"Okay Commander Wagner it appears you and your wife are extremely lucky because you scored a house in Bradford Point. Bradford Point just happens to be the nicest of all the housing areas to the fact that the houses are singles as opposed to the usual duplex. I also think you two will be the youngest couple to ever live there." A Petty Officer Jackson pointed out enthusiastically.
Kate clapped her hands together in excitement. She had been hoping to get a house in Bradford Point. The homes screamed Pottery Barn which is what she planned to decorate the house in.
Tony couldn't help but laugh at her. He should have known she researched the area before venturing down here. Kate was always prepared. "Well that is really good to hear."
Petty Officer Jackson smiled and nodded. "Well in this packet you will find the basic information about your home and your housing area. It includes the numbers for self help, and your maintenance people. If you don't have any questions then we're done here."
Tony stood up and shook the young sailor's hand. "Thank you very much Petty Officer."
"You are so good at your job." Kate couldn't help but add. It was the fist time she had ever had to deal with someone in this position who not only actually appeared to like their job but also knew all of the answers and on top of all that was even willing to provide you with them.
The young man started to blush. He couldn't help but notice how cute Mrs. Wagner was. "Well thank you for that. Have a very nice day."
Tony waited until they were in the elevator before he teased her. "I can't believe you actually researched the housing areas."
"I happen to like planning and having an idea of what I am going up against unlike you." Kate shot back. "I still remember the time you almost missed the first day back from Winter Break all because you were busy making out with Roxanne in the car."
"How was I supposed to know we were meeting on the other side of the campus?"
Kate laughed. "You would have known if you had asked someone."
"I miss that place." Tony admitted. "I mean it was tough, and not always fun but it molded us. How many people can say that their college experience actually molded them?"
Kate got this wistful look on her face. "I know exactly what you mean. I was dating this guy and he made my bed after a night together. It should have been sweet. It should have been romantic but all I could do was stare at it because the fold was not twelve inches from the top."
"Roxanne couldn't handle living with me because of all of the little things I did because of the academy." Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulder and smiled. "I guess that won't be a problem for us."
Kate smiled and shook her head. "Nope I don't think it will."
Tony smiled as he parked his car in front of their small single family home. He didn't know what to say. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The lawn had been maintained since the last family had moved out. He felt that all it was missing was an American flag. He looked over at Kate who he assumed was looking through the packet for information on the house. He looked out the window and could see that their new neighbors were already on the prowl. He shook his head and laughed a little.
Kate looked up at the sound of Tony's laugh. She was busy looking through the packet for information on what the house should contain. "What?"
"It's just our new neighbor is already checking us out. She thinks she's being slick. She's pretending to be reading Vanity Fair but if you look close the magazine is upside down and her glasses are on top of her head." Tony pointed out. He turned off the car and grabbed his Aviators out of the glove box. "It's show time Kate."
"You mean Marissa." Kate corrected as she too grabbed her sunglasses out of her purse and then put them on. She knew that as soon as they got out of the car the woman next door would gawk at them as if they were celebrities. Before heading over here they had checked into guest housing for a couple of nights. They had changed clothes in order to seem more couplish. It seemed they both had packed their Naval Academy sweatshirts so they put those on and matched them with a pair of jeans. They looked perfect.
Tony nodded and winked at her. "I'm going to open your door for you. So don't get out yet." He explained before making his way around the vehicle. He did as he said he would and opened the door for her and then helped her out. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder knowing full well that snoopy next door was watching intently. Walking up the walkway this way reminded him that he was the perfect height for her.
Kate walked around the house slowly but surely. You could tell that she was thinking about what furniture she would want to fit in each room. "So I was thinking we are going to need stuff for a dining room, living room, kitchen, backyard, guest bedroom, master bedroom, two bathrooms, and of course an office. We probably want to pick out our furniture as soon as we get back to guest housing because we are going to need to be moved in by the end of the week."
Tony wondered if all women were like this when it came to moving into a house. Roxanne sure as hell was the first time they attempted living together. Still she found his anal retentive ways too annoying and moved out four months later. He knew it was better to agree with Kate than to try and have opinions of his own.
Kate was in the middle of forcing Tony to help her measure the length of the living room when she heard a soft knock at the front door. She knew it was the new neighbor. She groaned and tossed Tony the tape measurer. She plastered a nice bright smile on her face before she opened the door. "Hello…"
"Well hi my name is Tanya Meyer and I'm one of your new neighbors. I live right next door. I realize you aren't moved in yet or anything but I just wanted to be the first to say hello." Tanya was thirty two, the mother of two, and she drank two Margaritas almost everyday at two o'clock.
The plastered smile grew bigger if that was even possible. "Oh my gosh isn't that sweet of you. My name is Marissa, Marissa Wagner. My husband Michael is in there making sure his television is going to fit in the living room."
Tanya nodded. "So where are you guys coming from? I see your plates say Virginia."
Kate froze. How could she explain the plates? "No we are actually coming here from San Diego. Michael bought this car the first time we were stationed here."
"Oh wow San Diego. That must have been nice." Tanya had always wanted to get stationed in California.
"Yeah I can't complain. Still it seems really nice around here. Last time we were here Michael had just graduated from the academy."
Tanya was even more impressed. She had met very few Annapolis graduates. "Well okay I just wanted to pop ever and say hello. I'm sure we'll have more time to chat once your stuff gets here. I'd think that would be a while though. I mean all the way from California."
"Actually it's supposed to be arriving on Friday. They left a week before us."
Tanya smiled and slowly backed away. "Okay well then I guess we'll see you on Friday." Tanya then turned around and crossed the lawn back to her house next door.
"Is she gone?" Tony asked after jotting down a few numbers on a sheet of paper. It was a crude drawing of the house but at least the numbers were exact.
"Yeah, Miss Vanity Fair is done inspecting us. How many more measurements do you need?" Kate was pleasantly surprised that he had continued to measure even though she had left the room. Most men would have waited for orders before they did anything.
Tony jotted one more set of numbers down on the sheet of paper and then looked up. "I'm finished. It looks like we have a decent size house. So when we get back to the guest house we can decide what we want our home to look like." Tony said. He was caught off guard when she grabbed his hand as they made their way out the door. He wondered if she saw the small smile that had formed on his lips. Her hands were still so soft.
She leaned into him a little as they made their way back to the car. She wasn't sure why but she just wanted to be close to him. She breathed in his cologne and smiled. He smelled so good. She wondered what he wore. "It was so nice meeting you Tanya. See you on Friday!" Kate called over her shoulder just before she got into the Rover.
"What do you want to do about dinner? Do you want to grab something before we go back to our room?" Tony asked. He had forgotten to eat something this morning. He was starving.
"Uh okay do you have anything in mind?"
"Okay well I did see this Indian place that is right down the road from our room. I haven't had Indian in forever. Colombia lacks a choice of cuisine. It's mostly just rice and beans." Tony cringed at the thought of rice and beans. He ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner nearly everyday for four months.
Kate sighed. Tony had always had a thing for Indian food. It was his meal of choice. She had never understood what he saw in it. Back at the Academy he used to love to go this place that was right outside of the campus. "Well, I'm going to say yes but only because you just got back from Colombia and because we are going to have to get used to compromising."
Tony smiled and then he did something that surprised him. He kissed her cheek. He hated been with anyone other than Roxanne in years. Actually Kate had been the last person that he had kissed other than Roxanne. "Thanks sweetheart I have been dying for some saffron rice."
Kate sat in the car while Tony was inside the restaurant ordering. She flipped through one of her design magazines but quickly got bored. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and dialed a familiar number.
Abby threw her empty Caff Pow in the trashcan and went back to work. She was in the middle of examining a belt buckle when she heard her phone begin to ring. She smiled as soon as she read the caller ID. "I can't believe you left this morning without saying goodbye."
"Well you hadn't come in yet and my husband came especially early."
Abby gasped. "So tell me about your hubby is he cute? Is he your typical FBI dick? Come on Kate I need details."
"Well actually you know that guy I told you about. The one I went to Annapolis with. McGee's quote unquote tormentor."
"Yeah, oh my gosh he is not your husband. That must be different." Abby began to chew on her straw in anticipation. She had heard all about this girl one night after getting Kate especially drunk. It appears he was the one who got away or never was. She didn't know how to explain their relationship. All she knew was that this guy meant a lot to Kate.
"Different is the perfect word. I think I still may like him. I mean he is the first guy I ever really felt a spark with. Anyway I guess we'll see you know over the course of the next few months. Still I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
"Okay, what is it?" Abby was totally not surprised that Kate still liked this guy. Abby seriously figured that Kate had never gotten over him.
"Well you see I didn't get to drive down here so my car is still in the parking garage. Do you think you could drive it down this weekend? Maybe you could stay a few days help me move in. You could meet him. I think you'd like him." Kate didn't think that Abby would like Tony. She knew she would. Abby loved guys like Tony. The smart yet goofy ones with hearts of gold who also just happened to be very handsome those were the kinds of guys that Abby loved.
Abby squealed. "Are you serious? Not only are you saying that I get to drive your brand new Volvo C70 but I also get to stay with you for a little while. Of course I can do that for you. I can actually be down there by like six on Friday."
"Perfect. That is perfect. Still I have only one little condition." Kate was nervous about said condition.
Abby should have guessed that there would be conditions. "What is it?"
"See we live in an officer's neighborhood. Very traditional and old fashioned. So um if you come you have to dress well normal."
Abby gasped.
"I know I know Abs it's just these ladies don't respond well too goth makeup and fishnet stockings." Kate explained.
Abby sighed. "Fine I'll do it but only because I want to meet this hubby of yours. He better have a cute butt."
"Trust me he does."
"Oh I knew you checked it out. Kate Todd you are a dirty girl."
Kate laughed. She felt her cheeks start to redden. "Well here he comes so call me tomorrow and I'll give you directions."
"Where is he coming from?"
"He was inside this Indian restaurant ordering food."
"You hate Indian food. The smell repulses you."
"I know."
"Oh Kate you big softy already making concessions to keep the marriage sound." Abby joked.
"Bye Abby." Kate said and then hung up her phone.
Okay so I know I said there would be lovey dovey stuff and there wasn't that much. I'll try to include more in the next chapter. Thank you for reading. Thank you for reviewing if you reviewed the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
