Aviators

"I was thinking of doing that."

Lori returned an hour later, white-faced but smiling.

Danny left the other group and sat back at their original table with Lori.

"It's all settled. I'm not taking up a contract."

"Gee that's a shock. Go on."

"When I suggested a two-year contract, Ronni asked was that what I really wanted to do and I hesitated and said no. She asked me what I really wanted to do."

Lori stopped and looked at Danny apologetic.

"Go on."

She said, "I'm going home. I told Ronni that I wanted to teach people to fly. We talked and she got me to call the flying school at Sanson and I spoke to the owner, Sam O'Connell who taught me to fly."

"Sam and I chatted and I said I wished to gain my CFI to qualify as an instructor and told him what I'd been doing. He said he could prepare me for sitting the exams and I then could come and work for him because he has lost interest in teaching and this would provide the opportunity to extend into the air taxi business up to the lakes and the hiking trails, something he'd been thinking about doing. So mom is on the way to fetch me. I called her and so was so happy that I would be living close to her again if not living at home."

"So this is it?"

"I'm afraid so. Your heart is here whereas my new interest is 300 miles away. Anyway what we have was bound not to last."

"Yeah quite so," Danny lied.

"Perhaps it's for the best. You are rather too sexually demanding for me."

Well that did it for Danny. It was yet another rejection in his life.

"Right I'm off to sign up with the airline. You go and join the others and I'll return to buy your lunch and stay with you till your mom arrives."

"I won't want sex."

"Well who said it was on offer?" Danny said, walking away and not looking back.

* * *

Ronni looked pleased when Danny entered the office and said he'd come to sign on.

"We'll do that and then I'll take you to lunch and we can hole up for the afternoon at a hotel in the city."

"Ronni you are old enough to be my mother."

He watched the shock climb over her face but offered no apology. He'd said that deliberately to get her off his back before her husband thought about putting a bullet in his back, er given a reason for doing that.

"You rude bastard," Ronni shouted.

"Just because you are mad with Lori screwing up your master plan there is no need to take it out on me."

She seethed but slowly calmed and tossed him the contract.

"You better show it to a lawyer before signing."

"Is it a standard contract?"

"Yes."

"Then toss me a pen."

Ronni picked up the internal phone and called her assistant to come in and witness a signing.

With that done Ronni said, "Lori was meant to share some of the work. Who do you wish to have as back up?"

"No one. Arrange the drops or pickups so they come within my permissible flying schedule."

"That won't be easy. God you spoilt brat. You don't know what you are missing not taking up with me."

"Your husband is a security professional Ronni. It you hand it around there's a good chance he'll know. Exactly how many of your ex-lovers have been beaten up."

"Omigod," Ronni said, turning white.

Danny sat grinning, waiting to be told about what was next for him.

For almost a month Danny underwent advanced training, on one aircraft at a time, with the company's four models of Cessna airplanes, the 162 Skycatcher, 172S Skyhawk, 206 Stationair and the all-freight 208B Caravan (Super Cargomaster).

When that was completed he was asked to name his preference. Danny opted for the turbo Stationair.

He then commence mainly flying cargo and invariably was assigned one of the four standard 206H Stationairs because the one turbo model and was in heavy demand, being the favored aircraft in the fleet for the majority of pilots. The versatile Stationair could carry five passengers plus baggage, have the rear two seats flattened to provide for cargo loaded through the two double doors or have all but the pilot's seat removed to maximize cargo space.

Many of the passengers were hunters or salespeople with bulky demonstration products and before long it was noted return clients were asking for 'that bright and breezy guy, Danny someone'.

On one delivery flight Danny had one of the company's senior pilots, Fleur Davis, to collect from an airport eight-seven miles farther on. She hadn't arrived and her phone was switched off and so he waited outside the terminal.

After twenty-minutes a woman came running, her chestnut hair flowing and she climbed in apologizing.

"Sorry for lateness, I'm Fleur Davis. Thanks for waiting."

"Anything for a lady."

She eyed him and laughed.

"I was entering the terminal and witnessed a delivery van ram into the back of a police vehicle. The second cop grabbed me as the only witness. The driver of the van was obviously drunk and borrowed my phone to talk to his company. Both cops went to arrest him and he threw my phone on to the road and a bus flattened it. The cops then sat me in the front seat of their immobilized car while waiting for a sergeant to arrive to take over. He arrived with a stenographer and I then had to sign my statement and have it witnessed by an airport official. It was worth waiting because it means I won't have to return as a witness."

"A bad hair day eh?"

"You're funny. What's your name?"

"Oh sorry, Danny Mortimer. Weren't you told?"

"No. Well can you fly?"

"I got here didn't I?"

"Danny, listen to me. You are a recent graduate whereas I'm a senior pilot. You answer me with respect rather than flippantly."

"Righ Mrs or Miss Davis. Either you get off your high horse or get out and find your own way home."

"How dare you. I'm Mr Capella's niece."

"You have sixty seconds to apologize or get out."

The 'lady' called him a fucking cunt.

Danny felt his ears burn, but kept his cool and said thirty-seconds.

Then he said five and Fleur said, "I apologize. I was out of order. I promise to behave."

"Thank you Mrs Davis."

"It's miss but call me Fleur. I must say you coped with my tantrum magnificently. I came home for the funeral of my favorite aunt and uncle killed in a road accident, my father collapsed at the funeral but appears to be okay, my mother damaged their car by driving into the garage workbench when taking us home from the funeral and then being witness to an accident impeded me in getting to you on time."

"You've had a tough time you poor lady."

Fleur sniffed and said she was no lady and smiled at him.

Danny started the engine and called the tower and awaited instructions.

The take-off was perfect, according to the book, and he thought with Senior Pilot Davis, niece of the airline chairman and used to throwing her weight around, he should fly conservatively.

Eighty minutes after take-off, Fleur who'd been napping stirred and looked down.

"We are coming to a small town where my grandparents run the country store. Would you like to buzz them?"

"No our rules prohibit that."

"Oh I won't tell."

"Don't be naughty Fleur and please don't sulk."

She sighed and said he was so mean but asked, "Do you want to come to dinner tonight?"

"What with you and your boyfriend?"

She said she had no one at present.

"With or without the promise of sex?"

"Without of course."

"Okay."

She looked at him.

"What?"

Fleur said she thought her answer would have put him off.

"Why you are free to be able to choose who you have sex with?"

She laughed and said she was beginning to think he really was a nice young man.

"Have you been talking to my mother?"

She laughed and that's when Danny became interested in screwing Fleur. She had a bit of bounce, a touch of naughtiness, appeared to be very interesting and laughed. He liked to fuck women who laughed. Nice young man huh?

"Tell me about yourself Fleur."

Fleur was born thirty years ago twenty miles from the Capella Airport where her parents still lived on their flower farm. She qualified as a nurse and had a young doctor as a boyfriend who began training as a student pilot but became so committed that he couldn't continue with flying. She'd flown an aircraft several times when her Uncle Lucca went aloft to keep up his flying hours. The school allowed her to take over her boyfriend's place on payment on a hundred bucks enrolment fee.

After gaining her commercial license she entered Capella Aviation's induction course and on graduation joined the company as a commercial pilot four years ago.

"So you love flying?"

"Of course and always will."

"Why?"

She looked surprised. "That's the sort of question a woman would ask. Men don't bother being that inquisitive."

He waited and she answered.

"Flying is an art, flying leads one into the incredible feeling of immense space, I enjoy the bird's-eye sights, the cloud formations, the weather changes and, well I guess the feeling in being in the sky which was meant to be unreachable for mankind. And you, you are one of our most recent recruits and... Omigod."

"What?"

"Oh, I now remember your name and back at the airport I arrogantly asked if you could fly. I feel so embarrassed. The day you performed that incredible tailspin in Charlie's high performance Pitts sports aircraft, I was one of those waiting to fly out once the airspace was declared open again."

"I don't mind you being embarrassed."

She laughed and said why should he.

"So that's why you didn't drop down to buzz my grandparent's store, you felt no need to impress and you do fly by the book?"

"Yeah correct on both counts. Twice I came close to grief showing off when I was a student. I shook it off the first time but the second time I knew it simply wasn't worth the risk and any incident could damage me and my intended career."

Fleur asked why he had taken to the air.

"My dad had an old Piper and taught me to fly. It was the only time I had dad completely to myself and I loved seeing forever and feeling real freedom. These days I'm a bit of a loner and when flying solo above clouds I..."

"....feel that you are in your element."

"Yes and I like the way you think."

"How old are you?"

"I turn twenty-six next week. Don't worry about the age gap."

Fleur turned away and said she wasn't worried. She just wanted him to know, that's all.

"So you are thinking about having sex with me?"

She blushed and looking straight at him said, "I've thought about it. Do you have to be so embarrassing?"

Danny checked the instruments and looked out his side window without answering.

He heard her sigh and grinned.

As they approached for landing, having just gained clearance, he said, "Is this a free flight for you?"

"Not quite. The extra 87 miles you flew to pick me up is doubled and I'll be billed 15% of the rate for flying that distance in a charter calculation."

"That's not too bad."

Fleur laughed and said, "Imagine where I would be now if driving a car back here."

Ronni was waiting for them as they walked into the terminal.

The women kissed and had a small chat and then Fleur waved to Danny and left.

"What do you think of her?"

"I can't comment Ronni because I haven't seen her fly."

Ronni snorted.

"I tried to pick up a return load but no luck."

"Well the client has reported everyone checked out okay. That was your first high security delivery."

"You ought to have told me."

"Why when you don't ask about normal deliveries."

"What was it?"

"Those steel boxes contained almost $800,000 in low denomination bills from banks here being withdrawn from circulation before they are worn, etcetera."

"Where was the security?"

"What over and above our trust in you?"

"Um yes."

"The aircraft was under surveillance here until you took off and then tracked. It is not expected that anyone would attempted an aerial force-down hijack for a lousy $800,000. And the client you met correctly identified himself as Harry T. Lime and had a FedEx van and two guys to unload for him?"

"Yes and his appearance matched the photograph you gave me of him."

"Well, that was considered sufficient security and the seals on the boxes were found to be intact and the audit of contents at the depot found everything was in order."

"So what would have happened if something had gone wrong between the boxes arriving here and being loaded and the delay before I went out to the aircraft?"

"Oh well, not problem for us," Ronni laughed. "The pilot would be blamed."

Danny managed a tight smile.

"So you'd like me to advise your cargo is eight hundred G's in banknotes, or 800 lbs. of gold or two paintings valued at $8,000,000 each?"

"Yes. Um no on second thoughts no. Definitely not."

Fleur called Danny an hour later saying she'd just emerged from the shower.

"I'm ahead of time. Can you come over thirty minutes earlier than planned?"

Wondering what she'd been doing in the shower Danny said, "Oh yeah I suppose so."

She snorted and said she was cooking them a splendid dinner.

"Oh great," he said enthusiastically, "I'll be right over in thirty minutes."

Fifteen minutes later Danny jumped into his recently purchased black year-old Mazda6 sports sedan, stopped off to buy a bottle of cheap white wine and some peanuts and arrived at the apartment wondering what the night would bring.

"Oh thanks for the wine," Fleur said and mumbled cooking wine and said "Oh nuts."

"Don't you eat nuts?" said Danny, who had gone through to the kitchen followed by his hostess and was now sitting at the bar.

"No, not peanuts."

"Oh then pass them over here."

She went behind the breakfast bar and opened the pack and poured the nuts into a bowl and handed them across.

Danny was disappointed she hadn't dressed up to look sexy. In fact her hair was wet and she was in a dress almost as thick as a coat.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?"

He said no and that appeared to surprise her.

"How's dinner coming along?"

She said why not and he said why not what?"

"Why won't you kiss me?"

"Well Fleur I don't think we should rush into anything... okay?"

"Why not?"

"Well for starters what would your mom say? You only met me today."

"Oh yes, she would be as mad as a flaying meat axe."

Huh?

Fleur handed Danny the bottle of wine he'd brought and asked him to open it.

"Um have you got something better?"

He felt awful saying that but Fleur looked immensely relieved and said actually she had a very good wine he could open.

Danny had caught her mood and knew what to do because he had a long record of winning back upset females.

"I'm being a disappointment to you I guess."

"Oh no," she said. "I'd never say that."

Well he thought that would be true. There was no call for her to say what she thought.

"I don't know much about wine."

Fleur smiled and said, "I can see that... um I mean making decisions in a wine shop can be so difficult."

"I wasn't in a wine shop. I bought it at a street stall where I purchased the peanuts. The guy hadn't yet opened the wine and on-sold it to me."

"Oh that's really interesting," she said, obviously disbelieving what she was saying.

Danny aimed for her vanity. "Um I've had no experience with a more mature and sophisticated women like you. I usually date bimbos."

"Sophisticated? Really is that how you see me?"

"Yeah and calm and confident and doubtless brilliant at making decisions which is why I guess you invited me over for dinner in the hope I'd be good company."

"Er yes. But I must admit I was carnally driven."

"What kind of car is that? It's a new one on me."

It worked a dream. Her mouth fell open, she closed it. She went to say something and thought better of it and finally she said she was off to change into something more appropriate.

"Please open the wine, I really need a drink," she said, frowning heavily.

That was it, he congratulated himself. He had her confused, unsure whether he was just hopelessly stupid or worried that she might be missing something... such as was he trying to reach the real Fleur.

Whatever.

Danny knew she would be either confused or thinking she had made a terrible mistake in attempting to get a leg over him. It wasn't right a woman should attempt to splash herself all over a guy just because she felt like sex.

Well if they knew him perhaps that would be different.

He picked she would return dressed formerly in a business suit.

She didn't but then perhaps she didn't possess one?

Fleur was wearing long black pants, black pumps, a long-sleeved shirt done up to the neck and a buttoned up waist coat and her hair was swept back severely.

Oh yes, just how her mother would expect Fleur to dress when entertaining a man she didn't really know in her home at night.

Danny handed Fleur her drink and thought he should end this episode of stupidly and throw her on to the couch and give her what she wanted... a frisky grind. But hold on, this babe wasn't your usual bimbo. She was a senior pilot and earlier that day he'd seen how aggressive she could be. No it would be best to tread carefully but perhaps inventively if he could manage that.

"This is an excellent Chardonnay, not overdone in oak."

She looked suspicious and asked had he read the label and he said no winemaker would allege on his label that some wines were overdone.

"No I suppose not."

"I must apologize. The wine shop I went to was closed. I saw the guy selling nuts and bought some and he said the store had closed ten minutes early but I could buy the bottle of wine he was taking home. I didn't read the label but when he said ten bucks would be more than enough, I should have guessed it was crappy."

She said she understood how it happened and it was okay, she could use his wine for cooking.

"I had intended to buy a bottle of French Champagne."

She frowned, "Why go to that expense?"

"It's our first date and I considered you top shelf."

"Oh," she said, looking a little disbelieving. And then, "Are we dating?"

"Oh sorry. I appear to have assumed too much."

"No," she said quickly. "Let's consider this is a date."

He looked at her intently and said, "Would you consider doing something for me without taking offence?"

Fleur swallowed and nodded.

"Please change into something sexy. You are dressed as if expected your grandmother to call."

She put down her glass and left the room without a word.

Fleur returned wearing a little black dress and her shape made Danny's eyes water.

"Is this better?"

He topped up her glass, slopping wine on to the countertop and said softly, "You not... you're not wearing a bra."

"No just the dress and mules.

Ah what lies beneath? He shook his head and said he was hungry and Fleur lost her encouraging smile and said she'd fetch the nibbles she had prepared.

She returned with a plate of assorted fare and drew up a kitchen stool and sat opposite him and they chatted.

When she said she needed to check on dinner he said, "May I ask you something in the hope you'll not get upset?"

She smiled thinly and said carefully that she'd try to control herself.

"Strip off to your mules and stay that way."

She said just a minute and returned two minutes later wearing only her mules.

Fleur looked at him for approval and he said expansively, "Fleur I'm eyeing a great body. Well done."

"God you are strange, very strange."

Danny said he might appear that way but in his opinion he normally acted straight up and down.

"It's just since we've met you've been rather severe with me'. The truth is I'm used to women my age or younger. I've decided the way to impress you was to be, er, a little different.

"Well you have certainly proven that, ordering me to walk around you nude and I obeyed and yet we've not even had a decent kiss yet."