Ships Passing

Their eyes met as soon as she stepped through the gate at JFK.  He was standing on the other side of the terminal, talking on his cell phone.  He ended the call and headed in her direction as if drawn to a magnet.

“What are you doing here?”  John said, stuffing his phone in his pocket and putting his arms around her. 

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I have a meeting over at the UN building.  I’m just here for the day.  You?  New York wasn’t on the itinerary you sent me.  Changing planes? ”

“Something like that.  I have to be in Boston tonight.  But my publisher wanted to meet with me so I switched flights.”  She smiled up at him.  The sounds of the busy airport moved around them, but they were oblivious.  “How’s the baby?”

“She’s fine.  We both miss you, but two weeks away is better than a lot of coming and going.”  John put his hand on her neck, fingers playing with  the ends of her blonde hair.

Helena nodded.  “I suppose.”  She looked up and smiled at him.  “How amazing to meet you here.”

“It is, isn’t it?”  John grinned.  He liked nothing better than to hold her in his arms and he held her closely.  “How much time do you have?”

“No more than you, most likely.  My appointment is in an hour.  Then I have about two hours to get back to my flight.  At least we can share a taxi.”

“I can do better than that.  A limo is picking me up.  Luggage?”

“Checked through to Boston.”

“Terrific.”  John took her arm in a gesture that had become so familiar over the years spent on Alpha and they set off down the wide corridor together. 

They fell into step and into conversation with a comfortable ease.  It was so good to be together after nearly two weeks apart while Helena lectured at various medical schools.  Of course, they’d spoken on the phone morning and evening and emailed daily as well, but it wasn’t the same as leaning your head closer, sharing a smile, and rubbing shoulders as they walked along. 

At the exit, there was a young man standing with a sign saying “Koenig”.  John smiled and steered Helena toward him.  He led them to a black stretch limo and opened the back door for them.  John explained that Helena needed to be dropped off at her publisher’s, and Helena provided the address.  The driver politely assured them there would be no problem, stowed Helena’s carry-on and headed for the driver’s seat.  John tossed his briefcase on the jump seat and settled into the back, quickly finding the button to raise the privacy shield.

“The sitter knows where you are?”  She had to ask.

John gave a smile and a nod, assuring her.  “And Susan knows as well.  She’s on standby in case of any delays.  In fact, when I talked to her this morning, I think she was mildly disappointed that I didn’t need her to rush over to Houston and pick up Tori.”  He drew Helena into his arms and she settled back with a soft laugh.

“She does love being a grandma.  And, I have to admit, that’s the kind of thing my own grandmother was fond of doing.  She’d whisk us off to one place or another any time Mother suggested it.”  She kicked off her pumps and stretched out her legs with a sigh. 

John held her close. “I’m sure your parents were grateful for the time alone.”  He kissed the side of her head and added.  “I know I always am.”

She turned her head and their lips met.  She moved her hand to John’s cheek, caressing it while deepening the kiss.  John’s hand moved down her body, caressing her, reacquainting himself with her curves. 

When they came up for air John said, “There were definite advantages to being on Alpha.  You were never far away.”

Her forehead met his. “I hate being away from you.  I just…”

He put a finger to her lips.  “I know, I understand, I really do.  You need to share all those marvelous things we learned.”

She nodded and he kissed her again.  His finger traced her jaw line, then moved lower.  His hands, his wonderful hands, were roaming further, igniting her as his touch usually did.  John pulled back and glanced out the window. 

“I think we’re too close to your destination.”  He said sadly.

Helena sat upright and peered out the smoke colored window.  She sighed heavily.  “I think you’re right. “ 

“If only…”  He started then stopped. 

She gave him a sad smile. “If only we were Alan and Mel.  We could pull it off in the next few blocks.”

John chuckled as the limo eased it’s way through the New York traffic  “What we need now is a classic New York traffic jam.”  No sooner than the words left his mouth, the Limo came to a stop.  A soft knock sounded on the privacy glass.  John lower the class half way. 

“I’m sorry, Sir.  There’s some kind of commotion up here.  The roads blocked   Since the lady’s destination is a half dozen blocks straight ahead,  perhaps it would be faster to walk.”

John glanced toward his wife.  She told him at the airport she had an hour before her meeting.  Checking his watch,  he calculated that she had twenty minutes left.  He looked through the front glass. He could practically see her building from where they were sitting.  Thinking quickly,  he informed the driver that they would wait in the car until it was time for her to depart then he raised the privacy glass.

“We have twenty minutes until your appointment.  We aren’t Alan and Mel but I think we can pull this off.  It’s been two weeks, Honey.  I don’t think it’s going to take either of us that long.”   Before she could agree or disagree,  he pressed his lips to hers.  His hand moved down her body to her thigh. 

John moved his mouth to her ear.  “You should have worn a skirt.”

“I didn’t know I would need to.” 

John’s hand moved to her waistband. 

“Wait.  Let me.  Don’t rip them!”  John’s helping hands were not helping.  “Here,”  she thrust her purse at him.  “I think you put a condom in there a couple of weeks ago.  Find it.”

Her purse was a singularity that he feared to venture into, but he was motivated. 

“I don’t see it.”  He glanced up.  She had pulled her slacks off and was carefully folding them over the jump seat.  He had a lovely view of bare hips as she tucked her underpants beneath the slacks.  Now he was even more motivated.

“Give me that.  And take your pants off too.  You don’t want to show up at the UN with them all wrinkled and with stains on them do you?”

“Not my first choice,”  he mused, still distracted by her bare bottom, but game.  He unfastened his fly and wiggled out of his own slacks.  Helena placed a foil packet in his hand and took the slacks, folding them as neatly as she had her own.  She tossed another packet out of her purse.  He glanced at it.  “Baby wipes?”

“For after,” she smiled.

He glanced at the plush carpet on the floor of the limo, gauging the amount of room there versus the bench seat across the back.

“No, no,” she said with a laugh.  “No carpet burns for me.”  Then with a grace that looked as if she made love in a limo all the time, she turned, quickly applied the condom, mounted him, and suddenly he was inside her and she was kissing him deeply and the rest of the world just melted away. 

All the world was Helena’s curves and Helena’s scent and the soft moist warmth of Helena enfolding him.  He wanted to remain here forever, but her movement against him was urging forward, urging him onward.  He was a willing follower, matching her rhythm with his own until he seemed to burst inside her.  She arched her back and he held her steady as their movement brought her own climax. 

She relaxed against him, her cheek against his to keep from smearing makeup on the collar of his shirt. “I wish I could stay like this forever.”

John’s hands moved over Helena’s back underneath the silk of her blouse.  “I do too.”  He looked out the window and sighed.  “Unfortunately, it looks like the traffic is moving again.”

Helena turned to look, then slipped off of him.  From her purse she produced something that looked like one of the thin specimen bags she had used on Alpha. 

“Why do you carry one of those?”  He asked as they began the process of cleaning up and dressing.

“Dirty diapers,” was her succinct response.

He enjoyed the sight of her dressing almost as much as undressing, but had to begin concentrating on dressing himself.  He was just fastening his slacks when there was another knock on the privacy glass.  With a glance at his wife, who sat relaxed and composed on the bench beside him, makeup fixed, hair quickly brushed and looking as glamorous as any fashion model, he cracked the glass.

“The address you requested is half a block ahead, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”  Helena replied.  She turned to John with a smile.  “I’ll get out here and walk the rest of the way.”

“Yes ma’am.”

She touched his cheek, opened the door, and stepped out.  The driver was already retrieving her overnight bag from the trunk.  Her eyes met Johns and before the door closed she said, “Come to Boston.” 

He watched her walk to down the sidewalk, pause at a trash receptacle, then disappear through the revolving door.  He pulled out his phone.  Susan’s number was on speed dial.