This is a big chapter, the one I suspect you've been waiting for. The story is now rated M. Words - 13K
"Gwen, I want the entire team, together, in the meeting room in ten minutes." His tone was demanding. It sounded as if he were not in the best of moods. She looked up, intent in affirming she would carry out his request and then she saw it. He had a cut on his high left cheekbone and it had turned the area around it purple.
The surprise on her face could not be concealed. As such, Mr. Bates lifted his palm up to stop any questions she might have. After his announcement, everybody would think whatever they wanted. "I'm fine. Just tell me when they are all there."
He headed into his office for a moment. He had purposefully arrived a half hour later than usual. It had been enough time for him to telephone Matthew and find out what had become of his injunction request. When he telephoned the night before, after he received the blow, Matthew seemed certain that he had enough grounds to get it processed. Matthew explained the terms by which it was being authorized. It was important for John to understand before he spoke of it in the office.
He also arrived early because if anybody saw him beforehand, there would be too many questions and he wanted his entire staff to be available by the time he did arrive and to tell them when they were all together. Perhaps, some of them already knew. Vera was not one to keep quiet. Judging by Gwen's reaction, though, if they did know, they had not yet shared the juicy gossip with the others. This would be a good test. It might get him what he desperately wanted to know. The body language in the meeting might help him determine who the lover was, if he even worked in this office. He often had doubts. He had nothing to go on, but a hunch. Vera was crafty and he knew her too well. She was less likely to do this with somebody random. She would always want to hurt him and so she would choose somebody important to him - one of his employees from the office. If it had been somebody random, yesterday, when asked, she would have flaunted it. Anna said it was down to four men. He ran his hand through his hair as these thoughts consumed him. He wanted it to be over.
"Everybody accounted for except Mrs. Bates. Do you want to wait for her?" Gwen popped her head into the doorway.
"No. We won't." He stood and joined her on the walk back to the conference room.
Gwen looked concerned. "I'm sorry there is no tea. If I would have known…"
He cut her off. "Don't worry. This is impromptu and I cannot see the meeting lasting for more than a few minutes. We won't have time for tea." Sensing that he had been nothing but curt from the moment he arrived, he stopped her before they reached the room. "Thank you Gwen, truly, for all you do."
Her face was a mixture of pride and confusion. He was never short on praise for the work that she did and she loved it when he recognized her efforts, but, she wasn't sure what was going on. There was sorrow in his eyes. Not wanting to embarrass him, but continuing to be supportive, she nodded slightly and smiled tentatively. She followed him in without saying another word.
There was a collective sigh among the present team members when they saw his injured face. Daisy, not having been blessed with a filter in her brain and not realizing that it was not prudent to ask, reacted loudly.
"Mr. Bates, What happened? Have you been in an accident?"
"Something like that." He tried to not give it importance and changed the subject at once. "Listen team…..I've called you all together because I must inform you of some important news."
He surveyed the room. Richard, all of Accounting, Anna, Gwen, Sarah, Tom, William, Daisy, Michael, Evelyn and Alfred were there. In all, only three of his staff members were missing; Jack, Jimmy and Tony. This was a good crowd. He'd only have to give the news once.
Anna was aware, he could tell. Of course she would know about everything that transpired. Her Godparents would likely have shared everything that they had overheard and the pictures they helped take of his wound. He'd driven directly to their van, gesturing them to follow him until they were at least a few blocks away. After taking pictures for evidence, they were true to their word and the recording had been made available overnight. He could see it in her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes looked upon him with concern and what he dreaded the most - pity. The last thing he wanted from her was for her to feel sorry for him. He was free now, he could love her, but instead, he had her pity. He looked away and started the conversation.
"Mrs. Bates and I are getting a divorce." Another collective noise of surprise was heard, followed by complete silence. You could hear everybody's breathing. He took advantage of the silence to deliver the last bit of news. "In addition, her partnership in Bates Airlift is being dissolved."
Sarah O'Brien, the person with perhaps the most to lose, was most shocked of all. After a moment to collect her thoughts, she was the first to speak. "What does that mean?" she asked, in a tone that anybody would consider confrontational.
John surveyed the room again to see the faces of his employees. There was mostly surprise from all of them, but Sarah's locked jaw and narrowed eyes made her appear upset. She would be, more than the others. Vera was her friend.
He didn't want to tell them the details. It was his private life and he didn't want the particulars of it to be shared as gossip, yet, he had to say something and be more specific. The injunction against her had to be known. She couldn't be allowed to just walk in there. She could fool any of them easily.
"What that means is - that as part of the terms of the divorce, partnership is no longer an option. I am buying her out, fairly, and that process will be seen to by the courts." He paused to get a full breath. "What that also means, is that I will retain full ownership of the company and its entire assets when this process is finished."
John thought he saw some happy faces in the crowd. Gwen, Tom, Anna and Phyllis to be exact. Sarah was fuming and trying to contain her ire. He wasn't too sure about some of the men - Richard, Anthony and Thomas. Having collaborated with her and being her most direct colleagues, they all looked shocked. The others just appeared confused and worried. None of their reactions stood out above the others and he couldn't figure out who the lover might be.
"Will you be keeping us on?" inquired Alfred, his voice meek with worry.
"Of course, nothing changes. Everybody who wants to work for me, I am happy to keep. Some of you may be uncomfortable after these changes and I would understand if you wanted to seek employment elsewhere. I won't be offended." John was assertive in his declaration and added a last statement. "I won't be looking to let go of anybody, as long as the company continues to do well."
That changed the majority of the confused and worried faces and they were calm.
"One last statement. As of today, I hold a court injunction that is commonly referred to as a non-molestation order. It is against Vera. She is not allowed to come near me or these premises."
"Isn't that for women with abusive husbands?" Sarah asked in a way which everybody understood was meant to shame or belittle him.
"It is for people whose spouse, partner or even business associate has turned violent – not just for women." The penny dropped for just about everyone when they realized that his wound was not an accident. Vera likely had done that to him. Their gazes changed immediately - some to concern, others to surprise.
"I don't want any of you caught in between all of this. It is my regret that I cannot spare you some of the drama that may evolve from the litigation and court processes. "He was looking at Sarah directly when he made the following statement. "I cannot and will not tell you what to do when you are outside of this office. She has many friends here and I respect that. Your employment here does not condition you to take my side and never speak to her again. There are no sides. She may call upon some of you to help her retrieve her things and that is fine….but…helping her to come here will only hurt her. It is a criminal offense for her to break this order, so be careful with what you do."
Sarah looked fit to burst. Thomas kicked her underneath the table, trying to get her to calm down. He didn't agree with what was going on, but, this was not the moment to make it known.
"As I said, there are no sides, but, If you do take sides, that is your prerogative. I run a business and I expect everyone to maintain decorum at all times. Regardless of what you think, you will all leave personal opinion on this matter at the door. Now, if anybody has any other questions, I would be more than willing to answer them in my office." He pushed out of his chair and stood up. "Meeting adjourned."
"That idiot!" managed to exclaim Sarah inside the offices before Thomas pulled her outside to vent. Tom and William, on their way back to the hangar, couldn't help but overhear. She was fuming. Thomas moved her as far as he could, away from the mechanics and even farther than their usual location where the golf cart was parked. They stood at the edge of the tarmac, where nobody could hear them. He let Sarah rant.
"The bloody fool! Who does he think he is?"
"Well, he's not much of a fool – the divorce, dismantling the partnership and a non-molestation order –that takes gumption." Thomas pulled out a pack of cigarettes, the weight of the morning demanding he smoke to keep his nerves settled. Vera hadn't warned them.
Sarah took a cigarette as well, and looked around to make sure they were far enough away from the fuel tanks. Thomas had just dragged her out, not taking the usual precautions. Fuel vapors and residue were not uncommon at the compound. No matter how upset she was with the egregious Mr. Bates, she did not want to become a statistic because of their negligence. She moved him farther into the field.
"You're not saying he was right to do that, are you?" Sarah looked at Thomas with disbelief written all over her face.
Thomas was quick to defend himself. "No, I just said he is not the fool we thought he might be." He lit his smoke.
"What will Vera do now?" Sarah took a long puff and let out the smoke out slowly, drawing little circles.
"I suspect that Mr. Bates thinks he won. Vera may be licking her wounds now, she didn't expect the situation to blow up the way it did, but, she has more tricks up her sleeve than he suspects." Thomas spoke with a certain confidence that confused Sarah.
"What do you mean? Can she fight the divorce?" Her words were quick to question Thomas.
"Fight?" His left brow went up and he scrunched his lips. "…..I don't know. We don't know by what terms he achieved it. All I know is that she's not one to take things lightly. Mr. Bates will eventually feel the brunt of her fury."
"You sure seem to know a lot." The look in her eyes was almost accusatory.
"I know only what I've heard Vera say. You've heard her too." Thomas defended himself from the wordless implied accusation.
Sarah wasn't sure Thomas was being truthful. He spent much more time in Vera's office than she did. He must be aware of the tricks Vera had up her sleeve, else, he wouldn't be talking with so much assurance in his voice. She decided to let it go. If things were to happen, she would find out soon enough.
"Did you see the smug faces on Gwen and Anna?" Sarah changed the topic. "They looked too happy to see Vera gone. If Vera comes back, they'll be the first to go."
"…..and you'll be the first to go now if you don't calm down in there. Mr. Bates knows we are friends of Vera's. The best you can do is to keep your head down and do your work. Vera will be back, but while that happens, you would best remember that she isn't in charge right now and he is."
"He'll never be in charge of me, I tell you. The damn fool thinks he can tell me what to do…."
Thomas interrupted her. "Yes, he can tell you want to do. He is the owner as well, until Vera fights back. This is not our battle. It is Vera's. We can be loyal to her and pay attention to what is happening and let her know, but, you should not do anything to get yourself sacked."
"This isn't fair I tell you." Sarah answered in protestation.
"No, it's not….but, it's smart."
Mr. Bates had left the conference room and his employees were in shock, needing a couple more minutes to process the morning's announcements. They exchanged glances at each other, speechless. Sarah and Thomas were the first to stand up, and then the rest of the team slowly filed out. For the first few minutes, they all made it back to their desks, wanting to assess Mr. Bates' general mood before congregating to discuss what had just happened. When they saw Mr. Bates close the door to his office, Daisy, Phyllis, Gwen and Anna flocked to the kitchen.
"I never imagined something like this could happen. I still can't believe it." Gwen finished filling a kettle with water so that they could make tea. They all needed a little perk up after the events of the morning.
"What? That he would finally see through her?" Phyllis spoke out and it was quite a shock for all of them to hear her say such a thing. She was always the first to retreat at the first sign of gossip or drama.
The three girls looked at each other, wondering how to respond to that.
"She was always quite loopy, wasn't she?" Daisy offered sheepishly, afraid to state her opinion, but following Phyllis' lead.
"I've only been here a couple of months. You all know her better than I did." Anna didn't feel like she had a right to say anything, even though with what she knew, she could have said much worse.
"I feel horrible because I've always hoped that they would get a divorce, but I always said it out of spite, because she was so difficult to work with. I never thought it would actually happen and I feel bad for him." Gwen was more specific with her comments this time.
"Somehow, I don't think he's suffering, Gwen." Phyllis commented again. "You shouldn't feel bad. We all saw how she treated him. This is a good thing." After a few seconds, she added, "For all of us."
"What'll she do now?" asked a naïve Daisy. Her sweet demeanor demonstrated compassion and real concern.
"I wouldn't worry, Daisy. If Mr. Bates buys her out, I am pretty sure she will have plenty of funds. She won't even have to work." Anna reassured them all. She had seen the financials of the company. Joe had put the dossier together when she came to work here. She also saw the money in Vera's account. She had nothing to worry about.
"I know it is a good thing," Gwen spoke up again. "It can't possibly increase my workload, it's not like I'm not already doing most of her tasks." A smile slowly crept upwards on her face. "No more stealing the credit for my work."
"No more getting her coffee and tea," added Anna and a smile crept up on her face.
"No more flirting with the boys and getting them all riled up, leaving me to deal with them," spoke Daisy, having lost the naivety and speaking with more conviction. Her smile crept upwards, joining her coworkers.
Realizing they were part of a very small club, Phyllis finally added her own comment as her own smile crept upwards on her face. "No more yelling from her office for Sarah, Anthony or Thomas."
All four burst out laughing, their own little celebration reaching a crescendo. It was a joyous occasion for all of them. They calmed when they heard the whistle of the kettle announcing the water was ready to be consumed. Gwen poured the liquid into the four waiting mugs.
"He'll need our help," stated Phyllis as she took her mug. When it was in her hands, she closed her eyes, as if she remembered something. "I'm going back to work. That's how I can help him." Jovial Phyllis shut back down and retreated from the kitchen, back to her own little world. The spark they had just seen was gone from her and she became vague and opaque all at once.
The three girls exchanged knowing glances again. Phyllis was truly odd. Anna couldn't understand what had just happened.
As a result of Phyllis' departure, Daisy left as well. "I need to prepare for a run in half an hour. I'll see you all later." She took her mug with her, leaving Anna and Gwen alone.
"It's true," shared Gwen when the other girls had left. "He will need our help. I don't trust tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum."
"Yeah. I don't get a good feeling about them either. Sarah was livid." Anna agreed wholeheartedly. This place would undoubtedly not be the same after today.
Gwen took her mug and turned to leave. "Are you coming?" Anna looked firmly planted in her place, not intending to move yet.
"Yes, in a minute. Go on without me. I'll catch up." She needed an extra minute to herself before going back to work.
Gwen understood and left her. Anna stood by the counter, with the steaming mug ensconced within her hands. Of course, her thoughts turned to him. Elsie had called last night to brief her on the situation and had even texted the stills of his wounds to her. As expected, the wound had bruised overnight. She wished she could be with him and tell him things would be alright, maybe celebrate his small achievement. It was a dream, she knew. She was startled out of her thoughts by somebody coming into the kitchen. Returning from her daydream, she realized it was him. Mr. Bates was in the kitchen with her.
She was standing in front of the kettle, blocking its access and he walked right up to her.
"Do you mind?" He pointed at the kettle. "I need a drink."
"We just made a pot. There's some left. Do you want some?" She picked up the kettle, offering to pour. He nodded in agreement and she reached for a fresh mug. At least he hadn't stormed out like the other day, rejecting her tea and preparing a shoddy cup of coffee.
Standing so close, she could see his cheekbone and the wound looked larger than it really was. The purple hue was distorting the size. She handed him the mug, but what she really wanted to do was touch him and provide comfort; kiss it better, even. She breathed in. Now was not the moment.
"Does it hurt?" she asked. "It swelled a bit overnight." There was no sense in denying that she didn't know about it.
"It did swell, as was expected." He paused, not really looking at her, but taking a sip from his hot drink. "It looks worse than it is. It doesn't hurt." He looked uncomfortable talking to her.
Anna didn't want him to say or do anything rude, and as an act of self-preservation, she excused herself to continue with her day. Phyllis still had much to teach her.
"I'll get on now. Phyllis has a lot to show me this week. Congratulations on what you've accomplished." She walked away, leaving a piece of herself in that kitchen with him.
Since the announcement, the quality of Sarah's work had diminished. Thomas had warned her that this was not the moment to make any mistakes and that no matter how upset she and he might be about what was transpiring between the Bateses, she ought not to make it her personal battle. Vera would eventually win, of that he was sure, but in the meantime, without her protection, they had to exercise caution with what they said and did in the office.
Thomas was right, Sarah had nothing to argue against his logic and reason, however, employing that logic and reason herself was challenging. She couldn't see Mr. Bates walk through the office and not feel the blood inside her start to boil. Years of listening to Vera's tales meant the poor man would always be an imbecile in her book. Vera was the rightful boss and owner and she would not be happy until justice was served.
As had been expected, Vera had called upon her friend to retrieve her files and mementos. Sarah made it a point to make sure everyone discovered what she was doing and she made it a further point to announce to all her dissatisfaction. Nobody but Thomas ever paid any attention to her and that bothered her even further. Gwen, Anna and Phyllis, closest geographically to her, often heard her tirades and tried to pick up the slack, realizing that she was a threat to the operation. Most of the pilots shied away from her and kept to the pilot rest room when they weren't on an actual flight. They were lucky to have that option.
It was on Thursday, when Phyllis was showing Anna how she managed the spare parts inventory, that Sarah's line began ringing. Since it was the company's published customer service number, it was configured to ring on everybody's phone as a second line. If she were already on the phone, or temporarily away, everybody had the responsibility to answer that line and do their best to provide what was requested, or with more complicated requests, take a message so that Sarah could ring back. Phyllis and especially Gwen, were the ones who took their fair share of Sarah's calls. Anthony and Richard, as higher level employees, were not obligated and Thomas always felt he had more important work to do, and thus, it would ring until either Phyllis or Gwen relented. In this occasion, Gwen was busy escorting a customer who had just arrived for transport.
Phyllis answered the phone. "Bates Airlift, this is Phyllis Baxter, how may I assist you?" She paused to listen. "Mr. Wiggleton, I am pleased –"
Phyllis was cut off mid-sentence and Anna just observed. Phyllis' eyes turned from genuine sweet pleasure to panic. She accessed Sarah's control spreadsheets from the shared drive where they were kept and looked for Mr. Wiggleton's booking. Anna couldn't hear the conversation, but saw that Mr. Wiggleton had a booking for right now. It was assigned to Daisy. Anna remembered him from several weeks ago. He was the older gentleman who liked to fly with Daisy. In general, he liked the company of younger women. He was also the one that Sarah had booked wrong and tried to pass it off as her mistake. She would never forget.
"I am so sorry. I will find out right away what the problem is. Can I ask you to hold?" He must have given her an earful because her eyes opened wide. "Yes, I promise I will be right back."
Phyllis put the call on hold and stood up.
"What is it?" asked an anxious Anna. Phyllis was already moving away from Accounting and towards Sarah's desk.
"Mr. Wiggleton is waiting for his transport; we are already fifteen minutes late. I just confirmed that he does have a booking. I need to find out what the problem is." Anna followed after Phyllis. It was the excitement of the situation that made her get up and follow, as she wasn't really relevant to the problem or solution.
Sarah wasn't at her desk. Phyllis went on to look for her towards the pilot rest room and encountered Gwen, on her way back from handing off a customer to Alfred. They could hear the rotor blades of a helicopter starting.
"Have you seen Daisy, or Sarah?" asked the meek woman.
"Sarah is outside, on the phone, but Daisy called in sick this morning. She's running a fever."
"Did you tell Sarah? Mr. Wiggleton is waiting for her to pick him up in his office. Nobody's come yet." The tone in her voice was full of angst and concern.
Gwen momentarily panicked and her face reflected apprehension, until she remembered that she had passed on the information. "I did. I told her. I also emailed her."
"Is there another pilot available?" Anna asked, trying to find a solution to the problem.
"None," spoke Gwen. "Alfred just took Mr. Howell. There were no others in the crew room."
"I've got to tell Mr. Wiggleton something." Phyllis' anxiety level was increasing, as she would be the one to have to face the customer.
"What about Mr. Bates? He's here. He could be the one to do this trip." With Mr. Bates always on her mind, it was natural for her to bring him up.
"I wouldn't dare ask him", cowered Phyllis.
Anna didn't understand why she would be so afraid of him. He would want to help, this being his company. "I will," and before Gwen or Phyllis could say anything else, Anna was on her way toward the front, where his office was located.
Phyllis followed her, while Gwen went out to look for Sarah.
"I'll find Sarah and get Tom to prepare one of the girls." If they were to bring Mr. Bates into the problem, he would want to know what happened and they should also not waste any more time in getting a chopper ready.
"Mr. Bates?" Anna came bundling in, to which he raised his head in surprise.
"Yes?" His eyes opened wide in shock, seeing her in his office. She had mainly stayed away these days.
"Mr. Wiggleton booked a York- Manchester service with Daisy, but she called in sick this morning. We don't know why he wasn't protected when she called, but we have no one to take him. He's already been made to wait 15 minutes and has just called in upset. We're thinking you're the only one who can do it."
John realized the gravity of the situation and moved away from his desk immediately.
"I'll take him. He's a top client and if I remember correctly, we botched him up before." He walked down the corridor, towards the opposite end, the exit, when he ran into Sarah, who was returning from another break.
"What happened to Mr. Wiggleton?" he asked briskly. "Why wasn't he protected when Daisy called in sick?"
"I'm not expected to save this company every time something goes wrong. It's not my fault that Daisy isn't here. I can't be expected to pull miracles in minutes."
"Daisy called in sick, hours ago," exclaimed Phyllis, who was right behind them. She did not want to get into the middle of the situation, but it was best if Mr. Bates was informed of the full extent of the problem.
"Well, I wasn't informed about it." Sarah brushed off Phyllis' comment without acknowledging the fault she might have in this crisis.
"Gwen emailed you the moment she called in sick." Phyllis didn't often get upset, or involve herself in disputes, but her tone demonstrated she was not buying Sarah's excuses. She'd handled more than her share of Sarah's work recently and was tired of her non-justifiable behavior.
Mr. Bates wasn't buying her reasons either. "I don't have time to listen to your arguments Sarah, but, I do pay you, as you say, "to save the company every time something goes wrong," so, you should have had foresight that this might happen."
Gwen opened the doors, flushed and red from rushing about. "Tom has Marilyn prepped. He wasn't aware Daisy wasn't coming in and had her ready anyway. You're cleared to go."
"When I get back, you and I will have a talk." He addressed Sarah coldly, and then turned to leave. Sarah huffed and move to her desk, leaving the others to resolve the scheduling dilemma.
"I'll go tell him you'll be there in a few minutes," exclaimed Phyllis as she ran back to service the call.
Gwen interjected again. "You'll need to take a woman with you. It sounds sexist, but, he's only soothed by females."
Mr. Bates looked appalled and ready to protest.
Before he could, Gwen added, "It will be easier to appease him that way. We can't afford to lose this account."
Mr. Bates had to agree that she made sense and he relented. "Fine, so who is coming with me?"
"You go," volunteered Anna. "I'll cover for you." She was directing her comments at Gwen.
Gwen nodded her head vehemently. "I can't. There is an inbound from oil rig #52 in about an hour. It's a full load of passengers. I'll need to be here to sort them out."
"What about Phyllis?" volunteered Anna. She wanted desperately to go with him, but she didn't think he would go for it and it was not appropriate for her to be the one to suggest it. Not with the way things were between them.
"That won't do. She's terrified of helicopters." Mr. Bates barely turned his head as he acknowledged what they all had already had figured out. "It's got to be you Anna and we're late as it is." He opened the door. "I'll be checking controls and the flight plan. You have five minutes to get to the chopper."
Phyllis terrified of helicopters? That was unexpected and very helpful. She ran back towards the office to get her handbag and mobile phone and in no time at all, she was on her way.
Mr. Wiggleton was not pleased, but he was impressed that the owner flew out to get him. He was also appeased when Mr. Bates didn't charge him at all for this trip. Anna was not surprised at this generosity, especially with the recent bungled history on this account. Mr. Bates was a fair man and it made sense to sacrifice profit this time.
Flying to get Mr. Wiggleton was a quick affair, not more than ten minutes spent in the air to get him. The sensation of flying was different for Anna this time, perhaps because it was her second trip and it was no longer new for her - not that she wasn't excited, because she was. It was a similar helicopter than last time with the same noise, same configuration and the same instructions. She hardly spoke two words to Mr. Bates on the way to get their client and once they had him, she spent her time wisely, talking to him and making sure he wasn't upset. It didn't take much; Gwen was right. She didn't feel awkward with him either, he wasn't a pervert. He talked incessantly about his granddaughter and Anna spurred him on. The entire trip, over an hour in the air, went by quickly and before she knew it, they were landing on the helipad of the Mossley Industrial Park on the outskirts of Manchester.
Anna had actually never been as far west as Manchester. There hadn't been a need yet and none of her cases had brought her there. Thus, it was a new experience, and she enjoyed flying over the city. By the time they were in this great metropolis, Mr. Wiggleton was a happy man and the crisis had been averted. He left quickly, as he was late for a meeting and bid them a warm goodbye as he sped out of view.
The flight back was tense and Anna remained in the passenger section. She didn't know whether to make small talk or keep quiet. He hadn't really tried starting a conversation; his silence very telling about his state of mind. Rather than invoking his ire again, and she still didn't know what had happened, she preferred to just enjoy looking at him from behind. It was such a gorgeous view. It reminded her of the first time she rode in the helicopter so many weeks ago when they were on their way to Highclere. If she could return time to that moment, she would. It was so magical and one of the best moments in her life.
She could tell he was anxious too. He would hardly move, looking forward at all times. It wasn't natural, how he wouldn't turn at all. He had been much more relaxed when Mr. Wiggleton was in the helicopter with them. She sighed. She didn't know what she had done to inspire this obstinate and childish behavior.
After what Anna imagined was the halfway mark for their return trip, the quality of the air outside started to transform. Low thick-as-cotton-candy clouds surrounded and enveloped the helicopter completely. She could see very little of the outside and it worried her. If she couldn't see, Mr. Bates likely could not either. She could tell he was talking through his microphone, but from where he was sitting, she could not hear anything he was saying. She realized, without difficulty, that they were getting closer to the ground, where there was more visibility. Mr. Bates was trying to get her attention and through hand signals, he gestured that they were going to land. She thanked the Lord that he did tell her, because if he hadn't, she might as well have thought that they were going to crash. She peered through the window and there was nothing but green fields. He lowered the expensive equipment slowly and with a small thud, they were on the ground. She let out her breath, relieved.
As soon as the rotor blades stilled and the noise died down, he spoke.
"We'll have to sit here for a while until this low ceiling of fog dissipates. It is too dangerous to fly through."
"I'm sorry for my ignorance. Can you elaborate?" Anna did not understand what he was talking about.
"Fog has rolled into the area. Helicopters mostly fly visually. If you cannot see where you are going, then, you need to stop. There are too many mobile towers, construction cranes and buildings between us and the compound. I would rather be safe, than sorry."
Anna nodded in understanding. This made sense, but not how long it might be.
"How long does it usually take?" Not that she needed to be anywhere. She just wanted to know how long the uncomfortable silence would last after he stopped talking.
"It depends. I am trying to look at a meteorology app, but the image is too small. I radioed the office. Michael and Jack just brought in Brigitte and Michael answered. He's studying the images from our radar feeds and will let us know in a few minutes."
"….and…so, where are we now? I have no idea." Anna looked out the windows as she spoke. She could see grazing sheep in a further meadow, but there were no houses or structures visible anywhere. There were open fields and a line of trees in the near distance.
"A few kilometers away from Leeds. We passed Batley and the M621 a few minutes ago."
He went back to his headphones, as he was apparently receiving a transmission.
"Alright, thank you Michael." He stopped to listen. "No, you should go home. We'll make it in eventually. Tell Tom to go home too. I'll settle her when I get in." Another pause. "Good night."
"So, what is the verdict?" Anna dreaded what the news could be. Mr. Bates hadn't looked too hopeful when he was speaking.
"At least an hour, maybe a little more." He took off his headphones and turned off all the switches that still had lights emanating from them. "I'm going to turn everything off and save energy. I'll open the doors to let a breeze in."
Anna saw him maneuver around the front seat, pulling levers and pressing buttons. The low decibel whir of the radio signal she could hear a few minutes ago was now silent. It was so quiet, she could hear herself think and that was not good. He opened his door and descended. He took off his suit jacket and laid it on his seat. She reacted to what she was seeing and turned her head, looking out towards the sheep whose baa's could now be heard faintly. She felt herself flush. He wore that shirt so well, it would be best to not look at it at all, lest she do something inappropriate. She herself was also wearing a fitted suit top with a long sleeve shirt underneath. She mimicked his actions, as the enclosed helicopter, without any air conditioning was already becoming stifled. She saw him move around towards her compartment and he freed her from her prison, opening the door and letting the cool air in.
There was still light out, it was nearing the end of the day. It would be dark soon. The fog, though, made it overcast. The trees she had seen when they had just landed were no longer fully discernible, engulfed by the encroaching "low ceiling" as he had called it. This wasn't a singular phenomenon, she had seen this happen before in the area, but now working for a helicopter transport company, she knew the appropriate terminology and had a heightened awareness of the impacts of such happenings on this type of business.
The weather, the place where they were now resting, his mood – it all made for an eerie afternoon. The only way she could change things was if she got him talking again. Maybe then, she could figure out what was happening to him, or dare she think, between them. She moved towards the opening of the door and noticed that he had stepped a few feet away and was leaning against the fuselage, tinkering with his phone. She decided to sit on the floor, at the opening, with her legs dangling. She barely reached the tracks on the ground.
"Will there be a problem, with the owners of this land, because we landed here?"
Without looking up, he did answer. "Given the situation, most landowners would think nothing of it….as long as we don't land on crops, or obstruct a throughway, or damage anything, we should be fine." His answer was complete, but emotionless.
Anna tried again. "Does it happen often?" She still maintained the same level of energy and sweetness in her voice.
He vacillated in answering and Anna could tell that he was annoyed by the questions. "Weather can be unpredictable. We can plan our route, look at all of the meteorology, and then conditions change. It happens more often than I would like." Anna remembered how in the process of elimination of men a few days ago, she had encountered that Evelyn and Michael were stalled on an oil rig on account of the same thing on the coast. She guessed that was what he meant, but that was not what was at the top of her mind now. Why was he annoyed at her questions? She decided to ask him and get it over with. She wasn't going to ever have a better opportunity.
"Are my questions annoying you?" she asked with resolve as she stared straight at him.
"Excuse me?" John could barely breathe. The last hour or so had been a nightmare for him. From the moment he realized that she would be going with him and that they would end up flying together, alone, he began to panic. He didn't see a way out of it; it was clear that there was no choice but for Anna to be the one to accompany him. She had been brilliant. Mr. Wiggleton was like putty in her hands and while the noise of the rotors didn't allow him to follow all of their conversations, all he had to do was look in the mirror into the passenger compartment and he could see how happy and carefree his customer was. Anna was always smiling, quite content. Gone was the crisis that had brought them together in the first place.
His personal crisis, though, started the moment Mr. Wiggleton stepped off and walked away. Anna had remained in the back, he thought she would, preferring to be alone than to accompany him up front. He thought about suggesting it, but Anna looked so determined to remain where she was that he did not bring it up. Why would she prefer to sit with him? He was an old man whose vitality was thwarted by the amount of heavy baggage in his life. Even with his divorce on its way, Vera wouldn't go away that easily and why would such a vibrant and beautiful woman get involved with him? Of course she wouldn't – not when Richard Carlisle was so close by.
Their impromptu landing hadn't helped either. She had taken off her suit jacket and that innocent action had made him step away, finding refuge closer to the fuselage. He didn't consider himself one of those men who secretly disrobed women in their minds, but Anna did something to him and he found his mind full of lewd thoughts. Anna had opened one of the buttons of her shirt, probably to feel more refreshed, but the additional inch of skin that was made visible to him, even without revealing anything, was making him very anxious. It was a good move to step away, but she followed him to the opening. Of course she would, she was very good at conversing with people, as he had just seen. She would be bored keeping to herself.
Somehow, even when all he wanted to do was to step closer and kiss her senseless, his brain was sending the wrong signals. She asked a couple of perfectly innocent questions, the type any newcomer into this situation would feel compelled to ask, and he had not managed to quell his anxiety. His answers were bitter and curt. He hoped she hadn't been able to tell, or if she did, that she might justify his actions because of the situation they were in.
It was not to be. She noticed, as smart as she was, and as he had known her to be, she was very forthcoming with her response. She wanted to know if he was annoyed by her. With her? Yes. He was. They had started so well and she had made a different choice. She had preferred another man over him. Still, he was her client and they needed to maintain their professional relationship. Anna and her Godparents had come through with what they had promised thus far. They only had a little more to go.
"Annoying? Why would you think that?" He tried to make his answer sound less bitter, but he probably failed.
"Because, as just happened again, you won't look at me when you answer and because, the tone you're employing is not the same as you've used with me before."
She was right, but he couldn't even answer to that. The torture continued when she kept talking.
"If I did something to upset you, I wish you would just tell me." She struggled to get the words out. "If you no longer want anything to do with me, let me know, instead of stringing me along. I can take it and it would save us both a lot of grief. You wouldn't have to putter around like you were walking on eggshells."
"That's a fine idea." He finally responded with some degree of emotion even if he wouldn't look at her. He obviously did not agree with her assertions. Him walking on eggshells? That was ludicrous. He wasn't the one carrying on with Richard.
"What is?" Anna flailed her arms. She jumped off of the helicopter, forcing them to talk face to face. She was not going to back down. Even if she ended up calling Mary or Pops to pick her up, even if they were still hundreds of kilometers from York, she wouldn't back down now. They were going to talk this through and if things ended poorly, so be it.
"You want me to be the one to say it? Shouldn't it be the other way around? " It bothered him that Anna was now confronting him face to face. She was a small thing, but she did not cower easily. Even when he towered over her, she did not back down.
"No, it shouldn't be me saying it, because I'm not the one who changed their mind. You did." She crossed here arms, in defiance.
"I did? I don't think so. You are the one with all the secrets." He wasn't going to accept that he had broken this connection between them. He needed to get Anna to agree that she was the one that was doing wrong. She was the one going behind his back.
"Secrets? What are you talking about? You are the one with the secrets." Anna scrunched her mouth and her eyebrows arched. His comments were preposterous.
"I don't have any secrets." John was adamant, but he knew he had more than he cared to admit.
"Oh, really? You don't? Would you care to tell me about Edna Braithwaite and your sexual harassment charges?" She hit a bull's-eye with that comment. John's demeanor changed instantly.
"Who told you about that?"
"I'm a Private Investigator, Mr. Bates. Nobody had to tell me about that." ….As if he thought it could be kept a secret between them forever. If they had continued seeing each other, the moment Pops found out about it, he would have done a more thorough and intense search and looked for all the dirt he could. Anna knew too well that Pops wouldn't waste time in telling her all of her beau's shortcomings. He always looked out for her and she would have eventually found out.
"Well, that is not a secret. That's private. Several people in the office know about that." His comments, said with a definite tone of superiority, came with a flail. He was discounting that she knew about it and trying to lesson whatever point she was making.
"Well…. That makes all the difference, of course." She was being sarcastic and it had the intended effect. John looked surprised. "Give it up, Mr. Bates. You like younger women. You preyed on her, like you preyed on me, except I actually thought you liked me, when all you were doing was having fun…. Or did you think that I needed an incentive to do my work? It doesn't matter, of course. You have what you wanted. We gave you the proof and you are getting your divorce. You paid Edna off, but we don't need to take it that far. I won't be accusing you of anything - after all, I was a willing participant." She paused to catch her breath. "What did we have? A few clandestine kisses? I can take the hint. You no longer need me. I'll spare you the words since it is so hard for you to say them."
He was incensed. How dare she accuse him of using her? Worse still, how dare she assert that what Edna alleged was true?
"Edna Braithwaite made up those accusations. I did not pursue her for sex or anything else. They were bogus and she nearly destroyed everything I had accomplished with Bates Airlift." He was almost yelling.
"But, you paid her off. Why would you pay her off if you were innocent? Why not let the court decide?" Anna was trying to comprehend why a man with nothing to hide would take the easy route. In the eyes of many, it was an admission of guilt.
"I paid her off because I did not want my name in the press. It would have completely ruined Bates Airlift. Who would want to fly with us then?" His need to defend himself gave way to an impassioned speech. There was much emotion in his voice, almost as if he was reliving the moment. "I gave her every cent I had, because…who would have taken my word over hers? I had no evidence, none at all. I didn't have a way out….. and if you don't believe me, ask Anthony." He closed his eyes, and brought his hand to his temple. He rubbed his forehead, as he tried to gather his thoughts. "That information you gave me? The picture, the deposits slips?... Well, Anthony explained what was going on. I confronted him, thinking he might be sleeping with Vera and he almost broke down when he confessed to what was happening. He told me a story you wouldn't believe. He says he doesn't remember going home with Edna, but, one day that they ran into each other at a pub, he apparently did. The next thing he knows, he wakes up naked next to her and she claims they had sex…and wouldn't you know it? A few months later she comes to tell him she's with child. I'm pretty sure she drugged him, because he would have never gone out with her, not after the accusations she levied against me, although I don't think she slept with him at all. This child is probably somebody else's and she is trying to take Anthony for a fool…. Now she is blackmailing him into paying child maintenance and he hasn't been allowed to get a DNA test to prove the child is his. That's the sort of woman I was up against."
During this tale, Anna felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She believed him. She hadn't wanted to believe Pops and Elsie when they discovered it and this odd story confirmed his innocence in her eyes. She had confidence that she had gotten the right version of events and now felt miserable for throwing that into his face. She wished she could take it back. Learning about Anthony and his situation made her feel worse. It almost confirmed that Edna was not to be trusted. She didn't know the particulars of Anthony's case, but she would find a way to help them if she could. There had to be more information she could dig up.
This entire story, while exonerating for him, still didn't answer why he had shied away from her. Why, after such wonderful moments together, was she no longer important to him?
"Oh, God. That's horrible. I am sorry I brought it up, but hiding that information from us - what was I to think? I listen to Vera slandering you on so many conversations….. and from one day to the next, you no longer wanted to even talk to me. What was I supposed to think?"
Anna believing Vera? This situation was worse than he thought. "And so you would rather believe Vera's lies about me?" he asked with pain in his voice.
"I've never believed them and she's said some really horrible things, but what am I supposed to believe if after the most amazing kisses in my life, you didn't want to talk to me again? You dropped me from one day to the next. I felt like I might be a symptom of your desperation to end things with Vera." She stumbled to find the right words. She didn't want to hurt him anymore. "…. and if that's what happened, we'll part friends. I'll continue my investigation as if nothing happened between us. It doesn't have to be this way."
"You are not a symptom. I can't remember feeling this good with anybody else, since…." He couldn't think of a real analogy or another moment to equal what he felt when he kissed Anna the first time. He hadn't felt that good – ever. For him, it had also been the most amazing kiss. He just couldn't finish the thought, even with Anna's eyes imploring him for a response. He couldn't trust her. She didn't deserve to know.
Feeling the need to help him along, Anna weighed her options. She put her hand on his shoulder, perhaps recognizing that this was difficult for him.
"If it's too soon, John, I can wait. Just…please don't shut me out."
The innocence in her eyes made John think. What about Richard? What about what he saw? Was she forgetting that small detail? She had chosen another man over him. He took her hand gingerly, and moved it off his shoulder. The look on her face, that of rejection, pained him, but he was in more pain by her rejection than she was of his. Of that, he was certain.
"Anna, how can I shut you out if you've already shut me out?" Now, it was her turn to talk about herself and for him to reveal that he knew a bit more that she thought he did. He wasn't a fool.
"Shut you out? What are you talking about?" Anna was perplexed. Shut him out? She longed for him to touch her. She would have done no such thing, at least not to her knowledge.
"If my kisses, as you say, were the most amazing in your life, what were you doing, kissing another man? Perhaps trying to compare? Or was this for the case, your process of elimination, maybe?" He smirked, an all knowing smile. "I wasn't born yesterday. You moved on. Don't make this out to be about me."
It was his turn to cross his arms in front of his chest and find out if she had an explanation. A part of him was desperate for him to be wrong. He really wanted there to be a legitimate reason for what he saw.
"Kissing another man?" She had to think for a moment, but her mind came up empty. "Unless you mean kissing my Pops on the cheek, who I'm not giving up for you or anybody else, the last man I kissed before you was a while back. My last boyfriend, Samuel - We broke up a long time ago. Surely, you realize that I have a past."
"No, that's not it. I'm talking about Richard, Anna. I saw you with him at the Summit in London and then you were cozy together in the office the week after that. You can't have forgotten him already!"
If John Bates could turn back time, he was pretty sure he would always return to this moment and erase what he said. The fury that built up in her eyes terrified him and it unleashed an Anna he had never seen before.
"Richard Carlisle? Your douche bag Sales Manager? That's what has you this way?" She was yelling. The sweet demeanor was gone. An incredible warrior sprung forth. If she had been wielding a real weapon, he would have been dead by now. John looked on, very confused. He thought he was the aggravated party.
"Forgive me for saying this, but you are going to feel like such a fool when I finish talking to you about Richard Carlisle. You're going to listen to me and you are going to believe every word I say." She had started pointing at him, but ended up jabbing him in the shoulder with her finger to make her point. It made him take a few steps back and Anna took a few steps forward. "Your fabulous Richard assaulted me in London." She gritted her teeth and her intensity was frightening. "He cornered me, said some horrendous things, then forced his lips on mine and touched me in the process. He's stalked me at the office, blabbing some horseshit that I am supposed to come to him, for sex, because he thinks, as an intern, I can't protest."
John was crushed. What he wished for, that Anna had an explanation, came true, but finding out that somebody he worked with and admired had done that to somebody, made him ill. He might have had to retch, if not for Anna commanding all of his attention. He wouldn't dare move now.
"What is it John? Is the truth too much for you?" She moved a few steps forward, as he moved a few steps back. "That was not a kiss….." The realization that he was there and did nothing about it dawned on her. She felt betrayed. "If you saw this happening between us, why didn't you react? I would have appreciated the intervention."
"I….I….I'm so sorry Anna. All I saw was the kiss and I turned away. A few seconds later, Gwen saw me." John was reliving the moment, wondering how he had seen everything wrong. His damn insecurities steered him in the wrong direction. "I feel like such a fool."
"Well… thanks to Gwen spotting you, Richard was startled and I was able to push him back. It would have been difficult for him to do anything else, given where we were, but it didn't make it any less horrible for me. I don't know what you saw in the office a week later, something to make you think we were cozy, but he approached me and told me that he was waiting for me to come to him. It was very awkward and I have spent the last two weeks trying to evade him."
"Why didn't you tell me?" He moved forward and took her hands in his. It calmed her down.
"It would jeopardize the investigation. Nobody knows." Anna looked down, finally meek, finally out of breath from such an emotional response. She was trying hard not to cry and the feeling of her hands in his was calming. It was helping. The comfort in his touch was overwhelming.
He put his hand on her cheek. He was such an idiot. Anna had been in danger and he had taken it for something else, ignoring her and even being rude to her. God, how he wished he could turn back the hands of time and manage this differently.
"Only you know….." Anna had to think how she would word this, as it affected him and his company completely. "I have everything recorded. You know I walk around with a voice activated recorder. Even this exchange is being recorded."
He smiled. Anna was always prepared.
"This will affect you greatly, and I wish it didn't, but …. once we have figured out who the lover is, once I am no longer in your office, I intend to accuse him formally. When you listen to the recordings, you'll understand why I have to do this. I won't let another woman go through that."
The penny dropped on John. A million thoughts ran through his head. Richard a predator? Of course Anna had to accuse him. He didn't want any of the women in his firm to be subjected to what Anna had experienced. He reflected internally regarding the impact. Vera was gone. She was worthless in the company, but Richard was not. He represented all of Sales and they had a lot of history together. That made it more of a betrayal for him. He expected more and would not put up with predators, even if he had to shift his role and take on the helm of selling at the firm too. She should accuse him, and she shouldn't have to wait.
He took his hands and placed each one on either side of her head. He was cradling her very delicately. "I am so sorry this happened and you don't have to wait Anna. You should do this now. The longer you wait, the more questions might be raised. My investigation is not worth it. We'll figure something out in the office. I don't want you to have to live with that."
Anna felt a million butterflies flying through her body, much like an orgasm of happiness when John said that. Knowing that Richard was a key member of his company, she had worried he might not support her. She was thrilled. He hadn't even heard the recordings yet. There was a lot at stake, though. They were so close; she wouldn't want to ruin it. It wasn't time to expose him. He was one of the final four, even if John didn't know.
"It can't be now John, not until everything is sorted." She put her hands on top of his. "But thank you, it means a lot that you believe me." The appreciation in her eyes was evident. The fierceness was gone, replaced by tenderness. A minute smile was reflected on her lips.
"As you wish." He looked at her with love. He couldn't believe how perfect she was and that she was staring at him and looking so lovely. He sighed in contemplation. Everything was finally right between them.
They stood there, together, gazing into each other's eyes. This was one of those rare moments in a lifetime, when after walking through an endless maze of emotions and turbulent thoughts, everything suddenly became very clear. Things were so transparent, that they could see right into the depths of each other's soul. The obstructions previously blocking their paths toward each other had given way and disappeared. It was so obvious, but it took them by surprise - they were alone, misunderstandings had been cleared and they were still very much attracted to each other. The situation turned from supportive to intimate, very quickly.
Both breathed in, trying to maintain composure. They were touching; his hands still cradling her face. An amazing surge of energy coursed through their bodies. One of them shivered, but both of them felt it. His hands on her, although meant to be loving and tender, were scorching her. If they were any hotter, she could have been branded, but she wouldn't have cared. She wanted to be his completely. He felt that fire too. His hands caressed her face. She was real and she was here. The need to be closer urged them on, voices in their heads whispering to them not to waste any more time. His hands, weaving their way into her hair, guided her to him and in an instant, their lips were joined together. There was no finesse involved in this kiss. Their desperation, honed from the weeks of misunderstanding and the secret nature of their relationship manifested itself with deep passion. Back at the castle, and at her apartment, the kisses had been measured and controlled. Not now. They were in the middle of nowhere and nobody but the scattered sheep could see them. Their lips had parted immediately and their tongues caressed and tasted each other, the need to feel more and have more spurring them on. They went deeper and faster, weeks of suppressed desire manifesting themselves intensely.
Anna thought she might pass out from the insufficient air, but could not bring herself to stop. His mouth was sustenance and she was famished. She couldn't get enough of him and he couldn't get enough of her. At one point, their arms had changed positions; hers wrapped around his neck, ensuring their faces continued locked together. With their difference in heights, he had wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her flush against him and holding her higher. She wasn't even sure she was touching the ground anymore; she might have been floating, really, for the sensations he was creating in her were heavenly. She was so tight against him that he may have been supporting her weight. He pulled apart momentarily and they both gasped for air, but his move, while allowing them to breathe, was intended to position them better. He took a step back and around, bringing her with him. He had pushed her up against the rounded fuselage and her body arched against it, including her arms that were raised above her head. She was molded perfectly to the natural form of the helicopter. She felt sultry and uninhibited. Her body was open to him, summoning him to come and plunder. He accepted the invitation and his body was up against hers, covering her, caressing her. They continued with the hot and heavy kisses, until he broke away to assault her neck. His barrage was incessant, focusing on all of her sensitive areas. He rotated by kissing and sucking under her ear, across her jaws and back down her neck, then on to the other side. One of his arms still held her lower back firm against him and the other was caressing her front, touching her breasts. Anna tried to keep pace, peppering his face with kisses whenever she had access. Needing to feel him even closer, though, she brought her knee up against his thigh. Her skirt rode up to her waist and in this new position; she could feel him, hard for her. She ground against him and immense pleasure flooded her senses. If his weight against her hadn't been keeping her upright, she was sure she would have fainted.
Anna was a smart girl and always made sensible decisions; yet, she was powerless against these feelings assailing her. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone else. Rational thinking was gone. He wasn't divorced yet, but the petition had been registered and he had announced it publicly. That was enough to assuage her guilty feeling. Nothing mattered anymore and she decided then, that if he wanted her, she wouldn't be the one to stop them. It would be up to him to put the brakes on if he wasn't ready for this. Wanting more, she took her hands, which had moved to stroke his back and neck and put them on his chest. She found the first button of his shirt and opened it. She opened yet another.
John sensed that this was quickly escalating. Reasons why he shouldn't continue forward came to his mind for the briefest of seconds. Her hands, now on his chest and her lips that had found his again made him forget what he was thinking. If there had been any reasons, he couldn't remember them. This couldn't be wrong. He was soon to be a divorced man. They were consenting adults and they liked each other. A lot. Like a wanderer in the desert, she quenched his thirst and he needed to continue drinking her in. He would pursue this, feeling her and touching her until she called for it to end. After years of abstinence and self-imposed control, she was what he needed.
Mimicking her actions, he undid the first set of buttons he found. The briefest touch of his fingers on her skin made her shiver. He felt her breath hitch in his mouth. Although he was motivated to go on, he pushed back for one second and pulled his lips off of hers. He needed to be sure. Both were breathing hard, chests rising and falling. Most of John's upper body was now uncovered. The ridge of Anna's breasts and a sliver of the crème colored push up bra peeked from inside her shirt. Their eyes met. Intense feelings abounded on either side. Words were superfluous at this moment. A silent plea was asked and a second later, it was answered when their lips found each other again.
It all happened very fast after that. His shirt was tugged out of his pants with force. Anna raked her nails through his chest hair, causing him to tremble. Her fingers danced across his chest, heightening everything he was feeling. Desperate for more contact, John ended up pulling Anna's own apart. It didn't tear, but at least one button flew away, yanked from its foundation by his insistent hands. Too impatient to fiddle with and unhook her bra, John pushed it up, exposing her small and beautiful breasts. Anna moaned loudly, almost a cry, when John latched on to one of her pink nipples. Her reaction motivated him further. He took turns sucking and licking, while one of his hands reached beneath her skirt, seeking her folds. As his fingers probed her delicately, she became much more vocal. She might have pleaded for him to go on. She might have yelled. He didn't know. He was concentrating on the feeling of her hands cupping him and stroking him. She was ready. He was ready. Her hand let go of him and she fumbled with his belt, trying to undo the buckle. She was getting nowhere, and with the desire within them escalating, John didn't wait. In a move Anna didn't expect, he left her breasts and hoisted her up, completely against the chopper, higher than where she had been. With her skirt still bunched at her waist, she separated her legs and wrapped them around his body. There was no time to pull down his pants or take off her undergarments. He unzipped and moved all obstructions to the side, joining them completely.
Later, Anna would claim that this lovemaking, raw and tricky at best, was the greatest she had ever experienced. There was no comfort where they were, some metallic rivets from the chopper were eating into her back and the rails supporting the metallic bird often tripped him. His unsteadiness meant she was often banged against the fuselage too. Forthcoming bruises aside, it was mind-blowing. They were outdoors and she made love up against a helicopter. He felt wonderful inside her, a master tactician, bringing her to completion and causing sensations she wasn't sure she had ever felt before. Her entire body quivered in response. In addition, the sun had set around them, lending to the ambiance. It couldn't have lasted long; not with the adrenaline coursing through their veins and the mad passion between them. It was only a few minutes at best, but it was enough to solidify her feelings for him. It was also enough for her to gauge that Vera had been mistaken. He knew exactly what he was doing and he had no problems at all.
He put her down and they slumped to the ground underneath the mammoth bird. Marilyn, their only witness, was now also their shelter as they tried to control their breathing and cool off. The grass beneath them, moist from the fog, helped considerably.
John was in awe of what had just happened. He had made love to beautiful, exquisite, Anna. It was a dream, really, to go from feeling like an underdog, to become the victor. Not that it was a game; not at all. With so much at stake in his personal life, he would not have entered into this situation frivolously. No, she had become his dream and his savior. He was finally alive. He didn't know where this would lead to and what would become of them, his situation still up in the air, but she was what he needed now.
He was eager to hold her, but he wasn't sure if she wanted that. It had been such a long time since he was last with a woman and in the modern ways, he was not very smart. It had been almost two decades since he had been on a date and the world had changed considerably. Did women still want to be held? Life had changed. In his youthful dalliances, he wouldn't want to snuggle. Now he wanted to. He took a chance and his hand searched for hers. With their clothes still very much askew, he found it lying on her bare belly. With trepidation, he wrapped his fingers around hers. She allowed it and their hands were intertwined. When he tugged at it, testing whether she would come to him, she did.
"Anna, that was wonderful. Thank you," he spoke as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple.
"You don't have to thank me, silly." She chuckled lightly and raised her head to where she could see him. Radiating happiness, she gave him a quick peck. "For the record, it was wonderful." She laid her head against his bare chest.
Nothing was said for a few minutes. They reveled in their closeness and felt the coolness of the breeze around them. They held on to each other possessively. They felt very much as one in the same. This was almost as good as what had just happened between them.
Dark had now enveloped them and John could see some stars. Enough were visible that he knew that the problem that had caused them to land was existent no more.
"The low ceiling has moved away." He feared that their time in this secluded spot was coming to an end.
"Mmmm...has it?" Anna didn't budge. She was ignoring what that could mean for them. Maybe if she did, they could remain here forever. She wouldn't mind. She hugged him tighter and planted small kisses on his broad chest.
"As much as I would hate to move, I did register this helicopter's flight path. If I don't radio in soon, the Civil Aeronautics authority will send out a search party."
"Fine, let's get up." With a lot of hesitation, she sat up and he soon followed. They were still sitting on the ground, but with their bodies upright and facing each other. She adjusted her bra as John started buttoning his shirt. Anna decided to broach the question of where things stood between them before they left. His cryptic answers the last time had led them to much confusion and she wasn't willing to go down that road again.
"John…..What just happened, just so you know, I don't do this. It happened because it was you and because, I think you feel it also, there is a connection between us."
Before she could continue, she had to look into his eyes to see if he agreed. The fragile and loving look he gave her affirmed this feeling, even if he didn't say anything.
"I understand things are complicated right now and perhaps this was too soon, but I don't regret it."
He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "I don't regret it either." When he pulled back to look at her, his few words had made her smile and she was glowing. Still, he had to be more direct than he was the last time they spoke. He wouldn't make that mistake again. What was it that Robert has said? - Clear, Plain and Unmistakable terms.
"What I do regret, is that my situation does not allow me to take you out or do anything in public with you. You're right. We do share a connection and I want to see you again." He paused. "I don't know where this will lead, but, it can't really start, not the way I would want it to."
Anna thought she understood. Or she didn't. She asked again.
She made sure to keep calm and a speak with a clear and even tone. It wouldn't help to scare him or make him think she was becoming Glenn Close to his Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction.
"What does this mean John? I do understand what is at stake and I don't want to ruin things for you. I really don't… so….. Are you saying that you do not want us to see each other until everything is resolved, and then see what happens?" In her heart, she begged for him to disagree with her. She couldn't stand it if he agreed that they should have no contact. Not after today.
Not see her? Not taste her lips, after what they had just shared? He didn't think he could live as long as he had without any of her kisses. Not anymore. This was confusing. He didn't want to botch things with her, not after the poor job he had done before.
"I don't know Anna. You have to agree that this, what we just did, was rather unexpected and as you say, maybe it was too soon. What I do know, is that I would want to take you on a proper date, outside of the confines of the investigation and the office. I want to get to know you better. I want to see you again, I do, but I am not sure that we can do that - not yet, until at least the entire divorce is settled."
Anna felt relieved. He did want to see her again and do things properly.
John continued. "What about you Anna? I am a complicated man, but, this shouldn't be about what I want or need." He took her hand and kissed it gently. "It should be about both of us."
She swooned when he said that. If they had the time, she would have kissed him, passionately, and made love to him again. She contained herself, though. This was important. She breathed in to keep her calm demeanor.
"I didn't envision this type of situation in my life; one where the relationship I want cannot be out in the open." She paused to gather her thoughts. "I also know that for the time being, I cannot see myself being parted from you. These weeks, when you weren't talking to me, they were torture and after what we just shared, I can't go back. I can't…." She was trying to be strong, but a tear streamed down her face.
John's thumb smoothed it away. He was drawn to her again, and he kissed her. It stopped her tears and she responded, kissing him back with as much love as she could. He pulled apart and their foreheads came together.
"We are in a pickle, aren't we?" John tried to make her laugh and he succeeded. She chuckled at his silliness.
"Can we agree, Anna asked, "That we will not be out in the open, and that we will both be patient, but, if an opportunity to be together should arise, we won't let it go either?" Anna looked at John with expectation.
"I think we can agree to that." Their lips came together again and time stood still.
A/N: I was very anxious about writing this chapter and whether to make it M or not. I have gone back and forth with this in my mind since I started writing chapter one and the M finally wrote itself. Ultimately, their entire relationship is secret and their times together few and far between. With their connection, misunderstandings and the electricity between them, this would accelerate the physical side and it would have been inevitable.
Thank you for the reviews and follows. I appreciate every one.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions. Will Vera seek out revenge? Is one of the four men Vera's lover? What will happen to Sarah? Stay tuned.