Chapter Fifteen: Learning to Pay Attention

A week later, I was still working on documents from both the Heathan forest campaign and the desert. Physical training and simulated platoon maneuvers occupied my mornings, while deskwork made up the rest of the day. By now, my job on base was getting so mundane I actually hoped for a new deployment sometime soon.

I was sitting in my office, bored of pushing papers, when my aide came through the door. Corporal Kaleb Garian was twenty-one years old and hailed from one of the besieged Outer Colony worlds. Practically raised in the thick of battle, the black-haired, green-eyed corporal had a quiet toughness and determination about him that impressed me.

Knowing he'd probably come in with the supply inventory Kingston had requested, I didn't think much of Garian's visit at first.

"Lieutenant Cooper?" he asked.

"What is it, Corporal?" I said without looking up. I was reading over some service records of the men and women in my platoon, trying to decide whom I would recommend for a medal.

"Ma'am, there's a Lieutenant Hawk here to see you."

"Send him in." I didn't really register what he'd said, as I was busy reading Corporal Trevor Dandh's file. Turns out he was a decorated veteran of the Oasha campaign. Interesting.

Corporal Garian left the room, and the man who'd entered cleared his throat.

"One moment, Lieutenant," I said, again focusing my attention on the records rather than the person standing in front of my desk. Technically, we were both the same rank, but the lieutenant was in my office. He'd simply have to wait his turn.

"Very well, Lieutenant," the voice said.

For a moment I didn't even trust my own hearing. I knew that voice anywhere, and now that I thought about it, my aide had said the name Hawk. Couldn't be him, though, I reasoned. He was on Rondurass, doing flight training for his next mission.

I looked up.

Standing there was Willis, grinning ear to ear.

I barely kept my composure. Discipline, discipline, discipline…ah, screw that. I hadn't seen my husband in months. If that wasn't torture, I didn't know what was.

"Surprise," Willis said.

I actually chuckled.

"How did you know I was here, Will? We just arrived about a week ago," were the first intelligent words that came out of my mouth.

"What can I say? Good to have friends in high places."

We looked at one another for a good minute, just grinning like a couple of morons. I realized how ridiculous it was, but I didn't care. Finally, I got up from behind my desk and all but ran at him.

Willis gave me a giant bear hug and what must have been the longest lasting kiss in human history.

"It's good to see you," I said when I could breathe again.

"I've missed you so much, Coop," Willis said, releasing me. "I got a letter chip over three weeks ago, said you were in the hospital…"

"I'm all right, Will," I assured him.

"I heard you were in ICU for more than a month. You sure about that?"

"Bumps and bruises don't keep me down. Besides, see me standing here talking to you?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, then, someone saw it fit for me to leave the hospital."

Willis leaned against the wall and eyed me with mock suspicion. "How do I know you didn't just break out?"

"And what, float planetside? It was an orbital facility."

"Ah." Willis looked down at his boots, then back at me. "So when are you done for the day?"

"Another fifteen minutes. Why? Are you going to take me somewhere?"

Willis winked at me. "You'll see."

"You think you're getting away with an answer like that?" I asked, giving him an evil sort of grin and pressing against him. After all the time we'd spent apart, it felt really good to have his body close to mine again.

He shut his gorgeous golden brown eyes for a moment and rasped, "C-Cooper, if this is your way of trying to suppress my raging hormones, you're doing a horrible job of it."

When I started laughing, my husband smiled weakly. "It has been seven very lonely months, Coop …" He slid his arms around my waist and leaned in for a kiss, but I stopped him.

"I know. But we can't afford to get caught in my office," I said, amazed at the nonchalance in my voice. I ran a hand over the side of his short, light brown hair and finally stepped back.

Separating myself from Willis took all the self-control I could muster; the last thing I wanted to do was let go of him. But I knew the regulations---and, of course, there was the problem of Corporal Garian, who was sitting right outside.

Willis stared at me with a look of disappointment. "All this teasing is killing me, honey. Do you have any idea what that does to my pride?" he asked. He was trying to sound serious, but his faint grin gave him away.

I sat back down behind my desk, grateful for the physical barrier between us; I didn't exactly trust myself at the moment. "Gotta follow the rules, Will. So, are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"Well, shit, with persuasion like that…"

Our eyes met and I gave him my best pitiful look. He held my gaze only a few moments before giving in.

"Oh, all right. This was supposed to be a surprise, though…"

"That's ok. You showing up here was unexpected enough, anyway."

"Touché." Willis cleared his throat loudly and assumed an air of sophistication. "Tonight, my dear, we are scheduled to dine at La Rosa Bianca, the finest restaurant operating within Sigma Octanus space. Following said dinner, we shall take a lovely stroll alongside the crystal-clear Lumiar River." Willis paused for effect, then continued in his normal tone of voice, "And, for the grand finale, I've booked us a room at the luxurious Galaxy Stars. How's that sound?"

"I…I think my fifteen minutes are up."