Hal hands gripped the steering wheel of his car a little too tightly as he wondered how he was going to survive this day.
Kyle had told him a couple weeks ago he had a surprise planned for Valentine’s Day and Hal had been content to let it remain a surprise. But then some tickets had fallen out of Kyle’s bag a couple days ago when Hal was doing laundry, for a play at a theater in LA. Hal hated plays — he couldn’t even sit still for many movies — and from the brochure the tickets were stuck inside, this one looked artsy and, well, weird. The type of play that college students discuss over fancy coffee. He had debated whether to tell Kyle he had found the tickets and that it really wasn’t his thing and maybe they should do something else, but wasn’t it the thought that counts? He’d just grin and bear it. And hope he didn’t fall asleep.
“Turn up here,” Kyle said from the passenger seat, pointing at an exit off the freeway.
Hal took the exit and Kyle told him to head west, out towards rural fields. He looked at Kyle. “I thought we were going to LA?”
“Nooo,” Kyle said, giving him a confused look. “Why would you think that?”
“I found some theater tickets in your bag. I thought that’s what you had planned.”
Kyle shook his head. “Those were Terry’s. He wanted to surprise David, but since they have a joint bank account I bought the tickets for him and held onto them. I took them to him yesterday while you were at work.”
“Oh.” Hal blew out a breath. That was a relief.
Kyle laughed. “You should see the look on your face!” He rubbed his hand over Hal’s thigh. “Did you really think I’d make you go to experimental theater?”
Hal shrugged. Kyle had taken him to that art gallery with the sculptures that looked like they were scavenged from a junkyard. But now he was back to square one, wondering what the surprise really was. “So where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” Kyle said with a cryptic smile. He glanced at the paper in his hand, a map he’d printed from the computer. “Just another mile, I think.”
They crested a hill and off to the left Hal saw a bunch of aircraft hangars on a small airfield. A large sign identified it as “Liberty Field” and there was a picture of a P-51 swooping under the name. Underneath the image, the sign advertised, “Fly in a real WWII-era P-51 Mustang!”
“That looks like the place,” Kyle said.
Hal gaped at Kyle, nearly missing the turn into the driveway. He’d heard about places like this, but had never had the time to do it. Or someone who wanted to come fly with him. “You didn’t?”
“I did.” Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’d rather go to the theater instead…?”
“No!”
Kyle grinned. “I got us an hour flight. And they’re going to let us dogfight!” He patted Hal’s knee. “I plan on kicking your ass.”
Hal snorted. “Yeah, right.” Though he wouldn’t completely discount it, as all of his training had been in jets and Kyle could certainly hold his own in a Green Lantern version of a dogfight. He just wouldn’t bring that up unless Kyle kicked his ass.
He parked the car and got out. In the distance he could hear a plane coming in, the growl of the Merlin engine sending a shiver up his spine. The Mustang had always been one of his favorite planes. It had been the first plane model his dad had bought for him.
Kyle came around the car to stand next to him and they watched the silver two-seat Mustang land on the runway. “So, did I pick a good gift for V-Day this year?”
“I would have to say this is the best gift I ever received,” Hal said, smiling back at him. “You are definitely getting laid tonight.”