Chapter 5: It's complicated.
Monday morning saw Rooster practically dancing into the hanger for the early briefings of the day's exercises.
"Someone's chipper." Hangman grumbled. Rooster glanced over to the laboratory and saw Kate working hard at her bench. She didn't look up at either pilot like she usually did when they entered.
After the events that transpired on Saturday afternoon in Rooster's camper, Kate realized she had inadvertently made a miscalculation, one that she couldn't fix. Her heart had chosen Jake, and her desire chose Rooster, and sleeping with Rooster meant she had to quit Jake—cold turkey. She was not someone who slept around. She had one boyfriend at a time. So why did she feel like she was making a mistake?
"Damn it…" she hissed under her breath. She pulled up a line of code on her computer screen and tried to figure out why the probe wasn't beginning the automatic qrtPCR protocol. Quickly, she identified the issue, it was a missing bracket.
"Five brackets on this, not four." she rectified the issue and went back to her tumultuous mind.
During the 10:15 am break, Phoenix knocked on the glass window, and Kate stepped out into the laboratory vestibule,
"Hey...is there a reason Rooster is as happy as he is today? He can't stop talking about you. I'm pretty sure Hangman is going to pop in a second."
"Nat…" she referred to Phoenix by her first name shortened from Natasha, "I...I…"
"You two slept together, didn't you? How was he?"
"Yes. God. I shouldn't have."
"Bull shit—yes you should have. Now get back out there and sleep with Hangman."
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?!"
Outside the laboratory, the male pilots were watching this interaction and desperately trying to read lips,
"I think she said, I'll whip you till you're blue. Rude. Booka de bepo."
"Yeah, I don't think that's right."
Inside the laboratory, the two women were still going back and forth,
"I don't feel right sleeping with one then with the other. They-"
"-don't care. They. Don't. Care. Kate."
"Ooh—they don't care Kate. I'm like 90% on that one." Harvard piped up to the lip readers.
"...it feels like a mistake." Kate sighed.
"I don't think Rooster feels that way. He walked in to the hanger like he won the lottery." Kate shifted uncomfortably,
"Shit… that makes me feel worse." Phoenix stepped toward the scientist,
"Look, sisters before misters, I'm here for you, but Rooster is my friend, and I've never seen him happier than he is right now. Give him a chance." Kate nodded,
"Okay. But I need to talk to Jake. The sooner the better."
"Sounds like you need me to distract Rooster this evening?"
"That would be great."
"I'll see if Freddy in the guard shack has any leftover sleeping pills I can crush up and put in his beer." Kate laughed at Phoenix's apparent joke,
"Oh." The pilot reacted, "You thought I was joking." Kate's face became sullen,
"...god...what have I done?" she hissed as she paced back and forth. Phoenix glanced over her shoulder to see a group of the male pilots peering through the windows,
"We have an audience...can we sneak into the ladies'lockers?" The two women exited the lab and hurried down the hall to the ladies' locker room. Phoenix shut the door and immediately turned on the radio to the pop station.
"For grown men, they are terrible eavesdroppers." She mused, "So, what the hell happened?" Kate sighed,
"He took me to a hangar in the desert...and showed me all these pictures of him, his mom and dad...He said he wanted me to see him...I don't know—it all happened so fast."
"Trust me, you've been trying to sleep with them both for months—there is nothing fast happening here…"
"I don't get it. Everyone says the Navy pilots are so fast—meet at the bar tonight, married tomorrow—fast."
"They're fast when they want it to be over fast. They're slow when they want long term." Kate flopped down on the locker room bench,
"This is a disaster."
"I don't think that's the reaction Rooster was hoping for. Look, you can't un-sleep with him, so just move forward. Be honest with him. If you want casual with no strings, tell him. If you want his Golden Retriever energy, then tell him."
"Golden Retriever energy?" Kate was amused by this description, but it drew her back to the puppies, snakes, lions lesson her father once gave her.
"Kate, he is the biggest Golden Retriever you will ever meet. Loyal, loving, protective—and that's just with his family and friends." Phoenix looked at her watch,
"Shit. Gotta get back." She patted Kate on the leg, "You'll figure it out." She turned off the radio as she left, and the silence of the locker room bore down on Kate's mind like a drill.
Kate sat up and quickly left, as she was walking down the hall, she saw the hallway doors open quickly and Jake stepped out into the hall, as soon as he saw her, he smiled and hurried toward her,
"Hey! I've been looking for you." Shit! Her mind was thrown into a tailspin. Jake immediately saw her tense up,
"What's wrong?" He asked as he clasped her shoulders gently. She drew in her breath sharply and took his hand,
"Follow me." she said quietly as they walked into the ladies' locker room. She shut the door and turned the radio on to prevent eavesdroppers, just as Phoenix had.
"Okay, Kate, you're scaring me…I've never seen you so tight wound." He reached for her and she took a step back,
"Now you're really freaking me out, what's wrong?"
"I am."
"What?"
"I'm the problem—I'm what's wrong." she said suddenly. He cocked his head to the side like a dog hearing a strange sound that it couldn't comprehend.
"You are making ZERO sense right now." She looked up, closed her eyes, and felt a tear roll down her cheek,
"I slept with him." she whispered. Jake felt his heart stop. He toppled down onto the bench with his head in his hands. He was enraged as he closed his eyes and refused to cry. He was not angry with her; he was furious with Rooster. His body was shaking with rage as he stood up. He opened his eyes and saw her sitting on the floor, back against the locker, eyes closed with tears streaming down her cheeks. Did she regret it? What happened? Did Rooster take advantage of her? He had a million questions he wanted to ask her, but couldn't find the words. Even as distraught as she was, she was beautiful, and he knew he loved her. He knew he would forgive this, in fact he already had. But right now, he couldn't stay here. He walked out the door, and down the hall, back into the hangar and to his seat as the rest of the pilots watched him with concerned silence. No one had ever seen him so angry. He always kept his emotions close to the vest, but now, he was radiating hatred. Even Maverick saw it. There was no way he was sending Hangman up in the air today, not like this. He would get himself or someone else hurt.
"Aviators, wheels up in 15." As everyone started to stand up and head for their gear, Maverick stopped Hangman,
"Lieutenant Seresin? A moment, please?"
"Sir." Hangman stood and stared straight ahead.
"Follow me." Maverick walked him back to the enclosed private classroom at the back of the hangar. The men walked in and Maverick shut the door behind him,
"I'm grounding you for today."
"Sir?"
"I don't want an explanation, but whatever just happened during the break, has had a very noticeable effect on your attitude today. Until you have stabilized your emotions, I am grounding you. You need to have your head in the game 100% today."
"Yes, sir."
"Why don't you go back to the dorms and take a load off?"
"With all due respect, sir, I'd rather not be alone right now."
"Of course." Maverick felt for him, and he had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with Rooster's request to visit the desert hangar this weekend, "I'll assign you to flight maintenance, head over to the maintenance hangar."
"Thank you, sir." and Hangman stalked out of the hangar without another word. Every other pilot stood in stunned silence. Phoenix knew exactly what happened as she glanced over to the laboratory and saw her unofficial wingman, Kate, noticeably absent. Immediately, Phoenix realized the gravity of the situation.
"What could have set him off like that?" Coyote pondered, "I've known him forever and never seen him that pissed."
"Guys, I'll be right back." Phoenix hurried out of the hangar and down to the ladies' locker room. She pushed open the door and saw Kate sitting on the floor in her white lab coat, tears cascading down her cheeks.
"Oh, shit." Phoenix dropped everything and ran to her friend. They had become like sisters during training, and Phoenix had a deep respect for Kate and her stoic strength. But seeing her so broken on the floor twisted the pilot's stomach into knots,
"Did he hurt you?" Phoenix dropped to her knees, thinking the worst.
"No. No. He'd never lay a hand on me in anger…" Kate sobbed, "I hurt him...I told him, about Rooster…"
"What did he say to you? Jesus...Kate?" Phoenix handed the sobbing scientist a few paper towels.
"Nothing." she sobbed as she pressed the brown paper towels into her face.
"What?"
"He didn't say a word after I told him." she bawled, "I never wanted to take something back, more, than I do right now." Suddenly, Phoenix realized Kate really did love Hangman, and he loved her. Rooster had been the catalyst to show them both that, and now it might be over before it even began. She had to fix this because she felt partially at fault. In her dislike of Hangman, she pushed Kate toward Rooster.
"It's going to be alright." Phoenix hugged her friend, "We'll fix this." She helped Kate to her feet, "When you're cleaned up, go back to the lab, get your things—I'm going to tell Maverick you're sick, and I want you to go home." Kate nodded.
Phoenix grabbed her things and bolted back into the hangar to Maverick,
"Sir, can I speak with you in private?"
"Sure, Phoenix." He beckoned her into the private classroom, "What's up?" He asked as the door shut,
"I need to ask you for a favor…"
"Ask first...then I'll decide."
"I messed up, royally." He did not look pleased,
"Go on."
"I pushed Kate and Rooster together, and tried to keep her and Hangman apart. Bradshaw is my friend and I wanted him to be happy, and shit just hit the fan."
"So that's why Hangman looked like he was about to put a hole in a wall…I'm afraid I'm as guilty as you. We all were hoping Kate and Bradley would find each other naturally, but it looks like it was always meant to be Kate and Jake…I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I think you better check on Hangman, take Coyote with you. He's in the maintenance hangar."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Phoenix rushed out the door and over to Coyote,
"Hey, Coyote, drop your gear and follow me."
"Why?"
"We're headed over to the maintenance hangar, and fast…" she took off at a run and Coyote bolted after.
Kate slowly walked to the sink to look in the mirror at her disheveled appearance. She looked like she had just walked through hell and at this point, she figured she deserved to be there. Turning on the faucet she splashed some cold water on her face. It felt numbingly cold. The redness in her eyes had mostly disappeared, her nose stopped running,
"Get it together, Kate." She stared back at her reflection in the mirror, "You have a job to do." There was no going home. She tossed the paper towels into the garbage can from across the locker room and walked out the door.
Phoenix and Coyote burst into the maintenance hangar to find Hangman sitting on the floor, leaning back against a tool chest with one knee pulled up to rest his arm on. He looked like a wreck.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked with a menacing tone. Phoenix crouched down and looked him in the eye,
"I know what happened, and if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me—not Kate." He laughed,
"I couldn't be mad at Kate if I tried, Phoenix." he said softly. Phoenix stepped back, she had to find Kate, hopefully, she hadn't left yet,
"I'll be back." she signaled to Coyote to take over as she ran out of the maintenance hangar.
Phoenix ran to the ladies' locker room first, Kate was not there. Shit. Back to the lab then. Fortunately, Kate was hard at work on her computer in the lab. There was no trace of tears or turmoil. She held a deep focus. Phoenix knocked on the glass one more time and Kate stepped into the lab vestibule,
"Follow me." Phoenix had an intensity that only a woman on a mission could have. Kate closed her laptop and gracefully stood to follow. They made their way hastily toward the maintenance hangar, but before Phoenix opened the door she stopped and turned to Kate,
"Jake is in there." Kate immediately tensed, "He's just as hurt as you are. Wait here." Phoenix propped open the door so they could hear the conversation.
"Man," Coyote spoke, "What is this moping around? Other than Mav, aren't you the only Topgun grad on active duty in the last 20 years to have two air-to-air kills? And you're letting Slowrider walk away with your girl? Get your ass back in the fight." Hangman leapt to his feet and closed the distance between himself and Coyote. He gave his friend a shove,
"You don't get it, because you don't know what happened…" He walked back and flopped down against the tool chest once more,
"I choked, and Rooster didn't…which is a first."
"Man." Coyote was clearly frustrated, "Stop with the pity party. Do you love her?"
"More than anyone or anything on earth." Kate's heart nearly leapt out of her chest hearing his words.
"Then tell her." Phoenix said as she pulled Kate through the door with her. Jake immediately climbed to his feet.
"Let's go, Coyote." Phoenix beckoned him over, "I think our work here is done." She gave one more glance back at Kate and Jake before closing the door.
The pair slowly walked toward one another, not knowing what to say. They looked at each other and Jake held out his hand. She took it and he drew her into him, wrapping his strong arms around her. They embraced for a long moment.
"I'm sorry-"
"Shhhh…" He hushed her.
"No. I need to explain." She pulled away.
"You don't have to." He whispered.
"I owe you that much, and after, you can decide-"
"There is no decision here, Kate, I love you." Hearing him say that made her melt into his arms, she looked him directly in the eyes,
"I love you too." He kissed her,
"But let's get one thing out of the way," he smiled, "we are exclusive, from here on out."
Rooster walked back into the hangar after his practice flight and the mood was very different from when he left.
"What's happening?" He asked. Phoenix and Coyote were giving each other a high five and Maverick was nowhere to be found. Phoenix looked at him, and her face changed. She hurried over,
"I think you should take a load off. It's been a day, and I have some news you are not going to want to hear…"
"I think I'll be the one to tell him, Phoenix." Hangman's voice echoed off the hangar's tall ceiling as he strutted in. He walked straight up to Rooster, the two men were practically nose-to-nose,
"It's over between you and Kate. What happened is in the past and-"
"I think Kate can tell me herself. Until then..." A gasp rose from the peanut gallery of other pilots beginning to congregate around and listen to the brewing conflict.
"I said it's over." Hangman growled. Rooster leaned in and lowered his voice so only Hangman could hear,
"She seemed to enjoy herself when I wa-" before Rooster could even finish his sentence, Hangman let his fist connect with his adversary's jaw, and Rooster was down on the floor, shaking his head to make it stop spinning.
"Stay down." Hangman warned. Rooster had never been hit that hard before, he was still seeing little stars floating in his periphery. He shook his head and climbed to his feet, stumbling somewhat, he regained his footing and rubbed his jaw.
"I said stay down." Hangman swung again and Rooster was ready this time, he grabbed his rival around the waist and the two wound up on the floor, swinging and grappling. Maverick came bursting through the hangar doors,
"ENOUGH!" He and Payback, B.O.B., Harvard, Omaha, and Fanboy pulled Rooster and Hangman apart. It was clear that Hangman had done more damage. Rooster's face was swollen and a trickle of blood ran down the edge of his eyebrow.
"Both of you in my office. Now." Maverick snapped.
"I warned you both." Maverick shouted, "You could not keep this love triangle away from your professional duties." A knock fell on his office door, "COME IN!" he bellowed. Kate stepped in and Rooster quickly straightened himself up.
"Dr. Norris. Please have a seat." She quietly sat down while both Rooster and Hangman stood behind her.
"As I was saying, this behavior will not be tolerated any longer. You are all to be professional while on base at all times. I don't care what you choose to do with yourselves off base, but while you are on my turf, you will behave. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Hangman and Rooster spoke in unison.
"Yes." Kate said softly.
"Good. Rooster, Hangman, you are dismissed, and I recommend you take different routes back to your dorms." Rooster stalked out of the room immediately, while Hangman stepped outside and waited for Kate.
"I'm letting you know, Kate, as a friend, that Bradley has been recalled to his carrier for a mission. He will receive his orders tomorrow." He sighed, "We can't keep the pilots indefinitely for this training, it leaves the carriers short staffed—so to speak—so the training will change here soon."
"I understand." she said solemnly.
"Don't leave things like this between you two." He urged her to speak to Rooster before he left and smooth things over. Kate thanked him and excused herself. As she left the office, Jake took her hand and they walked back toward the lab,
"I have to stop and speak to Admiral Simpson for just a moment." Kate said, "We have two planes retrofitted with our first prototype probe, and I want to know when they'll be delivered."
"Do I get to fly one?" Jake asked.
"Yes—with Hans as your backseat." Kate knocked on the Admiral's door,
"Come in." was the muffled reply. Kate opened the door and he smiled brightly,
"Kate—a lovely surprise. What can I do for you this afternoon?"
"I was wondering if you had a delivery date for the planes fitted with the new probes?"
"Next week sometime—last I heard. I will call and check this afternoon and update you."
"Okay, thank you—I appreciate it." She walked back to Jake and they took their time getting back to the hangar.
"You really punched Rooster for me?" she finally asked as they entered the long hallway that led directly to the hangar.
"Yep." he held up his swollen fist and she grimaced,
"Ow! There are better ways to defend my honor…"
"Like jousting?" he laughed.
That evening, as everyone was leaving, Rooster waited for Hangman to leave the hangar before he sauntered up to the laboratory. He stepped through the sliding doors and into the lab vestibule, but he was not allowed further access so he knocked on the glass doors and Kate hurried over. Her ID badge triggered the doors and she stepped out.
"Hey." he said coldly.
"Hey." she replied. He stepped toward her, his eyes gave away every emotion he was feeling right now. Hurt, confusion, frustration, desire. She drew in a slow breath, and looked at her feet.
"Please tell me you don't regret it." He said suddenly, "Being with you was...amazing...I…" he trailed off briefly, composing himself, "Kate...I love you." Their eyes met and she felt her heart begin to pound,
"Bradley, I can't regret it." He sighed with relief as he moved closer to her,
"Then why is he telling me you and I are over?"
"Because we have to be." she said softly. He stroked her cheek,
"Please don't…" he begged, "when we made love…I saw you as my future…I've never felt so complete, so happy...so sure." He leaned in to kiss her and she pulled back,
"I love him." She could see the heartbreak become a visible expression on his face, and she felt that hurt too. He stepped back and nodded,
"And you don't love me…" She looked away, breaking eye contact,
"Not in the same way I love Jake."
"Please, Kate…" he gently reached forward and touched her lips, "Don't do this...he will hurt you. I've seen him do it a thousand times…" She leaned over and kissed his cheek,
"I'm sorry. I know this changes everything, so I understand…" As she pulled back, he kissed her with every last ounce of passion he could muster,
"Goodbye, Kate." he breathed as he lingered with his lips touching hers. Letting go of her was the hardest thing he had ever done, and as he walked away from her and out of the laboratory doors, he saw flashes of their passionate afternoon cross his mind. He could still smell her skin and feel her hair brushing against his chest as they entangled themselves. The way she smiled down at him, the way her body moved against his, how her hips felt against his. At least he had these memories of her, and he would never forget every last detail. He promised himself that he would replay that afternoon over and over in his mind until it was a part of him permanently.
Kate walked back into the laboratory and exhaled slowly. It was done. She had destroyed a friendship in less than 72 hours, and that saddened her most of all. As she typed away on the lines and lines of code she was working on for the probe, the intercom into the lab sounded and Admiral Simpson's aide spoke over the loud speaker,
"Dr. Norris, please report to Admiral Simpson's office as soon as you are able." Kate saved her file and shut her laptop before leaving the lab. Hans met her at the door,
"Dr. Norris, I am having trouble with my software to deploy the probe, perhaps you and I might be able to sit down tomorrow and have a look?"
"Sure, Hans." Kate smiled gingerly, "I can fit that into my schedule. If you'll excuse me though, I have to meet with Admiral Simpson." She slid past Hans and out of the lab. He watched her leave and seemed to have the same puppy dog eyes that Rooster and Hangman had when they looked at her.
"Dr. Norris!" Admiral Simpson beamed, "I am pleased to tell you that I just received notice that Lockheed is delivering the outfitted planes early."
"That's wonderful news!" She glowed.
"Tomorrow." He burst with excitement.
"Wow! That is far ahead of schedule. I thought you said they were due next week."
"Well, you may have heard, we are starting to take heat from some of the carriers in service that they are operating with fewer pilots than usual due to the length and nature of this mission and its required training. So, we will be returning some of the pilots back to their squadrons for short tours—three weeks at a time—starting tomorrow. Since you and Hans will be running on-board diagnostic testing during the test flights, I will need both of you to prepare for the test flights, as you will be flying with Phoenix and Hangman." Kate nodded. He continued,
"I will get the flights scheduled with Maverick for this week. Are you and Hans prepared with samples, and equipment—anything you need to ensure these probes are ready to go?"
"I will check my list and get back to you."
"Perfect." Kate thanked him and hurried back to the lab. Everything was quiet and most of the staff had already left for the evening. After such an eventful day, Kate only wanted to go home, and climb into the old clawfoot tub in her bathroom. She began to pack up her tote bag when she noticed the door to Hans' server bay was open.
"Hans?" she called into his side of the lab. No reply. She started to walk in and stopped,
"No, I should call IT." Quickly she paged the IT staff and in a few minutes, they arrived to check on the servers.
"The door was open like this when you came in?" one of the staff asked. Kate nodded,
"Yes, I decided to call you because those doors are supposed to be shut and locked now."
"Right." the staffer said as he looked around it. He suddenly pulled out a wifi dongle and everything changed in a second.
"This shouldn't be connected to the internet." he said as he held up the wifi dongle. Kate's mind began to spin. Were the intrusions deliberate? She had scratched her head to figure out how a server connected to only an internal network could have had a Chinese hacker gain access. Now she knew. Someone had inserted a wifi dongle to give access.
All night, Admiral Simpson, Kate, Hans, and the IT staff were trying to figure out who had put the wifi dongle on Hans's server, giving it internet access. Kate had collapsed in the conference room in one of the large leather chairs when Admiral Simpson entered, just as exhausted,
"Well, I appreciate that you brought this to our attention. We have handed it over to the MP's now, and they will hunt through security footage to see who was going in and out." he said as he sat in the chair directly beside Kate. She swallowed hard knowing they would see the interaction between herself and Rooster.
"You'd better get home and get some rest." He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Tomorrow will be an early day." She nodded and pulled herself to her feet, gathered her tote bag, ID badge, keys and walked out the door toward the parking lot.
By the time she arrived at home and parked her car, she felt like she could simply sleep in her car for the rest of the night. But she forced herself out and into her house. Locking the door behind her, she stepped on a letter that had been shoved under the door. She stooped down and picked it up before dropping her things on the couch, sliding out of her shoes, and walking into the bedroom. The envelope only read: Kate
She peeled the envelope open and pulled out a single-page letter. Collapsing on the bed, she began to read it.
Kate,
I'm sorry. Today when you spoke to me in the lab, I couldn't articulate my feelings. Jake and I have always had a rough history as competitive aviators, but I am happy for the two of you, even if it means I have to accept the hardest loss I've ever been dealt. When I first saw you, the day you moved in to your house, I remember my heart stopping the second you smiled at me. No matter what happens, I will love you always. I will cherish those stolen moments we had, and I will never forget that day and night we spent together in the desert hangar. Please understand that, as much as I want our friendship to remain despite the complications, I need time to lick my wounds and someday, perhaps we can try again to re-ignite our engines—so to speak. I will always hold out hope that you could still love me the way you love Jake. Thank you for giving me the greatest love I've ever experienced; I know when I go to war, I'm fighting to return to you. You alone will bring me back from the brink. Jake is a lucky man.
Love,
Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw
Tears streamed down her cheeks after reading his words. She folded the letter, placed it back in the envelope and stowed it safely in her nightstand. This was a letter she would keep forever, both physically and emotionally. That night she slept fully and when she woke in the morning, there was a text on her phone from Jake,
Good morning, beautiful! She smiled and felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter. There was no question that she felt at ease now. She slowly rolled out of bed and showered before getting ready for the day.
The base was buzzing today as two new aircraft were delivered, outfitted with the probes. After the planes were run through the maintenance checks and everything looked good, within a couple of days, the pilots would take them up for their first flights. Only the pilots would go up on the first flight, to evaluate the plane handling and whether the probe mountings effected the balance and stability of the plane in flight.
Around 10 am, Rooster, Omaha, Harvard, and Yale were given their orders to ship out for their carrier assignments. They would be gone for 3 weeks. Rooster was surprisingly glad, he needed to be off the base and away from Hangman, and this was the welcomed break he craved. He closed his eyes and Kate flashed across his mind. He saw her lying on the camper mattress underneath him, her dark eyes glittering. With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and went to his dorm to pack; the pilots were due to leave via a carrier transport flight out to Japan and then they would be moved over to the carrier on a smaller flight. Everything was scheduled to leave at 2200 tonight. He left without saying goodbye to anyone but Maverick.
Kate and Hans were buried in work and meetings as they neared the flight tests. Jake brought dinner every night and he and Kate ate in the cafeteria together, growing closer, more connected. On Friday, Kate went through flight checks with Phoenix and Hans did with Hangman. Everything looked good, so they were scheduled for short flights in the late afternoon.
Phoenix and Hangman were up in the air in no time and everything went well. The probes seemed balanced, and had little effect on the handling of the aircraft. As Phoenix was landing, she radioed,
"I have low hydraulic fluid warning."
"We'll check it out after landing." Maverick radioed back. The planes taxied over to the maintenance hangar for post-flight evaluation. The crew inspected both aircraft for any loose rivets, or bolts, and even Phoenix's low hydraulic fluid. Everything looked fine, and they topped off the fluid, parked the planes and the pilots left for the evening.
Jake waited outside of the lab for Kate to finish up, then they drove to her house. They ordered carryout from Sebastian's Surf and Turf and spent the night watching one of Kate's favorite old movies, "Operation Petticoat," about a submarine crew in the 1940s during the war in the Pacific. Cary Grant and Tony Curtis headlined the movie.
"They painted it PINK!" Jake roared as he watched the scene where the submarine appeared pink while repainted. He and Kate were wrapped up in each other's arms on the couch as the movie continued with close calls from enemy and ally attacks, because no one knew who the pink submarine belonged to. A few minutes before the end of the movie, Kate's phone buzzed. It was a text from Phoenix,
Are you busy?
Watching a movie with Jake. What's up?
Need my wingman! ASAP!
Where are you?
The Hard Deck. I'm losing pool. Kate immediately laughed and showed Jake the texts,
"I think she needs my pool shark skills."
"Do you want to drive up there for a bit?"
"Well, when your wingman calls for you-"
"You answer the call!" He jumped to his feet and pulled her up into a kiss,
"Let's go." He slipped on his boots and she slid into her flip flops. They were out the door in no time and when they arrived at The Hard Deck, Phoenix was in desperate need of Kate's pool sharking. Jake grabbed a couple of beers from Penny and Kate joined the game. A couple of Air Force boys were playing against Phoenix, and she was down three stripe balls to their one. When the pilot saw Kate, she beamed,
"Professor!"
"Phoenix!" The women hugged and Jake felt left out,
"No love for Hangman—I delivered Professor to you, Phoenix…"
"Thank you, Hangman…" One of the Air Force pilot's eyes widened,
"Wait—Hangman?" Jake nodded,
"That's me." The pilot extended his hand to shake Jake's.
"It's a pleasure, sir. I'm Lieutenant Aaron Daniels, and this is Captain Mark Swan. We've heard about your mission to NoKo two years ago—you saved that crew. Two air-to-air kills is very impressive, sir. Instructors at the academy are still using your kills as examples of what to do."
"Aw, shucks." Jake took a swig from his beer.
"We are here overnight with our mid-air refueling rig. You're the nearest air station with the right maintenance equipment for our rig." Phoenix snapped her fingers and the airmen returned their attention to her,
"Now that I have my wingman, let's finish this game." she winked at Kate, who immediately took the cue and dropped all three striped balls into their pockets, one after the other. Jake beamed at his girl; she was remarkable. He saw the way her eyes focused on the 8 ball, how her hand braced the pool cue. There was no question he was in love with her; he couldn't take his eyes off of her and neither could every man nearby the pool table.
"8 ball, left side pocket." Kate called as she hit the cue ball into the black 8 ball and it careened into the left side pocket.
"Game!" Phoenix shouted. The airmen threw up their hands in defeat and dropped a pair of $20 bills on the pool table,
"A bet is a bet." Mark said. The airmen hurried off to the bar while Phoenix pocketed the $40.
"Thank you." She said as she squeezed Kate's arm, "I didn't have the money on me if I had lost." Jake laughed,
"Sure...use Kate to win your bet." Phoenix took a drink from her beer,
"So, it looks like Jagger, Whip, Odin, Talon, and Hook were sent orders today. They were recalled to their carriers."
"We're dropping like flies." Hangman mumbled. Phoenix nodded,
"I think we're safe, since we're flying the test probes…" Kate sat down on Jake's knee and he wrapped his free arm around her waist. The trio spoke about the carrier recalls, the mission, and eventually, as the evening wore down, they parted. Phoenix took an Uber back to base and Kate and Jake drove back to Kate's house.
Before Kate and Jake got out of his Camaro, he leaned over and kissed her,
"I have a surprise for you…" he whispered. She raised a brow.
"Tomorrow, we are going to get up early and I'm taking you on a special date. This is the date I've been trying to take you on for a month." he smiled at her.
As they sauntered into the house, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. After everything that had happened this week, they were ready to enjoy an evening together. They tumbled back onto the bed and Jake kissed her passionately. She sat up and pulled her shirt off exposing her lacy bra, he removed his shirt, now bare chested. His hands explored the soft skin of her chest and abdomen, as they kissed with power and passion. He kissed her neck, and she sighed softly. She unbuckled his belt and he kicked off his jeans with little effort. Her jean shorts took a little more effort to remove, and they were promptly thrown across the bedroom. He marveled at her lacy panties, and he kissed her navel while she ran her hands through his sandy blonde hair. She pulled him back up to kiss her lips and then pushed him over and she rolled on top of him. He was captivated by her beauty. As she kissed him, he reached up and unlatched her lacy bra. That too landed in a corner of the room. Their bodies pressed together; he ensured that the last of their undergarments also landed on the floor. He pressed his naked hips against hers, and she exhaled softly onto his neck.
"I love you…" he breathed as he gazed down at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"I love you too." she brushed his hair from his forehead and smiled softly. He kissed her with a feverish and loving passion,
"I'm yours, Kate." he whispered.
"...and I'm yours…" she replied, breathlessly. With one powerful kiss, she wrapped her legs around him, and they passionately, wildly, deeply, made love. Jake had never made love like this before. His body shook with every movement, as she writhed beneath him, and then on top of him. He never wanted this to end. They gazed into each other's eyes as they felt the moment grip them. They both cried out and collapsed beside each other on the stripped bed, as all the sheets had been kicked to the bottom of the bed. Jake rolled over to face her and he pulled her up against him. They were both heaving, and out of breath. She touched his cheek and gently kissed him. His fingertips ran up and down the curve of her waist and hip.
"Where have you been all my life?" he whispered.
"Chicago." she replied softly as she sat up. He rose with her and leaned in to kiss her neck. She smiled as she drew his lips up to hers. He fell back on top of her and they made love once again. Every bit as much energy and power as the first time. They continued to make love off and on throughout the night, until they finally fell asleep, legs wound around each other, Kate's head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. As he briefly awoke, he kissed the top of her head and whispered,
"I'm going to make you my wife, and we'll have a herd of beautiful and brilliant children." He looked up at the ceiling and sighed with satisfaction. Never had he felt that kind of passion and love before. He knew she was the one, and in many ways, he was glad for everything that had transpired to bring them together finally.
They slept until the sun began to pour into the room and cast a glow over their naked bodies pressed against one another, the sheets barely covering them. Jake woke first and he leaned down to kiss her forehead,
"I love you so much." he whispered. Kate stirred and stretched, her toned body, flexing against him. Her dark eyes slowly flickered open and she smiled at him. They kissed sweetly, then with more passion. Kate's hips pressed into his, and it wasn't long before they made love once more in the gentle morning's glow. As they breathed heavily, Jake kissed her again and again, and she matched his intensity. His lips explored every inch of her neck, collarbone, chest, abdomen, before he disappeared below the single sheet, and Kate drew in her breath sharply. She moaned softly as he explored between her legs,
"Jake…" she breathed, "Yes…YES!" She gasped and her body shook with pleasure. He reappeared from under the sheet with a beaming smile on his face.
"As much as I'd love for this to continue all day and night, we have a date today…" Her chest heaved up and down, and she smiled,
"I better shower...if we're going on a date…" She slid out from underneath him and as she started for the bathroom, she stopped and beckoned him to follow,
"Are you coming?" In an instant, he was on his feet, and his arms were wrapped around her. Kate turned on the shower and they stepped under the streaming water only to make love once more under the warm waters.
Once they were finally dressed and ready to go, Jake helped her into his Camaro and produced a blind fold,
"You will have to put this on when I tell you." She looked at him with a confused look,
"I didn't know you were into that...but okay…" He laughed,
"We can try that...I'll borrow some handcuffs from the MP's." She shook her head,
"No handcuffs—I've heard so many EMT stories from my cousin about handcuffs and sex…" And they started driving toward their destination. It was a little chilly today, so Kate wore some jeans, white sneakers, and a cream-colored sweater with navy blue horizontal stripes. Jake kept to a white t-shirt, jeans, and brown work boots. He wore his olive-colored flight jacket with its many patches and aviator sunglasses. It was a classic pilot look.
Their conversations never ceased throughout the drive over the hills and through valleys. About 15 minutes from the destination, Jake instructed her to put the blindfold on. As she sat in the passenger's seat, blindfold over her eyes, they continued to speak about their families, hopes, dreams. Jake let her know his parents would be visiting next week and he wanted them to meet her.
From Kate's perspective, they took a couple of right hand turns, stopped at a gate, pulled forward, and drove around at a low speed before coming to a stop.
"Wait a second…" Jake instructed, "I have to open a door." Kate listened to the slow squeaking roar of a loud door sliding on its tracks. She knew right away this was a hangar and they were at an airport. Jake hopped back into the car, and they drove a short distance before he turned off the car.
"We're at an airport, aren't we?"
"Did you peek?"
"No, the hangar door—it sounds just like the ones on base." He sighed,
"You are too smart for me." She laughed and pulled the blindfold off. They were parked in a hangar and there was a small single engine plane with a blue and silver art-deco paint job parked in front of them with its wheels chocked. She was clearly impressed.
"This is a rental plane. A Cirrus SR22. And I'm going to show you how to fly it." Kate's eyes went wide,
"What?" He leaned over and kissed her,
"Ready for our date?" She nodded and they exited the car. Jake helped her up into the cabin of the SR22, before he hopped in on the pilot's side. He loaded in a few bags, and took out a small rectangular wrapped box.
"This is for you. You have to open it before we go." he handed her the box, and she tore into the paper. It was an identical pair of aviator sunglasses as his pair.
"I'm official!" She smiled as she put the sunglasses on over her dark eyes, "How do I look?"
"Perfect." he beamed. They put their headphones on and Jake radioed to the tower before hopping out of the cabin to pull the wheel chocks and manually maneuver the plane out of the hangar. It was fueled up and ready to go. Jake hopped back in and started the engine; the propeller began to spin slowly and then instantly picked up. They taxied to the end of the runway and waited for the green light from the tower. Once they were cleared for take-off, Jake throttled up the engine and let the plane quickly gain speed down the runway. Nearing the end of the tarmac, the plane's nose lifted and they were airborne. Kate marveled at how the world seemed to fade away below them as they rose up into the air. It wasn't nearly as fast or as maneuverable as the F-18, but it was just as magical to be flying through the air.
Jake reached their cruising altitude and looked over at Kate,
"Ready to learn how to fly?"
"Are you serious?"
"100%. Take the stick." he instructed. She reached over to the right-hand side and took hold of the co-pilot's stick.
"See this?" he pointed to one of the digital gauges, "This tells you if your nose is up or down, or if you're banking left or right. The goal right now is to keep it centered." She nodded. He released his stick and the plane barely shifted as she took over.
"Good!" he smiled at her, "See, you're a natural!" Kate flew the majority of the short 3-and-a-half-hour trip, and when it came time to radio their arrival to their destination airport, Jake took back control. He cleared their landing, circled the plane, and lined up with the proper runway. The plane descended smoothly, and Jake touched down on the runway with barely any jarring that Kate had come to expect from commercial flights. They taxied to a hangar and stowed the plane. Jake grabbed their bags and they headed into the small airport.
"Hey! Hangman—good to see you, man! I heard you were landing this morning." Jake clasped hands with the man behind the counter,
"Good to see you too, Blackjack!" They men clearly knew each other from their time in the Navy together.
"You still flying up with the squad?"
"Yep. But I've been at topgun for the last 3 months—training." Kate peeked around Jake and Blackjack caught sight of her. He was instantly floored by her beautiful features,
"Well, hello." He extended his hand to her, and she graciously shook it.
"Blackjack, I'd like you to meet Kate, my girlfriend." Jake introduced her. The other pilot's jaw dropped,
"Girlfriend? She must be pretty special." Jake nodded as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders,
"The most amazing woman in the world." Kate was still letting the butterflies in her stomach flutter at the mention of being Jake's girlfriend. It was concrete, serious.
"So, Kate, how did you and this stick jockey meet?"
"At Topgun—I'm a civilian contractor on a related project." Blackjack nodded in approval,
"You know, I taught this kid everything he knows. When he came to topgun, he was a hotshot without any skills."
"I believe…" Jake corrected, "You were the one without any skills…" They bantered back and forth before Blackjack smiled,
"Well...I've got the rental car out front. The plane will be ready for you tomorrow morning for the return trip. Flight plan is already filed with FAA."
"I owe you, man." Jake shook his friend's hand. Blackjack leaned in and whispered,
"Does she have a sister?" Jake laughed,
"No, a younger brother."
"You're a lucky SOB. Don't mess this up."
"I almost did, and I got a second chance, so I don't plan to." He looked back to Kate who was a few feet away, glancing at one of the area maps plastered to the wall in a large poster frame. They were in Napa Valley. Jake hurried over and took her hand,
"Shall we?" She nodded and they climbed into the rental sedan. Jake set the GPS to a small bed and breakfast on a vineyard and away they drove. It was a short 15 minute drive and they pulled down a long, tree lined, winding driveway. The scenery reminded Kate of Tuscany, Italy. As they arrived in front of the Mediterranean styled house, Jake parked and grabbed the overnight bag. They hurried inside to check into their room, which was huge, with a king size bed, private bath, and a secluded balcony with a hot tub. They dropped their things and went on a tour of the vineyard, sampled a few varieties of wine, and even found a photo booth. Kate drug Jake into the booth and selected the 5-picture roll with 2 copies. For the first picture, they smiled at the camera, cheek to cheek. CLICK. The second picture, Jake playfully put his index finger over her upper lip like a mustache, and they giggled. CLICK. The third picture, Jake looked into her eyes, his thumb gently parting her lips. CLICK. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He leaned in. CLICK. Their lips pressed together, eyes closed, locked in a passionate kiss. CLICK.
Thank you. Enjoy your pictures! The photo booth automatically said as the printer started. They were locked in a deep kiss. A couple of vineyard tourists passing by saw the printed pictures and cooed,
"How cute! What a cute couple!" Kate and Jake emerged and scooped up their two rolls of pictures.
"Here." Kate smiled as she handed him one of the rolls, "Your copy." She put hers into her purse. He stared at the pictures and a smile danced across his lips. He knew exactly where this photo roll was going to go. It would be the picture he kept in is plane, up beside the instrument panel, so he could always fly with her.
They grabbed a bite to eat at the vineyard's restaurant before returning to their room. There, Jake presented Kate with a second present in a small gift bag,
"This is for you—well, more for me, but…" she laughed lightly as she accepted the bag and peeked inside to see something red and lacy.
"Give me a second, and I'll put it on." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. Jake quickly peeled off his clothes and laid down on the bed, excitedly waiting for the bathroom door to open, and when it did, his heart skipped a beat.
That night they barely slept; they made love every chance they got, they skinny-dipped in the private hot tub, and finally, when their bodies were too exhausted, they collapsed on the bed and finally fell asleep in each other's arms.
When the sun began to peek from behind the Napa Valley hills, the pair roused themselves, climbed in the shower together, and then dressed for their return trip home. Kate wore her same pair of jeans and sneakers with a light blue sweater. Jake put on a warm quarter-zip sweater in gray with his same jeans and brown work boots. When they checked out the morning air was brisk and chilly, so Jake gave her his flight jacket. As she put it on, he couldn't help but smile affectionately.
"What?" she noticed his expression,
"Nothing...you look good in that jacket." She smiled lightly and he felt his heart beat race. He was truly in love. They hopped in the rental car and headed back to the small airport. Blackjack greeted them when they arrived and helped them get everything in order for their departure. The two men said their goodbyes and Kate expressed her pleasure in knowing someone who had trained with the young Hangman. As Jake headed for the plane to stow their bags, Blackjack spoke candidly to Kate,
"I've never seen him happier than when he's looking at you." She smiled sweetly before shaking his hand and thanking him for everything.
The flight back was just as smooth and they touched down before noon. It took a bit of time to get the rented plane checked over and pile back into Jake's Camaro, but they were soon back at Kate's house, and despite the enjoyment of the weekend, they were exhausted. As soon as they were in the house, they flopped down on the couch for some afternoon naps.