His Huge Rock

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “I really don’t have time for makeup?”

  “Five minutes,” I hollered back to her. “You have five minutes to do whatever is most important.”

  She laughed, and I peaked down the hall as I watched her brushing her teeth while trying to put mascara on at the same time. I could have watched her for hours. Her smooth skin didn’t need makeup or any other products at all; she really was one of the most beautiful women I had dated. I watched as she struggled to get her hair pulled up and looked one last time in the mirror before turning to come out toward me. Quickly I went back to looking at the items on the shelf.

  “One of the first girls that my program helped made that for me. It always reminds me of how awesome it is to work at a non-profit.”

  “It’s beautiful. Now let’s get going.”

  I grabbed her hand, and we rushed out the door and down to the waiting vehicle. Although the plane had no problem waiting for us to get there, I didn’t want to be late for our appointment at the vineyard. My friend’s family owned one of the biggest Moscato producing vineyards in Sonoma, and I couldn’t wait to see Kristina’s face when we arrived there. We were going to taste all sorts of excellent wine combinations and even see how they were made. It was exciting, but mainly because I knew she was going to enjoy it so much.

  “So where are we going?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “We are already on our way; you could just tell me now. It won’t ruin the surprise I promise. Just tell me,” she begged.

  Her body moved close to mine, and I felt myself reacting to her. I could have taken her right there in the car, but I didn’t. There was so much planned for our day, and unfortunately, sex would just have to wait until later.

  She started to move her hand up and down my leg as she inched closer and closer to my throbbing body. Her smile radiated up at me, and I couldn’t help smiling back as she teased me.

  “You’re not going to convince me to tell you. Nope, not going to happen.”

  “Oh, I think I could convince you if I really wanted to,” she said as her hand started to massage me through my jeans.

  “Okay, I give; yes, you could convince me very easily. I shouldn’t have made such a statement. I retract my statement,” I joked.

  “So where are we going?”

  “To the airport,” I said truthfully while still not giving away where we were really going.

  “The airport? Oh gosh, what are you doing?”

  I just laughed and looked out the window as we pulled up to the private terminal. I pointed to our plane in the distance, and Kristina leaned over me to get a better look. The smell of her flowery shampoo rushed into my nose, and I took in an extra whiff before she returned to her spot. She smelled delicious and looked so beautiful. I enjoyed her natural look; I imagined I would enjoy any look that she decided to have, though.

  “We just need to check in first, and then we can board the jet.”

  “This is too much. I’ve never been on anything like this. Where are we going? How far away is it? Is it going to be warm or cold there? Come on … you have to tell me something,” she begged.

  “What fun would that be?” I laughed. “I will tell you that we have a delicious breakfast on board so let’s hurry up; I’m starving.”

  Within ten minutes, we had checked in and were sitting in two comfortable reclining chairs aboard the plane. There was a pilot, co-pilot, and stewardess aboard as well. In the back of the plane, there were two beds made up, although I didn’t intend on bringing Kristina back there until our trip home. Even then we might actually just sleep since we likely were going to be pretty tired after the day I had planned.

  “Do you do this often?” Kristina asked as her hands stroked up and down the buttery leather seat.

  “Take the jet?”

  “No, take beautiful women out on your jet?”

  “No. I definitely do not. This is usually used for business trips and trips with the guys. I don’t typically take women out like this.”

  “Oh,” she said as she looked out the window and watched our plane move toward the runway. “You surprise me more and more as I get to know you.”

  “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  “So far it is. Now, where are we going?” she asked again playfully. “Am I allowed to get out of this seat yet and start convincing you?”

  “No, absolutely not. We are just about to take off.”

  “When it’s safe for me to get out of this chair, you better watch out; I’m going to go full on sexy dancer to convince you.”

  I turned and looked at the attendant that was sitting only ten feet behind me near the cabin doors. I seriously doubted that Kristina would be doing any sexy dances with her sitting so near, but it was a fun thought to imagine.

  “Oh, don’t look at her. I know she would make a disappearing act happen if you asked her too,” Kristina said playfully. “You keep your eyes right here and prepare yourself.”

  “You are friggin adorable.”

  She blushed and looked toward the ground, and it reminded me of our first date. She had seemed so confident, yet shy all at the same time. That was a pretty magical combination for me..

  “Don’t sweet talk me, mister; I’ve got your number.”

  “Look over there …” I pointed to one of the huge Saudi private jets that were old Boeing 777. “That’s also a private jet.

  “No way! That thing looks like it could hold a whole city!”

  “Probably could, but it usually just holds about a dozen people or so. It’s the Saudi royal family. They are always in town visiting with banks and doing other business.”

  “Why do they need such a huge plane? It seems a little excessive.”

  “Everything about their world is excessive. But I’m sure the size of the plane is partly necessary because they want to fly non-stop from Saudi Arabia to New York. Smaller planes can’t do that.”

  “Wow, can you even imagine having that much …” she trailed off.

  “Money?” I laughed. “No, I can’t imagine having that much money.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

  “Don’t look so mortified. I don’t mind talking about money. I actually really enjoy the topic. It is how I make a living and how I help others to earn more money from the money they already have. It’s one of my favorite topics.”

  “I just didn’t want you to think I was dating you just for your money. My friend is friends with Patty; that was the only reason I ended up on this site. Your money, or any man’s money, isn’t a big deal to me. A hardworking man who loves me is all I’ve ever wanted; he doesn’t have to be rich.”

  “Like I am?” I laughed.

  “No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

  “I think I know what you’re saying. You never struck me as the kind of woman who dated any guy for money if that puts you at ease at all? It really had not crossed my mind.”

  “Can we change the subject?” Kristina winced at the ongoing conversation about my wealth. “How about you tell me where we are going?”

  “Nope, but nice try,” I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt and flew across to her seat and kissed her quickly before returning to my seat and buckling back up.

  “Stay seated please; we will let you know when it’s safe to unbuckle,” the attendant said.

  “Sorry,” I replied, and then made a face at Kristina. “She made me do it,” I playfully pointed at her.

  “No, I did not. I’m sitting here following all the rules. You’re the one being the rule breaker over there.”

  We both sat back and watched out the window as the plane moved to the runway and readied itself for takeoff. I watched as Kristina’s hands clawed the leather fabric and wished we had sat more toward the back of the plane on the couch so I could have comforted her through the uncertainty of the takeoff.

  The plane rumbled loudly as it picked up speed and hurtled down the runway. Within seconds, it was pushing up through the air an
d toward an altitude that it needed to steady itself. I kept my eyes on Kristina and tried to comfort her with my smile and relaxed demeanor. I’d taken off and landed thousands of times, and it only made me nervous when I saw new flyers and how much anxiety they had about the whole thing.

  “She will be bringing us breakfast soon. Is there anything particular you would like?”

  Kristina just shook her head back and forth as she looked at me and then back outside. She was so nervous I would have thought she had never actually been on an airplane before. Her knuckles were literally turning white as she gripped the seat for dear life.

  “Just a couple more minutes, and we should level out. Take some deep breaths,” I said softly.

  “Okay.”

  “Are you doing all right?”

  “Yep, just thinking of all the news updates where small planes have crashed. This better be one hell of a date you have planned.” She laughed.

  Her face was pale, and I thought she might vomit soon. I looked back toward the attendant, and she also looked over at Kristina. The flight attendant had probably seen many people get air sickness before, and she looked a little concerned. We both kept our eyes on Kristina, and the second the plane leveled off, the attendant was out of her seat and bringing a seltzer water over for Kristina to sip.

  “This will help. And I’ll bring some fresh fruit out in a minute. Is there anything else?”

  Kristina was visibly shaken and looked like she was going to be sick at any moment. There were beads of sweat on her temple and a grayish color to her skin. It was clear she did not share my affinity for flying.

  “Tell me where we are going?” she asked with a small smile.

  “Oh, I think it’s more fun to let Mr. Stanley have his surprise.”

  Chapter 10

  Kristina

  I had been on planes before, just nothing so small. Motion sickness wasn’t my thing, and it took me a little bit to realize what exactly was going on. I was dizzy and shook my head a little as I tried to regain my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was vomit all over the beautiful aircraft that Merrick was taking me on a trip in, but I wasn’t so sure I was going to be able to stop myself.

  The drink the flight attendant handed me helped a little, and I started to sip it while I looked straight into Merrick’s eyes. He was calm and smiling, and it relieved a lot of the fears I had been having. The anxiety certainly had something to do with how sick I felt. There was no doubt I had given myself this stomach ache by over thinking all the problems that could happen with a small plane.

  The truth was that all my worries could have happened with a large plane as well. Hell, I was probably safer in a plane than I was walking across the street in New York, but the perception of fear was all encompassing for me at that moment.

  My stomach was twisted still, but the dizziness had lessened as we leveled off for our flight. The nervousness over being on a private plane with Merrick was still there, though. I was used to dating guys who could barely make their rent; now, I was in an airplane worth more than I’d earned in my entire adult life. It was extremely surreal.

  “Are you feeling any better yet?” Merrick asked. “We can move over and sit on the couch if you’d like? It might help if you aren’t looking directly out the windows. I can close the shades, and we could even turn the lights down if you thought it would help.”

  “Yeah, maybe getting up and moving around a little will be helpful.”

  He reached over, unhooked my seatbelt and helped me stand up. My legs wobbled much more than I was used to, and I held onto him for support. The plane didn’t spin around as I took in the rich oak and leather, though, so that seemed to be a good sign.

  “Do you want to sit or walk?” he asked.

  “I thought walking would be best, but maybe sitting is better.” I laughed as I tried to make up my mind. “I’m sorry; I just don’t feel like myself.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m here, and we are having a great time,” Merrick said as he held onto the sick bag the flight attendant had given me.

  “I don’t think this is the idea of a great time, but I appreciate your upbeat mood,” I said softly. “Tell me more about yourself. What other things do you like to do besides work?”

  I snuggled in next to his chest and listened to his heartbeat as he started to talk about his hobbies and likes. I really just needed something to take my mind off of how I was feeling, and I didn’t feel like talking, so it was better that he did the talking, and I did the listening.

  Merrick went on and on telling me all about the things he and his friends did in their off time. He instinctively kept talking as his hand stroked my hair, and I felt myself drift off to sleep. It was a surprise to me when the plane jolted as we landed nearly three hours later.

  “What happened?” I asked as I looked around and tried to reorient myself to what was going on.

  “We are here. How are you feeling?”

  I took inventory of myself, and I was actually feeling just fine. The dizziness was gone; I was hungry instead of sick to my stomach, and I felt totally rested. I did feel a little groggy, but that was probably from sleeping for the whole flight.

  “Actually, I feel pretty good. I guess sleep was the cure. Sorry if I ruined your plans for the flight.”

  “Do you feel up to walking a little bit? You didn’t ruin anything. I’m glad you’re feeling a little better, though. Hopefully, the rest of the day turns out well. You make sure to go slow and slap me around if I’m doing anything to make you feel sick again.”

  “Sure, that sounds great.” I laughed.

  “Okay, then I’ll move forward with my plan for the day. You speak up if you start feeling sick again. We can always change our plans … no problem there. If you just want to get a hotel room and sleep all day, I’ll make that happen.”

  “Oh, you’re game for a hotel room?”

  “I mean for you to rest. But if you think you’re okay to continue, then let’s do that.”

  “I’m game to give it a try. Where are we?” I asked as I looked out the window.

  The rolling hills all around us seemed to be covered by vineyards. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought Merrick had teleported us right over to Italy, but the airport and signs gave it away that we were indeed still in America. Although Merrick was rich, he wasn’t rich enough to get us to Italy in three hours.

  “California, Sonoma to be exact.”

  “Really? I’ve always wanted to come here. Oh, this is exciting,” I said as I tried to catch my breath. I jumped up as if my energy had been zapped back into me and followed Merrick off the plane and to a convertible that was there waiting for us. The deep blue Lexus had tan leather that wasn’t as soft as the airplane but certainly still very luxurious. Every stitch of the leather was perfect, and I could only imagine having a car as beautiful as that one was.

  The crisp air was still very warm, and the smell of fruit filled my nose as I climbed into the passenger seat. I already felt like a princess after taking a private jet to California, but the convertible had me feeling even more special as we drove off the airport and made our way through the curvy landscape of the nearby hills.

  “So what are we doing with our day now that I’m feeling better and we are in this beautiful location?” I asked in an effort to get him to give up his secret plans.

  “Patience my sweet girl. Relax and enjoy the scenery.”

  “In case you haven’t learned this about me yet, I don’t have much patience.” I laughed as I did my best to relax and enjoy the scenery. “I once snuck downstairs on Christmas morning and opened my presents early. Then I wrapped them back up and pretended like I didn’t know what each of them was. I don’t do patience very well.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy. I’ll keep that in mind as I torture you by not telling you where we are going.”

  The rows of grape vines filled my entire view. They moved up the hills and down into the valley. Every turn off seemed to have a viney
ard sign with old lettering and rustic appeal. I could have gotten lost for years just visiting all the quaint little businesses. So when Merrick finally pulled off the main road and toward the Sonoma Valley Wine vineyard, I could hardly contain my excitement. Obviously, I had suspected we were going to some sort of vineyard, but I was excited that we had finally arrived at our destination.

  As much as I enjoyed drinking wine, I hadn’t been to any vineyards yet. My work, life, and general location held me back from finding the time to visit one. Although I often dreamed about taking a trip with my girlfriends out to California for a wine tasting weekend.

  I saw Merrick glance over at me as we drove down the long driveway toward the vineyard. I couldn’t stop smiling. The closer we got to the main building, the more I felt like screaming out with joy. The wind was in my hair; I was with a delightful man, and I was about to visit my very first vineyard. Life was as near perfection as it could possibly get at that moment.

  “These are friends of mine, and I’ve been promising them a visit for a long time, so I’m really excited to finally get out here.”

  “You’re excited? I’m excited! I can hardly stay sitting in this seat!” I yelled as I unhooked my seatbelt and sat on the back of my seat with my hands in the air.

  The air even felt different in California. It was moist and filled with scents that went beyond just the normal smell of grapes from the vines. In this part of California, there wasn’t the smog and pollution like there was near Los Angeles; instead, the sky looked totally clear as we pulled up to the main building.

  A middle-aged man and woman were standing at the double door entrance just waiting for us. I had to wonder how long they had been standing there before we arrived or if they had arranged a meeting time with Merrick. The woman was slender with shoulder length blonde hair and a casual tan pants on. The man looked more rugged with his flannel shirt that had the sleeves rolled up and his thick forearms showing.