Free Sojourners of the Sky by Clayton Taylor Page A

Liesel.
    “Oh well, OK. I’ll talk to you later,” he said.
    Liesel kissed John on the cheek, leaving him with a flushed face and a fresh batch of hope.
    *
    Sonny listened as Marie talked about her wedding. He actually began wishing her husband would return and rescue him. Though she was quite pretty, with brown hair and a smooth complexion, he had difficulty concentrating on her words because his mind raced wildly with corporeal ideas.
    The young woman’s yammering seemed to go on forever and Sonny feared he might lose interest. Still, he was mesmerized by her milky white skin. He closed his eyes for a moment and visualized her standing undressed before him. Remarkably, he could recall even the most intricate details of her body. Deep in vivid thought, he didn’t realize how much he was smiling on the outside.
    Sonny had been with Marie at least twice--on those occasions when his wife claimed headaches were limiting her interest. He never intended to play so close to home, but he was a driven man and needed a release. It was Sonny’s belief that if he wasn’t getting what he needed at home, he would seek it elsewhere. The fact that his wife two-timed him made him desire Marie even more. It was a chance to pay back his cheating wife. Oddly, his mind simply refused to see the hypocrisy.
    Eventually, there was a pause. Figuring he had only a short time left in which to play his hand, the moment Marie stopped to take a breath, Sonny asked, “Marie, don’t you remember me? You and I had, uh, relations a couple of times while you were working at Miss Mary’s up in Pawtucket. Remember?”
    Marie nearly fell out of her seat. She stared at Sonny for a very long moment in silence. She simply could not believe that anyone would remember her, especially someone on board a Pan American flight. It was beyond belief. She’d given up that life long ago. Marie had reluctantly taken a job at Mary’s granting favors to men only to get enough money to get by while things were tight. It lasted but a few months. She’d never even mentioned it to her closest friends. Marie felt paralyzed, knowing she’d told Dirk that he was the first. She knew he would never understand, especially now. Up until that moment she had successfully managed to lock those unpleasant memories away, never to be recalled. Marie’s mind was in turmoil. She fanned her face, fearing she might faint.
    Sonny looked up and noticed Marie’s husband emerge from the lav. He was blocked by Kelly, who was handing drinks to a couple in the first row. Sonny knew his time was limited; he had to act fast. After all, there was a possibility for a once in a lifetime conquest. There was no way that he could just simply let it slip past. “I’m guessing your husband thinks he’s the only one?” asked Sonny.
    Marie couldn’t speak. She only managed to nod that his assumption was correct.
    “I tell you what. For old time sake, why don’t you, say ten minutes from now, go and use one of those bathrooms back in first class. I’ll give you a minute to get ready and then I’ll come back. We can have one for the road as they say. You do one for me and I promise to say nothing from now on. Otherwise, I can’t be sure of what I might accidently blab to…uh, what was his name again? Oh yeah, Dirk.”
    “Oh, no. Please no,” pleaded Marie. “I have a new life now! Please don’t ruin it for me, I beg you.”
    Dirk managed to squeeze past Kelly and quickly made his way toward his new wife wearing a loving smile. He was clearly a man living on cloud nine.
    When he was only a few steps away, Sonny said, “Make up your mind, Marie. I fear I may tell some secrets. I can already feel them on my lips.”
    “Please, oh please, no,” she murmured in complete despair.
    “Marie, do you still have that tiny mole on your rump? You know, shaped like a heart?” asked Sonny in a whisper.
    “I missed you, honey,” said Dirk as he turned to sit.
    “Hi, Dirk, me and the missus were