Love in the Air

Tension continues to rise in the pawn shop as Kirk tries to conjure up a plan to save him and the owner's life. The owner is bleeding behind the counter, and three burly goons surround him. 

"Ready to meet your maker?" Andy asks, shoving his gun deeper into Kirk's head. The man starts to pull the trigger when they hear heavy footsteps tromping across the old wooden floor. Andy looks up to an officer in front of him. He then sees cops on either side. 

"Drop your weapon. Do it now," the officer demands. 

Seeing he's distracted, Kirk knocks the gun from the man's hand. A second officer tackles him to the ground. 

Kirk races behind the counter to find the owner being cared for by two female EMTs. 

The old man looks up, winks,, and says, "I'm being cared for by two beauties. What can be better than that?"

***

Tommy is cruising down a long stretch of highway. The wind is whipping through his thick, dishwater blond hair. An iconic song plays on the radio as he recalls today's horrific events. The police hauled him to the station, where he was grilled for four very grueling hours. Refusing to confess to the home invasion and only having circumstantial evidence to back up the woman's story, they had no choice but to let him go. 

"If I'd called it quits after yesterday's heist, I wouldn't have had to go through what I did today. Oh, why didn't I listen to my gut? Why?" A second thought suddenly comes to mind. "If I give up now, things will go back to the way they were, no harm, no foul, and no going to jail. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Call it quits now while I'm still ahead." He's nearly convinced himself to call it all off when Jen's beautiful face comes to mind. "I can't stop now, not until I get the money she needs. So what should I do differently to prevent it from happening again?" He quickly replays the last two heists in his mind. "I need to be more careful, and I have an escape plan in case things go south." 

His ringing phone breaks his train of thought. Picking it up, he puts it on speaker. 

"Tommy, it's me, Vinn."

"Did you make it out alright?" Tommy asks, remembering how he left his friends in the shed.

 "It was a breeze once the fuzz cleared out."

"Lucky you. The cops cuffed me and hauled my ass to jail."

 "You didn't spill the beans on us, did you?" 

"I'm no snitch, Vinn. You, of all people, should know that."

"I didn't mean it like that, Tommy; I just thought…"

 "I claimed I'd been working in the yard all afternoon." 

"And they believed you?"

"Without any evidence cooperating the woman's story, they didn't have much choice." 

"I'm glad we all made it out alright again."

 Hearing the change in his tone, Tommy asks? "What's wrong, Vinn?" 

 "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

 Tommy's thoughts immediately turn to his wife. Tommy's hands tremble, his stomach balls into a hard not as he asks, "What's wrong with Jen?" 

"It's not about Jen, it's about the stuff we took today."

"Yeah, I'm listening," Tommy says, trying to calm his nerves.

" I'm afraid it's all knockoffs, dimestore junk."

 "You've got to be kidding me."

" I wish I were." Vinnie gulps and then says, "This whole robber thing isn't working out for me or for Larr." 

 "You guys aren't backing out on me, are you, Vinn?"

" I hate to do this to you, Tommy, but Larr and I are out."

"You can't quit on me now."

" I'm sorry, Tommy, but our hauls aren't worth the risk." The call disconnects. 

I can't do this alone, I can't, Tommy thinks, skidding to the side of the road.

"Damn, Damn, damn." He yells, slamming his hand against the wheel. He's never felt so helpless or been in a situation that's felt so hopeless in all of his life, which says a lot considering how he grew up. 

Events from the past few days replay in his mind. He recalls the interrogation and the captain's warning about locking him away for life: "Vin's right. The robbers aren't worth the risk, especially when we end up with knockoff trash." 

He then pictures Jen lying helpless in bed, hooked up to a large assortment of machines. Devices that are keeping her and their baby girl alive. Wiping the tears streaming down his face, with all the determination he can muster, Tommy says, "I have to make this work, somehow. I just gotta for Jen and the baby's sake."

 He starts to pull back onto the road when he sees what looks to be a younger version of him and Jen on a motorcycle."Jen and I haven't been riding in years." Tommy recalls how they looked forward to all their little getaways. All their picnics at the park. Making love under the starry skies. Tommy then remembers the day he first spoke with Jen. 

Tommy is finishing up some business when she walks by. Jen's long blond hair hangs loosely past her shoulders. Her tight baby blue blouse showcases her perky breasts. The short denim skirt shows off her trim figure and long, slender legs. He looks up at Jen, a sparkle of hope in his eyes, and nervously says, "Hey, doll face." 

"Who me?" she asks as she anxiously glances around. 

"You're the only doll face I see." He winks, hoping to hide his fear lurking just below the surface.

Jen's heart skips a beat as he strolls toward her. She'd always thought this bad boy was hot and hoped she'd have the courage to talk to him someday. Sometimes, late at night, she'd fantasize about what it'd be like to be with a rebel like him. 

 "How would you like to ride my bike?" he asks, stepping up beside her. He adds, "I promise to take it slow. The ride, take the ride slow, I mean," he quickly corrects. 

Jen thinks about all the things she's dreamed of doing but doesn't because she knows what her parents would say. How they'd claim she's being irresponsible and that she'll turn out like her drug-addicted sister someday if she doesn't start using her brain. Screw them and all their criticism; Jen thinks, "You swear you won't go too fast?"

 "I would say Boy Scout's honor, but I've never been a Boy Scout."

 Jen glances at Tommy and then the bike again. She then recalls her parents saying they'd disown her if she even started acting like Jan. "No. No, I can't. I just can't, " she says, walking away. Hearing scuffling in the dirt, she turns around to find Tommy kicking away some rocks with what looks to be a tear trickling down his cheek. "He's as heartbroken as me," she thinks. Her parent's words replay in her mind. Grams won't let them do to me what they did to Jan. Jen looks at the bike, then at Tommy, and says, "Alright, but only if you promise to take it slow. The ride, that is," Jen smiles.

" I will, doll, I promise." Tommy hands her a helmet. "We need to protect your beautiful head." He strums his finger down the side of her cheek. Arching his eyebrows, he says, "Beautiful indeed."

Feeling herself blush, Jen pulls the protective gear over her head.

"Climb on," Tommy instructs. She nervously scoots in behind him. "Good, now put your arms around my waist." 

"Like this?" She presses her body against him, her hands around his middle. The scent of his cologne intoxicates her as she leans against his muscular frame. "I could get use to this," she says, snuggling in closer.