Rock Her(17)

Kip could see Annie relax, then look embarrassed.

Kip leaned forward and hugged her. “I am sorry, Annie. I didn’t know you’d take that so hard. Please forgive me.” Annie hugged him back and took a deep breath. “I was trying to make a point and show you how I felt sometimes. I didn’t intend to scare the shit out of you as much as I did.”

Annie pushed back and looked kip in the eye. “My God, Kip, I am not cut out for that kind of shit. I would never have been a good soldier.”

“Warrior.” Kip corrected her. “We call ourselves warriors in the Marine Corps. Not Soldiers. Soldiers are in the army.”

Annie shook her head.

“I would have never realized things could be like that,” she said. “I mean, I have seen war movies. But always from the comfort of my couch. I would never have realized the terror that you have experienced.”

“Oh, it is much, much worse, Annie,” Kip said, looking back out the window.

“I can’t imagine how things could have been more terrifying than that,” Annie said.

Then without looking at her, Kip said, “Well, that’s because we didn’t actually crash.”



Annie held Kip’s hand as they trotted across the roof of the McNamara building toward the lobby. Once inside, the doors closed automatically behind them and the wash from the helicopter stopped buffeting them around. Someone with a Sampson Flight logo on his shirt ran toward them and unhooked a cue rope, allowing them to bypass the people milling around the lobby. He nodded as Kip walked by, leading Annie by the hand.

“Kip,” Annie said. “How do you do that?”

“What is that?” Kip asked.

“Just get what you want anytime you want it.”

Kip smiled and exaggerated smile at her. “I’m charming!” he proudly exclaimed.

Annie laughed. “You are that!” she said. “But I mean it. You just got us on that flight without any reservations or anything. And I don’t think Sammy the Pilot was susceptible to your charm when he agreed to nearly dive us into the water, probably breaking all kinds of FAA rules that would cost him his license.”

Kip blushed. “Yeah, he probably did break a few rules there, huh? But hey, don’t we all?”

Annie put her hands on her hips and cocked one to the side. “Really?”

“Eh, Sammy and I go way back,” Kip finally said.

“Old friends?” she asked.

Kip looked down again. Damn, I hate admitting this stuff.

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he said. “More like an employment relationship.”

Annie narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly. She was at a loss.

Kip shrugged. “Sammy works for me. In fact, everyone here does,” he waved his arm around the lobby. I own Sampson Flight.”

Annie’s eyes widened. Well, that certainly explains a lot, she thought. She shook her head and pursed her lips. “Well, Kip, you ARE full of surprises.”

“Right,” Kip said leading her to the elevator. “So, when you sleep with me again tonight, you don’t have to worry about breaking your made up rule anymore about not hooking up with rockers.”

Annie laughed, blushing. “You’re so much more than a rock star, Kip,” Annie admitted.

“Exactly,” Kip said as he pushed the button for the lobby and the doors closed. Then he kissed her on the mouth and wrapped his arms around her. He body was soft and warm, despite having just come in from the roof, where the air was cold and wet. The elevator rocked slightly in the old building, but it was a welcome movement as they grinded together. Kip tangled his fingers in her soft hair and pulled her face tighter to his, then pushed her back against the mirrored wall of the elevator. Annie’s hands slid up and down his back. She let her nails scrape marks into his leather jacket.

Then the door slid open and several people started to board, and then backed off in embarrassment at the action taking place inside. Kip and Annie paused and let their eyes swing to the door, even if their mouths did not. Their lips stayed attached. Then they parted in smiles and pulled apart. They both stepped out onto the ground floor of the McNamara building laughing and breathing heavy.





“Hungry yet, Annie?” Kip asked as they left the building and headed north on the sidewalk.

“Famished!” Annie said.

“Let me take you to dinner, I know a place,” Kip said smiling at her.

“I bet you do. You know, Kip,” Annie said as they made their way against foot traffic, “I do actually have a life.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just that I have spent the last forty eight plus hours with you. Maybe I have other things to do?”