“Coming right up,” she said in her cheerful, perky voice.
The door closed and John let out a long whistle. “Damn if she doesn’t get hotter with each flight.”
He looked over to his friend and said, “You know there is more to her than her looks, right?”
“Hey now,” he said, putting his hands in the air. “I am not saying that all there is to her. She may be married and involved with you, but there is nothing wrong with me looking, right?”
Jasper just shook his head, “No, I guess not.”
Lily opened the door again to deliver their drinks, then she left, leaving them to their conversation again.
“Looks like we’re making good time,” Jasper said. He wanted and needed to change to subject to something other than one of the objects of his desire. He didn’t need a raging hard-on while trying to concentrate on maneuvering the plane.
John glanced at his watch, and then said, “We are. You’ll be able to see your better half in no time. Any big plans for your days off? I know I plan on hitting up a few clubs over the weekend, see if I can find myself a nice lady to keep me company for a while.”
“You really should think about settling down. You aren’t getting any younger, you know,” he told John. Throughout the years he had known John, the man had never kept a woman for more than a few months at a time. Lily always worried about his future being a lonely one, but John always reassured everyone that once his looks ran out he would settle down, but not one day sooner.
John laughed at that, “You all worry too much. I’ve told you too many times: I am using my looks up while I have them. Why would I settle for one woman for the rest of my life when there are so many beauties out there?” John shook his head before adding, “I cannot imagine what went through your head, or any other married person for that matter, when you decided it was a great idea to tie yourself to having sex with one person, the same person each time, until you die! That is one boring-ass way to live if you ask me. Besides, it doesn’t seem to have done anything to stop you or Lily.”
“Well, when it is with the right person then it isn’t boring.” Jasper and John had talked about this more times than he cared to count. It always went the same way: John swearing off marriage altogether.
John scoffed, “Yeah, and you haven’t been tempted to cheat? You forget I know your secret now.”
Jasper couldn’t respond to that. There was nothing he could say in his own defense without telling John the entire truth, which he promised Lily he wouldn’t do; not yet anyway.
“That’s what I thought,” John said. “That is why marriage is a fucked up institution. Too many people get married because it is a great idea, the thing to do, but then you look like sad puppy dogs when there is a bone or great piece of meat put in front of you and you can’t touch or taste. Well, my friend, I plan on remaining leash-free so I can sample all the delicacies available to me.”
Jasper really couldn’t argue with that logic, so he didn’t even try. There was no use in arguing, John had a point: If someone had never experienced a happy marriage, then the institution would seem pointless and constricting to him or her. Luckily, for Jasper, his wife didn’t think on those terms.
With the conversation over, they remained silent for the majority of the remainder of the flight, only speaking when they needed to relay measurements and dimensions back and forth. It only took another forty-five minutes before they were preparing to land.
He stood up to thank all the passengers as they exited the plan, then said his goodbyes to the crew, and was on his way home.
6
Lily
Lily barely had any time to walk through the front door of her house before her husband was right there, standing before her with a bouquet of daisies and a big smile on his face. He was such a sweet, thoughtful man and she loved him more than life itself.
“Welcome home, sweetheart,” he beamed at her as he handed her the flowers.
“Thank you. Boy, I am glad to be home. I bet you are too,” she said as she took the daises from him and lifted them closer so she could inhale the scent of her favorite flowers. He had chosen a very colorful bunch of pinks, purples, yellows, and whites. They were beautiful and he made her feel special by thinking of her enough to pick them out.
“When did you have time to pick these up?” She asked. He didn’t leave too soon before she did, so he must have been speeding to get home before her.
He took her free hand and led her into the dining room where the table was lit with candles and covered in dishes filled with her favorite foods. She was speechless. It took a lot of forethought and planning to do all of this, and she felt like crying.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered in awe. It really was, too. The candles were scented and made the room glow in a warm light. It was a romantic gesture and made her feel like a princess.
“I wanted to surprise you with something special when you got home. You like?”
He was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes shown with so much love and joy. She nodded, not able to talk past the lump of emotion clogging her throat.
“Good,” he sounded a bit relieved. He had no reason to doubt that she would love this. Any sane woman would fall in love with him over something like this, so she knew she was a very blessed woman. That was for sure. “Come over here and sit down. I will fill your plate with everything you want,” he added, another way of spoiling her.
“Thank you,” she said as he pushed her chair in when she sat down.
“Now, point out what you would like to have,” Jasper ordered her. He stood there, looking as handsome as ever, awaiting her instructions on what she wanted him to put on her plate.
She told him a few of the dishes she wanted to try, and he filled her plate to the verge of overflowing and sat it on the table in front of her. Each thing looked scrumptious. There was grilled chicken breast, baked sweet potatoes, seasoned rice, and a sweet roll. That was just what was on her plate, and they were at the top of her list of favorite foods. There were also a few more dishes, but what she had in front of her was good enough for now.
When Jasper sat down to prepare to eat, she asked him about his days while she was gone.
“They were okay; long, tiring, but okay; nothing abnormal. How were the flights? Were they smooth?”
“About the same,” she laughed. “The last two were quick since they were both less than two hours, and they were very comfortable flight, honey. The flowers in my room were beautiful. Thank you.”
He reached his hand across the table, wrapped his fingers around her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I just wanted to show you that you were on my mind, in my thoughts. You always are when we aren’t together.”
She smiled. He was such a caring man, and she was blessed tremendously for having found him. He was her world. “As you are in mine when we aren’t together.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss across her knuckles, and gave her a little wink, making her giggle. He hadn’t done that in a while, and it reminded her of their first date when he was such a gentleman, well, until they each had a few too many drinks. That was years ago now, but it still felt like yesterday.