Chapter 24

The next week at the station was a repeat of the last one, endless meeting’s while the engineers tweaked and adjusted parts of the aircraft, and then they had to alter the manuals to suit.

Try has he would, Robert could never seem to reduce the pile of folders that seemed to grow on his desk every day. But he made time on Wednesday evening to return to his room and switch on his television set to catch Terry on the Spotlight show.

There were four guests including Terry, hosted by David Solomon. An author, whose book had just been published. An MP and Mike Tyrell a talk show host who had been axed by the BBC for some scandal some time ago.

Robert couldn’t recall what the scandal had been about.

He concentrated on Terry, she was in a smart light blue trouser suit, sitting quietly listening to the conversation of the other guests, but Tyrell kept butting in with some smart remark or other, obviously he was trying to hog the limelight.

Eventually Solomon turned to Terry and asked about her CD and the show she was currently in. Terry replied in a friendly manner, but then Tyrell suddenly laughed and said, “Yeah, but latching on to a VC didn’t harm your PR did it.”

Terry’s face went white with anger, “Mr Tyrell I met my fiancée before he was awarded the VC.” She said bitingly.

“Oh yeah”, Tyrell said in a smarmy voice, “When was that?” Terry never hesitated.

“About the same time, the papers broke the story of you and a fourteen year old school girl.”

Tyrell’s face turned white, if looks could kill Terry would have been dead, but she just smiled sweetly back at him.

He glared at her for a second, then suddenly tore off the mike attached to his coat and stormed off of the set.

The audience erupted in applause. It took several seconds for David Solomon to regain order, a wide smile on his face, matched by the smiles of the other two guests.

Robert managed to contact Terry later that night on the laptop. When her face came into view he could see that she had been crying.

“Bobby did you see the show?” She asked anxiously.

“Yes,” he chuckled.

“You don’t believe that bastard do you, that I only went after you because of the medal?”

“Oh course not, and you were perfectly right we did meet before I received it. But remind me never to get in an argument with you.” He said laughing.

She relaxed and they began to talk normally.

By Saturday he was exhausted with the work of trying to get the squadron ready.

Tim and he reached the motel just after 11pm; Terry had phoned to say they had the same rooms again. She was unpacking when he entered.

“Hello darling,” she said after giving him a quick kiss, “I won’t be long.”

He took off his jacket and lay on the bed.

When she had finished she turned around only to find he was fast asleep.

He woke the next morning to find Terry in her bathrobe watching him; he glanced at his watch it was after 10 am, he’d slept for over ten hours.

“Hi”, she said “would you like some coffee?” She moved to the tea and coffee kettle supplied by the motel.

He realised he was still dressed in his jeans and tee shirt. He rose from the bed. “I’m sorry darling I was a bit of a damp squib last night.”

She turned to face him her face serious, “You were exhausted, and any physical activity would have killed you.” She said smiling sadly. “Go and have a shower, shout if you need me to wash your back.”

He stripped off in the room and then walked naked into the bathroom. She heard the shower start followed by “Terry,” she smiled to herself undoing the bathrobe and tossing it on to the bed; she was naked as she went towards the bathroom.

Later Tim and Sue joined them for drinks, and they were discussing Terry’s tour that would be starting the following week, starting in Scotland. She would be away for a month, before returning to London.

This would be Robert’s and her last weekend at the motel until she returned.

Tim mentioned that Bill and Tom had contacted Carol and July and that they would be coming up the next weekend with Sue.

Robert said the place was turning into a bordello.

At which Tim said that the other two couldn’t understand how he and Robbie looked so refreshed when they themselves felt so knacked, so he had told them why.

The rest of the day passed. They made love but Terry knew he was tired, desperately so, and it reflected in their lovemaking.

When it came time to part on Monday morning he held her close knowing this would be the last time for a month.

“I hope you’ve packed Mr Vibrator”, he whispered, “I know what these randy Highlanders are like.”

“You should, you’re engaged to one.” She whispered. He kissed her; their lips welded together. A tear rolled down her cheek as he walked to Tim’s car.

For the next two weeks Robert was maintaining the pressure on others as well as himself to complete their assigned tasks.

Two more A10’s had arrived, the solutions they had found to their problems with the first A10 had been incorporated at the factory so that these didn’t suffer the same problems.

Robert had flown the first one and was immediately impressed. The new engines’ improved power was felt from the first flight.

At the beginning of the third week Robert was summoned to London to give the ministry a progress report.

There had been a problem with some of the software from a German manufacturer and he had dispatched Tim along with one of the eggheads to go out and solve it. They had already been out in Berlin a week with no solution as yet in sight.

Robert drove down to London for the 3 pm meeting and spent the next six hours explaining the situation. He finally left at 9:15 and rather than face the four-hour drive back to Renton that night he decided to sleep over night at Terry’s mews flat. The appeal of a shower and bed as opposed to driving at night won the argument.

He parked the car and let himself in with the key Terry had given him. He was on his way up the stairs when he heard music as he neared the lounge. He saw a dim light from a TV under the door way. He opened the door expecting Terry to be there, instead it was Sue. She jumped when he walked in.

“God Robbie you scared me.”

“Sorry Sue, what are you doing here?” He asked frowning.