Rock Her(48)

“I mean; how do you drink like you do and still stay alert,” she asked. “You stay in great physical shape, and fuck; I have got a pounding headache. You don’t even look like you’re in any pain at all.”

Kip reached up and rang his call button. “I’ve built up a pretty good tolerance, I guess. It took years of practice.”

The flight attendant approached their seat. “How can I help you?” she said.

“A couple of aspirin and a glass of water for her, please?” Kip asked her.

“Of course,” said the attendant. “Anything else?”

“Yes, a hot towel please? One for each of us,” Kip said.

“Sure thing,” she said. “And we are about to land in Frankfurt. You’ll both need to buckle up.” She stepped away.



“A Drop In The Ocean” By Ron Pope



Annie snapped together her seat belt and snuggled up tighter to Kip. “Kip, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, I know we do.” Kip buckled his as well.

Annie sighed. “I told you I trusted you Kip. I need to know that you trust me, too.”

Kip looked out of the window. The sun was setting and the sky over Germany was glowing orange.

“I don’t know what to do Annie. I did trust you. The Ironic thing is that I was about to tell you that you could publish anything you wanted. You made me feel good enough about my past issues that I didn’t feel threatened by talking about it anymore. In fact, as I talk about it now, it’s not even an issue. But now I just feel betrayed.”

Annie nodded. “You have every right to. I betrayed you. Or at least, I was going to. But I didn’t actually do it, Kip, and I wouldn’t have. I wrote those notes in my notebook before the incident at my apartment and Mall. Before I really knew how much of a genuine person you are. I could never do anything to hurt you now. You have to believe that.”

Kip broke his gaze from the skyline and turned it toward her. “I want to Annie.”

“Then do,” Annie countered.

“I guess I am going to have to build up that trust thing again,” Kip said.

Annie twisted her mouth and furrowed her brow. “I understand.” She looked up and the flight attendant was there, handing her the aspirin and water. Then she pulled the hot towels from a tray with a pair of silver pinchers and handed each of them one.

Kip put his towel over his face and leaned back in his seat. Annie, who had never flown overseas and had never been given a steaming hot towel by a flight attendant, watched Kip and followed his lead, she placed the towel on her face and let out a slight shriek.

“Feels good, huh?” Kip said from under his towel.

“After the initial shock, yes, it actually does,” Annie said under hers. “Kip, can we just maybe start over? From the very beginning, I mean?”

“Yes, Annie,” Kip said. “I think that would be a great idea.”

“Good. There’s one or two things I’d like to do differently,” Annie said.

There was a long pause while they both soaked in the heat from the towels and began to feel refreshed, before either spoke again.

“Annie, have you ever joined the mile high club?” He asked.

“No. I never have.”

“You want to?” Kip asked.

“With who?” Annie said, lifting a corner of the towel from her face to look at him.

“With me, of course!” Kip said.

“Sorry, Mr. Jones. I don’t do rockers, remember?”



The private jet landed and pulled into a hangar. Kip made his way to the cockpit and spoke with the pilot. When he returned to the cabin he informed everyone that they could all venture out to the airport as long as they were back in one half hour.

Kip took Annie by the hand and walked with her down the stairs and through the Hangar. Sparks followed close behind, then the rest of the band and Lydell. Both of the ends were open and the air was chilly in the large space.

Kip turned to see Sparks limping right behind him, still wearing his NYPD uniform.

“Sparks, Annie and I are going to pick up some things to wear. How about you join us and get out of that uniform?”

Sparks nodded as they entered the tunnel to the main terminal.

Once they reached the terminal they ran into the first clothing store they saw and then it was a whirlwind twenty minute shopping spree, with Kip, Annie and Sparks yanking clothes from the shelves.

They all met at the checkout counter at the same time and tossed everything at the pretty German clerk, who looked overwhelmed at the pile in front of her.

“Uh, we are kind of in a hurry,” Annie said.

The clerk looked puzzled and looked to each of them.

Kip stepped forward and spoke. “Wir sind in Eile. Wir müssen eine Fläche fangen.” He said to her.