Once again, I am honored to be a participant in, “The Art of Falling,” a themed writing event focusing on stories of first love. The story is fiction, although some of the names and events are based on actual people, occurrences, and witness accounts.

I hope you like the story, and as always, I enjoy your feedback so please keep those comments coming.

Even before opening his eyes, Reid broke into a big grin with his first thought of the day. He’d never again have to lie to his buddies about getting laid. It was bad enough when he was eighteen, but he’d never live it down if he admitted to still being a virgin at twenty years old, especially being in the Navy. If he was to believe all the stories, every man on the USS California had at least two beautiful women in every port.

His grin turned into a small chuckle as he listened to the cute, soft way she snored. He’d never heard a woman snore before. As he inhaled, he caught a hint of her fragrance. Reid opened his eyes and glanced at the white ceiling; his grin got even wider. It was true, he was in her apartment and the naked body snuggled against his own belonged to the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

It was so hard to believe. All his life, he’d been very shy around girls. He knew being a virgin was his own fault. He wasn’t bad looking and he was relatively smart, he simply lacked the confidence to even try getting a girl, well, up until the night before, anyway.

He had to take another look ... just to be sure. Reid lowered his chin until it gently touched her long, silky black hair. Leilani had her head resting in the nook of his shoulder with her arm stretched across his chest. Ever so carefully, so as not to disturb her, Reid leaned in and lightly kissed her forehead, then closed his eyes again and pondered how good life had been since joining the Navy.

Against his parent’s wishes, he enlisted right after high school. He didn’t do it to hurt them, but they had babied him his whole life, and it was time to become a man. He loved the sea, so the Navy was a no-brainer. Through sheer determination, he scored well all through boot camp and was assigned to the USS California, where he had reached the rank of seaman, 1rst class.

As a young man from a small town in Indiana, never did Reid think he’d ever see so much of the world. His ship had been involved with various training missions in the South Pacific and the West Coast. He loved San Francisco, but this ... this was heaven. Just a few months prior, President Roosevelt made Pearl Harbor their permanent home base. He loved his parents, but he wondered how he could ever go back to Indiana after experiencing life in paradise.

He felt Leilani stir. He opened his eyes and looked down into her smiling face. He still found it hard to believe he was in bed with such a beautiful woman.

“Ummmmm,” she cooed, “good morning.” She strained her head toward his with pursed lips. He met her halfway with a good morning kiss. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Like a log,” he replied.

“Me too, I think we wore each other out last night.”

She rolled against him and reached over. “Oh my, I could be wrong,” she said, feeling the stiff shaft of tightly stretched skin. “Something tells me you kind of like me.”

With his dick still in her hand, he did the man’s version of a kegel exercise and caused the head of his cock to nod yes. Leilani caught on immediately and playfully slapped his shoulder with a laugh. “Well, I kind of like you too. Now brace yourself because going to hop on and go for a ride,” she said swinging one leg over and centering the piece of meat she had in her hand.

Reid closed his eyes and arched his back as the warm sweet pussy slipped gently down his aching flesh. She put both hands on his chest and smiled into his sky-blue eyes while rocking back and forth. He felt so good. He was the perfect size and hard as nails. She smiled at the tiny groans of pleasure he emitted every time she pushed back, taking him all the way inside, right down to his balls. It only took a few minutes for Reid to feel he was getting close.

“Leilani, I...” he was interrupted by another pleasurable groan, “I’m going to come. I’m not wearing a condom.”

“It’s okay. I’m a couple weeks away from ovulating. Don’t hold back, baby, I want to feel it.”

He wasn’t even sure what ovulating meant but it sounded good anyway. She felt a hard push as he bucked his hip in the air. His whole body went stiff and he heard his beautiful lover scream in unison as they together for the fourth time in six hours.

They spent the next twenty minutes catching their breath and cuddling together. Leilani found herself wanting to spend as much time as she could with him. “What time do you have to be back?” she asked.

“I have a weekend pass,” he replied. “I don’t have to be back on the ship until eighteen hundred hours, tomorrow.”

“Oh, good, any special plans for today?”

“No, not really, most of the time, I spend liberty on the ship reading a book.”

“Wow, that sounds exciting,” she joked.

Leilani had dated quite a few sailors; living close to Pearl didn’t give her many options. Most were just good-time-Charlies out to get laid. She was certainly no prude, so if she liked a guy he got lucky, but she had to like him.

She liked Reid the moment she laid eyes on him. He stood out in the crowd, not in a flashy way, just the opposite; while everyone around him was loud, half in the bag and making a general nuisance of themselves, Reid was in control, maybe even a little shy; she liked that.

Rarely did she ever ask anyone to dance, but there was something about the sandy blond-haired man that just drew her attention. Maybe it was his penetrating blue eyes, she thought, but it was more than that. He had a shy charisma about him. He was delightfully different than anyone else she’d dated.

After several dances and a couple of drinks, she’d made up her mind they would wake up in her bed together. That’s when she discovered the true nature of his shyness; she had to practically knock him over the head and drag him to her apartment, which made him even more charming.

“How about if we have some breakfast and then do something together. Do you like photography? I have a camera and Oahu has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.”

Leilani knew the island like the back of her hand and took Reid on a sightseeing excursion he’d never forget. As the hours ticked away, they were getting to know each other better and better. Reid marveled at Leilani’s zest for life. He’d never seen anyone approach the day with so much joy and appreciation.

Leilani had never met anyone who could make her laugh so easily. The more comfortable he became in her company, the more of his personality came through. He had no hidden agenda, no deep-seated secrets; by the afternoon, she felt as if she’d known him all her life.

“Getting tired?” she asked with a smile. They had been hiking up and down through hills and valleys of lush landscapes all day.

“Ah, a little,” he admitted. “You should be a training officer,” he joked. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Maybe a little, but I do this all the time. Someday I’ll show you the albums I have. I’ve covered the entire island. I have hundreds of pictures; some of them are in color.”

“You really take photography seriously, don’t you?”

“I don’t know about that. I just love documenting the beauty of the island. Who knows where life will take us. I might wind up in New Jersey someday. If that happens, I’ll have my albums to help me look back and remember,” she said, a little wistfully. “Getting hungry? It’s almost dinner time. There’s a pretty good diner not too far from here.”

‘Not too far,’ turned out to be a little more than a mile. Reid was thankful to be able to sit for a while. As they ate, he wondered how the day would end. He assumed she had another date for the evening, which meant he’d probably just go back to the ship, but inwardly, he had to smile. Never had he met anyone like Leilani before. He wondered what it felt like to be in love. If it meant his heart beat like a drum every time he looked into her eyes, if it meant his pulse raced at her gentle touch, if it meant he couldn’t imagine his life without her ... then he was in love.

“How’s the chicken?” she asked.

“Every bit as good as you said it would be. Ummm, I suppose ... I mean, a girl as pretty as you probably ... Ah, I ... well, you’re probably getting tired of me by now, but...”

She had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to say, but there was that shyness again. She thought it was cute and somewhat flattering. He was very confident with his own abilities, but the confidence flew right out the window when he was around her. She wondered if that meant he felt the same way about her as she did about him. She decided to stop torturing him and jumped in.

“Actually, I was wondering if you had plans for this evening. I’d kind of like to see the inside of the new USO if you’re not too tired to do a little dancing. Then you’re welcome to spend the night again if you’d like.”

Reid was starting to wonder if the whole weekend so far had just been one big incredible dream. Up until then, he’d had maybe twelve or fifteen dates and had never even gotten to second base before. Now he’s about to spend two nights in a row with the most beautiful woman in Hawaii.

“I’d love that,” he enthusiastically replied.

“Good, just one thing. If we spend the night together, you have to come with me to church tomorrow morning, and I have to warn you, my parents will be there. They’ll probably ask you a dozen questions about your intentions, but you can just ignore them.” She chuckled.

“What if I don’t want to ignore them?”

She looked at him and smiled. “Well, then be honest with them,” she replied.

Reid nodded his head. “I can do that,” he answered. “Now, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“Do you think we could get the waitress to call us a cab? I really don’t think I can make it back to your apartment on foot.”

Leilani laughed. “I think we can do that.”

When they got back to Leilani’s apartment, she requested Reid’s shirt.

“My shirt?”

“Yeah, it’s a little rank. I’m going to rinse it out and hang it outside in the fresh air. Don’t worry, it’ll be dry by the time we leave. In the meantime, we need a bath. We both can’t fit in my tube, but if you scrub my back, I’ll scrub yours.”

“Deal,” he readily agreed.

“Me first,” she said while starting the water and dripping in a little bath oil. She wasn’t even trying to be sexy as she pealed her clothes off in front of him, but Reid had never seen anything that made his heart beat so hard. Ever so gracefully, she slipped into the warm, fragranced water. Reid knelt beside the tube and lathered up a washcloth. With a smile on her face, Leilani let her head fall back and hummed her approval as her young man lovingly let his hand glide over her body. After washing her back, Reid continued. He lost the washcloth, took the soap in his hand, and reverently slid under and around each breast. “Oh, God,” she moaned as his hand slithered further down and caressed her mound. “Don’t forget the inside,” she whispered.

At first, Reid didn’t know what she meant but it didn’t take long for him to figure it out. He’d never thought of getting a woman off with his finger but he was willing to try.

His middle finger found the divine entrance and slipped inside with no trouble. Not sure of what to do next he just let nature take its course with slow, steady strokes. He could tell she was enjoying it.

“Faster, babe, faster.”

His body started to become more roused as he picked up the pace.

“Yes, yes,” she almost screamed. “Don’t stop, I’m going to ... I’m...” Suddenly she clamped her legs closed and leaned forward, gripping his arm with both hands. She supported her head on his bicep as her body jerked with waves of passion.

“Oh, G-O-D,” she groaned while trying to catch her breath. “Damn, that was incredible,” she gushed, still trying to calm down. She looked up into his grinning face, “Okay, now it’s your turn. Get those clothes off, buster.”

Still naked, Leilani knelt beside the tube and returned the favor in much the same way. Reid felt like he was in heaven, feeling her delicate hands sliding over his body. She laughed and teased the tip of his cock that was sticking out of the water.

“Little Reid is just going to have to wait until I’m done washing the rest of your body,” she joked. The anticipation was torture for Reid.

Only a minute or so later, he gasped as her fingers wrapped around his rock-hard cock. She messaged his balls and stroked his flesh. She put her other around the back of his head and turned his face to passionately kiss his lips. She had him so excited that once he started to come he didn’t think he’d ever stop. Rope after rope of jism shot into the soapy water until his body felt like a wrung out dishrag. Watching Reid pant in the afterglow of a great orgasm gave Leilani a thrill she’d never before experienced. Never had she felt that way about a man. They finished their bathing encounter by drying each other with a towel. Leilani wrapped hers around her body and tucked the corner inside above her right breast, holding it together. “I’d better go check your shirt and see if it’s dry.”

“Like that?” he questioned.

“Sure, why not?” she joked back. “Would you get jealous?”

“Not me, I’m not the jealous type, but I’ll have to fight every guy in the neighborhood as he tries to attack you.”

“Would you do that for me?” she replied with a smile.

“They’d have to kill me to get to you.”

“Well then, I’d better put something on,” she chuckled, “I certainly wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”

It was almost five-thirty when they left. It was too nice an evening to ride so they decided to walk the six blocks to a nice little restaurant for dinner, then continue their moonlight stroll another four blocks to the USO. As they got to the end of her street, they were faced with a great view to the west.

“Oh, Reid, look at the sunset.” Leilani took his hand and leaned her head onto his shoulder. Reid put his arm around her waist as they stopped to watch the kaleidoscope of colors melt into the Pacific. They’d known each other for less than a day, but both Leilani and Reid had already developed strong feelings for one another.

They always had a live band at the USO on Saturday nights. Maybe it wasn’t Benny Goodman or Tommy Dorsey, but they were pretty good. Reid hadn’t been to many dances back in Indiana, so Leilani showed him a few jitterbug steps. It took him a few minutes but he was getting the hang of it. When the band slowed things down with “This Love of Mine,” Reid pulled her close where her body dissolved into his. Her eyes closed as the romantic words of the song penetrated their souls and made them one.

They had been there about an hour when they took a break and claimed a small table for a little R&R. Reid excused himself for the men’s room. As he came back out, he notice two sage green army uniforms from Hickam Field hovering over his date. At first, he wondered if she knew them, but as he approached, the expression on her face said she was annoyed with their company. That was enough for Reid.

He walked up behind Leilani’s chair and laid a protective hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, gentlemen,” he said trying to seem friendly, “she’s with me.” Leilani reached up and took his hand with a smile. Reid was hoping they’d take the hint but they weren’t going to be that easily dissuaded.

The bigger of the two looked at his buddy and laughed, then focused his attention back to Reid. “Go back to your ship, sailor boy, she’s too much woman for you.”

The two were a little bigger than he was, a little older, and probably more experienced, but this was his woman they were harassing. Reid showed no fear as he stepped in front of both of them. Just then they all heard another voice.

“Hey, Reid, is there a problem here?”

He looked over his shoulder and was very pleased to see two shipmates coming up behind them. “I’m not sure,” he replied, looking back at the two bullies. “Is there?”

This time it was the smaller man who spoke. “Come on, Brian, we don’t need any trouble, there’re broads all over the place.” Looking at Leilani, he continued, “You don’t know what you missed, sister.”

With that, they walked away. Inwardly, Reid let out a big sigh of relief and turned toward his rescuers, “Thanks, guys, I owe you.” He could see by the look on their faces that they were envious of his date. Usually, he was the one who had to grin and bear it while seeing the other guys with beautiful women. It felt really good to have the shoe on the other foot. He smiled with pride and introduced them to Leilani.

They talked briefly before saying their goodbyes. “Well, we have to get back to our dates. You two have fun. Reid, we’ll see you back at the ship on Monday.”

For the rest of the night, Leilani had stars in her eyes every time she looked at Reid. He showed no fear as he faced those two guys in defense of his fair maiden. He was her white knight, and in her mind, Reid would have vanquished the dastardly villains with one blow. Later that night she showed him her appreciation and admiration in the most intimate of ways.

The sun was barely peeking through the shades, but Reid had been awake for an hour already. The navy frowned on late sleepers. He had a million thoughts running through his head. The feelings he was having for Leilani were completely foreign to him. There was no doubt he loved her, but what could he do about it? He still had another year of active duty.

Then, of course, there was another question: how did she feel about him? He knew she liked him, but did she love him? Did she love him the way he loved her, and how would he find out?

He felt her start to stir. He looked and saw the smile on her face as she scooted alongside and rested her head on his chest with a comforting sigh. She hadn’t opened her eyes, yet but he knew she was awake.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Ummm,” she purred. “Good morning yourself, handsome.” She opened her eyes and looked at the clock on her nightstand. “Ooohh,” she moaned. “It’s six-thirty already; we have to get ready for church.” She looked up at him. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

“Are you kidding? Turn down a chance to meet the parents of the most fantastic woman on the island, not a chance.”

“Good,” she replied with a big smile, “because I want them to meet you, too.” She reached up and kissed him. “We don’t have time right now, but if you’re up to it, we can come back here after the service and spend the rest of the day in bed.”

Now his smile matched hers. “That sounds like pure heaven.”

“But right now we have to get going,” she said, swinging her beautiful legs over the side of the bed.

“How far is it?”

“It’s not far—maybe a twenty-minute walk. Are your legs up for it? We worked them pretty hard yesterday,” she said with a smile.

“I think I can make it,” he joked back.

The makings of a beautiful day were still in its infancy as the two lovers left Leilani’s apartment and headed for church. The conversation was light as they both joked back and forth about Reid meeting her parents. As they approached, the pastor was standing outside the church’s entrance, welcoming his congregation with a smile.

Leilani looked for her folks, but determined they were already inside. She took Reid’s hand as they joined the others and shuffled their way forward.

The murmur of the crowd muffled the sound, but Reid could hear a humming noise coming from a distance away. It sounded like aircraft, a lot of aircraft coming from the north. He looked up and saw a large dark cloud dropping in altitude. “What the hell?” slipped from his lips.

Airplanes were not an uncommon sight. Hickam Field was home to Hawaii’s army airfield and bomber base. It was also the headquarters for their air force. Leilani looked up to see what Reid was looking at. “What’s the matter?”

“Something’s wrong,” he said. He wasn’t sure why yet, but he could feel an intense fear building inside of him. “I know there’s a few B-17’s due in this morning, but that has to be hundreds of planes ... and where are they coming from?”

By that time the increasingly louder drone from hundreds of aircraft engines had reached the ears of the others. Everyone was looking to find the source and the quiet Sunday mumbling of the crowd was turning into a nervous chatter.

As their shadows covered more of the landscape, Reid was finally able to detect the contour of the planes. He could see their circle insignias and the bombs hanging from the wings. “THEY’RE JAPANESE ZEROS,” he yelled, “TAKE COVER, WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!”

“OH, MY GOD,” Leilani screamed. She clutched Reid’s arm. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, no doubt. Those are torpedoes on the wings. They’re going to bomb the fleet.” Reid looked into the terrified eyes of the woman who owned his heart. He reached for her shoulders and pulled her into what he knew could well be their last kiss. As their lips broke apart, Leilani threw her arms around him and squeezed for all her might, determined to not let go.

“I love you,” he softly whispered in her ear. He could feel her sobs against his chest.

“Oh, God, I love you, too, Reid. I love you so much. Come on, let’s get into the church. They won’t bomb a church, will they?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he replied. He forced their bodies apart so he could look into her eyes one last time. “Go inside, honey, find your parents and pray; pray hard.”

“What about you? Come with me. We’ll all pray together.”

“I can’t, honey. I have to get to my ship.”

“NO!” she screamed. “You can’t, don’t be silly. You’ll be killed.”

Just then they heard the first bombs exploding. Their bodies tensed as they saw plumes of black smoke bellow into the air.

“I have to, hon. I’ve got to get down there. People are depending on me. Now go, please get inside.”

“No,” she cried. Leilani sunk to her knees and hugged his legs to keep him from moving.

Reid looked over and saw the preacher coming over. He was a brave man and made sure everyone else was inside before seeking shelter for himself. He bent down and gently lifted his long-time parishioner to her feet. “Come, Leilani, we have to be brave. I’m afraid there’re going to be hard times ahead for all of us. We’re all going to be called on to do our part. We have to face the future with strength and courage.”

Reid watched while the preacher led her into the church. She looked back just before entering the steepled structure. Her eyes were red and swollen, her chest heaved as she sobbed, wracked with fear.

“I love you, Leilani, I love you with all my heart,” he called out.

As the church door closed behind them, Reid took off at a dead run. He could hear more planes from overhead as he cut through alleys and parking lots, taking the shortest route possible. As he turned a corner he could see battleship row for the first time. It looked like a scene from “Dante’s Infernal.” Fires everywhere created large black billowing clouds that darkened the sky.

His ears were ringing from the loud explosions and the smell of gun powder and burning oil overtook the fresh Hawaiian air as he reached the shoreline. Local fishermen, afraid of being caught on the water with no place to hide, scrambled full speed toward shore. Reid jumped in one of the abandoned dinghies and started the outboard motor with a single pull. The front end of the boat lifted out of the water as he gave it full throttle.

As he got closer, Reid could make out shadows of the men through the smoke. “Come on, come on you son-of-a-bitch, move it,” he cursed at the small motor’s lack of power. Every fiber in his body, every emotion told him he had to get on board and defend his ship.

He was so focused on the ship, he almost didn’t see the zero coming straight for him. There was no question the SOB had him in his sights. Without hesitation, he dove into the blood-stained water just as a hail of bullets made kindling of the small craft. More hot lead rained down, penetrating the warm tropical waters around him and narrowly missing. Reid swam under water as far as he could then broke the surface with long, powerful strokes, his ship was only a hundred yards away.

Cries of agony filled the air as he got closer. He looked up and saw a burning oil slick drifting his way. Reid took a deep breath, put his head down, and swam for all he was worth. There was no way he could swim through that fiery sea. He had to get to his ship first or he’d have to turn back.

The heat became more intense the closer he got. Luckily, someone had lowered the stairs. He grabbed ahold and hoisted himself up. As he reached the deck, he could already feel the ship listing to starboard and assumed the California had been hit. His shipmates scrambled for anything they could shoot. Reid looked toward the bow and saw a body slumped over the 20mm forward canon. He rushed over to see if he could help but was confronted by a grizzly sight when he lifted the body to see nothing left of the man’s face.

Reid reverently laid the body down on the deck, then took the man’s place behind the anti-aircraft weapon and swung it around just in time to catch a Mitsubishi in its sights. He pulled the trigger just as the aircraft was bearing down on him, and sent it to a watery grave.

Everything was chaos aboard the ship. The men were well trained, but no one was ready for a sneak attack of this magnitude. Reid was running out of ammunition. One of his shipmates heard him yelling for more.

“All the power is out. The elevators for the ammo don’t work,” he screamed over all the noise. “Ensign Jones and Warrant Officer Pharris have chains of guys passing ammunition up to us but it’s taking time. We’ll get you as much as we can.”

“Hurry,” Reid screamed back. “I’m almost out.” He had to reserve the few shells he had left by taking careful aim and squeezing off short bursts. As his ammo belt was coming to the end, Reid caught another zero pulling out of a dive and sent it spinning into the South Pacific waters.

A couple minutes later, a crew of guys set three crates of cartridge belts at his feet, then turned and ran back for more. So far, he had five Japanese zeros under his belt, one of which was about to shoot down one of the P-40 Tomahawks that joined the dogfight from Hickam Field. He had his sixth kill in his sights when everything went black.

Not far away, inside New Hope Church, the brave pastor led a terrified congregation in prayer as the sounds of war raged just outside their doors. Leilani, flanked by her dad and mom, was inconsolable. Her dad tried to calm her down. “Honey, we’re going to be all right. They’re not interested in civilians, hon. They won’t bomb a church.”

“No, no, you don’t understand,” she said while rapidly shaking her head. “Reid, he went back to his ship. He’ll be killed,” she cried out with hysterics. “I ... I tried to get him to come with me, but he said ... he said...” again, she broke out in tears and dropped her face into both hands.

Her mother looked over at Leilani’s dad with a questioning expression. He just shook his head with a slight shrug of his shoulders. They had no idea who she was talking about. The pastor went over and told them he’d seen Leilani in the company of a young man just before the bombing started. Her mom and dad waited until she seemed to be cried out. Her mother reached up and stroked her hair. “Honey, who is Reid?”

“He’s the man I love,” she replied in a whimper. “He’s not like anyone I ever met before. He’s brave and he’s kind and smart and compassionate ... and he loves me too.”

Even though Leilani was twenty years old, had a job, and her own apartment, her dad still considered her too young to fall in love. “Honey, you’ve never even mentioned him before. When did you meet him?”

“Friday night,” she replied. “Dad, I know what you’re going to say, but I love him. I ... I can’t even think of never seeing him again,” she said as she broke down one more time.

Her mother tried to console her. “Honey, I’m sure you’ll see him again.”

Leilani knew the chances were almost zero. She never learned his last name and she didn’t think he knew hers. With all the time they’d spent together, last names just didn’t seem important ... not at the time anyway. Now, should he go to war, they couldn’t even write to each other. He did know where she lived, but with war breaking out, what were the chances he’d be able to get back there? Leilani’s heart broke piece by piece with the realization that she’d never see her Reid again.

“Seaman Prescott, can you hear me?”

The ringing in his ears was almost deafening; so much so, Reid could barely hear the nurse’s voice. It was also painful to open his eyes to the light. He squinted for just a moment, then closed them again and groaned in agony. His whole body felt like it’d been through a grinder. “What ... what happened?”