Nothing Is What It Seems To Be
Chapter 9
JE owns them, I play with them, Tom is all mine and I am not sharing
I met Steph down on 3 and checked in with Cal. When I saw Cal's cast I understood his reaction and believe me Lester got off lucky. Good thing Cal's guns had been locked in Bobby's safe. Steph had comforted Cal and he was sporting lipstick kisses next to his flaming skull tattoo, Boston Crème Doughnut crumbs on his shirt and a smug look as he and Steph planned Cal's payback . Steph asked me if it was okay to ask for Louis's help since Cal couldn't physically accomplish what needed to be done. I told her it was fine and I would help too. My cousin needed a lesson and I felt Cal and Steph were the people to come up with it.
Cal also was laughing at the punishment of physical training to get back in shape. He also had some suggestions for Grandma duty.
Note to self- talk to Grandma so she and Helen can really plan for Lester's punishment
"Babe are you ready to go? Hector picked up boxes and tape."
When we got to Steph's place I asked her what she wanted me to pack. She told me to start in the kitchen and she would start with her shoes.
It took about 5 minutes to pack her kitchen stuff. One pot to cook the can of soup so Rex could have a new home, one cookie sheet to bake frozen cookies in times of emergency, 1 cookie tin to store cookies in, 1 bear cookie jar to store gun in, 4 plates and cups, salt, pepper, ketchup and sugar packs from McDs. Good thing we have an Ella.
Steph was on the floor in her closet pulling out her shoes. I learned that Steph has a shoe collection of major proportions. When she got to the thigh high black leather boots with 4"heels, I reverently carried them out to my car - not gonna let anything happen to them. I am personally taking responsibility for them. Steph laughed at me when I came back in to her bedroom and I dragged her up to the bed.
"I like those boots will you model them tonight? You won't have to open boxes to find them" I said holding her close and nuzzling her neck.
"Back to work Batman the guys will be here any minute."
"Okay Wonder Woman what do you want me to pack now?"
"Could you pack up the stuff on the shelves in the living room and my DVDs and CDs?"
I learned a lot from the shelves. Who knew she stored her CD's alphabetically. She has 3 copies of Ghost Busters- 3 copies? I couldn't believe that she has a memory box. In it was a dried rose corsage with the junior prom invitation, a tiara with the banner Homecoming queen, a very well loved Teddy Bear. Her High School Ring, a charm bracelet, a varsity letter for football, Birthday cards from the time she was a little girl. Postcards from all over the world signed Love, Tom, a small bottle of sand labeled Hawaii Wish you were here Love, Tom, a beautiful fan from Japan and a geisha doll with a birthday card Love, Tom. A bottle of Perfume from Paris, a Hummel figurine waving an American Flag from Germany, all said Love Tom. A pair of my broken sunglasses and 4 post it notes that said Babe. Her memories of me are 4 post it notes with Babe and a pair of Broken sunglasses?
I was so embarrassed that there was so little that I had given her over the years for her memory box. In actuality, it hit me like a brick wall that I had given her, the woman I love nothing, she had saved the notes and sunglasses that belonged in the garbage. I had given her expensive cars but, I hadn't given her much in the way of keepsakes, that was definitely going to change. I also realized that I despised this Tom who clearly loved Steph and thought of her all the time. I knew, from Helen, he had been in her life for years. The postcards and keepsakes he had sent her over the years said he loved her. I was going to fill her life with memories from now on.
She always told me that she wasn't a reader and I will admit there weren't a lot of books but what she had she had obviously read a lot. I was surprised at the collection of F Scott Fitzgerald's short stories, A bible that was worn and passages highlighted. A book of codes - that got my attention I'd ask her about that later, a Rubiks cube , cross word puzzles and a dictionary a game of Monopoly. Then I came to a box of pictures and more postcards. Didn't Tom have a life? Lots of pictures of her nieces and the MM, a few of us and on the bottom of the box was a picture that had my full attention.
"Babe can you come here and tell me about this picture?"
Steph walked over to me and handed me a bottle of water, looked at the picture and started to laugh.
"Babe, this is the hottest picture I have ever seen of you - tell me about it"
"I have a friend who is in the Navy actually he is a Seal. He took St Valerie out 2 or 3 times and then he stopped asking her out but continued to hang around with me and my friends for years. He was like a big, protective brother. He really disliked Joe and one time Joe was really being gross and vulgar to me. Half the stuff he said to me I didn't understand either did Mary Lou. Tom grabbed him and was beating him up when my Mom came out and stopped it. After that, he really had it in for Joe."
"Well, he decided to join the Navy and I promised him I would write him if he would send me postcards from wherever he was. He still sends me postcards and letters" she said with a smile. "I really missed him. one day I got a letter from him and it seemed kind of down he said he was missing home and all of us so I wanted to cheer him up. Mary Lou and I were working in Point Pleasant that summer so I wanted to send him some pictures of us. I went to the army navy surplus store and bought a sailors hat and an American flag. The next day we headed out for the beach in our bikinis, the hat, flag and a camera. It was a perfect day and we started to goof around I was standing with my back to the ocean, sailor hat on my head and I had the flag kind of draped around me. Just as Mary Lou was snapping the picture this gust of wind came out of nowhere and the flag whipped out and unfurled. When we had the pictures developed I couldn't believe this picture it looked like I had no clothes on and I was just wrapped in the flag naked. I was so embarrassed I told Mary Lou to throw it away I didn't want anyone to see that picture, especially my mother. Mary Lou and I wrote Tom a letter and Mary Lou mailed it the next day with some of the pictures from the beach she gave me this to keep. About a week later Tom called me and we talked for awhile and he thanked me for the pictures and said all his buddies were enjoying them too. He told me one in particular was a favorite and he wanted permission to enter it in a little contest. "
"And that was how she became the sweetheart of the sixth fleet!" said a deep voice.
The next thing I knew my Babe was in the arms of a guy who was about 6'6" blond and had blue eyes and he was grinning from ear to ear, Babe was screaming and hugging him. I was ready to pull my gun except then I realized I knew Steph's Tom. I had been on missions with him and his tag name was Shadow. Oh, Helen you are the sneaky one.
"Ranger, I want you to meet my friend Tom! Tom, when did you get back? Oh I can't believe it! This is the best day. I'm moving in with you and Tom is back - how long can you stay? Please, tell me you have a month of shore leave."
"I'm out of the Navy Sweetheart - I'm home for good and looking for a job"
"Tom, if you want to work at Rangeman your hired. I have it on good authority that your shadow skills are still among the best."
He looked at me and his eyes flickered to Steph and I gave a small nod.
"You have a deal Ranger"
Brown, Santos, Hal, Hector and Tank walked in and when they saw Tom
It was a loud and noisy reunion.
"Shit, Santos what the hell happened to you?" asked Tom
Steph said "Cal beat him up last night and he was in a wheelchair when he did it - don't talk to Lester I'm mad at him"
Tom turned to Santos with a feral look "You didn't try any of your shit out on Steph did you because if you did you are a dead man" The air stilled and Lester cringed.
"No Tom, he was picking on poor Cal"
"Poor Cal as in 225 6'4" Cal of the flaming skull?
"You know Cal?"
"Oh yeah sweetheart we were in the Seals together"
The guys looked at the picture of Steph and the flag and then looked up at Steph. Bobby started to laugh "Cal still has this picture I saw it in his apartment on 4 when I grabbed some of his stuff last night. Hell, we've all seen and admired this picture but, we never realized it was you Steph. I guess we never got past the unfurling flag. I think every guy in the 6th fleet had that picture after it won the contest. Dreams were made of this picture."
Now was Tom's turn to go silent and white when Steph turned on him and said "This was the picture you entered in the contest! Oh my God! I hope my mother never sees this picture I'll never hear the end of it!All I'll hear is Why Me! Mrs. Kowalski's daughter never posed for a porn picture! What will Joseph think" Tom and I smiled at each other - he knew the true Helen and hopefully soon so will Steph.
I claimed ownership of the "Flag" photo and soon all of Steph's stuff was out of the concrete reinforced apartment.
"Hey Hal how is Shelly? I'm out of the Navy now do you need help with the plumbing on your house? I worked for Lenny's Dad during high school. How is your uncle?"
" My Uncle Jeff is flying in this weekend to see Clint at the Naval Academy and Shelly is flying in with him. Then we are all going down with him to see Clint and have some Maryland steamed crabs and crab cakes and corn on the cob."
"Is your dad the "General" flying in too?"
"No, he is already here - he's at the house with my brother putting floors in the bedrooms. The house should be finished in the next couple of weeks and the wedding is September 30th."
"Are you having the wedding at the Chapel on Ellsworth?"
"Yup, followed by the reception at the Officers Club. I wanted it on the ranch but I was out voted by the women in the family."
"Hal, I'm moving in with Ranger tonight, why doesn't Shelly stay here. It is really safe now that the new owner updated everything."
"Why doesn't Shelly stay with you on 4 Hal? That would be a lot 'cozier' and since a few of us have met her we could get to know her better" Said Santos wiggling his eyebrows.
Hal grabbed the front of Lester's shirt "Your talking about my future wife so shut your trap or you will add no teeth to your new look."
I couldn't believe what I finally put together in my mind. Hal's last name is Davis, the Commander of Ellsworth was Jeffrey Davis, who had a brother General Hal Davis who had retired 2 years ago. I had met General Davis a couple of years ago. I remember the nod from Col. Davis to Hal after the mission. I had on my core team a member of one of the most famous military families in the United States.
I heard Hector and Tom conversing in Spanish. Seems Hector and Tom hung out on the streets when they were younger. Hector turned to me and said when he bugged Morelli's he found other listening devices and recognized Tom's work. They were arranging it so that Tom's devices would also be monitored by Rangeman and that would free up Tom for more "shadowing" and allow Helen more time to follow some leads she had.
Tom had seen the deterioration in Morelli as well and thought we should sit down and talk to Steph asap.
My plan for tonight however included
1. Thigh high Black Leather boots/w 4" heels
2. The hat from my uniform
3. One Flag
4. One digital camera
5. One rooftop
6. One gorgeous Babe
7. And NO Bikini
PRICELESS!
Note: Lester is being admitted to the hospital to surgically remove his foot from his mouth. Prognosis is questionable if surgery will be sucessful.
