Chapter 4

We had adjoining rooms and Molly had stayed the night with me for reassurance. All the crew had lunch together and discussed the previous day, picking out the likely troublemakers and offering suggestions to make their part easier. A phone call to the maintenance chief at the airport got those changes under way.

We were expected to be at the official launch in the afternoon which would be followed by a dinner. It was all long dress and jewels and I was a bit worried about this but Molly assured me that I was now good enough to act as a proper lady. We were taken to the hotel salon where we were all given upswept hairdos and evening make-up before going back to our rooms where we each had a dresser to get us ready.

I wasn’t ready to see myself in the mirror when I was dressed in a flowing gown and heels. My biggest worry was how I would look without the long hair hiding my face, but it was a real surprise when I looked.

The body shape was ideal with the dress and my dangling earrings touching my neck (with the tour ones just behind) combined with the tour necklace did not give any hint that I was still a guy in a dress. Mind you, I no longer felt like a guy in a dress, nor did I feel as if I was playing the part. Unlike previous tours where dressing up had been a lark, this, I had come to realise, was a serious attempt to look, talk and act as female as I could be.

When we assembled in the lobby to wait for our limos there were many taking photos of us, sure that we must be celebrities. At the launch venue we were treated as if we were, indeed, celebrities.

When the launch took place, we were to the left of the microphone while the band stood on the right side, all sixteen of us looking so fabulous it would be certain to be in the magazines and the newspapers. The media were there in force, along with some other stars that had come along for the free booze.

There was a point where Lesley and I were standing together; talking to a TV camera and being asked about the tour and what we thought it may be like. Lesley said that it was going to be a real blast and then nodded to me, saying “Captain CeeCee will get us to the last stop, I am sure that she will keep us safe – and happy.”

The dinner was a little early to allow us to be ready for take-off. It was a wonderful meal, made slightly odd as I was sitting next to a TV executive who spent a lot of it leaning in on me and telling me that he thought I was wonderful, being such a beauty as well as able to fly an airliner.

I think he was angling to let me try his joystick and was saddened when I stayed on soft drink and told him that I needed to go and play with my plane as we needed to be away by midnight. He took my hand and kissed it, giving me his card as we crew made our exit. I saw Lesley looking at us with a wicked smile on her face.

We swept out of the room, looking regal, and down to our waiting limos, all the time having flashes from cameras pointing at us.

In the limo Molly said, “I can see how the stars get addicted to the attention, but I can see already why they get to hate it.”

Back at the hotel our dressers helped us disrobe, let our hair down and help us get back into the flying outfit, the silk blouse and pencil skirt. When I looked at my reflection again, I thought that I now looked rather ordinary, having been a queen for a few hours. The thought made me giggle.

With our personal bags, the eight of us crew were taken out to the airport in a company bus, and we made sure that we were ready for our passengers when they arrived. Molly and I took the walk around, flashlights in hand to peer into the wheel-wells.

She was a bit quiet, and I asked her what the matter was. She said that she was now realising the scope of what she had volunteered for and was a bit worried.

I told her that we were a team of eight and that before we were a week or two into the tour, the crew would be a single unit, looking out for each other. I said that I expected that the band would be similar, having toured before; and that between us we would face down any difficulty that came our way.

I stood with the cabin crew, welcoming everyone on board as they arrived while Julia made sure the baggage was correctly stored. New additions were shown their take-off and landing seats and told the rules, the ones from the previous day already aware, those that turned up this time.

A couple had already taken the hint that it wasn’t a drunken jaunt around the world and had stayed in New York. When everyone was comfortable and strapped in we closed the doors, fired up the engines and said our farewell to the tarmac controller. We were given clearance to move so taxied out to the runway.

I got Annette, our flight engineer, to put on the under-plane floodlights as Molly started us rolling and to put them out once we passed twenty thousand.

The take-off was smooth and New York control bade us farewell and a happy tour as we left their airspace, heading west and chasing the sun. Once we had levelled off at forty thousand and set the engines at maximum fuel saving it was time for everyone to relax.

Julia brought in a tray with three drinks on it and I got out of the second seat and told her to sit in it and keep the others company while I did a PR walk.

I had just got to the door when Molly said “CeeCee, heels in public!”

I looked down at the ‘flying flats’, “Aye, aye, Captain” and changed into the heels.

Annette smiled, “Don’t forget your bag, boss, you never know when a girl has to redo her lipstick” The other two giggled as I took my bag off the hook and left the cabin.

Going through to the passenger area I saw that most had, by now, retired to the bed area with the curtains drawn. A couple of executive types had obviously enjoyed the dinner as they were in the normal seats snoring nicely.

There was one reading light over one of the easy chairs and Lesley was looking over the tour itinerary in her dressing gown. She saw me coming and smiled, putting the paperwork down and standing up.

“CeeCee” she whispered, “Are we at maximum height?”

I said “Yes, ma-am, forty thousand feet and on the way to Hawaii.”

She asked, “Is that the same as eight miles high?”

I nodded, and she came close and whispered in my ear, “Oh, good, my mother joined the two-mile club and I always want to go one better. Now is the time to see if the sick bay has been installed to my orders. I do believe it is time to make this passenger happy.”

She led the way to the rear of the plane, passing through the cabin crew area where they all had big grins on their faces, and I knew that any reputation I had was now in the drain with my manhood.

She opened the door of the sick-bay and pulled me in.

“Good, they got it right.” She slid a substantial bolt in place, something not usually seen on an aeroplane. She then put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

The effect of us both wearing lipstick was an experience I had never had before, and it was wonderful. She got me out of my blouse and skirt, and she took off her gown to reveal a very short nightie.

I proceeded to make love to her as another woman and there, in my bra, pants and hose, I inducted her into the eight-mile club twice before she got me out of my panties and gaff so we could make love in a very slow and loving way. I was surprised; no rush to finish, and, when I did, it was magnificent and made me shudder and moan almost as long as she did.

As we lay there with a couple of air nozzles blowing fresh air on us, she said “CeeCee, my mum said you were good but she could never have known how good you really are. Embracing your feminine side has really made you so much better to love. The trouble is, I think that I am following my mother by falling in love with you.”

I waited a few seconds and whispered, “Up until this moment I have never really loved a woman. Oh, yes, I have made love to many but you, dear Lesley, are getting under my skin in a way I have never felt before. I won’t say I love you, yet; but I do think that it won’t be very long before I do say it and mean it from the bottom of my heart.”

She smiled, “I’ll look forward to that day, then.”

We tidied ourselves and the room; got redressed and kissed once more then I refreshed my lipstick before she slid the bolt back and we left the room. Going back down the plane was like walking the street of shame for me. The cabin crew girls all smiled and one even gave me a little finger wave which instinctively returned.

Lesley stopped off at her bed and gave me a kiss before getting in as I drew her curtain. Back in the cockpit I was greeted by all three girls getting out of their seats and hugging me.

“I expect that our number one passenger is happy, then?” Molly said.

I put my ‘flying flats’ on again and took over the controls so that Molly could have a break and Julia went off to check on the rest of the cabin crew. I sat there with Annette for a while before she broke the silence.

“Chris, I have admired you as a captain and a good pilot in the past but tonight I admire you as a genuine person who will do anything for the company. I do think that you may have enjoyed your job a little more than usual tonight.”

I giggled with the glow of the instruments hiding my blushing.

“Annette, you have no idea what I went through tonight to ensure a good tour. I was over the top of the trenches and into the open fire from the other side and the relief of coming out alive was something to remember. The experience may have consequences way beyond this tour but I do believe that I may now be safe from being tortured to death by her mother.”

Her eyes got wide. “Oh, yes, do I see a deeper story here? You know that we girls tell each other everything, don’t you. The unvarnished truth, no BS, and no make-believe like the guys when they get together. Just you wait until we get time for a girl’s night out, then you will see just how far we go in trusting each other with our secrets.”

Just then Julia came back with three drinks and gave us one each as she took hers and sat in the second seat. She must have spoken to the others and had a smirk on her face that proved to me that I will never live this one down as long as I lived.

Then it struck me. Did I feel embarrassed by it or was I happy with what had happened. I decided that I was happy so raised my mug to the others and said, “To love.”

At about eight hours into the flight, we started preparations to land at the Daniel K. Inouye airport in Honolulu. Julia went off to help the others get the breakfasts ready as they started to get the passengers awake and dressed. Annette monitored the engineering board as Molly came back and I went back into the second seat.

The control tower told us that the wind this morning was from the south-west so our landing will be over Kalua Bay and the mountains so I got Julia on the intercom and told her we may get a little turbulence on the approach so to make sure all the passengers were in their seats and belted as soon as we put the signs on.

As we dropped from forty thousand the murmur from the passengers was becoming audible, so we closed off the doors and concentrated on our job. At twenty thousand I put the under-plane lights on to make sure everyone knew who was arriving and there was a little bit of bumping as we passed over the mountains and gliding directly on to the landing line.

Molly set us down as light as a feather and I hit the reverse thrust and we slowed to a gentle pace, turning onto the taxi way, and taking the long trip back to the terminals. We were guided to the Diamond Head Terminal 3, on gate six, the furthest from the busy parts as they could get us. When we stopped and shut down the sky-bridge was extended, and we opened the door to hear the sound of screaming fans waiting for us.

The ordinary passengers were sent out first and there was a look of fear on a few faces as they left the plane. When they had time to get clear and down to the luggage collection and Julia came back after overseeing the unloading, we got ready to farewell the band.

As they had no luggage to collect, they could be whisked through the crowd and into waiting cars to go to the hotel. Once they had left our cabin crew made ready and went up the sky-bridge.

Molly, Annette and I stayed with the plane as the sky-bridge was pulled back and a tractor was hooked up to the nose wheel. We kept our eyes out to make sure the wings didn’t foul anywhere as we were towed to the maintenance area where our own crew was ready to take over.

The three of us passed the plane to the ground crew and were taken to the hotel. We were all staying at the Hilton Waikiki, and it was funny that the three of us arrived at the same time as the others. The first of the passengers got there while we were getting our pass keys. They told us that the crowd of screaming fans had been very hard to get through and no-one envied the band at that moment.

The first three shows of the tour would be at the Aloha Stadium and the band would be doing short practice tomorrow morning. We were to be there mid-afternoon to look fabulous and make sure the dignitaries were well looked after.

With that being our next time on deck we all went to our rooms to get some decent sleep in. On the elevator up to our level Molly stood close to me and said, “I think I still need some reassurance, that is, if you didn’t wear yourself out reassuring Lesley.”

I laughed, “Molly, dear heart, if you can wait until we wake up again, I may be able to fully reassure you but before we sleep I may be able to provide a little lip service.”

We shared a room and stripped off, getting into bed and I showed her a few of the tricks that Lesley had taught me before we went off to sleep spooned together. We woke a little after midday and I did manage to reassure her once before our grumbling stomachs demanded that we head for the dining room. The wardrobe had casual resort wear, so we put on bikinis, mine being a bit bigger in the lower section, and threw light robes on.

When we got down to the dining room our cabin crew were already there and stood to give us hugs as we joined them. When Julia and Annette arrived, we all did the same for them and I felt as if I was part of a family.

There were several New York newspapers that had just been delivered and we were given a selection to look at. There was much giggling and squeals as my crew looked at the pictures from the launch. One which I loved was just a shot of Betsy taking off with the girl looking like Superwoman flying up into the sky.

Marianne Gregory © 2022