Art, part two. Ch. 13
Art takes another step into his future.
"Jonesy, are you sure this is where you want me to leave you."
"Yep, my instructions were clear. I was told I'd be picked up here sometime in the next half hour. Heidi, you know I'm never going to forget you."
"Jonesy, you know we could be a couple, don't you. If the three of us lived together for any length of time, that probably would have happened."
"I know, but it would have hurt Lisa very much and neither you nor I want that, do we? Let's just leave it that we'll stay connected so if something happens, we'll know how to find each other. I know I'll carry the bruises of the last three hours for at least the rest of my life. You could have broken my new designer dick the way you abused it, as it is I think you sprained it."
"I'm going to build all those positions we tried into my new 'Jonesy Doll' so I can make some money based on our last three hours together."
She put her arms around me and picked me up. Instead of just dangling there I wrapped my legs around her waist. We held tight to each other and we kissed long and hard. Finally I said, "We keep this up on the street we're going to draw a crowd."
"Who gives a rat's ass, Good bye Jonesy."
"Good bye, Heidi." She put me down, walked to her car and drove off without looking back.
A voice behind me said, "After that send off, you could probably fly back to the States without our airplane."
I turned around and there was a husky young man standing there with a grin on his face. "My name's Tim Arnold. Ms. Lewis said I'm to pick up some special baggage and you look like you could be it. We better get you onboard where you can get some rest. Jamie, Ms. Lewis, has her own version of airborne gymnastics and you'll need all the reserve you can call up." I hadn't noticed, but there was a small pedestrian gate in the airport fence that now stood open. Arnold locked the gate behind us and led the way down the line to a fine looking Gulfstream aircraft.
Inside the main cabin he opened a door in the rear that led to a small luggage compartment. He said, "I've got the bags lashed in place so they won't move around and there's a space between them for you to hide. When you crawl in, reach out and pull this loose bag in to block the opening. It has to look like you did it yourself in case you're discovered. I have to ask you to stay in there until we're airborne. Customs rarely check outgoing, but they do sometimes so best we're be prepared. I'll come get you when we're clear."
I had fallen asleep and the next thing I knew there were voices and a door slammed. The luggage compartment door opened and I heard Arnold say, "We're moving into takeoff position. Come on out and take a seat anywhere. When I was out of the compartment, Jamie was sitting in a seat with her head back. "Ms. Lewis came aboard awhile ago, she said to wake her when we're at cruising altitude." I sat down across the aisle from her and buckled up.
After takeoff, when the afterburners kicked in Jamie opened her eyes. "Well hello there stowaway. I see you managed to get aboard."
"Thanks to your man, Tim Arnold, there wasn't a problem."
She flipped on the intercom, "Tim, when you can, will you come back and make up one of the double berths? It's been a long day and we'd like to turn in."
"I'll take care of it. Would you or your guest want anything from the galley?"
She looked at me and I nodded negatively. "No we're fine, Tim."
She looked at me, "Art, do you think you could open one of those bottles of champagne that are on ice in the galley."
"I can probably manage that." Jamie showed me where I could safely set the ice bucket with the champagne, and when I returned with glasses, Tim was coming out of the cockpit.
He said, "You really shouldn't be up and moving around until we turn off the seat belt sign."
"I'm sorry, Tim, my thirst got in the way of common sense."
Jamie chimed in, "Our guest is just being gallant, Tim, I asked him to get the champagne." The look I got from Arnold told me there's something going on between him and his boss lady. As Tim was leaving the cabin, Jamie said, "Tim, will you make sure I'm up when we're still an hour out of New York. Tell customs at the International Terminal that I expect to go through there with my personal baggage, but our plane will continue on to the International Terminal at Messena."
After he left, I said, "I'm sorry, Jamie, I couldn't find any champagne glasses. We'll have to rough it with water glasses."
"I'm ready to drink it right out of the bottle, but water glasses will do fine." When her glass was half full, she said, "Go ahead and fill it up, my buzz from earlier is starting to wear off and I want to enjoy the rest of the night without any inhibitions." I followed her directions, but took less myself. I'm still not sure how much I can handle at my size. I sat down across the aisle from her and she reached over to touch glasses, "May we fly high in more ways than one way tonight"! She took a healthy gulp from her glass and said, "Well what do you think of my Gulfstream 350?"