regardless, I refused to count my chickens before they were hatched, nor did I want to lose a good thing like Edward.

Take it day by day, Bella.

I took my own advice, but the days sure were moving slowly. Five more of them were spent serving passengers, and again, I found myself back in our apartment. Tonight was Tanya's Book Club which was usually quite fun. While I had only participated a few times so far, Tanya had hosted the club long before I lived with her. Angela was busy getting the Jiffy Pop going on the stove, while I helped Tanya arrange our living room furniture in a circular formation.

During the past few nights in Cincinnati, I had a chance to read D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, which was tonight's book for discussion. When Tanya loaned me her well worn copy of this soft cover book, I had no idea what to expect. The cover was enough to peak my interest with its drawing of a man embracing a woman while lying next to each other. It also helped that the words on its cover boasted, "The great novel that shocked the world." The book sounded rather titillating and a break from the usual classics that were discussed at these types of meetings.

The members started to arrive shortly past seven, quickly filling up the living room and sprawling out on the rug as well. A few of the girls were stews, but many were local friends who came to Tanya's Book Club religiously.

The small living room was growing quite loud with chatter. But, with a simple clearing of her throat, Tanya was able to quickly get everyone's attention. "Ladies, as usual, help yourselves to refreshments. Our little make-shift wet bar is stocked and ready for your enjoyment. So go get a libation and treats, and we'll start in just a few minutes from now."

The girls rushed over to the bar and poured themselves drinks, while I brought out the popcorn and petite sandwiches and placed them on the coffee table.

Within minutes, Tanya called the room to order. "So, ladies, did we all read this month?" Giggles exploded all over the room. I noticed a few girls turned bright red.

"Well, I will take that as a resounding "yes" then!" Tanya smiled. She was a natural leader, and I could tell she felt most comfortable in this role. "So, what did we all think about Lady Chatterley's Lover?"

A mousy voice quickly spoke up. "I really liked how the novel fluctuated between Victorian and modern, and at times it was conservative, yet also radical." Carmen, always the smart-nic, continued as she dived into a synopsis and analysis of the story.

Saving us from Carmen's long-winded diatribe, another girl cut her off. "Oh come on, Carmen! Face it, the book was...pornographic!" More giggles filled the room.

"I'm not sure I would call the book pornographic per se," Tanya responded. "I rather enjoyed hearing those young English intellectual types spouting off about sex, yet the reader understands that they wouldn't know the first thing to do when actually in a bedroom with a lady! I'm so glad Connie found Mellors to show her a thing or two! He at least displayed some warmth and was passionate with her."

Angela barked in. "Passionate? Perhaps you mean forceful instead! I mean Connie wasn't exactly being active when she had sexual relations with Mellors! She was so passive with him. It was like she had to completely surrender to him before she could even orgasm. I got the impression that D.H. Lawrence is implying us women have to yield to a man in order to be sexually fulfilled. God, I'm so glad we weren't around in the 20's! Things were just so backward back then."

"Angela, while I hear you and all, I think we all know why we really enjoyed the book," Alice said with a big smile. "I mean when Connie talked about Mellors' thrusting buttocks, I will admit that I got a little horny." A chorus of more chuckles followed.

I looked at her, slightly shaking my head. "What? Jasper's away! How else am I supposed to feel, Bella?" Alice playfully rolled her eyes at me.

"I have never read anything like that before. I had to fan myself," Rose admitted. I was surprised she had a reaction like that. While I knew Rose was a virgin (by choice), she had heard plenty of eye opening sex talks from Tanya and Alice.

It was interesting hearing some people get all philosophical about the book, whereas others just wanted to talk about the story's steamier side. Usually, I would have been interested in discussing the book, but all this talk about sex naturally made me think about Edward. Since I considered myself to be a bit of a bookworm, I hated to admit that while reading in the bathtub at the Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, I skimmed for some of the more juicy parts of the story. They were easy to find as the corners of the pages of said parts had already been folded down for easy re-reading at a moment's notice. It was evident why this book had been passed around from woman to woman.

Eventually, those who wanted to chat about sex won out over the few people in the room who desired to talk plot. As more cocktails were consumed, the girls grew more and more open and candid with one another. I felt at ease hearing others talk about their escapades, some with many more men than the two I had been with. I thought back to how I had felt weird about sleeping with Edward so soon, and now found myself laughing over that concern. After all, now I was more interested in seeing when I would get to sleep with him next!

After a few days at home, I was working in the air, flying back and forth between Washington D.C. and the impossibly more humid, Miami. The first week of August was now over, marking over three weeks since I had last seen Edward. The only comfort I had was the knowledge that our separation was nearing its end. At least I knew he was thinking of me, even if we had to sometimes speak via a third party, such as the disc jockey at WNEW.

I arrived back from MIA late in the afternoon. It was one of those rare occasions when everyone was out of the apartment for work, and as such, the place was all mine. I turned up the radio in my room, singing along as I waltzed into the bathroom. I practically flung that iron maiden of a girdle all the way to Brooklyn. Since I didn't have to wear it for a few good days, I wanted nothing to do with the damn thing.

I stepped into a hot bath, letting my legs go limp after hours of standing and serving coffee and danish on board. Perhaps I was just delusional, but it looked as though my toes were thanking me as they wiggled in the water.

After setting my hair, I slipped into my light cotton nightgown and thin robe. The sweet voice of Barbara Lewis filled the bedroom, prompting me to grab my comb and sing into the mirror.

Baby, I'm yours, 'Til the stars fall from the sky

Baby, I'm yours, 'Til the rivers all run dry

Baby, I'm yours, 'Til the poets run out of rhyme

I wasn't much of a singer, but I could hear genuine feeling coming through those lyrics. I was completely thinking of him. I had never heard a love song in this way, and trying to sing along with Barbara, I felt my voice get a little shaky. Oh Edward, can't time move any quicker for us?

The sounds of my grumbling stomach took me out of the moment and so I headed into the kitchen. There was nothing in the icebox that looked interesting to me, and I certainly did not feel like cooking. Sadly, the only thing that appeared appetizing was the half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer. Since I had already had a recent weigh in with Mrs. Cope, ice cream seemed like a perfectly logical dinner on a hot summer night. I readied myself a nice sized bowl, gathered a spoon, and plopped myself in front of the tube.

No sooner had I eaten but just a few spoonfuls and the buzzer rang. I grumbled to myself, wondering who could be calling on our home at this late hour.

I rose, and walked to the intercom. "Yes?"

"Western Union here, Ma'am. I have a telegram delivery for a Miss Swan. Is she home?"

"Yes, I'm her. Please come on up." I was a little nervous as I waiting for the courier. Telegrams were usually sent to relay important and urgent news.

I already had the door open when I saw the young man in his uniform reaching the top steps. He was a few years younger than me and began to look at me with googly eyes. Realizing I was standing in front of him in just my sleep wear, I hastily secured the belt of my robe. With a goofy grin, he handed me the telegram. I thanked him and quickly closed the door behind me.

After seeing that the telegram was addressed from Edward, I nearly bore a hole in the floor from jumping with excitement. I went back to the couch, holding the message in my hands. I opened it with much care and saw that the telegram had been sent last night from Los Angeles. I almost didn't want to read the passage below because I wanted to savor this moment. Hearing from him was such a treat, especially in this manner. Realizing I was being an idiot, I permitted my eyes to look further down the telegram.

BELLA. BEING APART FROM YOU HAS BEEN SO DIFFICULT. THEY SAY ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER & I'M FINDING THAT COULDN'T BE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH. COMPARED OUR SCHEDULES & NOTED NEXT WEEKEND WE ARE FREE. I WILL BE CALLING "BEECHWOOD 4-5789" TO SET UP A DATE. BIG SURPRISE PLANNED FOR US ON 15 AUG 1965. THIS PILOT LONGS TO HOLD HIS FORKS GIRL IN HIS ARMS AGAIN. XOXO AND 3/4, EDWARD.

I re-read the telegram over and over, perhaps hoping Edward himself would emerge from the small piece of tan paper. I couldn't help but be curious about the surprise he had planned. I'm all yours Edward... August 15th, 16th, etc...

After a good hour or so of daydreaming, I decided it was finally time for bed. I placed the telegram next to the flowers he had given me during our last date. I had dried them so I could enjoy them longer. I laid down in my soft bed and soon my thoughts drifted back to him. As there was no fear of getting caught, I let myself sink further into the bed.

We were on the jet airplane, back to the scene of our first kiss. Edward's tongue was swirling madly with mine, but this time, no one was there to interrupt us.

I imagined Edward's hand dipping into my blouse, while I simultaneously caressed my breast over the fabric of my nightgown. His breathing was becoming hitched as our kisses grew more frantic. My fingers latched onto the lapels of his uniform jacket, pulling him impossibly closer to me. He took my actions as a hint and crossed over to join me in my seat row. His right leg intercepted between mine as he slowly pushed me back across the seats. Our kisses grew firmer, especially as his entire weight bore down on me.

His free hand traveled slowly up my leg and to the spot where I desired his touch most. Of course, as I was the director of this fantasy, I wasn't wearing a girdle. In fact, I wore nothing at all underneath that blue pencil skirt.

As I imagined his strong fingers caressing me, I slipped my own under the elastic of my cotton underwear and between my legs. I was surprised how wet I had already become, simply as a result of my own imagination.

I touched myself as I imagined he would touch me. Rather, I touched myself like I knew he had touched me. As I could feel myself reaching climax, I swore I could hear his words on that Ferris Wheel coaching me in my ear.

"Come for me, Bella. Let me see a naughty side of you."

I bit my lower lip as I felt myself shake under my hand. I let out an audible moan that surprised me and brought be back to the present. My heart was racing a mile a minute.

Taking my extra pillow, I flipped to my side. I squeezed it tight, imagining Edward was beside me. In the dark, I could see the silhouette of the telegram, propped up against the vase on my nightstand. Although he might have been miles and miles away, in this space and time, I felt like he was very much with me in my room.

I chanted repeatedly to myself. Just one more week. Just one more week. Just one more week.

After all, next weekend would be here...eventually.

A/N:

So guess what, my wonderful and amazing readers? Next chapter, PilotWard (Pilot-boy, Captain Cullen, whatever you wanna call HIM) and Stewbella (Forks Girl) will be together again! I'm so excited to finally be writing this chapter, you can't even imagine. If it can live up to what I envision in my head, I will be a happy camper. So can anyone guess what he has planned for their surprise date on August 15th? Let me know in your review, and if you guess right, I'll give you a bonus teaser and props in the next A/N. I'm not giving any hints other than what is in the story because this is a lil challenge! Feel free to also discuss on the story's thread.

Thanks to my super special beta, siouxchef. I heart her so. My iota, hopefulwager, is currently on vacation, but I still feel a shout out is appropriate! Thanks also to those of you who left me reviews. Sounds like a lot of you enjoyed the radio dedication scene, and all of you wanted to see the couple back together. You already know that it is happening soon, but as Edward says in the telegram, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Plus, it is the reality of their careers.

As always, all reviews are responded to and get spoilers. Please, please, please, click the review button even if just to say a short comment (and make your guess about the date). Reviewers also get an extra pillow and blanket in their airline seat, to make winter traveling more comfortable!

xoxo, FLC