Modern Day Cavegirls - Jane

Huh.

She climbed back inside and shut the hatch before getting things set up for their departure.

------------------

Amy stared at the aircraft.

She thought that maybe it was impolite and so she tried not to stare at it.

And then she stared at the aircraft anyway.

It was large and white overall with an attractive paint scheme and it was large, Amy thought. It wasn't ugly, but it wasn't a graceful-looking thing either, since it was so ...

"It is big!" Amy said, "There is only me and my luggage."

Bobbi laughed a little, "The plane I wanted for this is being serviced. Jane's' is too small. It's not a long flight in this and it's a lot better than having you bounce around in a bus or in my old truck. It would take over an hour like that."

Jane was standing holding the side door open and beckoning to Amy with a friendly-looking smile, so they handed her the suitcases and everything. Amy stopped and stared at the other woman for a moment.

"I'm Jane," she smiled and held out her hand.

Amy was just a tad slow to extend hers, but at the last second, she grabbed Jane's hand and shook it warmly. "I am Amy.

I see your shirt there inside this suit you wear. What is a -"

She looked again, "What is a lesbian?"

Jane looked down and realized that she hadn't pulled up her zipper over her tank top. With it only open a little way those three words were all that were visible. One would need to look hard to see the rest.

On the other hand, one wouldn't need to look very hard at all to see the expression on Bobbi's face.

Jane pulled up her zipper, "I'm sorry, Su-jin. I'm very sorry that you had to see that. I was on a course to learn something and there were men there who were always ...

I had the shirt made to anger them. I'd explain, but I think that you might have trouble understanding my bad explanation. Please try to forget it. Please don't think badly of Bobbi. I forgot I was wearing this shirt and Bobbi didn't know."

Amy turned to look from one to the other, "I am not upset or ... annoyed or anything. I do not know what this means so I cannot be annoyed, can I?"

She looked at Bobbi, "I do not wish to begin here with things like this. I think Jane has done something wrong and she is sorry. Can it not be forgotten?"

Bobbi nodded, "I'm very sorry also, Amy. I'm not sure that I can explain it any better than Jane could. But that word means a woman who likes other women better than men. Janey wore it to her class to show the men that she had no interest in them. It doesn't mean that she is like that."

"I see," Amy said with a smile, "Now I understand it. I think that I even like it if it worked, what you wanted to do."

She smiled at Jane specifically, "And thank you for trying to say my name, Jane. You were very close, almost perfect."

She looked inside the aircraft, "Where must I sit?"

They helped her inside and the skirt was a bit of a problem for a moment since the aircraft was a bit tall to step into, but Jane put one hand against the side of the door and held her other one out to Amy. Amy saw the very interested and slightly challenging look in Jane's eye and grabbed her hand for the pull inside.

Bobbi directed Amy to a seat at the rear of the flight deck where there was a place for headphones. Jane had been surprised at the strength she felt in Amy, but she said nothing. She looked at Amy's business suit and thought for a moment before she got to work getting them moving. The cut and style seemed to look a little ... old to her.

The quick flash of thigh that she'd just glimpsed while helping Amy up wasn't helping much.

Jane handed Amy the headset, "When the engines are running, it's very loud in here, Su-jin. I know that Bobbi wants to talk to you, so I have these for you to use. Everything in this plane works, but this one is a working plane so things can be a little dirty. I cleaned those off with alcohol while I was waiting for you to come with Bobbi."

Amy smiled and looked at the headset.

Jane looked at Bobbi and held up her palms, "Sorry Bobbi. I'm really sorry."

Bobbi just nodded, saying nothing. Jane turned away and put on her helmet.

Bobbi showed Amy how to strap in as Jane looked after the rest. When Bobbi had Amy put her headset on, Amy heard Jane speaking to the tower.

One of the engines started then and Amy was happy to be wearing the things. With both engines running, they began to taxi toward the active runway.

"It's Friday," Bobbi said, "and I've given Janey the weekend off so that she can help get you settled in and show you around. You won't start work until Monday morning, so just try to find your way and please rely on Janey for help and to guide you in anything.

Jane called for two-thirds flaps and then they were in the run-up slot and the engines roared for a few moments. There was no other traffic for the moment, so they were given take-off clearance almost instantly.

Jane had everything configured for a short take-off and they were airborne in only 1200 feet and they climbed away as they turned to head toward Angel Fire Airport.

Bobbi apologized that she couldn't sit and face Amy the whole time, since Jane needed her for a few things.

Jane smirked to herself. She'd already asked twice and Bobbi had missed it, so she reached over and hit the landing gear retracts and the gear whined up as the doors closed over them.

While Bobbi and Amy talked about the town and her residence with them, Jane decided that she'd done enough to mess things up, so she reached to raise the flaps one notch. As they got near to their desired altitude, Jane retracted the last notch of flaps and she adjusted the pitch on the propeller blades while throttling back a little so they could cruise a little more quietly.

"She is a very good pilot, I think," Amy smiled.

Jane heard it over the intercom and she said, "I'm just trying to do what I can so that maybe I can live a little longer, Su-jin. Nothing unusual here. I'm in trouble with Bobbi and I'm just being a little sister who is sorry that she did something wrong, that's all."

Amy laughed and Bobbi even smiled.

----------------

Back at the ramp in front of their hangar, Jane disappeared for a moment and then she was back with her suitcase and the rest of the things from her course. She put them in the back of Bobbi's truck with Amy's luggage.

The hangar was closed and being that it was Friday, Bobbi thought that everyone must have taken off as soon as they were off the ramp and she didn't blame them one bit.

"I'll meet you at the house," Jane said. "I'm gonna ride my e-bike back. I don't want it sliding around back there and it's not supposed to be on it's side because of the battery. I wouldn't understand all that stuff that you guys are talking about anyway."

As she rode away, Jane was thinking about Su-jin and she decided that she liked her, shyness, over-politeness and all. She still felt awful over forgetting about 'lesbian' shirt, but it was there now, so ...

She also decided that she could understand Bobbi's concern. She wanted Su-jin to feel included so that she might begin to feel comfortable and at-home with them. She decided that she'd do all that she could. Besides, if she was going to be taking over more and more of the agricultural side, having Su-jin around was bound to make her own life easier and she liked that idea a whole lot.

It was only about a mile to the farm. Unless they were stupid, most folks drove it at thirty miles an hour. E-bikes top out at about that speed so by the time that she pulled up, Bobbi had gotten Su-jin to the house set aside for her use. She hadn't even handed over the key yet as Jane put her bike on it's stand and plugged it in over at her house.

She had an idea then and she ran inside her own bungalow. It took her less than a minute to find what she was looking for and then she walked to Su-jin's place and stepped inside.

"Here," she smiled when they looked at her, "Bobbi has had these made for me forever. I kept outgrowing them before I wore one out. I'm hoping that this one might fit you. It's clean. We all wear them everywhere and I thought that you might like to be comfortable after your trip here."

Su-jin looked very surprised as she took the flight suit to look at it.

"Janey's often right about a lot of things, "Bobbi smiled, "and I was going to mention it to you. This is our company uniform, though there are really two different kinds. They look pretty much the same anyway. Each one comes in two flavors - summer and winter. The ground crew wear something more like coveralls and the aircrew wear flight suits like that one.

Around here, this is how we dress. The clothing is tough and your fine business suit there doesn't get ruined because you came downstairs to talk to somebody about their paycheck. You won't have dry cleaning bills and you won't need to buy office wear either.

I'll have the uniform guy in on Monday to get you measured up. You get four of them and two ball caps. We pay for them and the uniforms and they get laundered once a week. You just throw the dirty ones in the bin when you leave every day. It won't be hard to make four last the week. The clean ones arrive overnight between Monday and Tuesday.

The ball caps are your responsibility to wash, so don't ever put one in the bin because you won't ever see it again. Guys like to wear ball caps. Lots of girls do too, but what you'll love them for are those days when you didn't get time to wash your hair or if you're me, you have serious bed-head that you don't have time to deal with. They're perfect for that.

I find that it's good for morale and it looks way better than looking at a bunch of aviation technicians in raggedy-assed jeans that are stained and torn. Everybody looks neat and it helps to look the same as everybody else around here. Clients and customers like dealing with a company whose people always look sharp. If you need to step out to go into town and it's not important or anything, you can wear your flight suit as long as it's clean. Everybody around here knows us anyway."

Amy was surprised, "Really?"

Bobbi nodded, "You're not aircrew or ground crew, but it seems a little strange to me that you'd be the only person who needs to buy and wear business attire way out in the hangar. Most of your time will be spent around there anyway. You'll probably have to go and look for one of us or the other and an aircraft hangar is no place for a nice business suit like that one."

She threw up her hands, "Heck, even I don't ever wear business attire unless I'm going to the bank for a business loan. The last time I went like that, the loans manager laughed at me and said that he could guess what I was there for since I never wear that. I only wear these flight suits most often. As I said, they're tough, but they're also really comfortable to wear."

"What do I wear underneath, a blouse, or ...?"

"Just your undergarments Amy. You can add a T-shirt underneath if you want and you're not Janey. She's not allowed to wear a T-shirt under her flight suit anymore."

She looked at Jane, "Just kidding sort of, until I forget about today.

This isn't to be worn over anything, Amy. This is what you wear. Many companies in Asia and America do this. I'm surprised that you seem not to know about it."

Amy nodded then, "One of my brothers used to work for an electronics company. I know what you mean now."

Bobbi smiled, "Anyway please, try this one on when you get a minute. You can wear running shoes then and your feet will be happier too. We're only going into town. Most people around here know us to see us, so you won't be out of place in that. People would think you're a pilot. Amy."

Amy was very self-conscious about the old business suit, but it was all the business wear that she had. She made a decision then, liking that they all wore the same thing and it gave her a chance to fit in as well as get out of the dated-looking suit. She excused herself and walked into the bedroom to change and when she came out, she was all smiles.

"This - I like it. It fits very well and - It's very comfortable."

Jane was about to compliment Amy on her two-tone hair until she remembered that Bobbi had said that she'd been in the country for seven months. She glanced at Amy's long hair and figured that the edge between the colours looked a little too ragged to be recent and the length of the black hair looked to be about right. She could only think of one reason why a woman would dye her hair and then not do anything while it grew out. Amy's hair looked really healthy so there was only the one explanation.

"I've got an idea," she grinned and ran out of the door.

She was back in seconds, "You need this thinga-ma-bob."

Amy looked over, "Pardon?"

"Thinga-ma-jig ... ma-doodle ... thingie." She waved the article, "I don't know what it's called."

"Hair clip," Bobbi smiled, "spring-loaded hair claw ... heck, I don't know what they're called either."

"Yeah," Jane nodded as she stood behind Amy, gathered her hair into a long pony tail and applied the clip. The black and red combination looked pretty good then.

Amy went to check it out and she liked it. She just undid it and put it back after a quick brushing.

While that went on, Jane looked at Bobbi, "It took me a while. The two color hair. She probably doesn't have much money, Bobbi."

"Way ahead of you, Janey," Bobbi whispered with a smile.

They piled into Bobbi's truck and drove to town.

Bobbi's phone went off and she took the call.

With Bobbi on the phone, Jane leaned toward Amy, "I wanted to put you more at ease with the hair clip thing. I was afraid that you wouldn't have come to dinner."

Amy looked at her like a scared rabbit. Her hair had been bothering her and she'd already pretty much decided to take a pass on dinner. She just couldn't bear to pay to have it cut before she left, not since she was coming all this way with almost nothing.

Jane shook her head, "Listen Su-jin, Bobbi wants your help very much. She will be your boss. But I'm not your boss and we can be a lot more friendly.

She told me once that people, when they come here from somewhere else; they usually bring the money that they have saved from before the trip, so that they have something to get started with. I don't know why, but I ... "

She held her hand to her own chest, "I had a feeling that you might not have a lot of money to begin with. You don't seem to be the kind of girl who would dye her hair and then just grow it out without doing something else. You didn't cut it or anything. That's why I thought of the hair clip.

Please, if you need anything Su-ijn, it's just like Bobbi said. Call me for anything that you need. I'm like Bobbi. This place is where I come from and believe me, I know everybody. I'll always try to help, ok?"

Amy nodded slowly, "I have almost nothing, Janey. I saw a cheaper flight to the same place, so I have what is left from the money that Bobbi sent to the agency for me to travel on that I will give back and I have one hundred and six dollars of my own. That is all."

She suddenly looked embarrassed. If Janey could guess things like that ...

Amy looked even more ashamed. "My business suit, it belonged to my mother before she was married. I couldn't afford to buy one. She gave it to me when I left home to go to America."

Jane nodded, though she motioned to Amy with her other hand to keep it quiet, "It's ok, Su-jin. It's alright. You don't know it, but Bobbi and me; we're about the last ones who would look down on you for anything.

I was serious. If you're stuck somehow, I want you to talk to me first, or call me or whatever. I'll do what I can." She smiled, "Besides, I'm really important to Bobbi. She'd do anything to help me. She already has. Many, many times."

She reached for Amy's hand and pulled it down onto the seat between them before she took Amy's hand in hers. "You'll get a company phone tomorrow. Su-jin, the first number on your list should be mine. I don't care if you need help to understand what's written on a box of breakfast cereal, your first call should be to me until you get settled. I'm mostly the ag pilot when I'm not flying with Bobbi. I have a little more time and Bobbi told me to do whatever you need."

She turned a little in her seat, "This is a small place. I went to school with some of the people who work here for us. I know that it looks very different to you. That's ok, Su-jin. We all help each other here. You already have a friend here."

Dinner went well and they all had a good time getting to know each other. Amy liked the food and she tried a bottle of Mexican beer that the place kept on hand. "This is very good too," she smiled.

"I like it after a long hot day," Bobbi smiled, "It goes down so well." She made bit of a comical face, "Then I have to decide if I'm going anywhere or doing anything important.

If not," she grinned, "then I have another one."

Amy excused herself to go to the washroom and Jane took the opportunity to talk to Bobbi, "I was right. She's only got about a hundred bucks, not counting what she's saved you in changing her routing to get here. She'll give that back."

"No she won't," Bobbi smiled as she set her beer down, "That she saved some just tells me that I found the right girl for the job. Keep doing what you can - anything to help her out. I've got such a good feeling about this."

Amy returned and she was grinning, "I met two women in the washroom. They knew where I will be working! They said that they went to school with you, Bobbi. I like this small place already. People are friendly here. You only have to smile and they talk to you."

Bobbi grinned, "People in a city just walk around and try not to make eye contact. In small towns, if you meet someone going the other way, it's considered a little bit rude not to say hello as you pass each other. It's a big difference that I've always liked. It kind of lets you know where you are."

There were a very few awkward moments, such as when they were about to exchange phone numbers. Amy's had been a pay as you go that she got from one of her uncle's kids, since he'd outgrown it. "It was almost out of time when I was in the taxi and I don't know where to buy more time for it here."

Bobbi shook her head, "Don't worry about it Amy. Throw that one away. I planned on getting you one anyway. I just forgot." She looked at Jane, "Maybe bring Amy into town tomorrow and get her a phone that can do point-to-point and see about a laptop as well."

She handed over a card, "You know the shop I mean. Use the company account there and bring me the bill so I can write it off."

Jane nodded and pocketed the card, "Any particular brand or model for the laptop?"

"Whatever Amy figures that she'll need." Bobbi smiled.

She turned to Amy, "I don't know what you saw during your interview, but when I wasn't looking at your image wobbling around now and then, I kept seeing a little imaginary sign that said it was time to get a better one. I figure that you'll need one with a ton of ram, since I know you'll be stretching the copy of Excel on it really thinly."

Amy looked like she didn't understand, but Jane smiled, "Lots of Excel sheets open at once."

"Ah," Amy smiled as she nodded emphatically, "Yes. Always."

----------------

From there, it was back to the farm and they were in Amy's house talking over a few more of the same brand of beer.

"Please don't spend a lot of your money in redecorating," Bobbi said, "If you've got a green thumb - I mean if you like to garden, tell Jane and we'll see what we can do. I might like your idea and I've been thinking about doing SOMEthing with these four places for a long time. There's nothing wrong with them, but they were made in a cookie-cutter style back then - so every one looks the same as the rest or almost the same. I think they need something, but I'm not sure what it is."