Free Silver Wings by H. P. Munro Page B

pleasure in creating their radio call signs for each other and Lily was now 'Sleeping Beauty' on the airwaves, which made her smile anytime she radioed the tower during her limited airtime each day. Each woman was working towards the required hours, which would mean they would be allowed to go solo, no one from their class had yet achieved the honor, and everyone was desperate to be the first.
    “You have gotta work on those arms. They're too weak,” Adele shook her head as they huddled around, hunched over trying to get their breath back after their run.
    “At least I can get up onto the bar,” Adrienne scoffed. “You need to work on those legs, they're too short.”
    Helen turned her head towards Lily, both still breathing heavily, “Here we go. The Addies are about to start up again.” 
    Lily snorted standing up straight and stretching out her lower back waiting for the show to begin. Helen averted her gaze from the sight of a sweaty Lily rolling her hips around to ease her back.
    Her attraction for Lily had only grown during the weeks as she got to know her better. Her brain knew that they could never be more than friends; however, her heart and other parts of her anatomy didn’t seem to be in on the message. The ease that the women felt around each other and their bodies only served to taunt Helen further. Despite her best efforts not to stare, Helen was fairly certain that she would be able to recite every aspect of Lily’s body, even down to the small dark freckle on Lily’s left breast. Helen was continually reminded of Peggy’s frustrated words the night before she came to base, when oblivious to Helen’s discomfort Lily would strip naked in front of her.
    “Did you even meet the height restriction?” Adrienne asked teasingly knowing that Adele had sweet-talked the doctor that examined her into adding a half inch so she made the five two requirement.
    “Shuddup!” Adele replied wide-eyed looking round to make sure that no officer overheard the conversation. She narrowed her eyes. “Did you make the weight requirement?” she parried back, knowing that Adrienne had been underweight for her height so she too had fudged the system firstly by hunching down to lose an inch in height to reduce the height weight ratio requirement, then by carrying fishing weights in her underwear so that she came in on the mark. “I hear when you went for your first medical there was a mighty strange clanging noise,” Adele added, knocking her hip against the taller woman.
    “You two, seriously you squabble more than me and Lucy and we're sisters,” Marjorie remarked running a hand through her sweat soaked hair.
    “We're only messin’,” Adele smiled.
    Foster put her fingers into her mouth and let out a loud whistle. “Ladies there's an extra flight line been called for your class today, so get your zoot suits on and get ready to march down,” Foster yelled standing on the plinth used for the leader of the PT classes.
    The six women looked at each other with raised eyebrows, another chance to fly was not something that they had expected today, however it was something they would not want to miss. They hurriedly picked up their overalls and sunglasses and fell in.
    ***
    Lily pulled her parachute on over her overalls closing the fastening at her chest; from experience she left the leg buckles undone until she was ready to climb into the plane, otherwise the heavy equipment would hit against the back of her legs as she walked out of the hangar. She picked up her soft leather helmet and goggles and went to check what instructor she had.
    “Rivera, you're with me.”
    Turning from the instructor list on the board Lily smiled as she realized whom she would be flying with that day.
    “You got old man Rowe,” Helen grumbled as she realized that she was going to be flying with Stark, who was notoriously difficult and known to bark instructions and insults through the radio.
    “Luck of the draw I guess. Fly safe and