Wings of Love (4 page)

“Yeah that and the bon fire sure kept us all
warm,” laughed Amy.

Adam pulled into the parking lot that was
full except for a couple spots in the back.  After he
backed the truck in, he got out and reached for Amy’s
hand.  She slid over to his side and placed her hand in
his.  She stumbled as she stepped out, but was quickly
caught by Adam.  He held Amy in his arms as her eyes
stared up into his for a brief moment. 

“Careful, babe,” Adam said as he released her
from his grasp. 

Amy held his hand as they walked to the
restaurant.  He opened the heavy wooden door and entered
into the terracotta tiled foyer.

The hostess came up and greeted them
cheerfully.  “Good evening.  Table for 2? Would
you like smoking or non-smoking?” 

Adam shrugged his shoulders as he looked at
Amy.  “I guess first available would be fine.”

Amy nodded in agreement. 

As they waited for their table Amy looked
around the room.  The walls were painted vibrant colors
of burnt orange and deep yellow.  They displayed
multi-colored sombreros and wrought iron sconces which held earth
tone candles.  Hung along the ceiling were chili pepper
string lights. 

“You’re table is ready.”  The
hostess grabbed two menus.  “Follow me.”

Adam followed Amy as they were led to their
table.  He pulled out the chair for her.  As
she sat down she noticed a lovely vase of dried flowers and a
candle that had been already lit.

The hostess placed menus on the table in
front of them.  “Fernando will be with you shortly.”

Amy looked at her menu then glanced up to
smile at Adam.  “There’s so much to choose from.”

“Why don’t we start with a cheese fondue and
a Margarita?”  He asked before he gave the order to the
waiter who just placed a basket of nacho chips and salsa on the
table. 

They both nibbled on chips and salsa while
they waited for their appetizers.  Amy decided on the
chicken quesadillas and he chose the beef fajitas for dinner.

Fernando placed the cheese fondues and drinks
on the table then lit the candles underneath the fondue
pots.  He took their dinner orders and rushed off to the
kitchen.

“I never had a Margarita
before.”  Amy sipped on the salty drink.  “Not
bad.  I can taste the tequila.”

Adam dipped the fried soft taco sticks in to
the melted cheese.  “You were right, these are good.”

“I usually am right,” she teased Adam as she
also enjoyed her cheese fondue.

“So what did you do this
week?”  Adam looked into Amy’s hazel eyes and held her
gaze.

“Well, Janet and I went out to lunch, then we
had a girls’ night and I worked fifty-two hours this
week.”  She sipped more of her
margarita.  “What about you?

Fernando brought their meals as well as more
margaritas.  He placed the used dishes on a tray and
carried them off to the kitchen.

“I worked all week,” Adam continued as he
made his fajita, filling it with plenty of beef, green peppers and
onions. “I had hockey practice and I hung out with Joey and Bob at
Doogles one night.”  He took a bite of his
fajita.  “This is delicious.  How’s yours?”

Amy finished chewing and wiped her mouth with
her napkin.  “It is really good.  You made an
excellent choice.”

“I usually do.”  He teased her
back.

Amy enjoyed her dinner with
Adam.  It was a relaxed atmosphere, great food, and even
better company to share it with.  Not to mention the
margaritas were going down much too smoothly.  She really
did not want to leave this cozy little nook of their evening.

Fernando approached the table and gave Adam
the check.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his
wallet.  Even though he tried to be discreet Amy seen he
pulled out a hundred dollar bill and placed it in the black folder
that held the bill.  “We’re all set.”  Adam
nodded to the waiter.

“Thanks for dinner.”  Amy rose from
her chair.

Adam helped her with her
jacket.  “I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I
did.”  He carried the doggie bag with him as they left
the restaurant.

Amy welcomed Adam’s arm as he placed it
around her.  She snuggled into his chest as they walked
to the truck feeling warm and cozy.  She didn’t know if
it was from being so close to Adam or the margaritas taking
affect.  Maybe a little of both, she decided with a
smile.

***

“Looks like we made it just in time,” Adam
whispered to Amy as they walked to their seats in the dimly lit
theater.  “The previews are just about to start.”

Adam followed Amy as she found two seats a
few rows from the back.  He handed her the popcorn and
pop after she took her jacket off.   Adam glanced at
her and smiled, as he sat down and waited for the movie to
begin.

“I’m glad you picked Rocky”, he
whispered into Amy’s ear.  
She smells
good
.  He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Adam relaxed and placed his arm around Amy as
the movie began.  She snuggled up close and offered him
some popcorn.  She was stirring up unfamiliar feelings in
him.  There was definitely something different about Amy
and he liked it.

Adam enjoyed the movie with
Amy.  They both laughed, she cried and the time flew
by.  Before he knew it the movie was over and the lights
came on dimly.  As the credits rolled he didn’t want the
night to end yet.

Adam stood up and stretched.  “Hey
Amy.”

Amy’s eyes sparkled as she laughed at his
lame attempt to imitate Sylvester Stallone.  “Better not
quit your day job.”

Adam placed his arm around her waist as they
walked out of the theater.  
I really
like
this woman
. He smiled to himself giving her a quick
squeeze.

“Do you want to come back to my place for
awhile?”  Adam asked her as he pulled his truck out of
the parking lot onto the highway.  “We could
watch Saturday Night Live.”

“Sure, that would be fun.”  Amy
scooted over to sit next to him.  She smiled then laid
her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Adam turned on the radio quietly to the tune
of 
Sara Smile
 by Hall and Oates.  He
placed his hand on Amy’s leg and watched her as they drove to his
house. There was no need for words.  He was just content
to have her here next to him.  Nothing had ever felt this
right to him before.  He turned slightly to give her a
kiss on the top of her head and stared out the window the rest of
the way home.  Just him, Amy and the radio playing.

Adam pulled up in his driveway.  He
gently shook Amy.  “Babe we’re here.”

“Did I actually fall asleep?”  Amy
asked softly.  “I was just so comfortable I must have
dozed off.”

Adam helped her out of the truck and rubbed
her shoulders.  He pulled her close feeling the warmth of
her body and kissed her tenderly.  “I’ve wanted to do
that all night.”

Amy looked up at him
breathless.  “Me too.”

Adam led her up the stairs and into the
house.  He turned on the lamp and threw his keys onto the
table.  He walked into the kitchen and opened the
refrigerator.  “Do you want something to
drink?  I have pop or beer.”

“I’ll have a beer.”  Amy called
from the living room as she sat down on the couch.  She
crossed her legs and played with her hair as she waited for Adam to
join her.

Adam opened two beers and went back into the
living room handing Amy one of them.  He turned the TV on
and sat down on the couch next to her.

They watched a skit with John Belushi as well
as one with Jane Curtin doing weekend update and of course The Mr.
Bill Show.   Amy laughed as she rested her head on his
chest and placed her legs beneath her.

Adam took her beer and set it on the table
next to him.  He reached his arm around her pulling her
closer.  Amy placed her hand on his cheek softly and
kissed him.  “I’ve wanted to do that all night.”

That was all it took for Adam to lose his
composure that he had kept all night long.  He pulled her
even closer, as he hungrily kissed her like he’d never kissed her
before.  She was more than eager to respond to him with a
passion he never knew she had.

Adam wanted her and he wanted her
now.  He looked into her eyes that were filled with
desire.  She bit her lip as she stared back at him which
tempted him even more.

Adam decided to slow down and give it some
time.  He was tired of one night stands and lonely
days.  He wanted more and was willing to take his time
with Amy.  He liked her enough to want to be sure that
she would still be there in the morning.

Adam lifted her on his lap.  As he
stroked her hair he could feel her heart race
rapidly.  He waited until her breathing returned back to
normal than kissed her lightly on the cheek.  They
watched the rest of Saturday Night Live and almost
fell asleep in each others’ arms.

Adam did not want her to go, but he knew if
she didn’t he might not be able to control himself a second
time.  “Come on babe.”  Adam pulled her up off
the couch.  “I better take you home.”

Adam dimmed his lights as he pulled into her
driveway. 

“Thanks for the great evening.  I
really had a good time.”  Amy kissed him goodnight.

“So did I.”  He caressed her back
as he looked into her eyes.  “I’ll call you.”

Adam watched Amy as she closed the door and
shut off the porch light.   He hoped that he hadn’t
made a mistake to let her go home tonight.  He turned the
radio back up as 
Dream Weaver
 by Gary Wright came
on. Adam backed out of this driveway at least a hundred times
before, but never had he felt like he did tonight.

Chapter 5

 Amy washed her breakfast dishes as she
listened to the radio.  She sang along to 
You
Make Me Feel Like Dancing
 by Leo Sayer.  She
danced around in the kitchen as she put away the
dishes.  She heard Joey as he heavily came down the
stairs before entering the kitchen.  She treasured the
morning chats with her brother over coffee.

  Joey had been drafted at the age
of nineteen by the NHL and had been with the Motor City Blades ever
since.  When he was gone on the road, which was often,
the house was much too quiet.  Joey had a zest for life
that rubbed off on you and you couldn’t help but love
him.  

“Morning,’ he reached for the coffee pot and
poured himself a cup.  “So how was your big date last
night?”

“It was nice…very nice.”  Amy
sighed as she smiled. 

“I’m really happy for you.  Who
would have ever thought?”  Joey pulled the kitchen chair
out, reversed it and sat down.  “I wish I could say the
same for Angie and me.”

“Uh-oh.  What’s
wrong?”  This took Amy by surprise.  Joey never
had problems with a woman before.

“I don’t know exactly,” Joey tried to
explain.  “Here’s a good example.  I called her
up yesterday and she was too busy to talk.  She said she
was babysitting her niece and nephew or something like that.”

Amy smiled to herself.  She loved
her brother dearly, but at times he could be very
self-centered.  He was used to women that hung onto his
arm as well as his every word.

“I’m going to take a stab in the dark here,”
Amy suggested.  “Maybe she really was busy?”

“You know I never thought of
that.”  Joey’s face lit up as if a light bulb had went
off in his head.

“Boy, do you have a lot to
learn.”  Amy laughed at Joey as she rinsed the dishes off
and put them in the dish rack.

“I really like to see her
again.”  He slapped his hand on the kitchen
table.  “In fact I think I will call her right
now.”  He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and
dialed the phone.

Amy continued to dry the dishes while Joey
made plans with Angie to go ice skating this
Saturday.  She hung up the dish towel as he ended the
conversation.

“We’re going to open skate this
weekend.  I hoped you and Adam could
go.   Maybe you could ask Janet
too.”  Joey pleaded with her.  “I want you all
to get to know her.”

“Sure I’ll ask them next time I talk to them,
if you want me to.”  Amy shrugged her
shoulders.  Her brother was full of surprises
lately.  Usually he tried to get rid of her when he had a
new love in his life.

***

Adam hung his coat on the chair before he sat
down at the table in the Thumb Area Michigan Works in
Sandusky.  He leaned over the table and ran his hand
through his hair as he filled out the necessary forms to attend the
Sanilac County Community Center. 

At seventeen, Adam had dropped out of school
to focus on his hockey career and work.  When the NHL
drafts came he was unselected as the scouts considered him too slow
to play in the NHL.  Since then, he spent most of his
free time with a skating instructor to improve his foot
speed.  Now he felt he was ready to return to school,
earn his high school diploma and move on to college hockey.

Adam handed in his completed forms to the
receptionist.  “Here, I think I filled all of it
out.”

“Evening classes are held Monday through
Thursdays from 6-10pm,” said the woman as she stamped his
application.  “GED testing is in May and costs $55.”

“Thank you.”  Adam took all the
information she gave him in a folder.  He put on his
Carhartt jacket, zipped it up and went out into the blistery
weather.  He cleared his windshield of the freshly fallen
snow and headed home.  
Boy, it sure is going to
feel
strange to attend classes again
.

Adam beeped as he waved at the oncoming
traffic when he spotted a neighbor or relative.  He
pulled his truck into the corner market in Argyle to pick something
up for dinner.  He grabbed a loaf of bread, a package of
Oscar Meijer bologna and a can of Chicken Noodle soup placing it on
the counter.