As usual, I do not own any of the GI Joe characters. Hasbro, Marvel, and DDP are the rightful owners. I borrowed the guest character of Dr. Winters from Sunbow Productions and their cartoon episode, "Hearts and Cannons". All props associated with the mode of transportation belong to Storm O and used with her permission. The other ideas, most of the dialogue, and just all around fun belong to me. Thanks to my beta reader and those of you who offered advice and suggestions. Much appreciated and duly noted herein.
Rating: R for sexual innuendos and connotations. Please read responsibly.
Little Black Dress
By: Wild Child
(the characters belong to others,
the words and story belong to me)
Several days after the debacle that made Footloose and Dusty esteemed guests in the desert, Footloose sat in the recreation room, sulking over another love lost.
"What's your problem, 'Loose? You are acting like a lovesick pup," Dusty asked as he walked in, glancing around the room expectantly.
"I am not, Dude," Footloose rejoined defensively.
Dusty refocused on his friend and crossed his arms. "You have to do better than that, Andy."
"What, Man?" He sighed, "Okay, I give. My karma is outta whack. All I see is that pretty blonde doctor. I'm all twisted inside."
"You are a bit twisted on the outside too, but you have to give it up. She's with 'what's-his-name' now. A woman like her...well...she's outta our league."
"Speak for yourself, Intern Rudat," a female voice broke the silence. "Dr. Footloose, may I see you...privately?"
Footloose's eyes popped open wide as he stammered for a response. "Absolutely, Man." He jumped up and headed for the door.
"I thought I told you not to call me 'Man'," Dr. Winters corrected. "Just for that, I may have to remind you."
Footloose looked back helplessly at Dusty but then broke into a broad grin. "Whatever you say, Man," he slyly replied.
Dusty watched them walk away, smiling at his friend's apparent good fortune. He looked around the empty room again and began to leave.
Cover Girl's head popped up from her reclined position on the nearby sofa. She cleared her throat, announcing her presence. "Intern Rudat? What else should I know about you, Ron?" she questioned, leaning an arm across the back of the sofa.
Stopping in his tracks, Dusty turned around and answered, "Join me for dinner tonight, and I'll tell you."
"Why Spc. Rudat, is that a date?" she asked coyly.
"Only if the pretty lady accepts," Dusty once again answered charmingly, walking towards her.
She grinned. "Well then. I accept." She discarded the magazine on the coffee table and glided towards Dusty. "Where are we going? Just so I can dress appropriately."
"How about that Italian bistro that just opened? Conrad and Shana have been there twice and can't stop talking about it," Dusty suggested.
"You read my mind, Desert. I'll meet you by the Boss in an hour," she proposed.
"An hour is perfect," Dusty answered.
Several doors down, Footloose and Dr. Winters had confiscated an empty conference room. The infantry trooper watched the lady doctor, his heart pounding in his chest. "Dr. Winters, I was…"
"Please call me Nancy, Andrew." She walked around behind Footloose, sizing him up. She wore her white lab coat with her blonde hair neatly pulled into a bun. "You know, Andrew," she purred, "I never got to thank you for rescuing me from that evil Destro. Jabal just had to show off his palace, and after he gave me the tour, you and your team were gone. Please forgive me."
"Uh…uh…sure. It really wasn't anything spectacular. We, as in me and Dusty, do that sorta thing all the time. Rescue damsels in distress and all," Footloose nervously answered. He groaned inwardly, hearing his messed up language.
"You do? Interesting. So, should I be thanking you or Dusty, because I'm pretty sure that your teammate has plans tonight?" Dr. Winters stepped back into Footloose's view.
"No he don't…doesn't. Urm…you don't. I kept you safe," Footloose stammered, amid his tongue-tied speech.
"Yes, you did." She reached up and pulled two strategically placed pins out of her hair, letting her blonde tresses fall across her shoulders. She shook her head slowly and then began to unbutton the large buttons on her lab coat.
Footloose felt his jaw drop, and he almost had to use his hand to force his mouth closed. He watched her shed her white lab coat to reveal the little black dress underneath. "You wanna go out?" he blurted out unceremoniously.
Dr. Winters smiled, chuckling softly. "I'd love to, Andrew. I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go."
Footloose thought quickly. "Great. I can borrow my friend's car. She said I could use it anytime as long as I didn't hurt it and as long as I washed and waxed it after I returned it."
"Sounds like quite the lady. Shall we go?" Dr. Winters asked.
"It'd be my honor, Ma…Nancy." He offered her his arm. Her petite hand encircled his arm, and they walked to the garage. "Stay right here. I'll be right back." Footloose darted off into the dark motor pool, following the light into Steeler's office.
Steeler shuffled papers around his desk. He had mountains of purchase orders plus a list of material and equipment, which he needed to requisition from Duke. He heard footsteps thundering towards his office, and he looked up anticipatorily, wondering what Army was heading in his direction.
"Ralph. Hey Dude," Footloose said, barging into the office. "I need the keys to Courtney's car."
The tank commander arched an eyebrow, shocked that the infantry trooper could make so much noise. He shook his head. "Oh no you don't. She'll skin me alive."
"No, no. She told me I could use her car if I ever needed it after I helped her repair the fuel line. I really, really need it," he practically begged.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember that ordeal." Steeler opened his bottom drawer and retrieved the spare set of keys to the 1969 Mustang. "Here you go. It's your head, Dude," he punctuated, "if it comes back here scratched, scrapped, dented…"
"I know, I know," Footloose interrupted. "I have already been read my rights and vividly explained what bodily harm may occur from my disregard to her car. Thanks, Man." He grabbed the keys and ran back out the office door.
Steeler grimaced. Out of sheer curiosity, he peered from his office doorway. He watched Footloose prancing towards………a beautiful blonde woman. He whistled lowly and mumbled, "Where did he get her?"
"I got the keys," Footloose reported cheerfully. "The car is right over here."
Steeler shrugged and hoped that the soldier knew what to do with the car, the lady, and his hands, not necessarily in that order. As he walked back to his desk, he remembered that Cover Girl's car had a manual transmission. He chuckled to himself. "He's gonna be helping her replace a transmission or clutch next."
Footloose led Dr. Winters through the garage. "There she is," he pointed as he opened the garage door that house the classic red muscle car.
"This is your friend's car? She lets you drive it?" Dr. Winters asked skeptically.
"I helped her replace some parts, and she told me that the next time I needed to go to town, I could use it."
"Are you sure she will not need it tonight?"
"Nah. She's probably…let's not talk about her, okay?" Footloose opened the passenger door. "After you, Doctor," he gentlemanly proposed.
"Thank you, Andrew," Dr. Winters replied, slipping into the spotless car. She looked around, amazed at the interior.
Footloose ran around to the driver's side and sat down. He observed the look of admiration that his passenger was giving the inside of the fine automobile. "Courtney takes very good care of her things." He started the car and listened to it rumble to life.
"I can see that, but like you said earlier, let's not talk about her tonight." Dr. Winters stroked one of her hands across his muscular bicep. "Let's blow this joint," she quipped, recalling the line from a movie.
Footloose, energized by her touch, stomped on the gas pedal, and the Mustang shot out of the garage bay. The last thing that Steeler saw was the cloud of dust billowing behind it as the car rocketed towards town. "He's a dead man," Steeler surmised.
While Footloose, Dr. Winters, and the red Mustang barreled away from the PITT, Dusty slammed the door to his barrack shut and headed for the garage. He glanced at his watch as he jogged across base, not wanting to be late. The desert trooper cocked his head to the side as he approached the open garage door. Looking inside, he didn't see the Mustang. He groaned, thinking that Cover Girl either left without him or was pulling a fast one on him.
"You beat me, Desert. I'm impressed," Cover Girl called out as she jingled the car keys. Her dress flapped in the light evening breeze.
"I guess I did," Dusty answered, watching her come towards him and momentarily forgetting about the missing Mustang. "You look beautiful," he told her once she was a few steps from him.
"Thank you, Ron. You clean up nicely too. I would have been here sooner, but Lance was a huge obstacle for me to dodge. Are you ready to..." She looked at the empty spot before she looked back at Dusty. "Where is my car?"
Dusty shrugged. "The door was up when I got here. I figured you were already here. I thoug…" His words fell on deaf ears as his eyes watched her walk through the garage towards Steeler's lit office. He braced himself for the upcoming tongue-lashing and barrage of questions. He silently counted. "One…two…three..."
"RALPH! Where is my car!" Cover Girl asked agitatedly, storming into Steeler's office. Her hands rested on her hips.
Steeler jumped in his chair and swallowed his gum. He coughed twice before he met the 'I'm-so-gonna-kill-ya' look that the tank jockey was giving him. "Andy borrowed it. He said that you said that he could…"
"He didn't?" she questioned disbelievingly, although the tone of her voice had dropped significantly.
Steeler nodded. He took a moment to scan her appearance. "Look, I'm sorry, Court. I didn't realize you were going out tonight. I'd let you borrow my Cuda, but she's leaking oil and I have her torn apart," he explained, trying to find an alternative for her. "I can phone Lance to see if you can take his car."
"No! I don't want to be indebted to him. Just give me the keys to a jeep," she huffed.
Steeler meekly retrieved a pair of keys and handed them to her. "I'm sor…"
"It's not your fault, Ralph. I did tell Andy he could use the Boss. It's okay. Really. You do your thing. I'll go do mine. Night." Cover Girl turned and walked out of the office.
"Did you locate it?" Dusty inquired carefully as Cover Girl approached him. He had heard muffled exchanges of words but couldn't make out what happened. He hoped that it was a misguided prank and that they would be headed for town shortly.
"Your roomie took him."
"Footloose? Andy? Why?" Dusty asked. He thought about saying, "Ex-roomie," since he was pretty sure that Cover Girl would severely harm him once he returned.
Cover Girl sighed and stated, "I told him that he could use the Boss the next time he needed to go to town. He helped me replace that bitch of a fuel line last month. I'm sorry," she apologized. "It looks like we get to take an Army jeep."
"The jeep is fine by me, unless…"
"Unless what?" she asked.
"Well, we could dine in," Dusty offered. "But, nah, you are all dressed up. We should go out," he countered, quickly changing his own mind, hoping the seed was planted.
"Dine in? Why Desert, whatever are you suggesting?" she purred once again, sauntering up beside him.
Four hours laterFootloose and Dr. Winters stood outside his quarters. He fumbled with the keys as they both laughed. "Sshh," Footloose reminded her. "Ron will be sleeping. I don't want to wake him, even though he sleeps like the dead. Oh, and he sounds like a freight train," he warned her.
Dr. Winters giggled from the excessive wine she consumed that night. "I think we will be able to block him out," she seductively answered.
Footloose turned the key, and the door opened. His senses caught the fading aroma of something Mexican. "The Dude likes to cook," he explained.
Dr. Winters leaned in to kiss Footloose. "Let's not talk about your roommate either tonight," she suggested, locking her lips over his before he could answer.
In the darkened quarters, a light shone underneath the bathroom door. Suddenly, it went out, and the door opened. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Cover Girl walked across the "empty" living room until she ran into two human forms. She screamed out of instinct.
Dr. Winters shrieked, and Footloose fumbled for the lamp. Turning the switch, the small room was illuminated. "Courtney!"
"Andy! Um…." Cover Girl looked at the blonde lady in the black dress.
Dusty sprang from his bed when he heard the voices and screams. He pulled on a pair of boxers. "Court? Are you okay?" he asked, coming into view. At first, his eyes saw Cover Girl, clothed in one of his oversized Army tee shirts, then he saw Dr. Winters in a little black dress, and finally he saw Footloose. "Uh…."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Cover Girl answered. "Nice to meet you," she greeted the lady in the black dress. "I'm Courtney."
"I'm Nancy. Nice to meet you, Courtney. Your car is awesome. Purrs like a kitten," Dr. Winters slurred.
Cover Girl smiled appreciatively at the praise and then looked at Footloose. She could smell the alcohol on Dr. Winter's breath. "Andy, my car is safe, right?" she asked fretfully.
"Yes, Ma'am," Footloose replied promptly.
"Good," Cover Girl said, satisfied that Footloose was not excessively inebriated. "Have a good night." She padded across the floor and wrapped her arms around Dusty's waist. "Let's go back to bed," she whispered. "The little black dress has the spotlight."
Dusty's eyes twinkled as he grinned amiably, following her back into his room.
After the bedroom door closed, Footloose apologized, "Sorry. Gotta love roommates."
Dr. Winters flipped off the lamp. "I told you your friends had other plans. Now, let's finish ours."
Footloose and Dr. Winters disappeared into his bedroom, locking the door behind them.
-FIN