I’m zipped up my jumpsuit and grabbed the harness off the bench. I looked around to see where Caroline had gone and began to walk out of the locker room, humming to myself.
I tend to hum out loud when I’m nervous, but I’m about to jump out of a plane, so who cares if I hum?
I walked out into the lobby and I see Caroline flirting with one of the jump instructors who had gone over the safety procedures and what to expect when we arrived. She is still in her cute clothes and I look like I’m about to paint a house in this oversized jumpsuit.
“Caroline, sweetie, don’t you want to get ready?” I asked her, trying to get her attention from the cute the instructor, who looks like a Navy Seal with all his defined muscles and golden skin.
“I’m not jumping. I have the next part of your surprise to get ready for.” Without ever taking her eyes off Seal-dude preening himself in front of her.
Caroline is an absolute knockout. Standing just over 5’ 7”, she has golden blonde hair that falls past her shoulders, green eyes the color of emeralds, and a figure I would kill for. Thin and tiny, compared to my curvy and short 5’ 2”.
She tried for years to get me to show off my body more, but I never wanted that kind of attention. I want someone to like me for my personality, intellect and sense of humor, and not for my looks.
“You mean I’m jumping alone?!” I screech. Caroline and Seal-dude both wince, identical looks of amusement on their faces.
It’s then that I feel a hard body press up against my backside blanketing me in warmth, strong arms covered in tattoos wrapping around my stomach, pulling me tightly into him. I can smell the lust coming off him in waves.
Josh.
He pushes his hardness into my backside and slowly kisses the side of my neck, his beard brushing against my heated skin, causing my head to tilt to the side involuntary and eyes to close on reflex.
Damn this man and his ability to get my panties wet.
“I’m going up with you, baby. And when we get back on solid ground, I promise to go down too” he breathes into my ear and kisses the sensitive area under my ear causing my body to have an involuntary shiver.
This man has always known how to push my buttons. He is only a few years older than me, but his experience is so much more than mine. After we broke up, he dated around, all the while, keeping me closer than most girls he was with. I have had more than one girl tell me that I’m the reason they broke up.
I encouraged him to date but some girls can’t handle him having a female best friend. I internally shrug my shoulders. Oh well, screw them and their insecure asses. Yes, we may occasionally sleep together when we aren’t with someone else but since we broke up, it has been about sex only.
“That feels so good, but you know we can’t…” I say to him as I turn in his arms and link my hands behind his neck. Pulling myself up to kiss him on chastely on the lips, I can see pain flash in his eyes before he hides it behind his perfect smile.
“I know,” he smirks down at me as I step away from him. “Can’t fault a guy for trying, can you?”
I wish I could have opened my heart to Josh. He is such a great guy but I am incapable of trusting anyone with my guarded heart. Maybe life would be easier if I could find someone to take home without all the emotional baggage I tend to bring into a relationship.
I just smiled at him as I took his hand and walked toward Caroline, who was still batting her eyelashes at the Navy Seal standing in front of her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Caroline?” I sing-song to her. “You can keep visiting with Navy Seal dude here on the ride.”
“While I respect the Seals immensely, I’m an Army Ranger, ma’am. And I was just explaining to Miss Caroline her, that while I’m flattered, I’m also happily married.” His eyes twinkling at the three of us. He obviously loves his wife very much to turn down Caroline. She is a knock-out and any man would be lucky to have her.
“If you’re ready, let’s get your harnesses in place and get up into the sky. It’s a beautiful day to jump.” Mitch (I read off his name tag on his suit) said as another staff member walked up to us to help Josh get ready.
After we were harnessed in, I turned to Caroline and hugged her tightly. “Thank you for this. I love you, you know that, right?”
“I love you too. Now, go carpe that diem Maddie. I’ll see you when you land,” she whispered as she released me from our embrace.
That’s one thing about us, we are affectionate with each other. Hugging, holding hands, and sometime sharing a bed. It was how she helped me adjust after my mom died and we never stopped. She would hear me crying in bed at night and would crawl in with me, holding me until I felt better.
I love her and my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe for everything they did for me. They are the most amazing family, and I know today’s adventures were, in part, their idea.
Walking out to the plane, I wasn’t prepared for the roar of the engine, but I knew that this is just the beginning of the noise. The video we watched warned us that the air rushing past us during freefall was going to be tremendous.
Mitch and I are harnessed tandem with each other and Josh has been harnessed to another instructor.
As we taxi down the runway, Josh reaches over and squeezed my hand in a reassuring manner. I am so glad he is here to experience this with me. He really is a good friend and I hope someday he finds the one person who will love him like he deserves.
After a few minutes in the air, Mitch yells over the sound of the engine and rushing air, “Halfway there!”
Now, I’m nervous. I’m about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
What the hell was I thinking adding this to my life list?
He must have seen something on my face because the next thing I knew I felt Josh squeeze my hand harder. “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head quickly, trying to show no fear, but I don’t feel like it’s working.
Its seemed like forever, but in reality, only another few minutes pass when Josh and his tandem partner move toward the planes door and begin to slide the door open. The force of the air causes the hairs around my face to fly around and the force pushes me into Mitch.
Damn, that man is built like a brick wall.
“Are you ready?” the instructor yells, barely audible.
Josh and I both give the thumbs up and the next second, Josh and his partner disappear through the planes open door.
“Holy shit!” I scream as Mitch positions us in front of the door.
“Let’s do this Maddie. Remember what your friend said. Seize the day.”
I nod my head and a millisecond later, I am freefalling through the sky like a stone. I scream like my life depends on it for about 3 or 4 seconds before I open my eyes and see what is happening around me. Mitch has my forehead in his hand, pulling my head back to his shoulder and the beauty of what I see takes my breath away.
I am in the clouds looking down on the world in complete awe.
Everything seems so small from up here and I am floating above it, feeling freer than I ever have before. This is what it must feel like to be a bird and able to soar through the sky. I see Josh below me and suddenly he is jerked up past me, as Mitch pulls the cord and our parachute grabs us up from the freefall, as well.
I begin to cheer and scream with utter delight. Never in my life have I felt so alive and free. It’s as if I could conquer the world that I am so gently floating toward.
“Did you enjoy your birthday surprise, Maddie” Mitch yells over my right shoulder.
“It was the most amazing thing I have ever done! I loved it! Thank you, Mitch, for helping me to experience this!” I yelled back in gratitude.
The ground is quickly approaching and I remember to pull my feel up as far as I can. Begin a short woman, there isn’t much of a chance my feet will interfere with the landing, but rules are rules.
Mitch touches us back down to earth with the gentleness that, with his size, is utter perfection.
Moments later Caroline comes running up, joyous screams coming from her.
I am unharnessed from Mitch and I run to her, Josh meeting us in the middle, for a loud and excited, group hug.
“That was amazing!” I shouted toward the heavens.
As we began to move back toward the hanger to get out of the jumpsuits we were wearing, I spot someone I recognize walking out of the building.
“Jazz? Is that you?” I asked.
“Who else would it be, bitch?” My goth punk friend asked me, her hands on her hips and a gleam in her eye. Her hair is purple today and I love her crazy sense of fashion. Jazz is covered in tattoos and has done some of Josh’s ink over the last year.
Jazz was a waitress at a sports bar we spent time at during college and we hit it off immediately. Her quirky sense of style, tattoos and piercings, and over-all don’t fuck with me vibe made me love her so much more. She’s been a part of our inner group for years and to have her here for my birthday made me grateful for all my friends.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, confused, my eyes shifting to Caroline.
“I’m here for the next part of your birthday surprise.” Her eyes were sparkling with delight “It’s time for that piercing you’ve always wanted.”
My eyes widened at her words. I’m not a fan of physical pain and that has always been the reason to skip over my deep desire for a nose stud.
“Maddie, honey, you are full of adrenaline right now. I promise this is the best time to pierce you. You will feel less pain and I have all my equipment set up inside the office. The staff is cool with it and I really want to help you cross another life list item off.” Jazz pronounced, leading me into the office and sitting me in the chair.
Looking at Carolina and Josh, enormous smiles on their faces, I nodded to Jazz to get started.
Today was shaping up to be the most amazing day ever and it’s wasn’t even noon. I wondered what else they had planned for me. All my friends knew about my life list and have been helping me add to it. I refused to call it a bucket list; it sounds to morbid and final to me. You should experience as many new things as possible while you are living and not wait until you are dying to be adventurous.
I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t even notice when Jazz pushed the needle through and placed the silver stud in place.
“All done. You did great Maddie. It looks so good.” Jazz said, as she cleaned the area and put ointment on it. She handed me a mirror to look at it.
“Holy crap! I love it!” I squealed, throwing my arms around her neck. “Thank you, Jazz.” I turned to my other friends and the staff who were observing Jazz work. “And thank you all for making my birthday the most memorable one of my life. I won’t ever forget this day or the part you played in it.”
“You’re welcome” came from all over the room as I stood up and walked toward the car.
“Let’s roll, people! We have adventures to experience!” I shouted over my shoulder to the group with the biggest smile I’ve have ever had. I love my friends.
The rest of the day was filled with food, fun and friends. Who could ask for anything more?