by Nesta Tuomey
‘Where the hell were you all week?’ he demanded, stepping past her into the hall.
It wasn’t at all what Dave had meant to say but at the sight of her, all the worry and frustration of the past week, to which was added the long, tiring drive up country, combined to make him speak harshly.
‘I even went to your cousin’s house. All that way for nothing.’
‘To Kilshaughlin! Whatever for?’ Kay asked faintly, wondering why he was so angry? She had never seen him like this.
‘To find out where you were, of course,’ he snapped. ‘After I saw that sign in the garden would you blame me for thinking you had moved away? Calling every night and getting no answer. Where were you, for God’s sake?’
‘I was in Chicago all week,’ Kay answered, becoming sharp in turn. ‘I only got back this morning.’
‘You look washed-out,’ he told her bluntly, noting the exhausted droop to her mouth, the deep shadows encircling the tired green eyes.
‘It has been a very long day,’ she replied, just as shortly.
She felt an unbearable sense of hurt and was afraid she might cry. He was angry because he had wanted Florrie’s address and couldn’t get it. In her tiredness she stumbled on the kitchen steps and his hand shot out to steady her.
‘Been at the bottle again?’ he attempted to joke but his abrupt greeting was still too fresh in her mind to allow her to respond.
As she poured him a drink, Carlos’s letter slipped from behind the tea caddy. At once Dave’s expression changed.
‘I see your Spanish admirer is on the mailing list,’ he observed with an irritating drawl. ‘I never got a chance to read it,’ Kay confessed, putting up a hand to repress a yawn. ‘Bit of a femme fatale our Kay.’
She flushed at his disagreeable tone and tried to explain about Peg and her hurried trip to Kilshaughlin, but in the face of his wilful misunderstanding it sounded as if she were in the habit of receiving scores of love letters and leaving them lying around unopened.
‘You don’t have to explain how it is to me,’ Dave said with a cynical smile. He felt like shaking her. ‘I suppose now you’ll be off back to Spain as fast as you can go.’
‘Y...yes, I’m going back next week,’ she admitted. ‘Must be wonderful to be so sought after.’
Kay winced. ‘I’m meeting Florrie tomorrow,’ she changed the subject, concealing her hurt. ‘Any messages for her?’
Dave’s expression softened. ‘Ah Florrie...’
Go on, thought Kay miserably. Nice Florrie! Poor Florrie! Nothing about poor me. She felt her homelessness keenly.
‘Well, here’s to travel,’ Dave raised his glass. ‘What do you know! Next week I’m off to Germany for two years.’
‘You’re going away!’ Kay stared, unable to believe her ears. She was the one who travelled, not Dave.
‘That’s right. It’s been in the offing for some time. Didn’t I tell you? I know I meant to. It’s promotion really so you can be glad for me.’
‘Congratulations,’ Kay said bleakly. She went over to the sink and stood with her back to him, helplessly letting the jug fill up and run over. She felt more bereft than ever, she had come so to rely on him.
‘Two years,’ she repeated, as though it were a life sentence.
‘That’s right,’ Dave agreed. ‘So you aren’t the only ones to go gallivanting. And so you can tell Florrie when you see her.’
Florrie, always Florrie.
Something in Kay broke. ‘Go tell you precious Florrie yourself,’ she cried.
My God, she wondered aghast the next moment. Why am I acting like this? ‘Do I detect a note of jealousy?’
Dave pushed back the chair and came to stand close behind her. He could see the dark curling tendrils of hair on her neck, he wished he could see her expression.
‘Surely it’s enough,’ he went on coolly, ‘to have this Carlos and half the pilots in Celtic Airways drooling over you without wanting my head too. If I were silly enough to think that...’ She couldn’t look at him. ‘It would be silly,’ she said flatly. She went to move past him.
‘Very silly,’ he agreed, barring her way.
‘What I meant was it would be silly to compare yourself to... to Carlos or... or...’ She couldn’t bring herself to name anyone else.
‘You can’t remember all their names, is that it?’ he asked in a kindly voice. In spite of herself, Kay felt a giggle rising. ‘No, it’s not.’
She reluctantly met his eyes and was startled to discover something other than fun in their grey depths, something of the deep tenderness she had observed on the night she and Florrie had returned from Spain. Could it be that the tenderness expressed then, as now, was all for her and not, as she had assumed in her jealousy, for Florrie? Her heart beat changed to a slow, heavy thump.
‘You keep putting words in my mouth,’ she complained, his nearness making her tremble.
She tried again to pass him but the water in the jug slopped dangerously near the edge. In her agitation, she splashed some on the sleeve of his tweed jacket.
‘Oh hell, sorry,’ she muttered.
‘Here, let me take that before you drown the pair of us.’
Dave put the jug on the table and turned to take both her hands in his. ‘Kay,’ he queried softly, deliberately, ‘When is it going to be my turn?’
Kay glanced hurriedly away. ‘I haven’t read Carlos’s letter yet,’ she muttered idiotically
Abruptly, he released her.
Am I to be added to the list, Dave wondered. He felt a rush of fury. Like hell he was! He handed her the letter, trying to be patient. ‘Why don’t you then?’
As Kay extracted the thin sheets, she was acutely reminded of Dave’s letter arriving to the Spanish apartment so many months before and the Spaniard’s fierce reaction to it. Ironically now, the situation was in reverse. She read it quickly through, conscious of his eyes upon her. It was full of tender plans for their future. She shoved it back behind the tea caddy.
‘Quite a young book,’ Dave remarked sardonically, his forehead creased in a frown. ‘What does he say? That he can’t live without you?’
His mocking air deserted him and he gazed helplessly at her with an expression that so was openly, defencelessly caring, that Kay knew a moment of shaken surprise.
‘What a letter!’ she babbled, in an effort to conceal her amazed thoughts. ‘What passion!’
He regarded her doubtfully, something so false and stagy about her manner giving him hope.
‘Poor Carlos,’ Kay sighed. ‘I’ll simply have to go back, if only to soften the blow. I promise I won’t stay longer than a month, honest.’
‘No you don’t!’ Dave’s brow cleared and he gave a low, relieved chuckle. ‘Well I must at least write to him.’
‘Absolutely not!’
He would be crazy to allow it, Dave thought, drawing her to him. ‘Ah no, Katie,’ he told her. ‘I’ll never share you with anyone else.’ He held her hard against him and kissed her.
As Kay allowed him to embrace her, she was amazed at how quickly she was beginning to envisage Dave as her lover.
Oh but how could she! She was brought up suddenly short by the memory of Graham.
‘It’s too soon yet,’ she gasped, and hid her face against Dave’s chest. He wouldn’t want her now, she mumbled to him incoherently, the full exhaustion of the day and sad memories of Graham conspiring to topple her.
‘Ah but you don’t know love,’ Dave murmured. ‘I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.’
Her panic fading, Kay relaxed against him. It was too soon, she thought, far too soon. But how lovely to have a man’s arms around her again, how lovely to be loved. She gave a sleepy yawn.
Holding her, Dave watched her face, knowing he would have no peace until his ring was on her finger. But first things first.
‘All the same,’ he persisted gently, ‘you might consider giving up this Carlos and all the others...’ He paused and asked himself if he were ma
d, then went on bravely, ‘and I’ll forget about Germany.’
Kay stared. Give up Germany! Endanger his career! ‘So what do you say?’
‘Yes,’ she agreed faintly.
EPILOGUE
Two weeks after the night Dave told Kay he loved her, he brought her to the airport. She was due out to New York on a two-day stopover and not having any business appointments until later in the day, he had offered to drive her. She gazed out the car window still a little shy of their new status and self-consciously avoided any physical contact beyond what was strictly necessary. So much had happened so quickly, she still didn’t know whether she was on her head or her heels.
She had rung Sally and cautiously explained why she wouldn’t be going with her to Spain after all. She felt a little guilty at letting her friend down but Dave had extracted a promise from her not to go back and, like him, she realised the importance of giving their own relationship a chance to develop. To her relief, Sally had understood at once.
‘Dave’s a lovely chap,’ she said sincerely. ‘I hope it will all work out.’
‘And you and Eulogio,’ Kay returned warmly. ‘Don’t forget to tell him I was asking for him... and Carlos too, of course,’ she added a little guiltily.
‘Poor Carlos! He’ll be heartbroken,’ Sally chuckled sympathetically down the telephone. ‘I’m not looking forward to breaking it to him you won’t be coming back.’
Kay felt a pang for her Spanish lover but she was as very conscious of Dave’s insistence that she should not even write to him. ‘You’re only prolonging the poor chap’s agony,’ was his opinion and she had no doubt he was right. Still, she hoped that Carlos wouldn’t be too upset at not hearing from her himself.
Kay thought how she would miss Sally. Florrie too. Before going to New Zealand she had called around to the house for a last chat and been delighted to hear Kay’s news.
‘Now that’s really romantic,’ she opined, before coyly confiding her own news. ‘Jimmy wants me to take the ring for Easter.’
‘Florrie!’ Kay exploded. ‘Are you going to?’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps I will,’ Florrie gave her limpid smile. ‘But nothing like as soon. I told Jimmy I’m not deciding anything until I get back from New Zealand.’
She spoke firmly but there was a softness about the way she said his name that was promising. As she told Kay, her grief at her father’s death having eased over the months, she no longer irrationally blamed Jimmy for her failure to get back to see him before he died.
‘I’m glad, Florrie,’ Kay hugged her friend.
‘Really it was my own fault, nobody else’s,’ Florrie admitted honestly but with a sad expression in her blue eyes. ‘I should have gone home more often. If only I had, I wouldn’t have felt so guilty when he died.’
When Florrie enquired after Molly, Kay spoke of her concern for her aunt. After a little hesitation she mentioned her trip to Kilshaughlin and the way Winifred had vented her spite.
‘She’s not worth wasting spit on,’ Florrie said simply. ‘I’m sorry about your aunt though - you know how fond of her I am.’ Her face brightened as a thought struck her. ‘This means you can come into a flat with me.’
‘Yes,’ Kay nodded enthusiastically.
‘Won’t it be great when we’re together again,’ exclaimed Florrie.
Kay thought again how she would miss Florrie, though not as much as she would have if she hadn’t got Dave. She gave a shy glance at his absorbed profile and wondered if he regretted not going to Germany. Although he had made light of it she was aware what the sacrifice must have cost him.
That Dave had given up his big chance for her greatly impressed Kay. She knew how ambitious he had always been. He really did love her, she thought awed. At the same time, she felt a bit worried that his career might be adversely affected because of her. She turned anxiously to him and said, ‘Dave, you’re really sure you’re doing the right thing turning down Germany?’
‘Absolutely.’ He met her concerned glance with a smile. ‘Don’t worry. There’ll be other opportunities.’ He squeezed her hand reassuringly and turned his eyes back to the road. And if there weren’t he’d soon make them, he told himself, feeling equal to anything when she looked at him in that melting way.
It was a beautiful spring day. The daffodils planted in clumps around the hostess section were stirring gently in the breeze as they returned from checking Kay’s case and pulled up in front of the prefabs. As she climbed out she was struck by what a perfect day it was for flying.
‘Can you hang on,’ she asked Dave, ‘while I see if the new rosters are out.’ There were a couple of functions coming up over the following weeks that he wanted her to attend with him. When she saw it, she would know better how she was fixed.
He glanced at his watch. ‘A few minutes anyhow.’ A smile in his grey eyes, Dave watched her skip up the steps, admiring her long slim legs in the sheer stockings.
She skirted the crowd of hostesses around the coffee machine and headed for the wire trays holding the rosters. Good! For once Bernie had brought them in early. She snatched one up, then scanned the noticeboard for messages.
Her heart lifted at finding a letter from Sally. She slipped it in her kitbag to read later, and was about to run back out to Dave, when she became aware of another note for her on the board. A memo from Judy Mathews about summer uniform. ‘Please drop into my office before your flight.’
Kay quickly presented herself at the new Superintendent’s office and after a short delay was admitted and had her measurements taken. She was conscious all the time of Dave waiting. What must he be thinking, she fretted, remembering her promise to be only a few moments. Oh but he would never have waited. Suddenly, it had become extremely important for her to see him again before she went away. But when she was released at last and hurried to the door, the path outside was empty. His car was gone.
Her disappointment was so acute, Kay could have cried. She was amazed at herself for caring so much. But there it was. She did.
She was about to retrace her steps when with a thrill of relief she realised he had not gone after all, merely parked his car more tidily between the huts.
Kay ran forward and, as she did, had the curious impression it was to Captain Pender’s white Alfa Romeo she was running. Then the image shimmered and dissolved in her brain and she became aware of Dave regarding her quizzically through the open window of the Volkswagen.
‘What’s up, Katie?’ he asked evenly.
Almost crying, she slid in beside him. ‘Oh Dave, I thought you’d gone. I thought you’d grown tired of waiting and g...gone.’
Dave looked with calm enquiry into her flushed upset face. ‘Don’t you know I’ll never do that,’ he reassured her. ‘What’s the matter? Got a trip to Russia, is that it?’
‘I... I never even looked,’ she confessed. ‘Aren’t you going to?’
‘Oh I don’t care. It can wait.’
‘Well, well, did I ever think to see the day,’ he murmured with a provoking grin. ‘Oh shut up!’
Kay laughed ruefully, feeling the tension begin to leave her. That was one of the things she really liked - no loved - about Dave, he could always make her laugh. Then in alarm she caught sight of the time.
‘Gosh! my flight will take off without me.’
A little shyly she looked up at him and waited.
Dave smiled into her eyes for a moment, then he bent his head and kissed her. A group of passing hostesses looked in at them, their expressions frankly curious.
He released her at last.
‘And I’d better be getting back to work,’ he suggested, ‘before someone thinks I’m molesting you.’ He nodded meaningfully at a rapt Bernie gawking at them through the prefab window.
With a giggle, Kay climbed out and slammed the car door. Her hand on the window, she paused to look back into his deep-set grey eyes.
‘Bye Dave, thanks for the lift.’
‘Bye Katie.’ He regarded her slim
figure in the Atlantic uniform approvingly. ‘Come back safely. I’ll be waiting.’
She waved and walked away, conscious of his eyes on her, knowing instinctively he would stay until she was out of sight. As she crossed to where the huge aircraft sat majestically on the tarmac, his parting words echoed in her head. I’ll be waiting.
How comforting and deeply satisfying were those three little words, she thought, almost better than I love you.
Ahead of her two pilots went lithely up the steps to the cockpit. She glanced away reminded of Graham and at once, her face grew serious, her eyes sad.
But the memory of those three little words kept coming back to lift Kay’s spirits like the April sunshine sparkling on the wide cockpit window. And somehow despite her sadness, she felt as if her life was beginning to take-off at last!
THE END