Back to Brett’s reality.
It was Monday morning, and sunlight shone through the window curtains. A beam of light illuminated Brett’s face, waking him up.
“I’m dead?” he cried out and glanced around the room in a daze. “Wait, this isn’t heaven; it’s my hotel room,” he added and paused. “I died in my dream!”
Corrie was in bed in her home. She’s dreaming. She’s crying in her dream.
Corrie woke from her dream and glanced around her bedroom, dazed and confused.
She reached over to her bedside table and opened a drawer, removing her “Dream Journal” and a pen. She opened the journal to the next available page and jotted down her dream before it slipped from her memory.
Howard’s Cadillac is parked in the Residence Inn parking lot. He’s spying on the front entrance door, wearing his Fedora hat and sunglasses.
Later that morning, Brett left the front entrance, heading to his Fairmont.
“He’s leaving the hotel,” Howard jotted in his notebook, glancing at this watch. He cranked up his Cadillac and followed Brett’s Fairmont out of the parking lot.
Brett drove to the Dimitris Family restaurant for breakfast.
Howard’s Cadillac waited in the restaurant parking lot.
After another quick breakfast at Dimitris’ Family Restaurant.
Brett got in his Fairmont and left the restaurant’s parking lot. Howard’s Cadillac followed.
Brett parked his Fairmont in the Alliance parking lot.
Howard parked his Cadillac at the other end of the lot.
Brett got out of his Fairmont and headed to the main entrance of the administration building, then went inside.
Howard got out of his Cadillac, leaving his Fedora hat and sunglasses on the front seat, and went inside the administration building.
“Agnes, let me know immediately if Brett leaves,” he instructed, walking up to her desk.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
Howard went inside his office.
Brett sat at his desk in his office. “Ah, man,” he moaned, staring at the stacks of papers on the table. He grudgingly went to work on his laptop.
Later that morning, Brett yawned while typing on his laptop. He glanced at his watch. “Saved,” he smiled, then turned off his laptop and shoved it in his bag.
He rushed out of his office.
Agnes spotted Brett rushing through the area with his laptop bag. She punched a number on her phone. “Howard, Brett’s leaving,” she said.
Brett stepped inside the elevator.
Howard rushed out of his office, heading through the elevator.
“Everybody’s going nuts,” Agnes said, shaking her head.
Brett rushed out of the administration building, heading to his Fairmont.
Brett unlocked his Fairmont trunk, put the laptop bag inside, got behind the wheel, and then cranked up the Fairmont.
Howard rushed out of the administration building. “Damn!” he yelled, observing Brett’s Fairmont driving out of the parking lot, making a right turn.
Howard ran to his Cadillac, got inside, and then cranked up the Cadillac. The tires screeched, going in reverse. The tires screeched, moving forward through the parking lot.
Howard’s Cadillac made a screeching right turn out of his parking lot. He slipped on his sunglasses and Fedora hat. “Where is he?” he said, scanning the road ahead, then stomped on the gas pedal.
Howard’s Cadillac raced around traffic. Cars blew their horns at this crazy driver.
“I think I know where he is heading,” Howard said, weaving in and out of traffic.
Five minutes of crazy driving later, Howard spotted Brett’s Fairmont turning into the Columbus Municipal Airport.
“He’s so predictable,” Howard said, turning his Cadillac into the airport parking lot.
Howard parked his Cadillac, turning off the engine. He observed Brett walking to Corrie’s building with his flight bag. “He went back to Corrie’s Flying Service,” he jotted in his notebook, glancing at his watch.
A few minutes passed. “He’s walking out to that airplane all alone,” Howard jotted in the notebook with time.
Back in Fort Wayne, Dorian sat in her den dressed in her bathrobe, sipping her cup of coffee. She glanced at all the pictures of that house on Addison in Columbus. She brought up a website selling expensive furniture. She glanced at photos of the rooms in that house against the furniture’s homepage, creating her wish list.
Back at the flight line at the Columbus airport, Brett’s performing his pre-flight inspection on the Warrior.
Corrie walked over with her flight bag and headset.
“Is she ready?”
“She’s ready,” Brett replied.
“Yes, let’s go flying,” she replied, smiling.
Howard removed his digital camera from his glove box and snapped a picture of Brett and Corrie outside the Warrior.
He watched Brett get inside the Warrior and was followed by Corrie. “He’s inside that airplane with that attractive female,” he jotted in his notebook, glancing at his watch.
Howard watched the Warrior engine start and taxi away.
Howard watched the Warrior take off on runway 5. “He’s airborne in that airplane,” he jotted in his notebook, glancing at his watch.
Brett climbed the Warrior way up in the sky and headed southeast.
“When did you become interested in flying?” Brett asked, scanning the area for other aircraft.
“I remember it starting when I was a little girl, around nine years old. I dreamed about a very old bi-plane ride with a handsome pilot. Then, after that dream, I would ride my bike to the local airport every day and watch the airplanes take off and land,” she replied, watching Brett’s handling of the Warrior.
“Where were you raised?”
“Terre Haute. I guess flying would bring me my mister right,” she said, scanning the area for other aircraft.
“Did it?” he asked, silently praying that she had no boyfriend.
“Not yet. So, how long have you dreamt of being a pilot?”
“Ever since I was a young boy, around ten years old. The flying bug bit me when my father took me to an airshow in Muncie. That’s where I was born and raised,” he replied. “I fell in love with a B seventeen that flew at the show while it dropped fake bombs on a fake German target,” he added.
“I was more excited by the aerobatic planes’ maneuvers,” she said.
“I wanted an Air Force career as a pilot, but that changed when I got my girlfriend pregnant during my senior year in college,” he replied.
“So I take it you were forced to marry her?”
“It was a two double barrel shotgun wedding. One from her father and one from my father,” Brett replied.
“Okay, let’s level off at forty-five hundred feet so we can practice maneuvers,” she said.
Up in the sky, Brett practiced some power-off stalls and slow flight.
He turned the plane to the north and headed back to the airport.
Fifteen minutes later, in Howard’s Cadillac, he spied Brett’s turn the Warrior on final for a landing.
He watched Brett land the Warrior. It took off again
“Here he goes again. Up and down, up and down,” Howard said, jotting in his notebook and glancing at his watch. “Boring!”
Howard watched Brett perform three touch and go’s on runway 5.
Brett taxied the Warrior, parked it in its spot, and shut off the engine.
Corrie got out and walked back to her building.
Brett secured the plane. He walked back with his flight bag.
Howard waited and watched inside his Cadillac.
In the lobby of Corrie’s business, Katie worked behind the counter.
Corrie and Brett sat at a table inside the pilot’s briefing room. He watched her document today’s flight in his logbook.
She placed her pen down close to his book and slid it across the table to Brett. “You seem to be a natural at flying,” she praised him.
“Well, thank you. But a great instructor also plays a major role,” he replied.
She smiled at his compliment.
Brett fidgeted nervously in his seat. He hesitated. “How about some lunch?” he cringed, thinking he would be turned down again.
“Sure, I would love that,” she smiled.
Brett frowned. It dawned on him. “Did you say you would join me?” Brett doublechecked.
“Yes, I did.”
“Wow, ah, where should we go?”
“I know this great Mexican restaurant.”
Brett was jumping for joy inside.
Howard watched Brett and Corrie walk out of her building together.
Brett and Corrie walked to the parking lot and got closer to his Fairmont.
They walked within fifteen feet of Howard’s Cadillac. He quickly ducked down, moving his Fedora hat to conceal his identity.
Howard peeked over his dashboard and observed Brett walking Corrie to his Fairmont. He opened his glovebox, removed his digital camera, fumbled with it, and then snapped a picture of Bret opening the passenger door to his Fairmont for Corrie.
Corrie got inside, and he closed the door. Brett removed his cell phone from his flight bag and clipped it to his belt. He placed his flight bag in his trunk and got inside behind the wheel.
Brett cranked his Fairmont and drove off.
Howard quickly started his Cadillac and punched a phone number in his cell phone.
In his conference room, Sidney conducts weekly staff meetings with all the vice presidents of his company.
His cell phone rang, and he looked at the viewfinder. “Everybody take a fifteen-minute break,” Sidney said.
The Vice-Presidents left the table and the conference room.
“Give it to me, Howard,” he answered.
“I have an interesting development today. He took a flying lesson and just left the airport with his female instructor in his car,” Howard said from Sidney’s cell phone. “I snapped a picture of him opening his car door for her,” he added.
A satisfying smile grew on Sidney’s face. “Let me know where they end up. Text message me since I’m in a meeting,” he replied. “And, send me a copy of that pic,” he added.
“You got it, boss.”
Sidney disconnected his call and put his cell phone on his table. He danced with joy in his chair.
Agnes entered the room, noticing Sidney dancing in his chair. “Is everything all right?” she asked. “Your VPs stated you gave them a break,” she added.
“Yes. I had an important phone call. And you can rest assured that Carl will be promoted to Vice President of Business Operations very soon,” he said with a smile.
Agnes discreetly blew Sidney a kiss and left the conference room with a smile.
Sidney’s Vice Presidents reentered the room and sat down, and the staff meeting resumed.
Howard tailed Brett’s car in Columbus to the Riviera Maya Mexican restaurant off 25th Street. Howard parked his car at the far end of the lot for premium surveillance posture.
Howard had his digital camera ready, and he snapped a picture of Corrie leaving Brett’s car.
He typed a text message while watching them.
“Okay, all of your reports sound good,” Sidney addressed all of his Vice Presidents.
His cell phone buzzed. “Dismissed,” he told them. He grabbed his cell phone off his table and looked at the viewfinder.
“Said subject is eating lunch with that female instructor at a Mexican restaurant,” Howard’s text stated.
Sidney’s face lit up with a huge, satisfying grin when he saw the two pictures Howard sent. “He’s worth the money,” he smirked, then shoved his cell phone into his pocket and left the conference room.
At the Riviera Maya Mexican restaurant, Corrie and Brett sat at their table, received their drinks and two iced teas, and placed their orders.
“How do you like Columbus so far?” she asked.
“I like it. Something about this place makes me feel good,” he replied. “Makes me feel alive.”
“I know what you mean. This place seems special to me also for some strange reason.”
“I’m so happy I was sent down here to work on that report,” he said.
“What company do you work for in Fort Wayne?” she asked.
“I work for some mean old man. My father-in-law owns Harris Enterprises, and I’m the assistant to the financial manager,” he said.
“That sounds interesting,” she replied and chuckled. “Not really.”
“I know. It’s nothing but reports and boring meetings. I hate it with a passion!”
Meanwhile, back in Howard’s car, he ordered a pizza at Papa John’s just down 25th Street. He delivered it to his car in the Mexican restaurant’s parking lot.
Howard’s cell phone rang, and he opened it up. “Howard,” he answered.
“Where are you? I called, and Betty said you rushed out of your office and haven’t returned,” his wife asked from his cell phone.
“I’m tailing Sidney’s son-in-law,” he answered.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Listen, since you’re getting this bonus, I upgraded our cabin on the Freedom of the Seas to one with a balcony. We could sit out there and watch the sunrise and sunset while drinking coffee,” she said.
“That’s great, honey,” he replied, watching the restaurant.
“Good. Well, have fun playing detective,” his wife responded and disconnected her end of the call.
“Bye, dear,” he said, keeping an eagle eye on the restaurant.
Inside the Riviera Maya Mexican restaurant,
Brett’s cell phone rang. He cringed and ignored the call.
The waiter brought their dinners. His phone continued to ring.
“Are you going to answer it?” she asked.
Brett looked at his viewfinder and smiled. “Excuse me, this is a critical call,” he said.
“Brett Woods,” he answered.
“Mister Woods, Manfred Wilson from Sky King Aviation. Listen, my trip to Los Angeles was shorter than I anticipated. Can you make it down here for an interview on Tuesday morning at eight?” Manfred said from Brett’s cell phone.
“Yes, I can make it tomorrow at eight. No problem,” Brett quickly replied, and he danced a little joyously in his seat.
Corrie noticed.
“Thank you, Mister Wilson,” Brett said. He disconnected his call and did a little victory dance in his chair.
“I take it was good news?” she asked.
“Oh yeah, I have a job interview with Sky King Aviation tomorrow morning at eight,” he said joyfully.
“Sky King, I’m good acquaintances with Tony Newark, the head of Sky King. I was his instructor until he got his commercial ticket. I can put in a good word for you if you want,” she offered.
“That would be great. With a job, I can next work on getting a divorce,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.
“So, if you stay down here permanently, we can work on you getting your private and then moving up to your commercial ticket. It’s not an Air Force career, but you could fly for money. Maybe do some instructing. I could use another instructor,” Corrie offered with a warm smile.
“I would love that,” he replied.
They got quiet for a few minutes, eating their lunches.
“Where did you go to college?” she asked.
“I went to Indiana University at the Fort Wayne campus.”
Corrie’s eyes lit up. “I also went to IU at Fort Wayne! When did you attend?”
“Nine-two through ninety-six,” he replied.
“I don’t believe it! I was there simultaneously from ninety-two through ninety-six,” she said excitedly.
“I majored in general studies with an emphasis in business.”
“I majored in business also!” Corrie replied. “Wow, this is so weird.”
“That is so cool,” Brett said. “But it’s a shame our paths didn’t cross back then,” he added.
“Yeah, I’m surprised we didn’t meet,” she replied.
Brett thought for a second. “Did you get your degree in two years?” he asked curiously.
“No. I had to transfer to the South Bend campus,” she replied.
“Why?” he asked. “Ahh!” he said, cringing, then clutched his chest.
Corrie noticed. “You okay?”
“My chest hurts!” he cried. He doubled over in excruciating pain.
“Help! I need help!” Corrie cried. She jumped out of her chair and ran over to help him. Two waiters and four other customers rushed over to Brett’s aid.
Outside the restaurant, Howard munched on a small pepperoni pizza. He sipped Coke inside his car, watching the restaurant’s front doors.
Howard noticed an ambulance drive up with its lights flashing and stop at the front door.
He noticed two paramedics jump out of the ambulance and rush to the rear. They opened the back doors and removed a gurney. They wheeled the gurney to the front doors and rushed inside.
Howard munched on his pizza, watching the front door.
Ten minutes passed.
With Brett strapped on it, Howard watched the two paramedics wheel the gurney out of the restaurant. “Someone doesn’t like Mexican food.”
His eyes lit up when he noticed Corrie rush out of the hospital. He watched them put the gurney in the back of the ambulance.
The paramedics closed the rear doors, rushed, and entered the cab.
The ambulance drove off with its lights flashing.
Howard watched Corrie rush over to Brett’s Fairmont and get inside. She cranked up his Fairmont and drove off.
Howard cranked up his Cadillac.
He drove off and followed Brett’s Fairmont.
The ambulance raced down the streets of Columbus with its lights flashing.
Corrie followed the ambulance and Brett’s Fairmont.
Howard’s Cadillac followed Brett’s Fairmont.
He punched a cell phone number into his cell phone.
Sidney’s working at his desk. His cell phone rang.
“Sidney,” he answered.
“It’s Howard. There’s a problem. They’re taking Brett to the hospital,” Howard said from the cell phone.
Sidney smiled. “Find out if this is serious,” Sidney instructed.
“Yes, sir.”
Sidney kicked back at this desk with a bigger smile.