"A Convenient Proposal" [PG-13] 3/5

"A CONVENIENT PROPOSAL"

PART 3 - A Little Help From Friends

"Say that again?" Barbara nearly screeched. Her blue eyes had grown wide with shock. 

Evelyn quietly repeated her announcement. That Rafe had asked her to marry him. Barbara continued, "And you're upset over that?"

"Who said anything about me being upset?" a petulant Evelyn asked.

Martha rolled her eyes. "Honey, you should have seen your face when you came in. You looked as if you could take on Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini all by yourself. I'd say you were very upset."

A sigh left Evelyn's mouth. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right," she conceded. "I admit it. I am upset."

Curiosity gleamed in Sandra's dark eyes. "Over Rafe's proposal?"

Evelyn glumly nodded.

"Why would that upset you?" Barbara demanded. "That's something I've been dreaming of for years."

In subdued tones, Evelyn described Rafe's proposal, word by word. Both Barbara and Martha reacted with groans. A disapproving frown touched Sandra's brow and the fourth nurse, Clarice, stared at Evelyn with confused eyes. "I don't understand. Aren't you glad that he proposed? I mean . . . well, at least your baby will finally have a father."

"Which is why you should have accepted him in the first place," Sandra added, still frowning. "You have to think of the baby, Evelyn. He . . . or she needs both a mother and a father."

Barbara threw her hands in the air out of sheer exasperation. "Have you two been listening? Rafe proposed marriage to her out of pity. Or out of some dumb male obligation to a dead buddy." Evelyn winced at the crude reference to Danny's death. Barbara noticed and quickly murmured an apology.

"What Barbara is trying to say in her most subtle manner," Martha continued in an arch voice, "is that Evelyn wants more than a marriage of convenience."

Clarice shook her head. "I don't understand. If Lieu . . . uh, Captain Walker was still alive, I can see why she would be upset. But isn't that a moot point now that he's gone?" She turned to Evelyn. "Right?"

Evelyn looked away. An increasingly familiar guilt tugged at her heart, as she answered, "Not quite, Clarice. It's a little more complicated than that."

Sighs from the other three nurses filled the kitchen. Sandra removed her glasses and used a napkin to clean the lenses. "What Evelyn meant was . . ." she hesitated, her narrow face forming another frown. "Well, to be honest, I'm a little unsure about how she feels."

"For crying out loud!" Martha stood up and headed for the refrigerator. "I need a drink." She reached inside the refrigerator and removed a bottle of beer. "Anyone else want a bottle?" she asked. No one answered.

Evelyn took a sip of her coffee. "You see, it's like this, Clarice. About eighteen months ago, when we were stationed in New York, Rafe and I met and fell in love."

"It was the funniest thing," Barbara added, laughter bubbling on her lips. "Evelyn told us all about it. They met when we were assigned to give physicals for the Army pilots at Mitchell . . ." The words died under Evelyn's direct glare. "Sorry, honey. Go ahead."

Evelyn continued, "Thank you. Anyway, to make a long story short, Rafe and I had fallen in love and dated for about a month, until he left the States to fly with the Eagle Squadron in England. You've heard about the American pilots who fought with the RAF, right?"

Clarice nodded. "Yeah. I saw 'A Yank in the RAF'."

Americans, Evelyn decided, must be the only people who refer to movies in regard to history. She continued, "After Rafe left for England, the Navy shipped us to Hawaii. Rafe's squadron also came here. Then Danny and I received word that Rafe had been killed in a dogfight over the English Channel. We . . ." Memories of those three miserable months following Rafe's "death" hit Evelyn. She found herself struggling to fight back a wave of melancholy.

Sandra's voice expressed concern. "Are you okay, Ev?"

"I'm fine. Fine." Evelyn took a deep breath. "Well, after Danny told me about what happened to Rafe, the next three months were hard." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "For both of us."

Martha finished for her. "Three months after Evelyn and Danny learned what happened to Rafe, they started dating. Barbara saw them together, at the Black Rock Café."

"That wasn't a date," Evelyn explained. "We had ran into each other at the movies. But after . . ."

Clarice continued, "But afterward, you two began dating. I understand. You wanted to move on. And you fell in love."

Evelyn remained silent. She did not know how to reply to Clarice's supposition. Had she and Danny really fallen in love? Or only Danny? She had wonderful memories of their two months together. And yet . . .

"They fell in love," Sandra said, repeating Clarice's words. "And Rafe came back from the dead. He had been stuck in France all that time. Well, the Japanese attacked over a day after Rafe returned. Evelyn and Danny became engaged." She paused. "You two were engaged, right?"

A brief hesitation followed before Evelyn could reply. "Well, I . . ." Someone interrupted before she could finish.

"Of course Ev and Danny became engaged," Martha interjected. "Especially after he found out about the baby."

Evelyn quietly added, "I never told Danny about the baby."

"What?" Four voices cried out in unison. A silent pause then filled the kitchen. Evelyn found herself facing eyes that either expressed shock or surprise.

Martha finally broke the silence. "You didn't tell him? Geez Louise! Evelyn, why didn't you?"

"Because, he was about to leave for a dangerous mission," Evelyn explained. "And I didn't want him to become distracted."

Sandra burst out with, "Golly Ev! I understand. Really, I do. But . . ." For the first time, she expressed signs of nervousness. "Your little noble act proved useless in the end, didn't it? Maybe you should have told Danny. At least he would have married you before he left." She paused. "Did Rafe know?"

Evelyn hesitated. "Yes." Gasps burst out of the other nurses' mouths.

"You told Rafe, but not Danny?" Martha demanded.

"I didn't mean to!" Evelyn protested. "But I had to let Rafe know where we stood." Murmurs of understanding followed.

Clarice stared at Evelyn with sad eyes. "Gee, you really must have had a difficult time, lately. The man you love is dead and you're having his baby."

"Poor Evelyn," Sandra murmured compassionately. "We know it's been tough for you. But you still have Rafe. You may not be in love with him anymore," Evelyn glanced away to hide the bitter set of her mouth, "but at least he's willing to help you."

"How do you known that Evelyn doesn't love Rafe anymore?" Martha protested. "For all you know, she had decided to stay with Danny because of the baby."

The red-haired nurse dismissed Martha's idea with a wave of the hand. "That's silly. If she was still in love with Rafe, she would have never dated Danny in the first place." 

Martha's eyes rolled upward. "Who are you suppose to be? Mrs. Sigmund Freud? Or some student of the human psyche?"

Dark brown eyes flashed with anger. "I do know Evelyn," Sandra replied heatedly. "And she happens to be a decent woman."

"Oh brother!" Martha snidely shot back. "Look what we have here! Our very own bastion of morality!"

Sandra gave the older woman a pointed stare. "Unlike Evelyn or myself, some people may be beyond help when it comes to leading a decent life. I wonder who."

Martha retorted, "At least I'm not blind to possibilities other than moral ones. You know, the possibility that Evelyn may have dated Danny because she was lonely."

All eyes turned to Evelyn. Sandra demanded, "Evelyn, who were you in love with? Rafe or Danny?"

The pregnant woman winced at Sandra's direct question and the intense scrutiny from the other three nurses. "What is this?" she protested. "The Spanish Inquisition?"

"Yeah," Barbara added, glaring at the others. "You guys are all over the poor woman like locust. Let her breath a little. Sandra, why don't you give Martha and Clarice a ride back to the base. It's almost time for curfew."

Sandra replied, "We're only trying to help. Besides, curfew won't arrive in another three hours or so."

"Three hours can go by pretty fast. Now am-scray!" Barbara ordered.

Grumbling to themselves, Sandra, Martha and Clarice slowly filed out of the kitchen. Sandra reminded Evelyn that she was available if the latter needed to talk. Once Barbara and Evelyn were alone, the blond nurse leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "Honey," she said, "I think we need to talk."

* * * *

Four pairs of eyes belonging to three pilots and a mechanic gawked at Rafe, following his earth-shattering announcement. "Uh Rafe," Red began, "did you just say . . .?"

"I asked Evelyn to marry me," Rafe repeated himself.

Earl added, "And she said no. Huh." His thick brows formed double arches. "No wonder you seem pissed." Rafe shot him a dark glare. Earl's face turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry, Captain."

"She said no?" Steve demanded. "Why?"

Rafe shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't know. Maybe she didn't like the way I had proposed."

His table companions mumbled their condolences. "Too bad," Gooz added, "considering that baby will be here any minute. I reckon it could use a daddy."

"That baby?" Rafe's voice expressed irritation. "Evelyn's baby is a 'that'?"

Gooz shot back, "Well, hell! How am I supposed to know whether it will be a boy or a girl? Do you?"

A retort hung on Rafe's lips. However, he remained silent. He could not argue with the truth.

"Say Captain, what exactly did you say to her when you proposed?" Earl asked.

Rafe recounted the exact words he had said to Evelyn. Both Red and Steve groaned aloud. Gooz rolled his eyes and Earl merely stared at Rafe with disbelief. "She actually got pissed off from that? Why?"

"Are you kidding?" Steve turned on the sergeant. "No woman in her right mind would accept a proposal like that. No matter how she feels about the guy."

Earl demanded, "What are you talking about? Lieu . . . Captain Walker's girl is expecting a baby. He's gone and Captain McCawley here, has offered to help out. What the hell is wrong with that? He'll give the baby a name and a father - if he survives the war. And it's not like they have to stay married forever."

Rafe wanted to slink away and die. Instead, he let out an audible groan. No wonder Evelyn had lost her temper. Jesus! Thinking about it now, his proposal did seem rather cold-blooded.

"Why don't you tell us the truth, Rafe?" Red quietly said. His voice sounded unusually tired. "About Evelyn."

Earl's gaze shifted between the two officers. "What truth?"

Taking a deep breath, Rafe confessed. "Evelyn and I first dated over a year ago. Just before I left for England."

"Say that again?"

Rafe told the mechanic the entire story. About how he and Evelyn first met, their separation, Rafe's months in the RAF, news of his death reaching Evelyn and Danny, their subsequent romance, his arrival in Hawaii and Evelyn's announcement about the baby. "Since she was carrying Danny's baby, I figured it would be best for me to bow out. Only, Danny was . . ." His eyes riveted toward the half-empty beach beyond, as he tried to force away memories of those moments in the rice paddy. "Well, Danny got killed and now, Evelyn is alone and pregnant."

"And you still love her," Earl knowingly added. He shook his head. "Jesus! This all sounds like one of those Fannie Hurst novels my second wife liked to read."

Red's eyes became blank. Steve cried out, "Huh?"

"Fannie Hurst," Gooz added in his usual laconic manner. "She wrote a lot of melodramas around ten or twenty years ago. "IMITATION OF LIFE", "BACK STREET". There was a new movie version of "BACK STREET" about a year ago. With Margaret Sullivan."

Earl looked at the pilot as if the latter had lost his mind. "You read Fannie Hurst novels?"

Gooz's face became rock-like. "Sure," he mumbled. "What's wrong with that?"

"Brother, if you don't know the answer to that, you don't deserve to be a pilot," Steve said, shaking his head. "Fannie Hurst."

Earl turned to Rafe. "So Captain, you're still in love with this Evelyn. Does she feel the same about you?"

Rafe sighed. "Hell, I don't know. She once told me that she would always think of me whenever she saw a sunset. I don't know if she still feels the same. What do you think?"

"Hell, if she got pissed off from that proposal you gave her, I guess she does." Earl paused. "Then again, what would I know? I've got two failed marriages under my belt. I'm the last person to give advice on romance. What about you, Steve?"

The dark-haired pilot swallowed the last of his beer. "I haven't had a date since before the war, six months ago. Don't ask me." His glanced at Gooz. "Maybe you should ask the Fannie Hurst fan, here."

"I may like Fannie Hurst, but I don't know a thing about romance," Gooz mumbled. "Sorry, can't help you."

The table fell silent. The other pilots stared at Red, who merely shrugged.

Rafe sighed. "Maybe I should just . . ."

A pilot burst through the beaded curtain, interrupting Rafe. His broad face was red with excitement. "Hey! Morley's girl from back home has just agreed to marry him. Free drinks are on him." He immediately returned to the bar.

Earl, Gooz and Steve immediately rose to their feet. "Free drinks Captain," Earl said. "Plan to join us?"

"That's okay." Rafe shook his head. "Maybe later."

The three men disappeared behind the curtain. Rafe reached for the bottle of bourbon. A hand grabbed the bottle from his grasp. Red's. The red-haired pilot's face looked serious. "Can we talk, Rafe?" He nodded toward the beach. "While we take a walk?"

A feeling struck Rafe that Red had something to say about his situation with Evelyn. He decided it was no time like the present. "Sure," he replied and the two men descended the small staircase from the bar and headed for the beach.


END OF PART 3

"A Convenient Proposal" [PG-13] 2/5

A CONVENIENT PROPOSAL"

PART 2 - Revelations

Evelyn leaned against the door, closed her eyes and sighed. Her body trembled from the furious outburst she had unleashed upon Rafe. Thoughts of the Army pilot produced another swell of anger. How could he possibly think she would accept such a proposal? Or think she would marry him out of convenience?

Well, you were prepared to do the same with Danny, weren't you? Evelyn immediately balked at her inner voice. She tried to convince herself that Danny was another matter. Or that Danny would have never proposed to her out of mere convenience. You would have accepted his proposal for that very same reason. Who are you to castigate Rafe? Evelyn ruthlessly squelched her last thoughts and started for her bedroom. She was in no mood to feel guilty over her temper outburst at Rafe. Not when she had other guilty feelings to deal with.

A voice from the kitchen cried out, "Evelyn? Is that you?" Martha. She and the other nurses must have returned from the base at Pearl. "Hey, Evelyn!"

Evelyn turned toward the kitchen, where she found her three roommates and a fourth nurse, sitting around the table eating sandwiches. "Hi," she greeted the quartet. "I thought you guys would still be at the hospital. Especially with so many wounded still coming in from Midway."

Over two weeks had passed since the June 4th battle between the U.S. and Japanese naval forces near Midway Island. While the country celebrated its first major victory against Japan, many American military hospitals, including the one at Pearl, had to deal with the sudden influx of wounded sailors and pilots.

The blond and sharp-tongued Barbara stifled a yawn, as she reached for a pot of coffee. "You've been gone too long. Our shift had ended over a half-hour ago, thank goodness. It seemed as if we've been living at that damn hospital for nearly two weeks, now."

"How is Rafe?" Sandra asked. The pretty, red-haired nurse removed her glasses. "Did his plane arrive on time?"

The mention of Rafe's name brought upon an unexpected wave of anger and sadness within Evelyn. She immediately squashed it and eased her bulky form into an empty chair. "Yeah, Rafe arrived. And right on time." Her reply drew stares from the other nurses. Evelyn realized that she must have sounded curt.

The oldest of the Navy nurses who shared Evelyn's bungalow reached over the latter's shoulder for a sandwich. Like Barbara, Martha was a working-class young woman from the East Coast who had developed a sharp tongue after years of dealing with life's disappointments. However, unlike Barbara, she had dark hair, a pleasant face and weighed several extra pounds.

"Hey kiddo," Martha began. "Is there something wrong? For a moment there, I thought you were gonna bite off Sandra's head." She gave Evelyn a shrewd look. "Something happened between you and Rafe?"

Evelyn blinked. Good old Martha. Never one to pull a punch. "No," replied curtly. "Everything's fine." Evelyn bit her tongue the moment she spoke. Again, she had responded a lot more sharply than she had intended. For once she wished she would think before opening her mouth.

"Everything's fine, huh?" One of Martha's dark brows cocked upward. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were pissed at him." Her use of profanity drew gasps from Sandra and fourth nurse, whose name escaped had escaped Evelyn's memory. "For crying out loud, you two! Grow up!"

Barbara added, "She's right. It's 1942 and there's a war going on. Besides, you've heard worse in the hospital. Geez!"

Grateful for the distraction, Evelyn smiled and reached for the coffee pot. The fourth nurse, whose name Evelyn now remembered as Clarice, reached it first and filled an empty cup with coffee. She handed the cup to Evelyn, who thanked her.

"Pardon me," Sandra retorted in her usual supercilious manner, "but not all of us are that worldly. My mother had raised me to be a lady. So, if you don't mind . . ."

The exhaustion on Barbara's face immediately vanished. She now looked as if she was ready to establish her own battleground. "A lady?" She snorted with derision. "Get her! I suppose you're trying to say that the rest of us 'worldly minions' aren't ladies?"

Sandra's eyes blazed with anger. "You're twisting my words! All I'm trying to say is . . ."

"Hey!" Martha's outburst interrupted the verbal battle. "You two can go at each other's throats another time. Right now, I'm more interested in Evelyn!" She faced the pregnant woman. "Well? Did Rafe say something to upset you?"

With four pairs of eyes riveted upon her, Evelyn realized she could no longer dodge the issue. Damn! If only Barbara and Sandra's fight had lasted a little longer. Might as well tell the truth. Or the girls will hound her until she does.

Evelyn cleared her throat. "If you must know," she began in a shaky voice, "Rafe had asked me to marry him."

* * * * 

The moment Evelyn slammed the door in his face, Rafe found himself frozen on the spot. Her actions had taken him by surprise. He had been certain that she would accept his marriage proposal.

Once the shock wore off, he felt an urge to bang on the door. Demand why she had rejected him. Yet, a mixture of uncertainty and fear prevented him. Nor did Rafe want to attract any unwanted attention, in case Evelyn's other roommates happened to be inside the house. He leaned his forehead against the door, hoping that somehow, she would read his thoughts. When that hope vanished, Rafe heaved a deep sigh and returned to the Buick.

He drove all the way back to Hickam Field and the new barracks that now housed the Army's pilots. When Rafe had first arrived in Hawaii over six months ago, he found himself homeless. He had arrived on a Friday night and most of the base's personnel, including the Quartermaster, had disappeared for the weekend and Rafe ended up at a local motel. Upon his return from the Tokyo raid, he had better luck and was housed with the rest of the pilots in new quarters.

After a twenty minute drive, Hickam Field loomed ahead. Upon arriving at his new quarters, Rafe found a noted taped to the door:

"Rafe,

Welcome back. Meet us at the Hula-La.

Red"

The Hula-La. The bar brought back memories of that last evening of peace, when Rafe had drank himself silly before getting into a fight with Danny. He even recalled seeing his own photograph on the wall behind the bar. Scrawled above were the words - KILLED IN ACTION. Rafe could only assume that his photo had been replaced with those of Danny, Anthony and other pilots who had recently died. He did not look forward to seeing Danny's picture on that wall. Then again, he was not in the mood to spend a lonely evening by himself.

With a sigh, he entered his quarters, took a shower, changed into civies and after climbing back into the Buick, drove toward the pilots' favorite bar. Rafe parked the convertible in front of a gazebo, topped by a thatched roof. Oriental and Polynesian knickknacks decorated the bar's interior and large statue of a Hawaiian girl in a hula skirt rose above the structure. He could hear strains of the Andrews Sisters singing "Rum and Coca-Cola", as he entered the bar.

"Rafe!" "Hey! Look who's here!" "How was the mainland, Rafe?" The young captain smiled, as his fellow pilots cried out to greet him. His eyes fell upon the photographs pinned to the wall behind the Hawaiian bartender. Sure enough, there photos of those who had either been killed during the Pearl Harbor attack last December, or during the Doolittle Raid. Rafe recognized several among them - Billy, Joe, Anthony and Danny. His smile disappeared.

Everyone's favorite red-haired pilot strode forward and slapped Rafe's shoulder. "Welcome back, Rafe. Glad to see you." There seemed to be no hint of Red Winkle's usual stutter.

"Thanks Red, "Rafe murmured. The pair joined the others at the bar. "Hey, everyone. What's buzzing?"

Gooz Wood replied in his usual laconic manner, "Nothin much. We just came back from another patrol. I guess you heard about Midway."

"Who hasn't these days? That's all everyone was talking about, while I was back home." Rafe grew silent. Again, his eyes shifted toward the photographs.

One pilot said, "Man, I would have loved to have been in that action. Midway!" His eyes gleamed with exultation. "Get another shot at the Japs after that Tokyo raid." Rafe and several other pilots stared at him. He was one of the new replacement pilots assigned to fill Rafe's squadron after the Doolittle raid.

"Midway was a Navy operation," said a familiar gruff voice. The pilots stepped aside to reveal the tall, slightly bedraggled figure in overalls. It was Earl, the squadron's chief mechanic, standing in the doorway. "After what you fellas did to Tokyo, naturally the Navy boys wanted their time in the sun."

Rafe allowed himself a slight smile. Army versus Navy. Not even wartime could stop that age-old rivalry. "I doubt that publicity had anything to with that, Sergeant," he said. "The Navy were simply the right people to stop the Japs at Midway. An Army operation probably would have been ineffective."

"If you say so, Captain." The mechanic joined the pilots at the bar. "I hope you don't mind me joining you, sir."

"Be my guest, Earl. Drinks are on me." Whoops filled the air, as Rafe dug several bills out of his pocket. The others soon issued their orders to the bartender, who began serving drinks. Rafe ordered a straight bourbon.

Once the bartendder had served all of the drinks, Rafe, Red, Gooz, Earl and a fourth pilot named Steve McCormick, retired to an empty table behind a beaded curtain. Like the other three pilots, Steve was a survivor from the Tokyo raid. Rafe took a sip of his bourbon and said, "By the way, fellas, thanks for not picking me up, this afternoon. Where were you?"

Anxiety flitted across Gooz's face. "Wasn't Evelyn there to pick you up?"

"Unfortunately, she was."

Red replied, "We ra. . . ran into . . . ran into E-E-Evelyn at the movies. When we told her a-a-abo. . . about you, she asked to p-p-pick you up in . . . instead." His stuttering seemed to have returned with a vengeance.

A sigh left Rafe's mouth. He had not meant to make Red that nervous.

"Evelyn?" Earl's brows quirked upward. "Isn't that Lieu . . . uh, Captain Walker's girl? The Navy nurse?" The sergeant's question drew a heavy silence from his four companions. He frowned. "Did I just say something wro . . .?"

Rafe interrupted. "No, didn't," he said curtly. "She was Danny's girl."

Another stretch of silence followed. Rafe barely paid attention to the tension from the other four men. Or the music blasting from the jukebox. "You okay, Captain?" Earl asked uneasily. "You seem a bit sore just now." 

"No," Rafe said, shaking his head. "Everything's fine." His mouth formed a grim line. "Just swell."

Earl gave Rafe a leery glance. "Uh huh. I, uh, I wondered what happened to her. Pretty lady. She must have taken Danny's death pretty hard."

Someone coughed. Red. Rafe poured himself another shot of bourbon. "Yeah," he finally answered. "She did." More silence followed. Rafe found himself wishing he had remained at the barracks. Hell, he regretted a lot of things. Including his marriage proposal to Evelyn.

"If everything is swell," Red asked, "why are you looking so sore?"

Without even thinking, Rafe replied, "Because I had proposed marriage to Evelyn and she said no." His mouth clamped shut the moment he spoke his last word. Dammit! When will he ever learn not to drink and talk at the same time? 

END OF PART 2"

"A Convenient Proposal" [PG-13] 1/5

The following is a "PEARL HARBOR" (the movie) story I had written some time ago. It is called, "A Convenient Proposal" and is set several weeks following the Doolittle pilots to Hawaii:


A CONVENIENT PROPOSAL

RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: Rafe returns to Hawaii after burying Danny in Tennessee and asks Evelyn a very important question.
DISCLAIMER: Yadda, yadda, yadda! All characters pertaining to the motion picture, "Pearl Harbor", belong to Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Bay, Randall Wallace and the Walt Disney Company . . . unfortunately.

NOTE: Following Danny's death, I've always wondered how Rafe and Evelyn managed to resolve their problems and become the happily married couple shown at the end of the movie.

------

PART 1 - The Proposal


Talk about déjà vu. Evelyn Johnson stood near a gate at Hickham Field and watched a B-25 aircraft circle over the runway. Her hand gently pressed against her swollen belly, as she sighed.

Just nearly a month ago, she had stood at this very same spot, awaiting the arrival of the Doolittle Raid pilots who had returned from China. Evelyn recalled feeling a surge of happiness at the sight of one Rafe McCawley descending from another plane. That happiness had soon transformed into dread when Rafe failed to return her smile. And when the other surviving pilots left the plane, carrying a coffin, Evelyn's dread became grief. Draped over the coffin was Danny's flight jacket.

Danny Walker. A wave of grief washed over Evelyn. Along with guilt. She had been carrying his child for nearly seven months. Ever since that evening inside the hangar, following a flight over Oahu. Evelyn considered that evening a magical time for her. Without it and other times with Danny, she would have never recovered from her heart-wrenching grief that had threatened to consume her, following news of Rafe's "death" over the English Channel. Yet, Rafe did return and Evelyn's happiness soon became chaos.

The B-25 straightened out as it glided over the runway. The wheels extended and the plane finally touched down. Evelyn held her breath as it rolled to a stop. A minute passed before the plane's doors swung open. Four Army officers - two men and two women descended the stairway. A fifth figure appeared in the plane's doorway. Rafe.

Evelyn let out a gust of breath. Her heartbeat increased ten times its normal pace. A warm flush ignited her skin. Even after all that has happened between them in the past year-and-a-half, Rafe's presence still managed to affect her, since that first moment their eyes met back in New York.

Brown eyes scoured the airfield, until they rested upon Evelyn. An invisible electricity crackled in the air.  Evelyn longed to run toward Rafe and throw her arms around him. Unfortunately, her bulky form made that impossible. Instead, she waved. Rafe returned her wave with a smile. A rather dim one, in Evelyn's opinion.

With one hand holding his overnight bag and the other, clenching his Army jacket, the Tennessee pilot strode toward Evelyn. "Hey," he greeted quietly.

Evelyn replied in an equally quiet voice, "Hey, yourself." She reached out to touch his arm. Rafe did not flinch from her touch. Nor did he seem to welcome it, either. His reaction disturbed Evelyn. To cover her feelings, her smile widened before she added, "Welcome back."

"Thanks." Rafe glanced around the field. "Where's Red and Gooz? I had sent them a telegram to pick me up."

"Yeah, Red told me. I asked him to let me pick you up, instead."

A slight frown crinkled Rafe's forehead. "Why?" he asked.

Doubt crept into Evelyn's heart. She began to wonder if he still felt the same for her after all that has happened between them. They had went through so much lately - eleven months apart, her romance with Danny, Rafe's return, the pregnancy, the attack at Pearl, her decision to marry Danny, the latter's death in China. It was a wonder that they managed to carry on a conversation.

Rafe repeated his question. "Why couldn't Red pick me up? I mean, considering your condition . . ."

An answer failed to reach the tip of Evelyn's tongue. What could she say? That the last time Rafe was in Hawaii, grief over Danny's death and the preparations for the burial in Tennessee kept them apart? That she longed to see him again? Remain longer than five minutes in his presence? Evelyn found herself unable to confess her true feelings to Rafe. Fear of rejection or outright laughter prevented her.

Evelyn finally replied, "I asked Red and Gooz to let me pick you up." She gave her shoulders a shrug. "I just wanted to welcome you back." The moment those words left her mouth, Evelyn regretted them. Her heart lurched as disappointment and confusion mingled in Rafe's brown eyes. My God! How lame that sounds!

* * * *

Rafe found himself in mental turmoil. That's it? She just wanted to welcome me back? What about I miss you? Or I love you?

He mentally castigated himself. What in the hell did he expect? An outburst of emotion? Hell, neither he or Evelyn have exchanged a word of love since she informed him of her plans to marry Danny right after the Pearl Harbor attack. Looking at her round belly reminded Rafe of that terrible moment at the motel court. When he learned that Evelyn was pregnant with Danny's child, Rafe realized that he had lost her for good.

"Shall we go?" Evelyn said, interrupting Rafe's thoughts. He stared at her dark eyes. Eyes that merely reflected friendly curiosity. Rafe let out a sigh and followed her away from the airfield.

The couple walked slowly - thanks to Evelyn's pregnancy - to a parked car, a 1937 black Buick convertible. Danny's car. Rafe spotted the bullet holes left by Japanese Zeroes on that unforgettable morning, over six months ago. A frown creased his brow, as he halted in his tracks. "I didn't realize you had Danny's car."

Evelyn's face turned pink. "Danny gave it to me, just before the both of you left for California. You know, when you reported to Colonel Doolittle. After he died . . . well, you and I never really saw much of each other and I found out that Danny left the car to me in a will." She paused, as the pink in her cheeks deepened. "It helped me get around easier. But you can have it, if you want." A slight wariness crept into her eyes.

"That's okay," Rafe murmured. "Danny wanted you to have the car. You should keep it."

"Oh."

Rafe added, "But I wouldn't mind using it every now and then. At least until I'm sent overseas."

A brief, sad smile touched Evelyn's lips. "Hmmm, overseas. I forgot about that. But since you're here," she handed Rafe a set of keys, "you can drive." Evelyn's smile broadened. Looking at it warmed Rafe's own heart and he smiled back. Forever the Southern gentleman, he escorted Evelyn to the convertible's passenger side and helped her climb in. She murmured a quiet "thank you" before he climbed into the driver's seat.

Within a matter of minutes, the Buick was speeding along the Hawaiian countryside. Evelyn instructed Rafe to drive toward a quiet, residential area near the beach, instead of the hospital base at Pearl. When her pregnancy had begun to show, she decided to rent a bungalow near the beach. "I would have rented a smaller house, but the girls decided they had enough of the base and moved in with me." Rafe assumed the girls were Barbara, Sandra and Martha.

Evelyn continued with a detailed description of the bungalow. Rafe barely heard a word. Not even the lush, tropical countryside could grab his attention. His mind focused on the road ahead . . . and past memories.

Hearing Evelyn's voice, seeing her smile and her pregnant state, produced a stream of regrets within Rafe. There seemed to be so many "if onlys" to choose. If only he had never volunteered to serve in the RAF's Eagle Squadron. If only he had more than a month with Evelyn before leaving the States for England. If only he had not been shot down over the English Channel. And if only he had returned to Evelyn before she could recover from her grief with Danny. What Rafe regretted the most was the death of his best friend - the only man he had ever regarded as a brother.

"Penny for your thoughts," a soft voice said, interrupting Rafe's musings.

He blinked and shot a quick glance at his companion. "Huh? What did you say?"

"I was describing the bungalow," Evelyn continued. "Yet, somehow I got the feeling that your mind was on something else."

Rafe gave a nervous cough. "What made you think that?"

"You just passed the road that leads to my house. Even after I told you to turn."

Embarrassed over his mistake, Rafe immediately made a U-turn. He then made a right turn on a small road and the convertible eventually came upon a two-story bungalow built out of whitewashed clapboards. "Well, here we are." Rafe announced after he stopped the car and turned off the engine. "Home."

The sounds of palm fronds rustling in the wind and waves beating against the shore filled the silence between the couple inside the Buick. Rafe would usually enjoy the shared silence with Evelyn. But not today. In fact, he wondered if he would ever learn to enjoy Evelyn's company again. But he had to. Especially after what he had promised his dying friend back in that rice paddy in China.

"Would like to come in for a cup of coffee or another drink?" Evelyn asked, breaking the silence before Rafe could.

Rafe felt his palms grow moist. God, this was difficult!

"Rafe?" Evelyn continued. "Did you hear me? Is everything okay?"

The pilot nodded. "Yeah. Everything's swell. Just swell."

Evelyn frowned. "Are you sure? You seem rather quiet." Despite her seemingly calm voice, Rafe thought he had detected a hint of nervousness.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I just . . ."

"Just what?" Evelyn added.

A heavy sigh escaped Rafe's mouth. Memories of the past six months began to assault his mind. His arrival in Hawaii. Evelyn's reaction to his appearance at the hospital at Pearl. Danny's reaction. The fight at the Hula-La Bar. The Japanese attack, the following morning. Evelyn's revelation of her pregnancy. His talk with Danny on that California beach. The raid on Tokyo. Danny's death. Rafe sighed one last time. He might as well get it over with.

Rafe reached into the backseat for his jacket. "Uh, Evelyn," he began. "I have . . . well, I have something to ask you."

"Yes?" Dark eyes grew round.

A lump rose in Rafe's throat. He had not felt this nervous since that last night in New York City, when he said good-bye to Evelyn. Rafe reached inside one of the jacket pockets for a small, dark blue velvet case. "I . . . uh . . . hell!"

Evelyn's eyes fell upon the case. "Is that what I think that is?" Her voice projected muted emotion.

Rafe snapped open the case, revealing a small silver ring with a cluster of diamonds surrounding a small sapphire gem. A gasp escaped Evelyn's lips. Rafe had purchased the ring at a jewelry store in Washington D.C.

"Evelyn," he continued, staring into her dark eyes, "would you marry me?" Before she could answer, Rafe continued, "I realize you had expected to marry Danny, but with him gone and you expecting a baby . . . well, I'll be more than happy to take his place."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "You will?" she whispered.

"Of course." Rafe blinked at her unexpected response. Because I love you, he silently wanted to say. However, fear and pride prevented him from expressing his true feelings. Instead, he added, "Danny was like a brother to me. He would have wanted me to take care of you and the baby. And I swear, Evelyn, I'll do just that."

Rafe sat back into his seat, expecting a sign of approval from Evelyn. Instead, he found himself staring into a pair of very dark and angry eyes. Eyes that glared at him. Confusion whirled inside his brain. Why on earth was she angry? "Evelyn? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wrong?" Evelyn replied in a soft and deadly voice. Rafe felt even more confused when she opened the door and began to climb out of the car. Her large girth made it difficult, but she managed to get out before Rafe had the chance to help her. Then she marched toward the bungalow.

"Evelyn? Evelyn! What's wrong?" Rafe cried as he rushed after her. It amazed him how a pregnant woman could move so fast. "Evelyn! Wait a minute! I just asked you to marry me!"

Evelyn reached the bungalow and inserted a key into the front door. Then she whirled upon him, her eyes flashing. "C'mon Evelyn," Rafe begged. "Talk to me! Dammit, I just proposed to you and now you're acting as if I had sullied your name!"

"You sullied a lot more!" Evelyn snapped, as she opened the door. "And by the way, you call that a proposal? As far as I'm concerned, Rafe McCawley, you know what you can do with your proposal! And where you can shove it!" She stepped inside the house and slammed the door on the face of a very bewildered pilot.


END OF PART 1

"The Many Loves of Rafe McCawley" [PG-13] - 6/7

"THE MANY LOVES OF RAFE McCAWLEY"

PART 6 - "The Girl From Fifth Avenue"

LONG ISLAND, NY; DECEMBER 1940 . . . "Danny? Are you going to say something?" 
The younger man stared at his friend in pure shock. What could he say? That he found nothing unusual about Rafe's latest revelation? How could anyone consider a sexual ménage a troi, usual? Or normal? And how could Rafe even get involved in such a relationship? 

"Okay Danny," Rafe continued, "I realize that you're a little pissed at me."

Danny frowned. "Pissed at you? Why?"

"I don't know." Rafe shrugged. "Because I broke it off with Julie before you could get involved?"

"I wouldn't worry if I were you, Rafe. Right now, I'm feeling grateful."

The older man gave Danny an understanding nod. "Gotcha. At least none of my girlfriends after Julie were that odd."

A certain blonde with green eyes popped into Danny's consciousness. He said, "I don't know about that. Don't forget Claudia Kingsley."

"Danny." Rafe shot him a warning look.

Resentment flared within Danny. "What? Are you telling me that Claudia was normal?"

Rafe sighed. "Trust me. She was."

"Not for you, she wasn't."

Impatient whirled in Rafe's eyes. "Look, just because you didn't like her . . ."

Danny held up his hand to silence his friend. "Hey! Rafe, forget about it. I don't wanna talk about Claudia."

Wistfully, Rafe added, "Still, I have to admit that she wasn't all that bad."

Danny merely rolled his eyes in contempt, while Rafe reminisced.


* * * *

MANHATTAN ISLAND, NY; SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1940 . . . . "I can't believe it!" Anthony Fusco bemoaned. "We go through all that trouble to get this furlough and it decides to rain." He and the other four pilots of their squad, sat inside the famous steakhouse, Angelo and Maxie's, one Friday evening. They had just finished dinner. "Anyone have plans for the evening?"

Billy groaned out loud. "Oh God! Not again! Why do we have to go through this, every time we're in the city?"

Rafe gave a slight cough. "Actually, I already have an idea." He paused. "The Waldorf-Astoria." Cries of protest filled the booth. Interrupting the others, Rafe continued, "What the hell's wrong with the Waldorf-Astoria? Xavier Cugat's playing there. And we're Army officers, for crying out loud! Not a bunch of hicks who don't know their way around town!"

"Well, being from Tennessee," Anthony began, "you . . ."

Rafe gave the Brooklyn-born pilot a withering stare. "Don't even start, Anthony." The other pilot fell silent. When the rest failed to offer more objections, Rafe considered the matter closed. "Okay, the Waldorf-Astoria, it is."

Entering the famous and elegant hotel on Park Avenue became a mind-blowing experience for the pilots. It certainly did for Rafe. One look at the lobby and well-dressed patrons inside, nearly caused him to lose his nerve for the first time in his twenty-four year existence on this Earth.

"Rafe, I wanna leave," Red moaned in a low voice to the Tennessean. "We've only been here for less than five minutes and already I feel like dirt beneath their feet."

Danny added, "I've gotta admit that I'm feeling a little uncomfortable, myself."

Although Rafe shared his friends' feelings, he refused to give in to his fears. Surrender had never been an option for him and he was not about to start now. "Look here fellas, you might be feeling a little scared right now, but remember . . . we're officers and gentlemen. Pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps. We don't run off like a bunch of scared rabbits."

"Unless we have no other choice," Anthony muttered sardonically. Rafe decided to ignore him.

So, the five friends headed upstairs to the hotel's lush Starlight Roof. They tried, unsuccessfully, not to gawk at the beautifully-gowned women and their well-tailored companions. Even the smartly-dressed waiters caught their attention. Best of all, there stood the famous Latin American bandleader, Xavier Cugat, leading his orchestra in a rendition of "Chica, Chica, Boom, Chic", while singer Lina Romay provided vocals.

Billy ordered, "Okay everyone, shut your mouths. We look like chumps."

"Speak for yourself," Anthony shot back.

"I can't. I think I'm in heaven." Billy eyed a sultry-looking brunette in a strapless gown. "Rafe, you really know how to pick 'em. Holy shit! The Starlight Roof at the Waldorf-Astoria. If my folks knew I was here, they'd have a fit."

Red added, "I'm ha. . .having one . . . right now." He paused and pointed at the maitre'd bearing down on them. "E . . . e . . . especially wi . . . with that jo . . . jo . . . ker co . . . coming at us."

The maitre'd halted before the five officers. His eyes regarded them as specimens in science lab. "May I help you . . . gentlemen?"

Rafe met the maitre'd's stare with a direct one of his own. "A table for five," he coolly ordered. He did not bother to add 'please' at the end. The maitre'd gave him a respectful nod and led the young pilots toward one of the large tables. Before they could reach their destination, Rafe caught sight of a pretty girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes, sitting with three other girls and a young man. Judging from the way she met his gaze, the blond seemed equally interested.

Once the song ended, a waiter appeared at the pilots' table. The five friends only ordered drinks - a gin and tonic for Rafe. Cugat's band commenced upon the next number, "Thanks For the Dream". An idea - no, an urge overcame Rafe as he heard the song's first bars. Forgetting his drink, he stood up from his chair and walked over to the table where he had spotted the green-eyed blonde and her companions.

Flashing his most charming smile, Rafe greeted, "Good evening ladies, sir." He focused his gaze upon the blonde. "My name is Lieutenant Rafe McCawley and I wondered, miss, if you would like to dance."

"Good God!" the tuxedoed young man snidely declared. "It's Rhett Butler in uniform!"

The blonde regarded Rafe with admiring eyes. "Yes, but a very handsome and charming Rhett Butler in uniform. By the way, Lieutenant, I'd love to dance." She stood and offered Rafe her hand. "My name is Claudia Kingsley."

Rafe gave her a courtly bow. "Very nice to meet you, Claudia."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" The young man looked outraged. "Claudia, you're not going to dance with this Army yokel, are you?"

Claudia glared haughtily at her male companion. "Really Peter! You could learn a lesson or two from this so-called yokel." She started toward the dance floor. Rafe flashed Peter a quick sneer and followed Claudia.

The Army pilot and the society debutante learned a little about each other, during their two-to-three minute dance. Not a lot, but enough to feel intrigued with each other. Rafe offered to escort Claudia on a night on the town for the following evening. Instead, she invited him to attend a party being held by her aunt and uncle at their Park Avenue home. Delighted that Claudia was still interested in him, Rafe accepted.

"Are you crazy?" Danny cried inside the privacy of their hotel room. He, along with Rafe and the others had gathered there for a few late night drinks. "All of us at some damn party for the muckety-muck?"

Rafe calmly corrected his friend. "They're called Café Society, Danny. And what's wrong with us going to one of their parties? Didn't we just have a swell time at the Starlight Roof?"

"I always knew you were a high flyer, McCawley," Billy declared, shaking his head. "But man! This time, you're reaching for the moon."

Rolling his eyes, Rafe shot back, "Hell Billy, if man was destined to stay on the ground, the airplane would have never been invented." When his friends failed to respond, he cried out with exasperation, "Jesus fellas! Why are you so damn reluctant about this party? You sure as hell didn't have any trouble finding girls to dance with you, tonight." None of the other pilots could disagree with him. Not even Danny, whose own good looks had attracted numerous female attention. "Good. Then the matter is settled."

Danny let out a long-suffering sigh. "I swear Rafe, one of these days you're going to have your own way and it'll turn out to be the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

As usual, Rafe ignored his best friend.

* * * * 

The following evening found the five pilots inside a three-story limestone mansion on Fifth Avenue. Their experiences at the Waldorf-Astoria had taught them to refrain from gawking at their luxurious surrounding. Still, Rafe felt a little awed by the people around him. And he could detect his friends' unease.

Claudia rushed forward to greet the newcomers. "Rafe! I'm so glad that you could make it." She planted a wet kiss on Rafe's cheek. Then she faced the others. "So, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Happily, Rafe introduced Claudia to Red, Anthony and Billy. Then he gestured toward his oldest friend. "And this is Danny Walker. He's been my best friend since we were kids in Tennessee."

Green eyes widened considerably. "Tennessee?" Claudia squealed with delight. "Oh my! Another Rhett Butler!" Danny's face turned its usual shade of red. Something even Claudia noticed. "Oh dear. My mistake," she added in a coy voice. "Perhaps I should have said, Ashley Wilkes." The red coloring on Danny's face deepened, as the other three pilots snickered.

"How many times have you seen 'GONE WITH THE WIND'?" Rafe asked the blonde young woman.

Claudia giggled. "So many times, I cannot even keep count. Did I ever tell you that I had attended the movie's New York premiere at the Capitol Theater? Very exciting!" She faced the pilots. "Well gentlemen, I hope that you enjoy yourselves. Plenty of refreshments for everyone."

Red, Anthony and Billy scattered into the crowd with great enthusiasm. Only Danny remained at Rafe's side, looking very uncomfortable. The older man glanced at his friend. "Something wrong, Danny? You look a mite uneasy."

"It's nothing," Danny replied. His face turned a deeper shade of pink. "I just . . . uh, I mean . . ."

An amused smile curved Claudia's lips, as she cooed, "Oh dear! I believe that poor Danny is shy." She giggled, prompting a dark glance from the pilot.

"Nonsense," Rafe quickly said in an effort to dismiss the awkward moment. "Danny ain't . . . isn't shy. Something is probably on his mind."

"Perhaps the lack of a date?" Claudia added with more giggles. Then she lightly slapped Danny's arm. "Oh gosh! I'm sorry. I was just joking."

Danny responded with a wan smile. "Yeah. Sure. I . . . uh, I reckon I best mingle. See you later, Rafe."

"Sure Danny." Rafe returned his attention to Claudia, barely acknowledging his friend's retreating back. He took the debutante's hand and led her to the dance floor. "Would you care to dance, my lady?" he asked, giving her one of his most charming smiles.

Another burst of giggles left Claudia's mouth. "Hmmmm! My lady. I like the sound of that. Do you know any more charming Southern euphemisms?"

"A whole barrel of them," Rafe murmured. He drew Claudia into his arms and the pair began to glide to the tune of"Moonlight Becomes You". At that moment, Rafe believed that tonight could not get any more perfect than this.

* * * *

"So, what did you think of her?" Rafe asked Danny, several hours later. The two friends each lay on a bed, inside the hotel room that they shared.

Danny glanced up from his glass of Cherry Coke. "Think of who?"

Rafe heaved a frustrated sigh. "Claudia. Claudia Kingsley."

"Oh. Her." Danny took another sip of Coke. "She's all right, I reckon."

A frown creased Rafe's brow. "All right? That's it?"

Danny shot him a quick glance. "What? Are you serious about her?"

The image of Claudia by his side, as Mrs. Rafe McCawley, flashed before the older man's eyes. Rafe smiled dreamily. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Danny immediately shot up into a sitting position. He gave Rafe a hard stare. "You're serious, ain't you?" When Rafe failed to answer, Danny continued, "Jesus Rafe! You've only known her for two days! What am I saying? Less than two days! And already you're planning your wedding?"

Rafe frowned. "What's the matter, Danny? Haven't you ever heard of 'love at first sight'?"

Danny rolled his eyes and groaned. "God above! What makes you . . .? What makes you think that you and Claudia are gonna end up 'happily ever after'? C'mon Rafe! She's some Fifth Avenue society type, whose daddy is probably into steel or something."

"Real estate and shipping," Rafe corrected. "And sugar."

"Whatever! And may I remind you that you're just an Army pilot? Whose daddy happens to be a crop duster from Shelby, Tennessee! You gonna tell me that two people from such different backgrounds are gonna have a happy marriage?"

Despite the cold logic of Danny's words, Rafe could have sworn he had detected a semblance of emotion in his friend's voice. An emotion that reflected waves of negativity. He peered closely at the younger man. "You don't like her, do you? You don't like Claudia."

"I never said that!" Danny protested.

Rafe shot back, "You didn't have to. I could tell from the moment you had first laid eyes upon her!"

Heaving a sigh, Danny cried, "C'mon Rafe! You got it all wrong! I just thought that with your different backgrounds . . ."

"Fenton Marsh came from the same background as Claudia," Rafe reminded his friend. "But that didn't stop you from playing matchmaker."

Danny's mouth hung open for a moment. "But that . . . I mean . . ."

"What?" Rafe demanded.

Shaking his head, Danny mumbled, "Nothing. I guess . . . I reckon there's nothing wrong with the idea of you and . . . Claudia." He paused. "How do you think she'll feel about becoming an Army wife?"

This time, Rafe found himself speechless. He remembered Fenton's negative reaction to the idea of being an Army wife. Did Danny have a point? Would Claudia react in a similar manner? "I don't know Danny," he finally said. "Maybe you're right. I just . . . I don't know. Something inside me says I should take a chance with this girl. Maybe it won't work out between us. But I reckon I have to give it a shot."

Danny nodded. "I understand. I may not like it. And you're right, I don't like Claudia. But I understand how you feel." But the expression on his face told Rafe otherwise.

* * * *

The romance between Rafe and his Café Society girl seemed to proceed smoothly. Every weekend, the two lovers met at Claudia's Manhattan apartment - along with his fellow pilots and her friends.

After a brief period of drinks and music, the entire party would usually end up at a swank nightclub. On one occasion, they visited the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Although Rafe had personally enjoyed himself, they never repeated the experience. Claudia and her friends had seemed . . . nervous about the ballroom's less socially acceptable clientele.

The only other blight in Rafe's romance, was Claudia's relationship with Danny. Quite simply, the two could barely stand each other. Or at least one of them - namely Danny - seemed to dislike Claudia. Rafe could not understand his friend's attitude. It seemed as if the younger man had developed some kind of vendetta against the debutante. The situation strongly reminded him of his aborted childhood romance with Mary Jo Burnett. Only this time, Danny seemed to be keeping his hostility under control.

Rafe considered confronting Danny about this hostility toward Claudia, but decided against it. He did not want to find himself being forced to choose between his best friend and his girl. Besides, Claudia did not seemed bothered by Danny's aloofness. In fact, she seemed rather oblivious to the younger Tennessean. But on a chilly night during the Thanksgiving holiday, Rafe discovered that he had been wrong.

As usual, the pilots left their quarters at Mitchell Airfield and boarded the train for Manhattan Island. Upon reaching the borough, they checked into their usual hotel, spruced up a bit and headed toward the Waldorf-Astoria to meet Claudia and her friends. And, as usual, while the others danced to the music of Xavier Cugat's Band, Danny sat alone at their table.

Feeling contented, Rafe closed his eyes, as he and Claudia swayed to "Acercate Mas". He felt more than surprised when she heaved a long sigh. He opened his eyes and stared at her. "Something wrong?" he asked.

A pause followed before Claudia answered, "No. I just . . . Well, I couldn't help but wondered if Danny was shy. He seemed to be so alone."

"Danny? Shy?" Rafe glanced over his shoulder and noticed his friend sitting alone and nursing a drink. Even Red was enjoying a spin on the dance floor with one of Claudia's friends. "Naw, he's not shy. He's uh, . . . he just broke up with this girl."

Claudia frowned. "When? He's been like this since I first met him."

"It happened last summer," Rafe quickly lied. "They've been together for nearly a year and Danny took the breakup, pretty hard. He's still hasn't recovered."

"Hmmm. Must have been a doozy of a fight."

Rafe replied, "No, not a fight. She uh . . . she went back home to Ohio." Which was partly truthful, the pilot told himself. What he had failed to mention to Claudia was that Danny's relationship with Carrie Ann Vogel had ended over two years ago, upon graduation from college. Or that since then, the younger pilot never had trouble dating other girls. Simply put, the reason why Danny usually ended upon alone was the fact that he disliked Claudia's friends just as much he disliked Claudia. Only he did not want to be left alone during the squad's weekend jaunts.

"Poor fellow," Claudia cooed. "Perhaps I should do him a favor and arrange for him to meet an old friend of mine."

Rafe considered Danny's reaction to any matchmaking attempt by Claudia and saw disaster. "Oh . . . uh, I don't know if that's a good idea, honey. Danny . . . well, he don't react too well to folks trying to match him up with someone. Hell, I got burned twice for trying."

"But . . ."

"Don't you worry about Danny," Rafe continued. "He'll get over Carrie Ann. It's only a matter of time."

A sigh left Claudia's mouth. "If you insist." She smiled at Rafe, as if the subject of Daniel Walker had been forgotten.

* * * *

Once the music ended, the couple returned to their table and discovered that their friends had joined Danny. Everyone enjoyed their supper, while Cugat's Band continued with a rendition of "Perfido". Upon completing his meal, Rafe excused himself for the men's restroom. As he left minutes later, he found his path blocked by two women who had emerged from the Ladies' Room. One of them he recognized as Claudia.

Before Rafe could approach his paramour, he heard her say, "If only I could get rid of him!"

"Get rid of whom?" the other girl said. Rafe recognized her voice. It belonged to Anthony's date, a redhead named Gloria DeWitt. "Rafe?"

Claudia lightly slapped her friend's wrist. "Of course not, silly! The other one. The one who barely speaks."

"Oh! Danny!" Gloria paused. "What's wrong with him? He seems like a dreamboat. Even if he isn't one of our kind."

Claudia shot back caustically, "He's a dreamboat who happens to be cramping my style! I can't even enjoy myself with Rafe, without that Danny character mooning about."

"Didn't Rafe say that he had recently broken up with someone?"

Contempt oozed from Claudia's voice. "Oh please! I'm not an idiot! I wasn't fooled one bit by Rafe's story about Danny being heartbroken over some girl. I know the real truth. Which is Danny doesn't like our crowd. Especially me. He thinks I'm all wrong for Rafe."

"Are you sure?" a dubious Gloria asked.

Claudia retorted, "Of course I am! Can you imagine? Some lowlife yokel from Tennessee, who believes that I'm not good enough for his friend!" An exasperated sigh followed. "The nerve of him. From the moment I had first met him, I knew he would be trouble." Rafe felt a surge of anger.

"If you have something against lowlife yokels from Tennessee," Gloria began, "why are you dating . . .?"

"My dear Gloria," Claudia interrupted, her voice encased in ice, "I'm not in the habit of dating yokels. Rafe McCawley may not come from any of the best families of the South, but he is no yokel. I assure you. His friend, on the other hand, strikes me as being pure white trash. Trust me, I can tell. Rafe once told me that his family had allowed Danny to live with them, after his father had died. I had Prescott, Daddy's attorney, to check up on both Rafe and Danny's backgrounds. It seems that Danny's father had been a drunken reprobate who could barely support his family, before dying of a heart attack. And now his hayseed son is standing between Rafe and me."

Gloria paused. "You're serious about Rafe, aren't you?"

"Of course, my dear. Aside from being extremely good-looking, Rafe is smart and very bold. With such traits, he could make something of himself." Claudia continued, "All I have to do is convince him to leave the Army. And guide him in the right direction. That shouldn't be much of a problem."

"But Danny may not like the idea," Gloria pointed out.

With great ferocity, Claudia replied, "Precisely!"

The two women walked away, unaware that their conversation had been overheard. Rafe slowly emerged from his spot, stunned by what he had just heard. He could not believe it! All this time, he had assumed that the hostility between Danny and Claudia had been one-sided - on Danny's part. Apparently, he had been unaware that Claudia had regarded his friend as a threat. Or harbored such a low opinion of the younger man. Rafe realized that the situation between him, Danny and Claudia was not a rehash of the Mary Jo Burnett mess. Instead, this all reminded him of his troubles with one of his old high school beaus - Ellie Conway. Claudia had not been the first to label Danny as white trash.

Rafe stood rooted near the restrooms, as he allowed his disappointment to settle down. To his surprise, he felt nothing but anger at Claudia's description of Danny. And annoyance that she would assume she could run his life. Why did he always seemed to attract such females? Claudia turned out to be the third. Or fourth. Rafe knew deep in his heart that it was time to cut the Fifth Avenue debutante out of his life.

Taking a deep breath, the pilot returned to the table. He found the others sipping their drinks and eating appetizers. All except for Claudia, who seemed to be missing. "Where's Claudia?" he asked.

"Dancing with an old friend," was Danny's cryptic answer.

Rafe glanced at the dance floor. He spotted Claudia dancing with that whey-faced milksop, Peter Van Hagen. He waited for the flash of jealousy to hit him. Instead, he shrugged and said, "Oh well." And he sat down, next to Danny.

The younger man stared at him in disbelief. "You're not upset?"

"Over what?"

Danny replied, "Claudia is dancing with someone else. A fella you don't particularly care for."

Rafe reached for his glass of champagne and calmly said, "Better him than me." The other man stared at Rafe, until realization finally gleamed in his eyes.

* * * *

Later that night, the end finally arrived for Rafe McCawley and Claudia Kingsley. After leaving the Waldorf-Astoria, Rafe separated from his fellow pilots and escorted Claudia back to her apartment. Outside her door, she gave him a coy look. "So . . . would you like to come upstairs for a drink?"

"I don't know," Rafe said, taking Claudia by surprise. "It's been a long day and I'm rather tired. Maybe I should go back to the hotel." He struggled to suppress his enjoyment of Claudia's stunned reaction.

The debutante stared at Rafe, as if he had lost his mind. "Say that again?"

"I think we should call it a night, Claudia," Rafe added serenely. "That's all. What's the problem?"

Disbelief clouded Claudia's green eyes. "You always join me upstairs for a drink. What changed your mind, tonight?"

Heaving a loud sigh, Rafe said, "I don't know. I guess it was hearing you describe my best friend as a . . . what did you call Danny? A lowlife yokel? White trash? It kind of took the joy out of my evening, if you know what I mean."

Claudia's pink mouth flapped uncontrollably - like a fish gasping for breath. "You overheard us!" she finally blurted. "I cannot believe that you would stoop so low as to eavesdrop on a private conversation! In my book, no gentleman would ever . . ."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Claudia, but this isn't 'GONE WITH THE WIND'. And I'm not Rhett Butler and you sure as hell aren't Scarlett O'Hara. So give it a rest, will ya?" The debutante sputtered briefly before Rafe continued, "I may be guilty of eavesdropping, but I don't take kindly to folks insulting my friends. Behind my back."

The young woman angrily shot back, "And I'm sure that your precious Daniel Walker has not hesitated to hold back an insult or two, in regard to me!"

"I think you would be surprised how restrained Danny has been!" Rafe retorted. "A hell of a lot more than you."

Claudia took Rafe by surprise with a hard slap to his face. "You lowlife bastard! How dare you judge me, as if I'm some common reprobate!"

"Lowlife?" Rafe chuckled unpleasantly. "And to think, just a few hours ago, you had told Gloria that I had potential."

Claudia sneered. "A serious miscalculation on my part!"

"Honey, that's something we can both claim."

Again, Claudia slapped his face. Without saying another word, she spun on her heels and marched toward her apartment building's revolving door. As Rafe watched her stalked past a nervous doorman, he murmured, "Good-bye, Miss Kingsley." Then he turned away and hailed a cab to convey him back to his hotel.


END OF PART 6