Wings of Love (3 page)

Janet dug in her purse and pulled out a photo
album.  “Here is a picture of us.”  She slid
the picture across the table.  “We went to a New York
Ranger’s game.”

Amy picked up the picture to examine
it.  Janet was snuggled up to a man wearing a thick,
cable knit sweater which was in contrast to his jet black
hair.  His smile was perfect except for a chipped front
tooth.  He also had a noticeable scar above his right
eye.  Even with those flaws, he was a remarkably handsome
man. 

“We’ve been dating about six months now.”

“Wow Janet, he’s gorgeous!  Are you
two serious?”  Amy raised her eyebrows in
question.  She handed her the picture back.

“Well I guess you could say so.  He
is serious enough to ask me to move to New York to be with him”

“Wow, are you going to go?”  Amy
sipped on her pop which was now melted ice.

“I am leaning towards yes.  I’m not
a hundred percent sure yet.”  Janet placed her elbow on
the table as she leaned on her hand.  “Not only would I
be able to spend more time with Peter, but if I move to New York I
will have a much better chance of landing an acting job.”

The waitress came their way as she carried a
tray with their order on it and refills of pop.  “Tuna
melt and fries for you.”  She set an oval platter in
front of Janet as well as Amy and their drinks. “And a
cheeseburger, medium well and fries.  Is there anything
else I can get you?”

“No, I think we’re good.”  Amy said
as Janet nodded in agreement.

While they ate their lunch they caught up on
each others’ lives since the last time they’d been
together.  Janet told Amy how she set up an audition for
a new soap opera called My Generations which was going to be filmed
in New York.  “So I’m going to fly to New York for that
and get to spend some time with Peter.  I miss him so
much.”

Amy filled Janet in on all the local gossip
being spread around town.  “Wait until you hear what I
heard from Rosie this morning.  Sarah Picelo was with
Tony Russo, remember? 

Janet nodded yes.

“Well,” Amy continued.  “She left
Tony for Larry Stolowski.  The whole time she knew she
was pregnant with Tony’s baby.  She had the baby while
she was with Larry.  He of course assumes it is
his.  Meantime, she had a little thing going on with Tony
on the side while she is knocked up for real with Larry’s
kid.  And as if that wasn’t enough, rumor has it she is
messing around with some other guy from Deckerville!”

“You can’t be serious?”  Janet
looked at Amy with disbelief and shock.  “Well, if my
acting career flops I could always write a script for My
Generations.”

Both girls laughed at Janet’s
joke.  They enjoyed the rest of their lunch as they
continued to talk in between bites.

“Would you like some dessert?”  She
placed their tab on the table face down as she reached for the
dirty dishes.  “Hi Bob.”  The waitress said as
she smiled up at him.

Both girls turned to see Bob’s huge 6’3”, 225
pound frame standing over them.  Bob scooted into the
booth next to Amy.  “Can I buy you two beautiful ladies
dessert?”

“I think I’m all set,” Amy said as she
checked her watch.  She realized she had only ten minutes
to get back to work.

“Me too.”  Janet rose as she
grabbed the bill to signal it was time for her to leave.

Before Bob let Amy out of the booth he placed
his hand on top of hers.  He patted it
lightly.  “Sooner or later I’ll catch you at the right
time.”  He winked at her.

“Bye Bob.”  Both girls said in
unison.  They proceeded to the register up front to pay
their bill.  The bell on the door jingled as Amy and
Janet left the restaurant and Bob behind.

***

Adam had his feet propped up on the wooden
coffee table.  He still had his uniform on with his name
sewn above his right pocket.  He tapped the pencil on the
crossword puzzle.  
What’s an eight letter word
for cute?  A certain strawberry blonde, with hazel eyes
and a cute little ass.  
He picked up the phone and
dialed Amy’s number.  As he waited for someone to answer,
he wrote A D O R A B L E to fill in his answer.  
And
that she is
.  He smiled.

“Hello,” said a voice on the other end.

“Hi, Joey.  Is Amy there?”

“Hold on.”  Joey covered the
receiver with his hand as he yelled.  “Amy, phone!”

“I got it,” she hollered from her room.
“Hello?”

“Hi.  I called to see if we were
still on for Saturday?” Adam tapped the pencil on the coffee table
as he nervously waited for her answer.

“Sure what time?  I have to work
until five, so any time after that would be fine.”

“I thought I’d pick you up around
seven.  We can go to dinner first then catch a movie.” He
sat back and relaxed again.

“Sounds good to me.  Guess
what?”

“You finally got a raise?” Adam figured it
had to be something good since she was excited.

“I wish.  I get my car this
weekend!!”

“That’s great.   If you want
me to check it out for you just bring it up to the
station.”  He lay back on the couch paying attention to
every word Amy spoke.

They talked for another forty-five minutes
before Joey interrupted their call to use the phone.

“Well I better get off the phone before Joey
has a fit.  I’ll see you Saturday.”  Amy paused
briefly before she added.  “I’m looking forward to
it.”

“So am I,” said Adam.  “Good night,
Amy.”

He hung up the phone and
smiled.  He’d known Amy for a long time, but lately he’d
seen a different side of her that he never noticed
before.  Or maybe, he had never taken the time to
look.  Well, she definitely had his attention now.

***

Amy and Janet had made plans to get together
Thursday for a girls’ night.  Amy walked up to Janet’s
place.  She carried a Tupperware container, a bag of
nacho chips and a bottle of wine.  She stood in front of
the green door which was outlined by white
shutters.  Christmas lights still hung from the awning
that covered the front porch.  Amy knocked three times
before Janet answered it.

“Hi!  Come on in.”  Janet
wore jeans and a yellow tie dyed t-shirt.  The smell of
pizza permeated through the house.  “Tell me that is your
infamous taco spread?”

“We couldn’t have a girls’ night without
it!”  Amy set the container and chips on the
table.  “Here’s some wine to wash it down with.”

Janet took two wine glasses out of the
cupboard and popped the cork off the wine.  She poured
them each a glassful.  “To best friends.”  She
held her glass up for a toast.  “Cheers!”

They clicked their glasses together and each
took a sip.  The timer went off for the
oven.  Janet put on her oven mitts and brought the piping
hot pizza out and set it on the counter to cool.

“Guess who called last night?”  Amy
clapped her hands with delight as she smiled from ear to ear.

“Gee, I wonder who.”  Janet laughed
as she fished a pizza cutter out of the kitchen
drawer.  “So tell me all about it.”

“There’s not much to tell.  We
talked and then we talked some more,” giggled
Amy.  “Nothing major but it seemed like we
clicked.  At least that’s how it felt to me.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself
Amy.  You have guys chasing you left and
right.”  Janet cut the pizza in quarters and put a slice
on each plate.  She handed a napkin with the pizza to
Amy.

“Yeah, right.”

“Oh come on.  Adam has been
flirting with you for years and Bob is always following you around
like a little puppy dog.”

“He does not!”  Amy playfully
smacked Janet’s arm.

“Don’t play all innocent with me Amy Marie
Makowski!”  Janet teased as she pulled the mozzarella
cheese off her pizza.  “You know damn well what I am
talking about.”

“How’s Peter doing?”  Amy was quick
to change the subject.  “And most importantly, when do I
get to meet this love of your life?”

“Soon.  Real soon.  I
promise.”  Janet poured them each another glass of
wine. 

After two games of Scrabble and another
bottle of wine they called it a night.  Amy decided to
crash at Janet’s house then she would drive her home in the
morning.  She gave Amy a comforter and a pillow so she
could sleep on the couch.

“Goodnight Amy.”  Janet turned the
lamp off.  “It was great getting together again.”

“It was.”  Amy
smiled.  “See you in the morning.”

***

“Give us another round.”  Joey
hollered to the bartender.  
Dream on
 by
Aerosmith blared from the jukebox.  The bartender placed
a Budweiser and a shot in front of each of them.

“Bottoms-up.”  Adam raised his shot
glass to Joey.  They drank them in one gulp and slammed
them down on the bar.  Adam signaled to the bartender for
yet another round.

A girl with a painted on blue mini skirt
accessorized with a wide black belt and platform shoes sat down
next to Joey.

“Hey, good looking.  Care for a
drink?”  Joey flashed his charming smile and went into
overdrive with his pick up moves.

“I’ll have a Lemon Gin if you’re buying
handsome.”  She batted her false eyelashes and made sure
to give Joey a nice peek show of her cleavage as she turned her
barstool towards him.

Her friend sat down on the other side next to
Adam.  She was as obvious as her friend about what they
were looking for tonight.  She had on a purple dress with
long, dangling earrings to match.  She crossed her legs
to show them off as well as her white boots.  She was a
little plumper than her friend and not quite as pretty, but the
worst was the way she chomped on her gum.  It hurt Adam’s
teeth just watching her.

“I’ll have a Lemon Gin too, if you’re
offering sweetie,” she snapped her gum in his ear.

Brick House
 by the Commodores
blasted throughout the bar.  This was about the third
time someone had requested it tonight.

“Come on guys.  Let’s
dance.  I just love this song,” she jumped up from her
seat as she bounced up and down and all around.

Joey smirked his 
I’m about to get
lucky
 smile as he put his arm around her
waist.  He placed his hand on her booty as he escorted
her to the dance floor.  He turned around and winked at
Adam motioning for him to dance with her
friend.  Exhaling slowly, he got up from the bar
stool.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him out on the
dance floor.  The song couldn’t have ended too soon for
Adam.

As he returned to his seat a big, burly,
red-headed dude came up from behind him and grabbed Adam by the
arm.  “What the hell are you doing with my
girlfriend?”  He bellowed loudly.  The guy was
just about to deck him when Bob came out of nowhere and beat him to
the punch.  The big dude toppled over and was knocked out
cold.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” said Joey
as he grabbed his car keys and made a bee line for the
door.  “We do NOT want to be here when he wakes up.”

“I’m right behind you,
brother.”  Adam took his leather coat and threw it over
his shoulder as he followed him out the door.

“How’s that for timing!  For once I
showed up at the right moment!” Bob laughed as they all piled into
Joey’s car.  “What the hell were you doing with her
anyway?  She was nasty!”

“That’s just it.  I didn’t even
want to dance with her.  It was a package
deal.”  Adam shook his head as he pointed his thumb at
Joey.  “That’s it, as of tonight I officially resign as
your wing man!”

They peeled out of the parking lot as they
whooped and hollered.  After a few more drinks at a few
more bars the guys drove around town, then Joey dropped them off at
their house.  They loudly got out of the car and headed
toward the porch.  Both of them stumbled up the icy
stairs.  Adam fumbled with the keys as he opened the
front door.  He finally succeeded and turned on the
lights as they walked in.

“I’m going to hit the sack.”  Adam
tossed his keys in the bowl on the hall table.  He missed
a couple stairs as he climbed up them.  “Hey, thanks
again Bob.  I owe you one.  See you in the
morning.”

‘Hell no. You won’t see me in the morning I
can guarantee you that.”  Bob shut the light behind him
as he dragged himself up to bed. “And no problem bro, you know I
always got your back.”

Chapter 4

 Amy came down the stairs her heart beat
a little faster than usually.  She wore Gloria Vanderbilt
jeans and a peach halter top with a striped cardigan.

“I’m ready when you are.”  Amy
smiled up at Adam.  Even with her brown platform shoes,
she was still a few inches shorter than him.  She grabbed
her purse and leather jacket.

Amy checked Adam out as he opened the front
door for her.  
He looks damn good
tonight.
  He had on Calvin Klein jeans with a navy
sweater underneath his black leather jacket.  They got
into his truck which officially started their first date.

“I thought we’d try this new, Mexican
restaurant in town.”  Adam glanced over at her as he
backed the truck out of the driveway.

“El Charro’s?”  She
asked.  “I heard they have an awesome cheese fondue.”

Amy watched as he searched the radio for a
station.  He left on 
Afternoon
Delight
 by Starland Vocal Band.  She sat
in silence and listened to the lyrics.  Amy shyly glanced
over at Adam.  When their eyes met they both
laughed.  
Awkward moment came
and
went
.  The ice was broken now so she let her guard
down and relaxed.

“Remember the night we all skated on the
creek over there?”  Amy pointed out the window. 

“What a night that was.”  Adam had
both hands on the steering wheel.  
Say You
Love
Me
 by Fleetwood Mac was on the radio now as he
spoke.  “Remember Joey and I snuck Peppermint Shnapps out
of my parents’ house?”