Chapter 18
A few days later
"Okay, girls, what are we doing today?"
Steve looked at Mary, Catherine, Joan, Pam, Kim and Ashley. They were just sitting at Mary's house at a colorfully set birthday table with cake and lemonade. Joan looked at her uncle with a grin.
"First paintball and then to the Escaperoom and then a helicopter tour up to the Hollywood letters?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, yes please!"
Puzzled, Steve looked at the girls.
"A helicopter ride?"
Joan nodded vigorously.
Catherine and Mary laughed.
"Yes, Uncle Steve, then see how you get it done."
Steve grinned and tucked into a piece of the fluffy lemon cake with relish.
"I'll be right back."
Chewing, he disappeared onto the terrace. Baffled, Mary looked after him.
"He doesn't really now."
Catherine grinned, "You don't know your brother very well then."
Soon Steve rejoined them at the table, grinning from ear to ear, and clapped his hands.
"Okay, ladies. Eat up, drink up. We've got the paintball hall in twenty minutes." Excitedly, the girls jumped up and all chattered away. When the doorbell rang, Mary looked in amazement at Joan.
"Are you expecting someone else?" She shook her head and ran forward to open the door.
"Danny! Chin! Abby!" Joan hugged one by one.
"We heard there's a party here today!"
"Happy Birthday Joanie."
"Thank you."
Expectantly, she opened the package that Abby had handed her. A small jewelry box made of shells came out. Delighted, Joan immediately put her treasures, which she was not wearing at the moment, in it.
"You're just in time, we were about to go paintballing. Are you coming?"
"Yaaaaa, please," Joan begged. Danny and the others nodded.
"But first, I'd like a piece of cake."
Danny grabbed the piece Steve had just put on his plate.
"Hey, that was mine."
"You got that right, it was yours."
Everyone laughed when they saw Steve's befuddled face.
Shortly after, they set off for the paintball hall. There they formed two teams. At first, all the girls wanted to join Steve, but then they settled for Team Catherine. The afternoon flew by and when they came out of the hall after the Escape Room it was already late. They put the girls back in the cars and no one was thinking about the promised helicopter ride when Steve suddenly changed direction and stopped driving towards Venice.
"Steve?" Astonished, Catherine looked at him. Then she understood. Steve was stopping at a private airfield. There, a decommissioned Black Hawk was already waiting for them. Suddenly the chatter behind him stopped and the girls looked wide-eyed at the helicopter.
"Happy Birthday Joanie once again!"
He got out and took another picnic basket from the trunk, which he put in the helicopter. Astonished, the girls stepped closer.
"All aboard, please!" Danny looked skeptical.
"Come on, Uncle Danny, it'll be fun."
Joan grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along to the helicopter. Danny's look spoke volumes, but he didn't want to disappoint Joan either. Steve grinned when he saw his buddy's face. He sat down in the pilot's seat.
"Everybody here? Everybody strapped in? Then we're off."
He started the rotor and after he received the takeoff clearance, he flew off. He did a few laps over the city, especially over the girls' homes, and then turned off toward the Hollywood sign. There he landed and took out the picnic basket.
The evening ended with a view of the sunset over the city and a happy birthday girl snuggled tiredly against her uncle at some point.
That was the last Chapter. I hope you enjoy the Story. Many greetings, Smarties