31
"Well it wasn't quite what I had planned for dinner, and it was a bit later than I'd aimed for, but..."
"But we... I... let my inner child have a little too much freedom," Gill grinned unrepentantly, as she swallowed her last spoonful of tomato soup.
"True... you did," Harm agreed in mock reproof.
"But you didn't have to respond in kind!" Gill observed.
"Oh, yes I did... what sort of soldier would I have been if I wouldn't have responded to an unprovoked assault?" Harm defended himself, his eyes dancing with amusement at the absurdity of the conversation.
Gill tucked a newly washed strand of hair, that had escaped her pony-tail, back behind her ear, "Well you could at least have used something less messy – and sticky – for ammunition!" she mock-complained.
"It was all I had to hand, so I just made the best us of the available resources," Harm said loftily as he picked up the last fragment of his toasted cheese sandwich, his own hair still damp from the shower.
It was much later than Ham had intended, although the food fight had ended sweetly, there had been a deal of clearing up to do in the kitchen, and then each had had to take turns in the bathroom to get rid of the evidence, and finally clothes had to be put through the washing and drying cycle, and it was only when this last step was under way that their minds had returned to the subject of dinner.
"Uh... It's a bit late to start cooking now," Harm had observed as he checked the pantry for something that wouldn't take too long.
"And whose fault is that?" Gill asked in wide-eyed innocence from the safety of a kitchen chair.
"Well, I didn't start the fight," Harm replied virtuously.
Gill giggled, "No, but you found a sweet way of ending it."
Harm looked over his shoulder at her grinned, "Yeah, I thought it was pretty good substitute for the Treaty of Versailles. Ah..." He gave a smile of satisfaction, "Tomato soup!" He exclaimed triumphantly, holding up a brightly labelled can, "with a bowl of that inside us and a couple of broiled cheese sandwiches, we won't need anything more!"
Gill looked up in mild surprise as she made the translation from broiled to grilled, "That's an unusual combination…" she commented.
It was Harm's turn to be surprised, "Unusual? Oh, I thought it was standard, I always had it as a kid, if I was sick or upset. Grams would sit me down with a bowl of tomato soup and broiled cheese sandwiches. Besides," his forehead creasing in thought, "it's not that strange of a combination, I've seen cheese and tomato sandwiches on sale almost everywhere."
"Yeah, that's true enough," Gill admitted slowly, "I have even had toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches, just that I never thought of having tomato soup with sandwiches, although again, yes, I have had toasted croutons with soups."
"So, not so strange after all?" Harm grinned.
Gill grinned right back at him, "I didn't say that."
"Yeah... riiight!" Harm scoffed and pretended to duck while Gill looked around as if in search of a handy missile and then both broke out into laughter that was ended by Harm holding out his hands to Gill and helping her to her feet so that he could hold her in his arms and kiss her again.
Their late dinner finished it took only a few minutes to tidy the kitchen once more before they adjourned to the lounge with a mug of hot chocolate each, and again this was a new experience for Gill, never before having tried the drink with a marshmallow floating in it.
The drinks were quickly and silently finished, each content just to be in the other's company, and to relax after what had turned out to be a long day, until a yawning Gill received a somewhat sticky series of good night kisses and was gently herded towards the stairs while Harm rinsed out the mugs they had just used before he secured all doors and hatches and headed, in his turn, for the bathroom and then bed.
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"That's it... I am officially stuffed full," Jen observed as she pushed her chair back from the table and looked with some surprise at her empty plate – she hadn't thought she could finish the meal, but had proved herself wrong.
"So... you don't want any ice-cream?" Victor grinned across the table at her as he casually twirled the stem of his still half-full wine glass between long, strong fingers.
Jen shook her head, "Nope, am flup... well for the moment, anyway..."
"So, what say we stack the dishes and take our drinks into the lounge, and give our dinners half an hour or so to settle?" Victor indicated the two arm-chairs and the coffee table at the far end of the tiny flat's combined dining and living room.
"OK... that is if you don't mind me not drinking any more; well, no more wine for me, but I could get some coffee going?" Jen suggested.
Victor nodded, "Suits me; I don't need any more wine," he replied. "So, you start on the coffee, and I'll stack the dishes."
Coffee drunk and ice-cream eaten, Jen and Victor returned to the kitchen where true to his word, Victor helped Jen police the area and with the washing up, until with fresh coffee they returned to the lounge area and chatted idly for a half hour or so, until at last with a glance at his watch, Victor grinned apologetically, "It's later nor I thought and I'd best be going." He hesitated for a moment, "Jen, I've really enjoyed today, and I'd like to do it again sometime... would you mislike it if I called you, and maybe we could arrange to do something together again?"
Jen also stood and then searched his face, "I think I'd mislike it more, if you didn't call," she said thoughtfully but with a smile, "And as for enjoying today, I don't know how you can say that. When all you've done is tote the last of my stuff from Northolt to here and help me unpack and then go grocery shopping."
"Funny as it sounds, I really did have a lot of fun," Victor claimed, as he shrugged into his jacket and then opened the door, and gazing into her dark brown eyes, he smiled and said softly, "Good night, Jen."
"Good night, Victor," she replied in barely more than a whisper, and then leaning in, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, and before he could react, smiled again and said gently, "Shoo."
"I'm a-shooing, ma'am, I'm a-shooing!" he grinned and with a broad wink stepped out through the door and made his way to the entrance lobby, looking back over his shoulder as he reached the front door, to see Jen still holding open the door to her flat as she watched him, go.
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Harm woke up early, just as the grey of dawn is beginning to give way to the blue skies of morning, and rolling out of bed he pulled on a tank top and running shorts before lacing his running shoes on to his feet. Making a detour to the bathroom to brush his his teeth and leave a short 'gone for a run' note on the over-washbasin shelf for Gill, he quietly crept downstairs to avoid disturbing her and equally quietly closed the front door behind him before starting set of stretching and warm-up exercises prior to setting off on his run, around the airfield perimeter track.
Starting at jog he made his way out of what the RAF called the domestic area of the station and around the back of the officers' and sergeants' messes before he came to the first of the hangars and onto the perimeter track itself where he finally opened up and increased his stride, and as he did so wondered if he would run into, or past, Jennifer Coates again before he remembered that she had moved off-base into the flat at Stanmore. 'Note to self' he thought as his long legs covered the ground, 'check with Jen that everything's okay with the new place!'
It was obviously too early, or maybe the thought of pounding the tarmac didn't appeal to anyone else this morning, but Harm had the circuit to himself and although he didn't mind running alone, he rather missed having the challenge of someone up ahead whom to catch up to, or even pass. Even so, he clocked a pretty good time and it was just under forty minutes later that he made the left turn back into the street leading to his front door.
Letting himself in almost as quietly as he had left he paused in the entrance hall and listened for any signs of life. The house still seemed silent, and poking his head around the edge of the kitchen door he saw that it was in the same condition as he'd left it last night, evidence of a lack of use and suggesting that Gill was still upstairs.
Climbing the stairs to the landing he saw that her door was open, but the bathroom door was closed, and listening closely he could hear the sound of the shower. 'At least she would have seen the note and knows that I haven't abandoned her', he told himself, as he stepped into his bedroom, and stripped off his sweat dampened tank top and shorts and then wrapped himself in his bath robe while he waited for Gill to finish in the bathroom.
Five minutes later he heard the bathroom door opening and quickly stepped out onto the landing, "Hey, good morning, boo'ful," he hailed her.
Gill stopped, wrapped in her silk kimono, with a towel wrapped around her head and her face free of even the little make-up she normally wore she was still, to Harm's eyes, as beautiful a woman as he had ever see. Even Mac, who had always been reckoned to be beautiful no longer held any allure when compared to Gill. The Englishwoman lacked the hardness around the eyes that had sometime – more frequently with the passage of time – settled on Mac's face and her smile as she said, "Hey, yourself," was soft, sweet and tender.
Harm tilted her face up with a long finger and kissed her gently as she melted into his arms, and for a moment they stood with their arms around each other, until Gill chuckled, "You really do need to take a shower!"
Harm stood back, but kept hold of both Gill's hands in his, "Are you suggesting that I am less than fragrant?" he demanded.
"No, not at all!" Gill chuckled, "I'm saying that you stink!"
"Oh..." Harm pretended to be crestfallen, "I thought you were..."
Gill disengaged her hands from his, and placing them on his shoulders, she turned the unresisting Harm to face the bathroom door, "Go... shower... get dressed. And while you're doing that, I'll make a start on breakfast!"
Harm stopped and looked back over his shoulder, "You don't have to do that... leave it to me, I won't be too long..."
Gill put on her command face, "Don't argue, Sailor... go! Shower! Dress!"
Harm couldn't help himself, he chuckled, "Aye, aye, ma'am!"
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Johnny Walker had his eyes closed and his head thrown back, almost deafened by the sound of the shower in his ears, and by his own voice, as he vigorously soaped himself down to the somewhat inappropriate and only half-remembered strains of 'Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair', so he was surprised into giving a yelp of alarm as a pair of hands covered his eyes and the point of a warm tongue dabbed at the sensitive skin behind his ear.
Recovering quickly, he spun around and squinting through the water now pounding on his face he made out a giggling Julia, "Good morning!" she smiled.
Johnny tried to scowl, but gave it up as a bad job, and surrendered, "Good morning!" he replied and stepped forward, leaning in to kiss Julia.
"M'mm..." she murmured, "A fresh, clean soldier, first thing in the morning... what more could a girl want," and keeping hold of his hand stepped backward out of the shower. Johnny hesitated long enough to reach back and turn off the shower before allowing Julia to lead him back into the bedroom.
"Uh... that depends on what you have in mind..." Johnny grinned, trying to pretend nervousness.
"Oh... just getting him all hot and sweaty again," Julia chuckled mischievously as the back of her knees bumped against the bed.
"He might not be in the mood for that sort of thing," Johnny hedged as he twisted around and fell backwards onto the bed, pulling Julia down on top of him.
"He might also be lying," Julia pointed out as she wriggled against the proof of his duplicity.
"True, he might be..." Johnny said as he reached a hand up to cup the back of Julia's neck and bring her face down for his kiss.
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"No, you cooked, so you don't get to do the cleaning up. I get to do the KP!" Harm said firmly. "You get to go and sit in the lounge and take five... it's only one pan and a couple of plates, knives and forks..."
"And the coffee machine, and the OJ glasses, and the coffee mugs," Gill finished the list for him, "And if you let me help, then I won't have to sit in the lounge alone waiting for you, I can be here with you, even if it is just for a few minutes! So, are you going to move over and let the dog see the rabbit, or am I going to have to pull rank on you?" she finished with a smile.
Harm shrugged in resignation, "That is so not fair! I can out-reason you, out-argue you – it's what I do for a living, but that smile... that's dirty pool!"
"But effective!" Gill said smugly.
"Damn straight!" Harm said, giving in with a smile of his own as he took a step to one side to let Gill join him at the kitchen sink.
As Harm had predicted, the post-breakfast clean down didn't take many minutes and a very sort time sufficed to see them both back in the lounge, side by side on the couch, with Ham's arm draped along the couch back, and Gill leaning against the side of his chest.
"So... what would you like to do today?" Harm asked.
"Leaving it up to me?" Gill asked in mock surprise.
"Yeah, I figured that as yesterday was all about me – well, more or less – that you should decide what we should do today."
"Well, that's fair enough," Gill conceded, "Let me think for a moment... Are you up to taking me for a spin in your new car?" she asked innocently after a few seconds of thought.
"What do you have in mind?" Harm asked curiously.
"Don't want to commit yourself before you know the details, huh?" Gill chuckled, "Well, can't say as I blame you! If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not got for a pub or even a restaurant lunch today... so how about we stop at the local superstore and buy in enough for a picnic for the two of us. Then we could drive down to Portsmouth – it's only about an hour and a half away, especially at this time on a Sunday morning."
"Sounds okay to me, but what's at Portsmouth?"
"Oh, just a relic from when Britannia really did rule the waves, HMS Victory – perhaps you've heard of her?"
"I may be an attorney and a former aviator," Harm puffed, pretending to be affronted, "And I may even be a poor, ignorant colonial, but we did study Naval history at the Academy, and seem to recall something about the Victory and Admiral Lord Nelson and a battle off Cape Trafalgar..."
"Well done!" Gill cried in mock admiration, "Go to the top of the class and hand out the pencils!"
"I'll hand something else out if you're not careful, girl!" Harm grumbled, but with a smile.
"Oh yeah, promises, promises!"! Gill quipped.
"Yeah, and I never made a promise I didn't intend to keep!" Harm warned her.
There was something in his voice that made Gill look up to see that there was a warmth in his eyes that made her breath catch in her throat, and sitting up, she added hurriedly, "And then after we've seen the ship – they let us on board, you know, and when we're 'tween decks, it really will be a matter of duck or grouse – and anyway after we've seen the ship, we could head back and stop on the downs for our picnic..."
Harm nodded, his smile still tugging at the corners of his lips, "Sounds like a plan to me... I'll just go and get a picnic blanket, and then we can be off!"
"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Gill said in the best Long John Silver accent she could manage and threw him a horrible parody of a Naval salute.
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Jen sighed with relief and straightened, rubbing the small of her back with one hand while she placed the hot iron on the metal plate at the end of the ironing board before she disconnected it from the wall socket. 'All done,' she smiled with a mixture of relief and satisfaction, five white skirts and five white blouses, all crisply ironed ready for the coming week, but she did need a couple of pairs of pantihose to replace the pair that had gotten a run on Thursday, and a spare pair to tuck into her purse for emergencies. The gyrations she's had to go through on Thursday afternoon to prevent Victor and Captain Rabb from seeing the run behind her left knee had left feeling that she had just had a hard full hour's work out in the gym, which reminded her, she needed to find a route to keep up her running – especially if she was to have many more days like the last couple, pigging out like that with Victor!
Jen looked out the window, it was another glorious summer day, far to warm and sunny to spend the rest of the day getting the flat just so, that was probably best left for the evenings, or for days when the weather wasn't so good... besides, she really did need to buy those pantihose... and maybe a sandwich for lunch, and a bottle of water, and if she took a book with her she could probably find a park bench...
Almost without thinking she drifted through to the bedroom and stripping off her T-shirt and jeans, she slipped into a no-frills, knee length sun dress and pulled on a pair of strappy sandals, then with her sunglasses perched on top of her head she tucked her cell phone and her well-thumbed copy of John Grisham's 'The Firm' into her purse, and with a last look around the flat, let herself out, locked the door behind her and set out on the five minute stroll to the local stores.
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Almost despite himself, Harm had been impressed by the Victory, especially by the durability of her timbers, a couple of moments of forgetfulness had forcibly reminded him that not only were they iron hard, but that there wasn't even enough headroom for him to stand between the deckhead beams. As for her overall size, he hadn't really known what to expect, but he had expected something, well... bigger, and he was astounded to find that she had accommodated eight hundred and fifty men in her less than two hundred feet of main deck, and he had come away from her with a new understanding of the old phrase of 'wooden ships and iron men' and a feeling of profound gratitude that he served in a modern navy.
He said as much to Gill as he negotiated the narrow streets leading from Portsmouth Dockyard and looked sideways across the width of the car as h waited for her response. "Yes," she said gravely, "We talk so glibly about our heritage, and our glorious past, but we rarely think about those men, and some women, who lived, fought and died under what we would consider to be horrendous conditions to bring about that glory! Sobering when you're brought face to face with it, isn't it?"
"It is," Harm agreed, "and in a way, even though I'm not British, I felt kinda humbled by it all."
"That's probably because you're a sailor," Gill commented presciently, "After all, there is still such a thing as the Brotherhood of the Sea, or at least so my own brother tells me!"
They both fell silent until Harm brought them clear of the old town and onto the open road where Gill opened the map she had brought with her, "At the next roundabout, about a mile ahead, turn right, that's the fourth exit, onto the B2146..."
Some forty minutes later after making a series of turns that baffled Harm's sense of direction and driving down a succession of narrow, twisting hedge-lined roads Gill smiled, "We're here!" she said triumphantly, "Pull over!"
"Where?" Harm asked, looking in vain for some sort of parking lot.
"Just pull off the road, just here by that stile!" Gill said pointing about twenty yards ahead and to the right.
With a mental shrug Harm did as he was told, and no sooner had he applied the emergency brake and killed the ignition than Gill was out of her seat and sliding to the ground, reaching back onto the rear seat for the hessian tote bag that contained their lunch and directed Harm, "Do you want to get the blanket out of the boot?"
"Where are we going?" Harm asked in some bemusement.
Gill pointed to the stile, "That's a public footpath that takes us up to the top of that ridge, and from there we can look south, across the Downs, all the way to the channel. It's only about a ten minute stroll, less if we bash on a bit."
"Lead on then, Captain!" Harm grinned, as he slung the blanket over one shoulder and the tote bag from the other.
Just as Gill had promised, from the ridge crest the view led down over sheep cropped grass upland, over deciduous woodlands to the cliffs that overlooked the English Channel, with the sprawl of Portsmouth off to the far right and a scattering of villages and the occasional farm buildings, mostly hidden from sight in the intervening valleys.
Harm spread the blanket and they both dropped onto it, reclining on an elbow and facing each other, while Gill broke out their lunch, the basis of which was a bought broccoli and mushroom quiche and a selection of salad sandwiches, followed by an apple apiece and washed down with what Harm considered to be grossly over-priced bottled water, the labels on which proclaimed it to come from the Cambrian Mountains of Central Wales.
"Well the cola was cheaper," Gill pointed out with a grin, "But no, you had to have the mineral water!"
"Damn straight," Harm, by now propped up on both elbows, grinned back, but his voice carried a serious undertone, "Have you ever read the ingredients, the list of crap they put into that stuff? Absolute poison!"
"But it tastes so goood!" Gill whined, causing Harm, in the act of taking a mouthful of the over-priced mineral water, and much to Gill's amusement, to gasp, choke and cough.
"You... you... are going... going to pay for that!" Harm gasped once he'd finished coughing.
"I'm sorry..." Gill said contritely, "but I just couldn't resist and... no... you know what? It was so damn funny, I'm not sorry at all!" she chuckled.
"Right! Then it's payback time!" Harm declared and rolling over to face her, he gently forced her to lie flat on the blanket.
"Okay, tough guy, now you've got me here, what are you going to do with me?" Gill challenged with a smile curving the corners of her mouth.
"This... and this... and this... and this..." Harm told her, punctuating each phrase with a thorough kiss, each of which were enthusiastically returned by Gill until finally they paused for breath.
"Thank God for that," Gill crowed, as she snuggled into Harm's side, her head resting on his chest so that she could look up into his face. "For a couple of minutes there I thought I'd have to beg!"
Harm bent his head as far as he could, and just managed to plant a kiss on her forehead, "You'll never have to beg for my kisses," he told her, "Yours are far too addictive for me to ever stop."
"Sometimes, you say the most romantic things," Gill teased him gently.
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Monday morning saw Harm bounding down the steps from his house heading to where his Yeoman-cum-driver stood waiting for him while she admired the gleaming blue Subaru on the hard-standing in front of the garage.
"Good morning, sir!" she greeted him, "New car, sir? Very nice!"
"Yes, I thought so too!" Harm agreed, and then as he noticed that she was moving a little slower than usual as she made to open the door, "You alright?"
"Yes, sir, why? Oh... no... nothing to worry about, sir. Johnny took me for a bike ride on Saturday, around the New Forest, and I hadn't ridden a bike for years, so my muscles aren't very happy with me!" Julia grinned as she explained.
Harm's back also had an opinion about the length of team he and Gill had spent on the hard ground. The South Downs were mostly solid chalk and the thin growth of sheep-cropped grass had done very little in the way of a cushion, "Yeah,what is it with these Brits... Captain Shephard dragged me hiking all over the south of England yesterday just to have a picnic on the hardest piece of ground she could find!"
Julia risked a look at her CO while she waited for the RAF Service Policeman to raise the barrier at the main gate, "But you enjoyed it, though, didn't you, sir?" she asked half anxiously.
"I did! We had a great weekend... and despite your aches and pains, I suspect you did too?"
"Oh, yes sir!" Julia said emphatically, and then to Harm's surprise blushed a vivid crimson, and fell into silence for the remainder of the drive into central London.
It was always a little bit of a culture shock, transitioning from the strictly civilian aspect of the exterior of the building into the disciplined Marine Corps environment of the entry lobby with the Marine manned Check Point and armed marine sentries posted just inside the doors. But this morning handed Harm a slightly greater than usual shock. Seated at the CP desk and wearing a uniform skirt that clearly showed her leg cast, Corporal Morrison, a pair of crutches leaning against the wall behind her, was busily engaged in checking in personnel and issuing them their security badges as they reported for duty.
"No! Don't get up, Corporal!" Harm hastily ordered her as she started to struggle to her feet, "As you were! But what are you doing here? You're supposed to be on hospital leave!"
"Yes, sir," she agreed, a slight blush appearing on her face, "But after a week just sitting around the barracks by myself, I was about ready to climb the walls or go UA, so Lieutenant Bennett arranged it for me to come in and help out here. Honestly sir, I'm much happier being here, I can take up some of the slack, and besides..." she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I've only got to groan a little and mugs of coffee appear like magic!"
"You, Corporal have the makings of a very wicked woman!" Harm told the blonde NCO severely.
"Oh, I do hope so, sir!" she grinned entirely unabashed by his censure.
"Just don't overdo it, okay, Corporal Morrison?"
"I won't sir," she assured him and satisfied on that score, Harm gave her a nod of acknowledgement and headed for the elevator.
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"Damn Jarheads!" Julia grumbled as she put a mug of coffee on Jen's desk.
"Why, what have they done now?" Jen asked, surprised to feel herself bristling at the slightly derogatory nickname. 'Damn, Victor's getting to me!' she though but kept her eyes fixed on Julia as the other brunette slid behind her desk.
"Oh, it's Corporal Morrison... She's the boss' regular driver, but she messed up her ankle, I must have told you about her?"
"Yeah, you did," Jen agreed, "but go on..."
"She's persuaded her platoon leader to let her come in and work on the CP, so when I went to sign in this morning she gave me a third degree about the car and threatened me with all sorts of vengeance if she found even a scratch on it!"
"But she didn't mean them right?" Jen asked.
"No, of course not... but she winds me up. It's as if no-one but her has ever driven a car before!"
"Well, I shouldn't take it to heart, Julia, you know what these Marines are like with their machines!"
But before Julia could answer the door to Harm's office opened, and he walked out into the outer office. "I'm headed for Staff Call, normal routine," he looked at his two petty officers, "We're not to be disturbed unless nuclear war breaks out, or my mom calls! And when staff call is over, I shall want to speak to you Legalman One, and while I'm doing that, Yeoman Two, you can get ready to brief me on COMNAVFOREUR's softball match!"
Staff Call was of short duration, it appeared that the weekend had produced an abnormally well behaved crop of liberty-men, and nothing had happened to warrant the notice of Jag. An occurrence for which Harm was profoundly grateful. But he also had other matters on his mind, and as he brought the meeting to a close, he addressed Lieutenant Sullivan, "Once we're done here, give me ten minutes, and then come and see me in my office, please. And just a general reminder to you all, I shall be out of the office from midday Thursday until the following Wednesday, so if there is anything urgent that needs my attention, get it to me by secure tomorrow, at the latest, understood?"
The chorus of "Aye, aye, sir!" was forceful enough to put his mind at rest on that score and so he was able to stroll back to his office secure in the knowledge that as far as Jag side of his life was concerned, everything was under control
So his, "Legalman One?" as he walked into the ante-room to his officer was more of an invitation than a command, but Jen still leapt to her feet and stiffened into a brace for a second or two before she followed him into his inner sanctum and slightly nervously closed the door behind her.
"Come on in Jennifer, and take a seat," he offered, perching on the front corner of his desk, "How's the new apartment? All settled in?"
Jen sat in one of the wing chairs and nervously smoothed her skirt over her thighs, "Everything's fine, sir. All moved in – thanks to First Sergeant Galindez, he's been really great and really great help over the weekend."
"Has he, indeed?" harm said in a carefully neutral voice, but the hint of laughter at the corners of his eyes was enough to cause Jen to blush and drop her eyes.
"Yes, sir," a really huge help.
Harm nodded, and smiled, "Victor Galindez is a good man, Jennifer, I think very highly of him, both as a Marine and as a human being, if he was dating my sister – if I had one – I would have no complaints and no worries."
"Oh, we're not dating, sir!" Jen denied, but the blush deepened on her face.
"If you say so, but even if you were, Jennifer, regarding good order and discipline you wouldn't need to keep it a secret, you're both enlisted, not in the same chain of command and both of you are free to indulge in a relationship if you so wish, and I would have no objections either as your CO or your friend."
"No, sir," Jen said in a suffocated sort of voice.
Harm decided to let her off the hook for now, "So... back to duty matters; how's this SOFA investigation coming along?"
Jen perked up, "It's pretty grim, sir. There are at least a dozen instances in the time frame you gave me. Most of what I have so far is anecdotal accounts from TV and local newspaper reports, but I have had some success in getting hold of corroborating Police Reports, but not all jurisdictions are quite so willing to help us out. In fact, sir, I get the feeling that in some places the Police are highly suspicious of us, and anything we do that might impact on local law enforcement or the judicial system."
"As bad as that?"
"Yes, sir... but, sir... isn't the fact that they are suspicious of our motives pretty strong circumstantial evidence of US Forces acting in bad faith in the past?"
Harm nodded grimly, "You may be right, Jennifer, you may well be right. Now, if you can't get hold of any more Police Reports, and had to go with what you already have, how long before you could put together an abstract of evidence?"
"I could have it ready for your return from DC, sir?" Jen offered.
"Good, make it so! Dismissed... Oh, and Lieutenant Sullivan and Yeoman Two Martinez should be waiting to see me, send them on in, will you please?"
"Aye, aye, sir!""
Jen held the door open for Harm's next two visitors and then quietly closed it behind them, "Lieutenant Sullivan and Yeoman Two Martinez reporting as ordered, sir!" Theresa Sullivan announced them as they halted in front of his desk.
Harm seated himself in the big chair and nodded an acknowledgement, "Take a seat, ladies, and tell me just how COMNAVFOREUR's softball game is going to work!"