The bright blue flash turned out to be an angel, who had climaxed while she was masturbating. Aaron, an Emergency Medical Technician, had heard moans under the boardwalk, and walked behind the pylons to see if anything was wrong. It was then that he saw the flash.

When the blue cleared, there she was. She was wearing no clothes, sitting on a beach blanket, leaning back against a pylon, with her legs propped up in front of her.

"Oh, that was nice," she said, smiling broadly and removing her hand from between her legs.

"Are you alright?" Aaron said.

"What?" she said. She held up her hand and looked at it. Eyes wide, she looked at Aaron. "You can see me?"

He replied, "Why are you asking if somebody can see you?"

"Because I’m an angel," she said, pouting. Aaron rolled his eyes. "Regular people are not supposed to see us," she said.

"So I’m irregular?"

"You’re the first person in 3,000 years to catch me during my orgasm. The last time was this guy in Assyria."

Aaron was nonplussed by all this. His best guess was that he had caught someone during a psychotic episode. "I don’t know what to say to an angel. Angel, do you have a name?"

"Yes, but you can’t pronounce it. What season is this?"

"Summer."

"Then call me Summer."

"Hi, Summer, I’m Aaron."

"Hi, Aaron."

He thought for a moment. "It’s getting to be lunchtime. Ever had a cheeseburger?"

"A what?"

"When you met this Assyrian guy 3,000 years ago, what did you have for lunch?"

"His mother made biryani. He wanted to slaughter a cow. I said no."

"Well, it took 3,000 years, but you're finally going to have that slaughtered cow. And, uh, although we are informal around here, probably you should get dressed."

"Good thought." Summer willed her clothes—blue jeans and a red blouse—back on.

‘Wait. What?" Aaron said, "Do that again."

She willed her clothes off and on three times. It was like watching a light blink off and on. "That’s how we do it," Summer said.

"Okay," Aaron replied, "You’re an angel, alright."

The two walked to Hamburger Heaven. The order arrived. Summer took her first bite. "Whoa! That's luscious! I should have had the cow."

So the two began to talk. Summer was a Guide; she escorted the newly dead to Eternity. Aaron was an EMT. Summer knew what an EMT was, having dealt with many such people, by different names, over the centuries.

After a few hours, the restaurant waitstaff suggested it was time for the two of them to go.

"Well, I'll guess I'll head home now," Aaron said. "Where do angels hang out?'"

"I've got nowhere to go. Any suggestions?" She looked straight at him and smiled.

"Oh, maybe." he said. "Let's go to my place and talk about it."

She took his arm and the pair walked to his place. After a few hours, evening fell.

"Let me show you the bedroom," said Aaron . He did, and she willed her clothes off in front of him and climbed in the bed. To her puzzlement, he went into the bathroom, came out wearing pajamas, and spread a sleeping bag next to the bed on the floor.

Summer looked at him over the side of the bed.

"What are you doing down there?" she asked.

"I am a gentleman. I took the floor."

"And a gentleman leaves a lady all alone in her bed, pining away for his tender companionship?" She placed the back of her wrist against her forehead for a faux-dramatic effect.

"Yes," he said. "So long as you are staying here, I am taking the floor."

Aaron turned over and went to sleep. Eight hours later, he awoke, lying in bed, to Summer sucking him off.

"Wait! What?" he said. He was thoroughly confused by what was happening and where he was. She slid her soft lips over his morning wood until she kissed the base. "Summer, what is going on?"

"I am sucking you off," she replied matter-of-factly.

"What am I doing in the bed?"

"I got lonely. You were an easy lift off the floor. Just one fingertip on your arm and poof! Here you were." She started again on Aaron. She placed her mouth over the head and stroked. After briefly enduring the pleasure of this moment, Aaron exploded a long stream of cum into her mouth.

She moved her head over his and kissed him. His mouth took a lot of his own semen. He startled at the favor.

"My cum tastes like pineapple?" he gurgled.

She swallowed. "Only when angels do it, friend. Otherwise, this is the most awful stuff."

Later, they sat on the bed next to each other, leaning against the headboard, feet outstretched. "Are you sure you’re an angel?" Aaron said. "I didn’t think angels acted like this. Don't you fly around all day, praying and doing religious stuff?"

She held her head in her hand. "Look, I'm on  vacation from a really hard job. Like I said, I’m a Guide. I escort the dead into Eternity.

"I was created 10,000 years ago. In ten millennia I have escorted stillborns, newborns, the elderly, and soldiers, and more soldiers.

"People can’t see me, but they can often sense me nearby, while I’m waiting for their loved one. People are never happy to realize I’m around. This experience is perpetual rejection, and it happens to every Guide.

“So every five or six centuries, The Big Guy gives each of the Guides a mostly mortal body for a while, and we get to kick up our heels. That's why I do what I do."

"It’s still hard to believe you’re an angel," Aaron commented.

She sighed. "Oh, watch this, Mr. Skeptic." Summer reached into the air. A halo appeared in her hand. She slapped the halo over her head, and there it hovered, slightly lopsided, a few centimeters above her hair. She turned and looked at him.

"Yep, you’re an angel," Aaron said. Summer closed her eyes, frowned, and stuck out her tongue at him.

The pair settled into a routine. Summer would walk around the seaside town, and developed a liking for hot dogs, beach balls, and t-shirts. Aaron, as an EMT, went to work at the firehouse and waited for calls.

One time, when the EMT’s arrived at the scene, the heart attack had already taken its toll. Summer flew in and apparently stood next to someone whom Aaron could not see. "Mary, Levi’s on his way. I’m not your Guide today," Summer said to the unseen person. "And," she glanced skyward, "The Big Guy signals that you’re going to be fine. Two thumbs up! Congratulations!" She gave a big hug to the invisible figure.

Summer looked over her shoulder at something or someone coming out of the sky. "Straight to Heaven," she smiled and said to someone, presumably Levi.

Summer walked over to the ambulance. Relatives were starting to arrive. Most were crying. All were sad. Summer sat next to Aaron. She leaned against his arm.

"Every day," she said sadly, "every day for 10,000 years." Summer paused, then said evenly, "Darling Aaron, I need a hot dog, a beach ball, and a t-shirt. "She paused. "And a hug."

"For that last one, can do," he replied. He held her close. She began to cry. He held her until the tears stopped.

The next Tuesday was Aaron's day off. It was a perfect day for ice cream. The sun shone hot in a cloudless sky. A light breeze sailed in from the Atlantic. And the ice cream truck pulled up at just the right time. Aaron got in line.

The line moved until he was one person from the counter. Then he felt two breasts press against his back. He did not have to turn around. "Summer, I am just waiting in line."

"Mmmm. Ice cream is good," he heard her say, "especially vanilla."  He looked around to see if anyone was noticing Summer's voice.  Apparently, they were not. Aaron guessed she was invisible, also. He felt her hand begin to massage his penis.

He looked down to see the movement in his shorts. "Summer," he pleaded.

“Oh, Aaron, pump your thick, hot vanilla into my waiting waffle cone!" she cried out, continuing to stroke him.

Finally, he was at the truck’s counter, with Summer still edging the head of his penis.

"What’ll it be, friend?" the clerk asked.

"Summer!" Aaron replied.

"Yeah," the clerk said, "summer’s great. What’ll you have?"

"Vanilla."

"No problem. Anything else?"

“Vanilla," Aaron said.

"Uh, vanilla it is. Anything else?"

"No. No. Not now."

"Just the one?"

"Just one."

Summer gave his penis a squeeze. "But I like vanilla, too, baby," she said.

“Okay, dammit. Two cones!" Aaron said angrily.

"Mister, okay. We all know it’s hot. Waffle cone or cake cone?"

"Mmm," whispered Summer, "doesn’t my waffle cone sound good? I bet it tastes great!" She stroked him some more.

"Uh… uh… two…uh…waffle cones," Aaron said.

"Now, that’s my lover!" Summer yelled. "Let’s go!" She began to stroke him energetically. Aaron stood in one place and tried not to smile. He was trembling.

"Buddy, you okay?" the clerk asked.

"I think you’re fine," said Summer, as she stroked the underside of his penis. Aaron was about to explode. Then he did.

“Aaaah-ah! Oh! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m okay! Never better!"

Aaron moved closer to the counter to hide the front of his shorts. Summer laughed.

"Next!" yelled the clerk. Aaron walked around the ice cream truck. Summer made herself visible, and Aaron handed her the cone. "Here," he grumped.

She gave the pile of ice cream a big, erotic lick. "Gotta love that vanilla," she said, smiling.

The next afternoon, they stood in his living room. Summer put her arms around his neck. "Do you know what the mile-high club is, darling?"

"I’ve heard of it."

"Hmmm…" She frowned. "Are you already a member?"

Aaron looked off to one side. "Well, no."

"That’s great, honey, because today I am going to make you a member."

"You can fly airplanes, too?"

"I’m an angel, darling. Come fly with me. Look at the floor."

He looked down. The two hovered a few centimeters above the rug. "Whoa!" he cried.

"The other night, that’s what I used to float you into bed. And with only one finger touching you. But don’t you ever break contact with me, lover. Watch what happens."

Summer spread her arms. Instantly, he dropped to the floor. She remained in mid-air.

"We’re gonna be way, way up high. Remember:  I’m the one who can fly. You can’t."

They held hands and walked to the patio. Aaron saw their reflections in the patio’s glass door. "First  things first," she said. Their clothes disappeared. Then Aaron saw their images vanish completely from the patio door. She smiled.

"Hold me tight, lover," she said. He did, and the pair rose off the ground.

They rose above the rooftops. "This is my town!" Aaron said, "Let’s cruise around a bit." The two held their arms around each other’s waist and flew over the town. They flew the length of the main drag with its collection of hamburger stands and t-shirt shops. Terry’s T’s, was, as usual, blaring music into the street. Right now, the song was Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven."

"Spot on!" they said together.

Aaron turned to Summer and said,  "I love you. I want you. Let’s dance." Terry’s T’s switched to Justin Timberlake, "Can’t Stop the Feeling." Summer began moving all over the place. She dragged Aaron all over the place.

"What the heck are we doing?" he yelled.

"It’s the only dance I know," she replied, "It’s an old Assyrian fertility rite." Aaron was dragged around some more, then the two headed upward.

In the air, a mile above the earth, Aaron and Summer made love among the clouds and the birds.

"Watch this," she said. Summer, in a sitting position, spread her legs. He was in a standing position, facing her and holding her shoulders. She took his penis in her hands and gently massaged him to an erection. She guided him into her vagina.

"Now put your hands above your head. I'll do the same," she said. They did so.

"And here we are," Summer said. "Two lovers, floating in midair, connected only by their, well, equipment. Isn’t it glorious? Look around you. Look at the size of buildings down below."

With that, Summer revealed her wings. They were solid white and thick with feathers. Her wingspan was just over three meters from tip to tip.

She crossed her legs behind him. "And away we go, sweetheart," she laughed. The two linked lovers soared higher into the sky. They maneuvered to avoid hitting a bird. They did a loop-de-loop, slowly, so that Aaron would not black out.

They floated above the clouds. "Now pump me, lover," she said. "Pump me good."

He began to move his hips.

“Together!" she yelled. Aaron’s movements became more rapid. She closed her eyes and dug her nails into his back.

Simultaneously, Aaron and Summer arched their backs and thrust their heads backward. Their world was engulfed in a brilliant blue explosion. For seconds, they could not see each other.

She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Lover, you are now an official member of the mile-high club." She gave him a big, wet kiss with lots of tongue. Then the blue dissipated, and they came back into each other’s view.

"I want to try something else," Summer said. Aaron was still hard. "Do like we just did, with your hands in the air."

This time, he did not do so. "Summer, you are ecstasy. You are beautiful and wonderful." He looked at her and sighed. "If I died now, you and I would be together forever."

"Oh, my darling," she said. She was about to say, Don’t be foolish, and reached out for his cheek.

At that moment, he pulled out of her. Instantly, he began to fall.

Summer cursed, clasped her wings straight against her back, turned in the air, and aimed straight down. Aaron had about a two-second head start. Summer heard him yell, "Ow!" as he struck a bird. After about twelve seconds, she caught up with him.

He gave her a big smile. "See you soon!" he said, and waved. Summer grabbed for his arm. He pulled it away. Angrily, she slowed down. Then die, you idiot, she thought. He continued toward the ground, happy as a clam.

Her next thought followed immediately. He is my lover. She shot downward again.

Within seconds, they were in earshot of Terry’s T’s, which was now playing Denise Williams, "Let’s Hear It for the Boy." The boy is going to hear about it, alright, she thought.

They were six seconds away from a very hard landing when a child’s helium balloon rose within reach of Summer. She grabbed the balloon and tagged Aaron on his back. "Gotcha!" she yelled. Two slowed very quickly to a stop, coming to rest just centimeters above the sand. Summer lowered them to the surface.

Aaron, smiling from ear to ear, looked at his hands. "Well," he said enthusiastically, "am I dead?"

"No," Summer replied furiously, "you’re a living, breathing, clueless jerk."

"What? You and I could have been together forever."

She screamed, "Nobody knows that! Half the people I take to Hell are surprised when they get there."

"I’m a decent guy."

"Yeah, I think so, too. Let me tell you a true story. In 1944, my supervisor was part of the battalion of Guides needed to escort the dead during World War II. She is escorting this one guy who died at Gross-Rosen, which was one of the camps.  She gets him to his destination, which was the Gates of Hell. And standing there is Old Man Lucifer, a-smilin' away.

"The new dead guy is in shock. 'But I'm Jewish,' he says. My supervisor checks her paperwork. He was Jewish, alright. But it turns out that he was a Kapo, a camp trustee. He was not a nice guy, and he was not a victim. She just leaves him there. The last thing she hears is his screaming as the Gates of Hell close behind him. Surprise!"

"I don't think I'm like that."

"Neither do I. But at the moment of death, I don’t make the call. Aaron, you could never have known what the decision might have been. And that makes you a damned fool for what you tried to do.

"Now goodbye."

Summer retracted her wings, willed her clothes back on, made herself visible, and walked away. Aaron, still invisible, walked home naked, and entered his house from the back patio door.

Two days later, his doorbell rang. "Oh, now what?" Aaron said. When Summer left, she never made him visible again. In the bathroom mirror, he saw only clothes with no head or body. Aaron was starting to wonder if he were, really, dead. And if he were dead, then where would he be going? The person at the door was, fortunately, Summer.

When she saw him, Summer understood immediately what had happened. "Oops," she said. She willed him back into view.

"Hi, there," she said.

"Well, hello. I won’t pretend I’m not surprised that you’re here."

"It turned out that I missed you, dammit. I was okay for maybe half a day. Then my heart ached. Sometime today I finally figured that maybe you are a damned fool, but," she sighed, "you’re my damned fool."

"And I will grow old and die," he replied. "But someone will see you again, maybe in 2650, maybe in 2775, or maybe whenever."

"About that," she said. She took his hand and kissed it. Sparkles lit her lips. "You and I will grow old together. The sparkles were my going-away present. For 10,000 years of faithful service," Summer said.

"Lover, I am now mortal. Yesterday, I asked The Big Guy for this. I said I'd rather have your love for a mortal lifetime than life for all eternity. He said there is not enough love in the world, and that you and I should keep adding more as much as we can."

Aaron smiled. "Then let’s get started."

They kissed.

She sparkled.