Summer Breeze

On the ground, there's a slight breeze now, a summer breeze with the sun up and heating the air, 'n it'll be a furnace by mid-afternoon but right now it's perfect and that summer breeze is scented with jasmine and I just breathe in as I stand there, grinning.

"Show-off." Jazzy's laughing at me as she jogs over, helps me with my chute and I'm smiling back coz that's the first time I've even landed on the target, let alone dead center. I'm not even back to the hanger to pack it when Jake takes the Cessna up with the next load coz a few more of the guys have turned up now and I guess he's gonna be hot loading all morning. The Cessna's circling, climbing and soon enough there'll be four more black dots falling out of that clear blue above us. Fred, Rog, Pops and I, we're all in the hanger packing, with Jazzy checking us coz she's the club's certified rigger and yeah, safety conscious.

A third load goes up, we wait our turn, our turn next and it's one load every forty five minutes or so, so it's mid-morning when we get that second jump in and after that I kick back with Pops and Rog and eat an early lunch. Sandwiches I made when I got up this morning, some macaroni salad and coleslaw to go with it and I make sure Pops and Rog drink their water. Gotta stay hydrated and we're watching one load go up while we eat, then a second and another hour and it'll be us again so we take our time. No rush, sitting in the shade of a wing on the burnt brown of the grass with half a dozen of the others.

Two in the afternoon, it's a scorcher and Fred gives us the fifteen minute call. We're on the next load and it's only me and Rog going up with a couple of new guys from another club coz Pops is passing. He's in his seventies and he's already jumped twice today.

"That's enough for me," he says, and he's already thrown his rig and his jumpsuit and kit and everything in the box of the old truck and he's putting his feet up. "You kids go have fun."

He wanders over a few minutes later, once we're geared up and he checks us both out just the same.

In the Cessna and Rog is gonna be the jumpmaster for this one coz these two guys are even newer than us. Rog and I, we're tucked inside in our usual spot as Jake taxis us out to the end of the strip. He brakes, the engine builds up, we lurch forward, then accelerate slowly coz we do load the old bird to not quite the max but she has to work even with four jumpers in her coz the other two this afternoon are big guys and then we're easing upwards in the hot afternoon air.

The climb's slow, twenty minutes on a good day, twenty five now coz it's so hot and the old Cessna labors upwards, not struggling but it's not effortless either. It doesn't matter coz we're all sitting there smiling and these two guys are definitely new, or newish anyhow, hundred jump heroes and they're yap yap yapping but Rog and I aren't taking any notice. We were like that a year ago when we started, but after a year we must've jumped a couple of hundred times and we're not like those older guys that've done thousands of jumps but we know what we're doing.

"Lining her up," Jake calls and that's what we were waiting for. He banks, levels her out and we're heading for the field now, long straight approach coz we've got the two skygods and they're a little clumsy getting out on the step and the struts and I go first to kind of keep an eye on them. It takes a while coz I guess even after a hundred jumps or whatever, they're a little hesitant and the way they kind of fumble, I'm not even sure they'd got a hundred jumps under their belts. Now I'm kind of nervous myself coz we're real close to where we've gotta jump and they're still screwing around.

We gotta jump soon and I look at Rog and he gives me the signal and I go and the two skygods follow right after me, way to close for me coz I prefer last. Falling through the air and I'm good and stable but they're way to frigging close and Rog is above and behind but the skygods are all over the frigging sky and they're just not stable. I track away from them and they frigging follow and when I try and wave them off they track even closer and it's just freaking me so I go heads down and track away from them.

Look around and they're way off to one side and above me and well away and I get out of that heads down, stabilize and pull and there's that relief as my canopy opens but I'm way off track coz with all that messing around we jumped way late and the field is behind us. There's a couple of cracks and I know the skygods have opened and Rog's below me coz I can see him and his canopy but where the heck are those other two?

I can't see them, which means they must be above me somewhere. This is all fucked up but at least my canopy's opened and I breathe a sigh of relief as I check my lines and everything's fine. Except that we jumped late and the field is way back there and I look and Rog's opened below me but I still can't see either of the frigging skygods and where the heck are they and my hands are on the steering toggles and I'm gonna do a slow turn back towards the field and try and spot them at the same time.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I'm screaming coz just like that one of those assholes has come right over me and he's got a smaller canopy and he's way big and dropping fast right in front of me. Way way way too close and I'm starting to bank away and his canopy takes my air and just like that, my canopy collapses.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" My canopy's completely fucked and one minute I'm flying and the next I'm dropping out of the fucking sky and I'm starting to spin and I plummet down. Glance up, my lines are twisted all to heck and gone and I'm screaming my head off but thank Christ I opened high. Way higher than I normally do and I know I've got time to fix this so I'm not panicking. I'm not panicking at all. Just screaming and I'm still screaming as I drop straight down past Rog and I don't even think, I just go into the drill instinctively coz I've practised this so many times, never thinking it'd happen to me and I'm not panicking or anything now.

I'm cold as ice and Rog is way above me already and there's nothing he can do and the grounds racing up towards me. Nothing anyone can do except me and I'm on my own and Jesus, I'm so glad I opened way higher than normal coz I have plenty of time. Plenty of time, I tell myself that and it's all slow motion as I pull the cutaway on my shoulder strap and it works like a dream and my main's gone with the fucking wind 'n my name's Scarlett and I'm frigging golden and that reserve handle's right there and I pull and there's that second of totally freaking until my reserve cracks open above me and then there's that jerk and that rush as my chute flowers above me and I check and the lines are fine and I'm just hanging there for a second going whoa, fuck. Alive!

Check my altimeter and I know I jumped at ten and I'm at five and the ground's two and my reserve chute's smaller than my main and I'm coming down fast and it doesn't steer half as well and there's a crapload of woodlots right where I'm coming down. There's no way I'm making it back to the field but there's a hayfield there, hay rolls scattered across it and I don't wanna hit one of them but most of that field's grass and that's way better than trees and I'm frigging heading in coz it's the best landing zone I can spot that I can reach safely and thinking to myself that oh fuck, this is so not good and it's gonna hurt like fuck but at least I'd cutaway the main and the reserve's good so I better try flying this rig instead of fucking around.

Hands on the steering toggles and I line up with that hayfield and I swear to God I'm going to mass tomorrow and I'm not even trying to do anything except get myself onto that field in one piece and the grounds coming up way fast but at least there's nothing in front of me except grass. Nothing except those trees anyhow and I slow down and go for as much lift as I can but I sure as heck don't want to stall and I've never used my reserve before. Never had to and it's not something you want to do but it's there and it's open and it's working.

It's waaaay and beyond faster than I'm used to though and I'm coming in straight and I have no idea which way the breeze is blowing and the grounds racing up and I draw my knees up and my feet are brushing tree branches and then I'm clear of the trees and over the fence line fifty feet up and coming in and I flare at the last second and tuck in everything that can be tucked and channel my inner slinky and wham!

The ground comes up and smacks me and I roll, doing my best not to break breakable bits but it's more instinct than anything and thank god I'm used to rolling at Taekwondo coz I do and I collapse my chute and I'm just lying there on the grass thinking wow! Nothing hurts! I think nothing hurts anyway and I kind of move and check and everything's there and working. This is good. I'm alive! This is definitely all good and I'm looking up at the sky and Rog's up there and he's spiraling in, banking hard and coming down fast.

Dangerously fast and I kind of wave but I'm not sure if he sees me wave coz he just keeps on coming in, straight into the field and I see him flare and land and his canopy collapses. He's half way across the field from me and I don't really feel like moving. He's out of it and running towards where I'm lying on the ground looking at the sky and frigging heck that blue is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and then Rog's face is looking down at me and he's totally freaked and dead serious.

"You okay, Teresa?" he asks me, and he's kneeling next to me, not quite touching me, like he's afraid to or something. "Anything hurt?"

"I'm fine," I say. "I think." But I'm limp as jello. "Help me sit up." He does and I do and yeah, nothing hurts.

"Fuck! You scared the living shit outta me, Teresa," he says. "I thought you were fucking dead when your canopy collapsed and you dropped past me like that. Frigging hell, you gave me a fright."

"That frigging asshole," I said. "He had no idea I was there, came in right over me and took my air."

"Didn't see that," Rog says, and he's looking totally fucked off now. Kinda like he was when that guy made a pass at me last year in that bar and wouldn't take no and Rog just took him to pieces.

"Leave it to Fred, Rog," I say, one hand on his arm, coz I know Rog. "It's not like I'm injured or anything."

"Okay," Rog says after a few seconds, breathing out and I feel that tension in his arm relax. Coz we both know Fred'll sort that asshole out. Fred's big on safety.

"I better call Pops," I say. "They'll all be frigging freaking."

"No shit, Batman," Rog says. "I was."

"Hey Pops, it's me," I say when he answers, and I'm standing up now. "Call of the dogs. I'm fine."

"Thank fucking Christ," he says, and yeah, Pops is freaked coz he never swears when Mom or me are around. My brothers? Different story. "You sure."

"Course I'm sure, Pops," I say. "Walking and talking, not even a bruise. Not a worry in the world. Landed in a hay field."

"What about Rog?" Pops asks. "Saw him following you down."

"Rog followed me in, both of us came down together way down the road," I say, and we really did and we're way and the frigging heck out in the country. We don't even have a good connection.

"Where are ya?" Pops asks.

"Off of MacKay's Line," I say, "South side. I think we came down by MacKay's and Valley Road. In a big hay field."

"I'll tell everyone you're fine 'n come pick you up," Pops says. "Few people crapped themselves when they saw your canopy collapse like that. Reserve deployed okay though. We saw that. Good work, Teresa. You really okay?"

"Gave me a fright," I said, "but I didn't even think about it 'till I was on the ground. Just did all the drills and came in. Came in real fast though, that was a bit frigging scary, Pops."

"Any landing you walk away from's a good one, Teresa," Pops says, and I can hear the relief in his voice. "Be there in an hour or so, okay. Gotta drive a ways south to get over that frigging river and come back up."

"Not going anywhere, Pops," I say. "We'll walk over to the road. Hey, did anyone see where my main went."

"Jazzy and Nick went to get it," Pops says. Jake saw you going in, spotted the main and followed so they know where it is."

"Jeez, I'm glad about that," I say. "This rig wasn't cheap." Dad bought it new too.

"See you there," Pops says. "And just so's you know, Fred just finished drilling that guy a new asshole."

"Good," I say. "Bye Pops" and after I disconnect I'm not smiling coz that was frigging dangerous. It took me close to two thousand feet to release my main and open my reserve. That was way too long. If he'd done it when I was closer to the ground, I'd be toast. Toast? I'd be frigging strawberry jam and all of a sudden I've got the shakes and just like that, I sit down. Hard. Then lie back on the grass and I'm kind of feeling a little sick.

"Hey, Teresa." Rog is right there, with me, holding me and I turn and cling to him and I'm crying now, crying into his shoulder and he's holding me tight. One arm around me, the other stroking my face, brushing my hair back and I sniffle and look at him wetly and his nose brushes mine. His lips brush mine and just like that, we're kissing and all of a sudden I'm much better.

No more shakes, no more tears. I'm alive and in Rog's arms and he's kissing me and the sun's warm and golden and that warm dry grass scent is all around us and I giggle.

"What?" Rog asks.

"Want to roll me in the hay?" I bat my eyelids and break away from him, sit up, unzip the front of my jumpsuit and start wriggling coz it's close fitting. "What?" I add, coz Rog is laughing at me.

"You're really something, you know that, Teresa," he says but he's not wasting time, he's unzipping his jumpsuit as well, peeling it down and he's racing me to get it off and I win and grin.

"I am?" I say, very innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean," he says and he's kneeling now, peeling my spandex tee up over my arms and off and as soon as he's done that I'm peeling off my sports bra and eyeing something that's growing fast and yeah, I kind of know what he means.

"I do?" I giggle.

"You do," he says, very firmly. "That's one of the reasons I love you. You always read my mind."

I turn towards him, smiling as he peels his tee off. "Lie down," I say, coz I like taking his shorts off. That moment where he's exposed and I can just look at him and enjoy the sight of his excitement. He's almost always big and hard by the time I get his clothes off and right now, with those spandex shorts we both wear under our jumpsuits, it's really obvious how big and hard he is and I know exactly what I'm going to do as I ease his shorts down.

His cock springs free and yeah, nice and hard alright and I kind of brush his length with my nails and give him that smile that says I'm having fun before I get back to working his shorts down. Spandex shorts cling. It takes time and I enjoy myself removing them, watching his cock bounce, eyeing his testicles and I like all that body hair too and as soon as his shorts are dragged over his feet and off and he's naked I crawl up and sit back, looking down at him and just enjoying his naked body.

Rog is tall. Six foot. He trains hard, he works out, he's totally ripped and I love those muscles. I look at him and I just want to kiss and lick and nibble on every bit of him. He lies back, hands behind his head, the epitomization of relaxation and he pouts. "Not fair, take your shorts off too."

"That's your job," I say, flopping back onto our jump suits. "A girl can't do everything."

A girl doesn't, coz Rog is definitely keen and my spandex shorts don't take him long to remove, although he's more into brute force than gentle removal. Doesn't matter, they're off and he tosses them and my panties over his shoulder and now it's his turn to look down at me. I smile, coz I know he enjoys looking and I stretch, arms above my head. Stretch very slowly, turn a little towards him, bring my hands down and cup my boobs.

"They're small," I say, very sadly, looking down at them. "Wouldn't you like a girlfriend with bigger boobs?" Which'd be pretty much every other girl in town to be honest, coz they are small. Really, I barely need a bra. Small and perky, that's me.

"Teresa." He's smiling coz I've done this to him before and he knows I know he loves my boobs. He's told me that so many times and I love it when he does. It's good for my self-esteem, I tell him that, but not this time.

"Would you like to kiss them?" I ask. "They've missed you."

He reaches out with one hand, one fingertip, brushing one nipple, very gently and we both watch as it hardens. Aching rubbery hardness and I'm breathing hard and I'm so wet. I smile up at him and then I move, fast, pushing him onto his back, half lying on him and I'm kissing him. Taking the initiative and I don't usually do that but today, this afternoon, I'm alive, full of adrenaline and energy and everything's so much more vivid and urgent.

My lips touch his, my tongue slides into his mouth, toys with his, I reach down with one hand, find him, hold him in my fingers and he's big and hard and I don't stroke him, I just hold him. Hold him firmly, my fingers clasping his hardness, silken skin over steely rigidity, enjoying that anticipation, that knowledge that he's hard for me, that he wants me and he's kissing me back, one arm around me, the other stroking my hair back from my face. Rog's big, big and strong and he can take control of me anytime he wants to and we both know that but he doesn't, he lets me do what I want to do here and now.

I know what I want and I lift my mouth from his, brush his nose with my little snub nose and smile, giggle, move higher, relinquishing my clasp of his cock and sliding up to offer him one boob. He kisses my nipple, sucks on it with his lips. Sensation flashes through me, I gasp, hold his head, push my boob at his mouth, half closing my eyes as he sucks on my entire boob, his tongue sliding across my skin, wet and demanding, circling my nipple, pushing, touching, teasing.

"Ohhhhhh." It's so good and I lift myself a little, moving up, half kneeling over him, offering him my other boob, watching him as he accepts my offering, seeing my boob engulfed by his mouth. His lips, that suction, his tongue on me and I'm stroking his hair as he suckles on my boob and just shivering with the sheer pleasure of his mouth on me, gentle and demanding at one and the same time.

His hand slides down my side, my waist, my hip, stroking gently backwards and forwards on one hip and I smile coz I know where he wants to touch me and I reach down and take his hand and move it under me, onto my stomach and then guide it downwards to where I knew we both want it. He cups me and my hand rests on his as his rests on me. I'm so wet and hot and his hand there thrills me, it always does. I love his hands on me, exploring, caressing, touching. He's always so gentle to start with and today's no different.

Gentle, cupping me, his fingers touching me so intimately and already I can sense my wetness on his hand where he presses lightly against me. I lift myself, move, give him my other boob again, smile as he licks across my skin, ease my knees apart a little to make room for his hand. One finger pushes, I part for him, his fingertip finds me and pushes gently inwards, entering me and I'm so hot and wet for his touch, his finger slides upwards inside me and I shudder with the pleasure of it and I want him now.

"Rog." My hand moves on him, stroking him slowly and I love doing that to him, holding him, my hand moving on him, knowing what my touch does to him. I ease myself up, my boob withdrawing from his mouth, wet with his saliva and my voice is a gasp and I don't think I've ever felt this alive as his finger moves inside me, caressing me, moving against my channel walls and I know how wet and slippery and hot I am for him.