Chapter 6

A preacher who looks like Elvis

Slowly, one blue eye opened to the bright rays of sun and neon streaming through the slightly open curtains. Curtains covering the windows of a seedy off strip motel room she found herself in. Quickly, the eyes owner squeezed it shut with a groan as pain sliced through her head.

The eye's owner tried to roll over onto her back when she realized a heavy weight was holding her down. In her semi-conscious, near dream state, she imagined she was weighted down at the bottom of a deep, dark, albeit a warm lake. Jumping to full consciousness, she felt the weight tighten around her waist as she heard a 'hmm' from behind and felt someone play with her hair.

Slowly, she realized the weight was a golden-hair sprinkled arm. She also realized she was naked.

"Duke?" Scarlett asked tentatively, hoping that's who the arm belonged to. Last night was a bit fuzzy. She remembered going to dinner with Duke, some small-wedding chapel with a preacher that looked like Elvis. She remembered seeing the the Baroness and Destro in that same chapel, but, she didn't remember why. "Duke?" She was getting nervous.

"Yes?"

Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened last night?" Scarlett asked.

"You don't remember?" He sounded more awake now.

"No, do you?" She replied

"Just snippets." Duke groaned, pulling his arm from over her and scraping his face with the newly freed hand. "Why do I feel like a cruise missile is using my head for target practice? "

Scarlett rolled over to face him, pulling the sheet with her. "I'm still trying to figure out how we got here and just where here is?"

"Well, all I can figure out is that we're in a hotel room and we're not exactly dressed for maneuvers on the battlefield." Duke replied.

"Do you remember if we, uhm, you know?" Scarlett asked, her face turning as red as her hair.

" I'm pretty sure we would remember that." Duke replied. " at least I know I would." He smiled.

"Haha. I would hope we'd remember it." Scarlett replied sarcastically. "The important question is where are we and how did we get here, naked."

"Well, I don't think we're going to get any answers while we're laying here." Duke replied. "Of course, we could make use of the room and our current state of undress." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Seriously, you're thinking about that, right now? While we're alone, naked in a hotel room and have no clue how we got here?" She smiled.

"Well, we are naked, in a hotel room, alone. So, yeah. I'm thinking about that. In fact, Shana, I think about that with you quite often." He smiled as he ran a crooked finger softly down her cheek as he leaned in an pressed his lips gently against hers. Smiling slightly as he felt her initial resistance give way to one of the most passionate kisses he'd shared with any woman.

Back at Nellis Air Force Base

Lady Jaye rolled over, waking with a start. Something was gnawing at her and she just couldn't put her finger on it. For once, though, she knew it didn't involve her lover, Flint. Though she was still angry at him for just assuming she wanted to go out last night. She really just wanted to stay in and relax with him. For once, feel like a normal couple. She glanced over at the bed assigned to Scarlett and realized through sleep-filled eyes, her friend had never been back from her date. It was still a complete disaster area from Scarlett trying to decide exactly what to wear for her date with Duke. Lady Jaye smiled as she rolled over again, falling asleep again thinking, it was about time those two did something about their attraction.

Across the hallway, Flint woke slowly, stretching out the kinks in his body, both from a night of tossing and turning and from trying to squeeze his six foot two frame onto a bed made for midgets, well, beds made for a five foot ten inch airman. Did the air force only take in dwarves? He thought as he felt his back crack. He wasn't that old, just his early thirties, but after sleeping on this bed, he felt ages older. He groaned as he rolled over again, twisting himself into a blanket burrito. He rolled his head to the side and through blurry eyes noticed the bunk across the room was empty. Flint smiled. His friend and field commander clearly hadn't come home last night. It was about time, he thought. Now, if he could solve his problem with his own lady love. He was hoping to take his relationship with Lady Jaye to the next level by asking her to go to visit his family in Wichita on their next leave. But, that fell through when he saw that damned Russian colonel flirting with her.

He really couldn't blame the guy. Jaye was just the type of lady a man flirted with. She was beautiful, intelligent, and gutsy as hell. Exactly the perfect woman. And although she was well-traveled from her upbringing, she was still somewhat naïve'. At least, when it came to men. A few nice words and she easily blushed. It was one of the things he loved about her. It was also one of the things that infuriated him about her.

He knew she'd never cheat on him, but unfortunately, the men didn't know that. Flint rolled over again, groaning. He cursed the bed, and himself again. He knew he had to get a handle on his jealousy. But, dammit, he loved her so much.

Twenty minutes and countless repetitions of Duke's earlier words running though his mind later, he decided to get up and run the demons out of his mind.

Halfway through his five mile run, he ran into the very target for his jealousy. The Russian Colonel.

"Mind if I yoin dyu, Comrade?" The Soviet was all smiles.

"Suit yourself, Comrade" Flint ground out through clenched teeth as the Soviet fell into step with him.

"How far you go, Comrade?"

"Five miles." Flint still wasn't happy with the Soviet's presence. But, Hawk had ordered them all to play nice, even to the Oktober Guard. Which was easy for Dusty, who clearly had his eyes set on their lone woman, Daina. He and Gung Ho had a different take on it.

"Is dat all?" The Colonel asked snidely. Flint refused to call the man by his name. In his mind, he was still their enemy.

"For today." Jesus, was this guy ever going to get to the point of interrupting his run.

"In Russia, ve run tventy kilometers, in ze znow" Geez, what was this guy up to, Flint questioned silently.

"Good for you, Colonel. But, I'm sure you didn't come out here to play "can you top this?" Did you?"

"Nyet. Dyu are correct, comrade. I vanted to talk vith dyu."

"So, talk." Flint ground out. He really wanted to leave this guy in the dust. He came out here to think, not listen to a Russian windbag set on making his girlfriend a conquest.

"Dyiu and Lady Jaye are, how you zay, lyubiteli, eh, lovers, Nyet?"

"Nyet." Flint answered quickly and amended with "I mean, da, yes" when the Colonel raised one questioning eyebrow. He stopped running and glowered at his unwelcome running mate.

"Zorry, dis iz zecret, Comrade?"

"Yes and no. In the mainstream American military, our relationship is against regulations." Flint sighed.

"I do not understand. Vhy not?"

"I am a warrant officer, she's a corporal."

"Zo?" The Soviet cocked his head in question. It almost reminded Flint of a German Shepherd.

"So, in the US military, officers can't date subordinates, or enlisted."

"Vhy not?"

"They say it affects morale."

"Bah, vhat do zey know. Ze heart knows vhat it knows. Dyu cannot stop ze heart." Brekhov scoffed.

"Yeah, well, the US military doesn't see it that way."

"But, dyu love her, nyet?"

"Da, Comrade, I do."

"I could zee dat. I vanted to tell dyu, dyu have nozzing to fear from me. Your lady, ze reminds me of my beautiful Svetlana." Flint watched as sadness filled the Soviet's face. "Ze died in childbirth last fall." Brekhov pulled a photo from his pocket and handed it to Flint. It was a pretty brunette, big with child, with another brunette, curly haired little girl with her mama's bright blue eyes. The woman was wearing a Soviet Sergeant's uniform. He could see why Brekhov saw his wife in Lady Jaye. She had an eery and uncanny resemblance to Svetlana. The picure made him easily see what Lady Jaye would look like pregnant and with their child. Something he'd been seeing for a while now. "Dyu see, your lady not only looks like Lana, but ze has my lady's courage and heart. Dyu don't let dis vone go. Love is hard to find in ze Army." With that, Brekhov took back his picture and ran off.

An hour later, Flint met up with his missing friend and quickly noticed the goofy look on Duke's face and the gold band on his left hand.

"Please tell me that band belongs to a certain redhead we know and love." Flint smiled.

"What, what the bloody blue blazes?" Duke held up his left hand and inspected it.

"Wait, you don't remember?"

"Well, I remember a preacher that looked like Elvis, Destro and the Baroness and this morning." Was all Duke said.

"I would think you'd remember marrying Scarlett. It is Scarlett, right?" Flint narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Oh yeah, it's Scarlett. Damn, now I have to figure out how to tell Hawk. As soon as I figure out what actually happened."

"Well, I'd say your married." Flint laughed. "And to think, everyone bet it would be Lady Jaye and I to tie the knot first."