Chapter 17
"I had a finger up my ass and it still wasn't good enough."
Early morning, Thursday, July 26th
Carrier USS Reagan, 280 miles west of Hawaii, Pacific Ocean
Maria....
As I was being strapped into the back seat, Osborne went over the emergency procedures again.
"I'm telling you, Colonel, when we shoot of the cat, it'll be like nothing else. Ever been in a sports car?"
"One time, with a friend of mine."
I was already squirming in the seat knowing what was coming was going to be bad. Even though I skipped breakfast, my stomach was tightening, just thinking about it.
"Well, we're going to accelerate from nothing to something in about two seconds. I'll give you the heads up."
The two Hornets lined up side by side on the ship's catapults and I could see Jim waving at me from the other Hornet.
"Colonel, we will launch about ten seconds after the other plane. You good to go?"
I knew he could immediately hear my breathing speed up.
"Colonel, you all right back there?"
"Yeh... yes... let's just go."
With a wave of his hand, he signaled his fellow pilot and the deck crew that he was ready and first one and then the other F-18 were flying away from the carrier.
The launch pushed me back into me seat with a great weight on my chest.
By the time I opened my eyes, 'Yellow Flight' was ten miles in front of the fleet and we were heading back toward Hawaii. Flying about a half-mile apart, the two pilots practiced combat tactics, changing every twenty minutes from lead to wingman.
The smooth ride had given me a false sense of security and I was enjoying myself. The checker-shirted crewman who cinched me in must have done it a little too tightly because the crotch strappings had started to rub my thighs and were driving me insane in a very good way.
I couldn't believe it... the rubbing straps had caused me to orgasm right there in the back seat. I still don't know if it was because of the thrill of flying now that I wasn't afraid anymore to fly
The two planes pulled closer together so I could have some souvenir photos taken. I pulled out my small digital camera and started taking pictures, moving it around the cockpit to get that 'perfect' shot for my living room wall.
Jim was rapidly taking photos of my fighter just one-hundred feet away traveling at 900 miles an hour. He waved at me and as I waved back, he finally took the photo he was looking for. It's still hanging on our living room wall.
Phelps, the other pilot, told me later that Jim had asked him if there was going to be any layover time in Honolulu or if we were just going to refuel and leave. Phelps told him that since he was the general, we could do whatever he wanted.
Later that evening, Jim told me he had Phelps set up a flight time for the next morning so we could spend some time in Waikiki together and he had wanted to take me out for some shopping and dinner.
Far ahead was Barber's Point Naval Air Station where we were going to land.
Up front, the pilot was contacting Barber's Point Naval Air Station.
We were all on the same frequency so I was able to hear what little conversation there was between Jim and Phelps.
"You're good to go, General. Shall I contact the others?"
"Let me do it, please."
"You're the boss. Yellow Flight One to Yellow Flight Two."
"Yellow Flight Two... go ahead."
"Maria, can you hear me? Good. I'm taking you shopping and to dinner. We'll get a couple of rooms at the Royal, how's that?"
"Thank you, General. I'm looking forward to it."
I had hoped the sexual tension between the two of us might go away now that I was interested in Commander Hunter... even if Michael had been 'damaged' by the women in his family, I still thought I could 'fix' him.
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Early morning, Thursday, July 26th
Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki, Honolulu
Immediately after landing Jim called the Royal Hawaiian and reserved two rooms for the night. After we showered at the air station and put on our clean uniforms, we caught a cab into Honolulu.
Paying the driver, we checked into the Royal and dropping off our travel bags, we walked over to the shopping center. Jim said he knew he could travel around and go to dinner in his uniform but the idea of me in uniform for dinner didn't sit well with him.
An hour later, he bought me a gown, silk underwear and high heel shoes. Arranging for the clothing to be delivered to the hotel no later than four in the afternoon we went sightseeing.
Lunch was an upscale Chinese restaurant in the center of Waikiki and then he asked if I wanted to go swimming. We headed back to the shopping mall and he bought some swimwear, sandals and beach towels for the two of us.
I was confused at what he was doing. He was treating me so nicely and I thought that he might want to sleep with me before we returned to Malibu and Alessa. It seemed so out of character, though, that while the idea lingered in my mind I thought I was wrong.
We change back at the hotel and met in the hallway. I knew was a reasonably good-looking woman but the skimpy red bikini I had chosen was going to so turn heads as soon as we went downstairs. We walked out on the Hawaiian's private beach and found a spot under a shady umbrella.