Fighter Pilot

3.

Waking up to warm sheets was a welcome feeling. Until I rolled over and found Simon Minter's face only an inch from mine. My scream pierced the morning darkness like a shrill siren. Simon jolted out of bed, blindly reaching out for his combat boots.
I tossed the nearest object at him, which happened to be my hairbrush.
"Viv! Viv, what's wrong?"
Lucy was sitting up in bed, looking worriedly in my direction. I glared in the direction of the sheepish looking fighting ace before looking back to my tent mate.
"I wasn't exactly prepared for a man in my bed this morning."
"You lot didn't-"
"No!"
Both of our voices came out rattlingly loud. Then we glared at each other. Everyone in the tent was dead silent as Simon and I stared each other down.
"Out of my tent you bloody ace."
He went storming out, while I wasted no time dressing.
"Viv-"
"Minter and I need to have a chat, innit?"
Mud squished beneath my boots. Simon hadn't gone far, only about two yards from my tent. He had a scowled etched onto his face and his body showed every ounce of rigidity.
"Are you trying to bloody ruin me?"
"We're at war, Vivi! No one gives a bloody fuck if you and I knock boots while we're stranded out here in France. But you want to believe you're the highest class who can't stoop to such things, innit?"
"I won't stoop to such things because I bloody respect myself!
"Should've just left you to the damned Germans. You'd be begging it be me you woke up to if I had."
The whole world seemed to slow down the second my hand connected with Simon's cheek. I'd slapped him. I'd fully slapped him. There was a spark of rage in his eyes when he turned his head back to me.
I didn't cry out when he grabbed the collar of my jumpsuit and began dragging me towards the trail. If he throttled me, I might deserve it. But it wasn't a throttling Simon had in mind. After we'd gone round the bend of the trail and were safely hidden from any prying eyes, Simon Minter kissed me. I'd never been kissed on the lips before. Simon had let go of my jumpsuit and was holding me by my waist. I placed my hands on his shoulders and tried to reach up on my toes. It was only a second before he lifted me up, putting our heads level.
"You may call me a bloody prick, Vivienne Churchill, but I knew who you were the second you stepped off the truck. Everyone has heard of the English darling. I asked around about you after you'd just come in and I was told to stay clear, didn't want to anger the fiery little spotlighter. Said you might shoot me down yourself. So I stayed clear. But seems fate wouldn't have it like that."
I toyed with a loose thread on Simon's sleeve, not ready to look the blue-eyed ace straight on yet. He didn't let me take that luxury. Simon tilted my chin up, his eyes dancing to try to read my reaction.
"I...I just don't know about..."
"About what?"
"About a lad like you."
"What's that mean?"
"Simon, you act like an arrogant arse. That's not the type of man I'm looking to find after we go home."
"You've seen the part of me I use to survive, Vivi. Do you think a soft hearted man would survive bombing and fighting every night? He wouldn't. So I put on my steel mask and I crack on like I'm supposed to. I don't want to be here and I don't want to be doing this, Vivi. I pushed for the incarceration of that German bastard and accords among the countries."
"Simon-"
"If you want soft hearted, give me a chance, Vivi. Just a chance."
"Tonight. Before the sun goes down. We can go for a walk in the field by the lights and the planes."
I don't think I'd ever seen such a genuinely happy look on Simon's face. He was beaming, just grinning from ear to ear.
Lucy and the girls were all a flutter when I told them that Simon was taking me for a walk after dinner, practically bouncing about like little nippers.
"I assure you, nothing'll come of it."
"He fancies you, Viv! You can't keep on denying it now."
"I can very well." I was lying through my teeth. I knew Simon fancied me and had every intention of wooing me before the end of the war. The blue-eyed ace had set himself on winning my affection and I knew I had no chance at changing his mind.
"Has Ms. Churchill been hiding a lipstick this whole time? Scandalous!"
I hit Simon on the arm but I couldn't hide the blush blooming about my cheeks. My lips were painted a brilliant rouge, thanks to Kitty. Her mum had sent her a brand new lipstick just as we were getting ready to be sent to the countryside.
"It's Kitty's and she was insistent I wear it if we were calling this a proper date."
"Then bless dear little Kitty."
"Come on, Minter, or we'll miss it!"
I pulled him along, up the hill, boots squishing in the ever present mud. He sun was just above the horizon and everything was bathed in the rich colors of the sunset. Simon sighed and put his arms gently about me.
"This is nice, Vivi."
"Well we are in France. Isn't this supposed to be the country of lovers?"
"Where isn't the country of lovers?"
Simon was leaning in to kiss my cheek when everything came crashing down around our perfect little moment.