Beyond the Stars (7 page)

We walked through the long, shiny hallway into a formal living room. It was decorated with dark cherry furniture, Tiffany lamps, a colorful oriental carpet, and a massive white stone fireplace that was impossible to miss. It was all a bit ostentatious for me; however, it was a perfect fit for the style of the house. The tall, cherry-trimmed windows draped in billowy, burgundy curtains went from floor to ceiling. We exited the back of the house through French doors onto a large stone patio. Regis jumped into a golf cart that was parked right outside the door. “Come on, let’s go have some fun. I had the planes readied this morning, so we won’t have to wait.”

We rode in the golf cart down a paved path through the trees. Through the clearing ahead, I could see a grassy field with an entire landing strip and metal hanger. I couldn’t believe it—Regis even had his own runway. I must admit that this was possibly the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. I didn’t think that Regis had the ability to ignore any detail. He looked like a man who knew what he wanted and had no problem making it a reality. He really did have quite a pad.

Regis stopped the golf cart. He jumped to his feet and waved to the two men awaiting our arrival. “You two are riding shotgun,” he said with a smirk. An ornery look crossed his face as he pointed to a sleek white glider tethered to the back of a white plane. It looked so tiny compared to the size of the plane. I took in a deep breath when I saw the aircraft before me. My reservations must have shown on my face.

“Samantha, it’s the smoothest ride in your life. You’re going to love it,” Regis explained reassuringly, probably to build my confidence in his fancy toy. I fought to control my anxiety and gave him a tiny smile.

“Regis, you’ve been holding out on me. When did you buy
that
baby?” Jack’s eyes became bright as he looked at the plane parked in front of the glider. He walked back and forth to explore its design with admiration. His appreciation for the object was apparent. He even reached out and delicately stroked the glossy paint, making it appear alive.

“My wife, Tina,” he said, towering over to me. “She got it for me for a Father’s Day present. That woman has wonderful taste,” he said with delight.

“Only the best for you, Regis.” Jack smiled. “It’s remarkable!”

“Yes, I’d have to agree.” Regis nodded his head.

Jack helped me get buckled up in the front seat of the glider. “Are you sure you don’t want to be up front?”

I asked.

“No, it doesn’t matter to me at all. Plus, you’re the one with the camera. I don’t want to block your view.”

“Really, you can block it all you want. I’m not sure how much I am going to keep my eyes open, anyway.”

Jack leaned back and lifted his sunglasses on top of his head. His light blue eyes squinted against the sunlight as he stared at me. It seemed as though he was trying to read my mind. “Well …” He contemplated for a moment. “You really don’t have to do this if you’re that afraid. I don’t want to blow our first date by forcing you into anything.”

“I’m still here,” I whispered. “Let’s go before I really do change my mind.” I sighed deeply to summon up my confidence.

Jack smiled at me kindly. “I am
really
glad you came.” He leaned down to pull me forward and give me a slow, gentle kiss. His rough, shadowy beard brushed against my face. I didn’t mind. I found his rugged appearance incredibly sexy. He released my lips and leaned back to flaunt a beautiful smile. Then, he flipped his sunglasses down and nimbly climbed over to his seat before lowering the glider’s roof around us. It was all the motivation I needed.

“Hmm,” I moaned. “You’re really hard to resist when you kiss me like that.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” he said with satisfaction in his voice.

Regis’s voice came through our headsets, “We are all go for take off. Are you two settled in back there?”

“At your ready, sir,” replied Jack in a military tone.

The plane took off effortlessly and climbed at an upward angle for what seemed like a heartbeat. I remembered I needed to breathe and took in a gasping breath of air. Jack must have overheard it and quickly asked, “Sami, how do you feel?”

“I don’t know.” I looked up at the sky and felt my head spin. I was prone to motion sickness. I could get car sick just from riding in the back seat and usually avoided amusement parks at all costs. “I’m just a little dizzy. I’ll be okay in a minute,” I said, feeling embarrassed by my weak stomach.

“Focus your eyes on the wood trim in front of you for a minute. It will help to orient your senses while you adjust to the altitude.”

I tried to follow his direction. He was the pilot, after all. I slowly breathed in and out while the dizziness began to fade.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked, sounding anxious now.

“Better than I imagined I would be.” I gulped, praying the worst was over.

“Good.” He chuckled under his breath, sounding relieved. “Then look out your window.”

“
Oh
,” I gasped. “It’s amazing. You really can see everything from here.”

“Exhilarating, isn’t it?” he said, sounding truly excited by my response.

Regis came over the headset again. “Are you kids having fun yet?”

“It’s wonderful,” I answered.

“Glad to hear it; then I’ll see you two back at the camp. Please take good care of her, Jack.”

“Of course, Regis, I will land her like a feather,” replied Jack with confidence.

“No, not the plane, you moron … Samantha. I would like it if you didn’t scare her away. You need to start thinking about settling down before you lose all of your hair,” he said with a laugh, since he himself was bald.

“Hmm.” I chuckled to myself. If men only knew most women couldn’t care less.

“Thanks, I will keep that in mind,” Jack replied.

“Toodles.” Regis’s voice cut out.

The plane released the glider, and, as if by magic, we became instantly free from the drag of the plane’s engine. We were floating—gliding effortlessly across the sky. It was the most soothing feeling I could imagine. I wasn’t scared at all. We just drifted like a bird catching a strong breeze. I could see why Jack wanted me to go. This was the wildest first date I had ever had. Of course, I really didn’t have that many first dates to compare it to.

“Sami, I am glad that you agreed to come with me today. You are not quite the coward you pretend to be,” he teased.

“
Coward
,” I protested.

“Well, what I mean to say is that you hold yourself together very well for a civilian. You should give yourself more credit.”

“It’s hard to be afraid when the ride is so peaceful. It’s so quiet. I wish all plane rides were this smooth.”

“Yes, it really is wonderful to glide without the weight of an engine.”

“Okay, I wish you didn’t just remind me of that fact. We are going to stay airborne and not just fall from the sky, right?” I groaned.

“Take it easy. We’re safe. I know flying is an acquired taste. It will get easier the more you do it.”

“I’ll remember that next time,” I muttered.

“Next time! You mean you’ll fly with me again?” he said, sounding pleased.

“We’ll see.”

“I promise to bring you home in one piece,” Jack replied playfully.

“That’s nice to know. You make it sound so easy. I usually hate feeling this out of control. Aren’t you just a little bit afraid of jumbling up a landing?”

“Some trust, Sami,
please
. It is a run in the park.”

I took out my camera and snapped a few shots. The scenery was breathtaking. The clear blue sky and golden sunrays shined brightly through the window above my head, while the tree-lined landscape sprawled out widely below in every direction.

“Samantha, are you ready?” Jack asked.

“Am I ready
for what?
”

“It’s time to go back. You have to obey your limits with these things. You might want to hang on.”

Just then, he rotated us into a sharp turn. “
Ahhh
!” I screamed and held on to my seat. Jack laughed while our glider angled in the sky to gracefully bring us about. We returned to a level position for only a minute before he drifted us right over the treetops. His maneuver made us pick up speed.

Jack leaned forward, touched my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, “Do you want to drive?”

“No,” I protested while partially closing my eyes.

“All you have to do is just take hold of the stick and steer,” he encouraged.

“That’s okay … I’ll leave it up to you, Mr. Pilot. I can’t make you any promises that I will return
you
home in one piece.”

“As you wish,” he said smugly as he leaned back in his seat. He was silent for a minute before he added, “Oh, and by the way—you smell incredible.”

I thought I heard him sniff my hair. Jack continued to make the glider ride exciting by gently swooping us across the tree-lined ridges. When we got to the landing strip, Jack brought us down just like he had promised. There wasn’t even a bump to complain about. We got out of the glider plane and returned to the house in an empty golf cart. Regis was outside on the patio, frying something on the grill in his outdoor kitchen. Just inhaling a whiff of the delicious smell made my stomach rumble.

“How was it? Wasn’t it fantastic? Did you like it, Samantha?” asked Regis eagerly.

“It was great! Thank you so much for having me here today,” I said graciously.

“Anytime, but don’t run off. You have to stay for lunch. Wait until you try this,” he said as he pulled some seasoned chicken from the grill. William quickly grabbed plates for us, each already filled with a crisp green salad for him to set the chicken on. I looked around at the sunny, beautiful, intricately-landscaped yard, the massive home with its amazing outdoor living space, and the charming men that surrounded me. It felt like I was in a movie. We sat outside on the stone terrace under a white umbrella and enjoyed the mouthwatering meal. Regis was an excellent cook. His enthusiasm for life seemed unwavering. I understood why Jack liked spending time with him.

“Jack, how are the schematics for the Space elevator coming along? Are you whiz kids getting any closer to launching that Space resort of yours? I have customers dying to go. I’m ready to go,” Regis said zealously. I was surprised that he was so aware of our projects, the Space elevator in particular. It was purely hypothetical. We hadn’t even determined if it was possible to build such a structure yet.

“I’m as ready as you are. Don’t worry—we’re still in the drawing phase but getting closer every day. Your money is hard at work. Things are coming together nicely. It will be ready before you know it,” Jack promised.

I had discovered one hidden motive behind why Regis befriended Jack. He was one of the investors of the Space resort we were planning to build. He liked to keep closer tabs on its progress than the SIG provided him. He was anxious to get the place up and running. He saw Jack as an inside link. It made me wonder how much Jack had told him. Surely, he would keep the details under wraps.

“It’s amazing how fearless you people are. We could build any old contraption. It doesn’t even matter if it’s five hundred miles off the surface of the Earth; people will be lining up to go,” I surmised. Other than the orbital distance, I knew the description “old contraption” was a gross exaggeration from the truth. Safety was a top concern. Every part of every structure to be launched was a product of carefully engineered designs. It was our jobs to tend to every detail.

“Tell me
again
how you got hired.” Jack laughed at my sarcasm. He looked at me with disbelief because he must have underestimated my strong aversion to going into Space.

“Funny, but you know I’m right,” I said sharply. Jack opened his lips as though he was ready to contradict my statement but decided not to speak and let my comment slide. We looked at each other silently for a moment. He seemed to be scrutinizing my face to determine what I was thinking.

“You know, Regis—Sami works for SIG as well,” he said casually before he paused to take and chew a bit of food. “She is in the physics department. Perhaps you should work on her. She might even have more clout than me on attaining your goal.”

“Wow, really? You don’t say. I never would have guessed it. I love it when people surprise me.” Regis winked at me. “So, how about it, young lady? Will I get to go into Space in this lifetime? Will you take me with you?” he said eagerly.

“I’ll do what I can. But I’m not going with you. I’m quite happy to stay on the ground. I’ll leave the Space walking to the two of you,” I confessed.

“Aren’t you excited about the Space resort?” Regis asked, sounding confused.

“Absolutely. I think it’ll be wonderful for the people who
want
to spend time in Space. I love working on the design end of things. Also, the transport elevator would be a big improvement. It’s going to be so much more economical and safer than strapping yourself up to a fuel tank and lighting it on fire.”

“What’s wrong with the rockets?” Jack frowned and held up both of his hands.

“I’m sure you see nothing wrong with them, but hopefully we can eliminate some of the danger,” I explained.
Since when did self-preservation become a bad thing?