Wings (18 page)

“I’m wearing my zoot suit,” said Liddy.

“Me too,” agreed Louise.

“Over my dead body,” said Marina.

“We don’t have a lot of options here.” Joy Lynn dug in the bottom of her locker. “Let’s just wear our traveling clothes, like Bet said.”

Louise drummed her fingers on her chin. “Or maybe, my birthday suit.”

“Very funny.” Marina sat down on the bed, discouraged. “I didn’t even keep out my traveling clothes. It’s all such a blur. I know I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time.” Then a light bulb appeared over her head. “Oh, yes, yes, yes.”

“Yes, now you’re thinking, Miss George,” Joy Lynn praised.

In a split second, the Calbert and George brain trusts had converged, and it had to be good.

“What?” Bet asked.

Joy Lynn and Marina grinned mischievously at one another.

“What?” Bet asked again.

The hangar was dark.
The baymates had gathered outside the locked storage room where the excess luggage, including Marina’s, was held captive. While Joy Lynn picked at the lock with a bent-open hair pin, Marina aimed a flashlight at the knob of the door. Bet huddled behind the burglars, and Liddy and Louise stood to the side.

“I don’t think we should be doing this,” Bet whispered nervously.

“Oh, we definitely shouldn’t be doing this,” said Liddy.

“Georgia, what makes you think you can pick a lock?” Louise asked.

“I was pickin’ the lock of my Granddaddy’s liquor cabinet by the time I was twelve. My Uncle Johnnie taught me.”

“Would that be Uncle Pastel Puffy?” Marina giggled and the light bounced above and below the knob.

“Uncle Geoffrey, you kiddin’ me? Never, he’s a straight n’ narrow.” Joy Lynn’s tongue rubbed the corner of her mouth as her ears waited to hear the release. When she heard the
tink,
she turned the knob and opened the door. Then stood back, bowed and waved Marina in. “Entre’, Mademoiselle.”

Inside the storage room, Marina directed the light beam up, down and over. A shadow caught her eye and Marina jumped back and screamed as she pushed the girls away from the entrance and slammed the door. Bet screamed too, and Liddy held the cup of her hand over Bet’s mouth.

“What is it?” Liddy asked with some irritation.

“I saw someone, I think a man.” Marina cowered behind Joy Lynn.

“You saw someone, a man?” Louise asked with skepticism.

“I saw something,” said Marina.

“Well, let’s think about this. Before the door was opened it was completely dark in there. What might someone, a man, be doing in a completely dark and locked storage room?” Liddy asked.

“Also looking for something to wear?” Joy Lynn chuckled.

“Uncle Pastel Puffy,” suggested Bet.

The women giggled uncontrollably.

Liddy grabbed the flashlight from Marina. “Give me that.”

“Someone should go with you,” whispered Bet.

“Okay, let’s go, Bailey.”

Bet stood hunched over behind Louise and didn’t move.

“I don’t need anyone to go with me, but thanks anyway, brave Betsy.”

Liddy opened the door and followed the beam of light into the room and scanned the perimeter. She saw Marina’s attacker and shook her head. When Liddy came out of the room, she was holding a man’s Army dress uniform hung on a hanger. “Does this look familiar, Marina dear?”

“Definitely not Uncle Geoffrey,” Joy Lynn cracked.

Discrete moonlight lit the path
to the waiting car, and Marina walked briskly as she clipped on earrings. She was being followed by a parade of women in differing stages of dressing themselves. Joy Lynn’s arms plunged into a little jacket of Marina’s that was too small for her, and Bet and Louise buttoned, tucked and cinched as they all trotted along.

Marina had taken great care to put together something fashionable for all her friends. Jewelry, wraps, belts and safety pins dressed-up and altered what was available. She was good, but not quick and now they were late. Carla was waiting with the two men from town who would be their ride. Marina put on the breaks and gracefully walked the last few feet to the car.

“Hello, gentlemen. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Marina George.”

She set her hand in the air and both men took turns shaking it like they were working it loose.

Carla opened up the door and Marina murmured to her, “Classy.” The two ladies giggled, while they moved to the middle of the front seat, and the two men sandwiched in on either side of them and shut the doors.

Bet stopped at the back door. “Where’s Liddy?”

“She said she’d be right behind us,” answered Louise.

Joy Lynn opened the door and she, Louise and Bet slid in.

Liddy’s fly pals had talked her into wearing a strapless number that Marina said was lucky. Liddy was taller than Marina, and Marina had a shape that never failed to catch and turn a man’s head—pure boy bait, so the fit was not custom for sure. She tugged and pulled at the bodice, while muttering to herself, “What am I doing?”

In addition to the clothes, Bet and Marina had painted her up more than Liddy would have liked. She only let them do it at all to shut them up and was now wishing she had held her ground.

Liddy had decided she would go to the cars but send the gals on their way without her. All she wanted was to head back to the bays and climb into her own skin. As she rounded the corner of the building, Liddy slammed into someone and staggered back. A strong grasp clutched her upper arms and pulled her erect and steady.

“Are you all right?” Major Trent’s voice startled Liddy more than the collision. She looked up at Trent who still had his hands on her bare arms. “Hall?” He tightened his gaze. “I didn’t recognize you.” Sheer amusement danced on his face as he surveyed the get-up. “Are you all right?” His grin tightened and with a low chuckle he asked, “What are you doing?”

Liddy’s face heated-up, and then she frosted it over and said coolly, “I’m fine. Thank you.” She pulled away from his hold and took a step back. “It’s my understanding that I can do what I want on the weekends, as long as it’s not illegal and I don’t do it with any ‘Military’ personnel.” Liddy locked into Trent’s eyes and glared. “Excuse me?”

Trent rocked his head back slightly and widened his eyes. Amusement was gone and a hurt look took its place. He turned to the side to let her pass.

The way Liddy had spoken to Major Trent made her feel ugly. But it was a reaction, and she didn’t know what to do about it now. It wasn’t in her at that moment to be cordial to Jenna Law’s assumed fiancé. The weariness that filled her anytime she thought of him had worn her thin. Liddy brushed by him and walked hurriedly to the waiting car in the distance. Going back in the direction where Trent was still watching wasn’t an option, so she piled in with the party and headed to the Inn.

The Lake Inn had company that night,
and her hands were full. Every chair in the joint was occupied, the dancing was shoulder to shoulder and the skirts were flying. One of the Air Force pilots held on to Marina’s hips as they rocked with her chachacha. Joy Lynn was doing some wild thing with another pilot and he moved his feet spastically, just to keep up with her. Neither man looked much like he was resting. Louise was being pushed and pulled across the dance floor by a little cowboy that looked to be half her size.

Bet and Liddy sat at a table talking with three dolled-up country boys. A big Texan approached the table and positioned himself at Bet’s side. “Hello, Miss, I’m Farrell Stark. Would you like to dance?” he asked Bet timidly.

Liddy gave Bet a little shove. “Go on, girl. Then we better get going back to base.”

Bet reached for her drink and Liddy covered it up with her hand. “Just go dance. You’ve had enough.” Sweetwater sat in a dry county, but only in the sense that the spirits couldn’t be sold there. Bringing in your own bottle was allowed or overlooked. Where the bottles came from didn’t seem to matter—no one went thirsty. Liddy never touched the stuff. She didn’t like the idea of not having hold of herself at all times, but Bet had indulged, and Liddy suspected it may have been the first time.

Liddy watched Farrell Stark guide the wobbly little redhead, who didn’t stand past his shoulder, away to the dance floor. And bobbling through the crowd toward her, she saw Instructor Gant staggering across the room as he ricocheted off the dancers. He stumbled to the table and caught himself on Bet’s empty chair. The chair bucked back and took Gant to the floor. When he pulled himself up, he rose like a three string marionette. “Now, Trainee Hall, these are not Army personnel persons you’re schmoozin’ with, are they?” Gant fell onto Liddy’s shoulder as he tried to take a seat.

One of the boys rose to take care of the drunk.

“It’s okay,” Liddy assured the willing bouncer.

The man sat back down.

“I could get your butt kicked out of your little Waspy program for that, kicked right out,” Gant slurred.

“The rules apply to you too, ya know. No socializing with WASP trainees. You could be fired without recommendation. You might want to find another place to park it. You know how people can talk.”

“She is a spark, do you know that, a god damn spark,” Gant spittled at the men and then swung his attention along with his swaying posture back to Liddy. “I wouldn’t try to have you booted. You know why?” Gant sputtered before he got his next sentence out. “Because you’re the best damn pilot I’ve ever seen.” He looked back at the men. “Cranky disposition, though.”

“Maybe you can help me with that. You’re such a beacon of grace and gentility.”

“Yeah, I’ll help you, Hall, anyway I can.” Gant’s eyes opened wide as if he’d just got a shock in his seat. “And I can’t be fired because I got orders, Hall. I’m goin overseas.”

Liddy saw desperation in his eyes that took her back to the day she said goodbye to Rowby in front of Tully’s Grocer.

“See, that’s what you’ve done to me. Why do you think I’m here wasting my time with you damn women? It was supposed to be a deal. I would teach, not that I can teach you anything and that would be my service to my country. But they don’t need me here anymore. They’ve got you damned women to deliver the planes, teach how to fly them, test them. You’re doing it all. So they’re sending me there.”

Gant clumsily poked out a finger with a straight arm and pointed across the room. Then he rubbed his head in his hands, leaving long strands of hair at tilted attention. “They’re sending me there to fight the bloody fight.” Gant pointed in the other direction then collapsed onto the table in an emotional pool. His sobs were violent, but brief, and then he popped up with a hateful look in his face and grabbed Liddy by the arm. “I don’t want to go. Do you hear me?”

All three of the men were up this time ready to toss Gant when he released Liddy’s arm and smoothed himself out. “What’s the big damn deal? Right? Nothing could be as dangerous as flying with you crazy women, especially you. What are you gonna do without me, Hall? None of the other instructors want to take you up. It was my curse.” Gant swung his head to the men. “She’s the best damn pilot, but craaaanky, woo-whee, cranky.”

At the end of the night,
Liddy agreed to join her baymates on the floor for one last dance—the Bet dance. After that, getting the women out of the inn and into the car was like herding ants, but finally they were headed back to the base. Joy Lynn’s eyes were closed and she was softly humming something that sounded like a combination of
Mary Had a Little Lamb
and
Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree
. She and Bet were sandwiched between Liddy and Louise in the back seat. Marina and Carla sat in the front between the driver and his buddy. What song had been their favorite on the juke and how many turns they’d had on the dance floor, and with who, kept them chatting quite happily.

The car rumbled down the road, washing the alcohol over Bet’s brain. “Hey, Liddy, Farrell asked me out.”

“That’s nice, honey.”

“He’s never been to college.” Bet tried to center her finger over her lips. “Shhh, don’t tell my parents.”

“Okay, I won’t.” Liddy smiled at Louise.

Bet laid her head on the back of the seat and closed her eyes. Her head rocked with the washboard of the road. “I love Texas. Don’t you think the friendliest people live in Texas?” When no one answered her query, Bet lifted her head and demanded a response, “Don’t you?”

“Oh, definitely,” Liddy wrinkled her brow and nodded her head in agreement.

“Don’t you?” Bet barked at Louise.

“I do,” answered Louise.

Again, Bet let her head fall onto the back rest and continued talking with her eyes closed, “So, am I here because I want to be here, or because they don’t want me to be here?”

“I don’t know,” said Liddy.

“Could it be the same thing?” Bet’s eyes popped open. “Whatever the reason…” She raised her head and drew close to Liddy’s face. “… I met you.” She turned to Louise. “And you and Joy Lynn.” Her head collapsed back again. “She’s a joy isn’t she? Joy’s a joy, and pretty Marina and sweet Calli. Her baby is going to be so beautiful, don’t you think?” She flipped her head back up and asked impatiently, “Don’t you?”