Harm Moves On
Chapter 2
Friday, January16, 2004
1830 Local Time
North Island, NAS
Officers Club
Coronado, CA
Harm had been at his assignment as the XO for North Island NAS for just over one year. His CO Captain Jake Barlow was very pleased with his XO. Harm leased a small 2 bedroom apartment on Mission Beach at Ocean Front Walk and San Luis Obispo Place, a mere twenty-minute drive from the base. While he lived in San Diego, he often visited his mom Trish and stepfather Frank Burnett, who lived in La Jolla, another fifteen minutes' drive north from his apartment. He had dinner with them every Friday night.
This particular Friday night, Harm was batching it. Instead of going home to cook, he decided to have dinner at the base Officers' Club.
When he walked, in the civilian greeter, a young African American lady named Kimberly Winkler welcomed him with, "Commander Rabb, we don't usually see you on Friday nights."
"No Miss Winkler, my standing date with my folks was canceled tonight as they are out of town," Harm said as he handed over his identification card for Winkler to swipe at the desk. (That was how he would pay for his meal.)
"Well sir we are a bit full but I have half a table left with another Lt. commander who came in just before you came in. Maybe she'd like the company as she is only visiting on her way out west tomorrow," Winkler suggested.
"Well what's her name maybe I know her," Harm asked.
Winkler consulted her list of officers who entered before Harm before she responded with, "Lt. Commander Joanne Donato. Her home base is Miramar MCAS.
Harm brightened up as he recalled the name from a year and a half ago. Then Lt. Joanne Donato was the pilot he and Mac defended in Saudi Arabia. She was being court-martialed for violating regulations about following Saudi custom on wearing an abaya while off the base and not working.
He said, "Well I do know her. Please show me the way."
At that, Kimberly picked up a menu and led him to a corner booth. There she stopped and said, "Lt. Commander Donato I believe you know Commander Rabb."
Joanne Donato looked up from the menu she was reading. She recognized Harm and smiled. She got up to offer her hand as she said, "Commander Rabb. It's nice to see you again. What brings you to North Island?"
"I'm the XO on the base here," Harm replied. He then asked, "Would you mind the company?"
"No, no have a seat. We can trade stories of the last year and a half," Joanne replied as she made room for him on the wrap-around couch. Kimberly brought over another place setting.
Harm asked, "Have you ordered?"
"No, not yet. I hadn't decided between the salmon, tilapia or the blackened swordfish."
What are you drinking? Harm asked as he noted her empty glass.
"A ginger ale I'm flying tomorrow at 0600. You know the Navy's flying rules, 12 hours between bottle and throttle," Joanne replied.
"Are you still flying C-130s?"
"No I stopped doing that when I left Saudi Arabia. Now I fly P-3 Orions, the Navy's subhunter plane out of Miramar. Normally I'm based there. We're part of the Naval P3 Wing out of Point Magu up in Oxnard."
"Normally?" Harm asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes normally; tomorrow my old copilot Alex Zahar and I are flying a Gulfstream out of North Island on a ferry run to Hickam Field in Honolulu. The CO of CINCPAC, Admiral Waverly, is expecting a delivery. Alex's wife and daughters are flying out with us and they'll have a family vacation there. I'm just going to sit at the poolside of the Waikiki Hilton, catch up on some reading, and soak up some rays."
"Alone? So there is no Mr. Donato?" Harm asked genuinely curious.
Joanne sighed as she explained a bit morosely, "No, every guy I met, in and out of the military, has never reconciled the part of me that wants to fly with what they wanted from a relationship."
"They were idiots," Harm offered.
"I thought so too."
"So what made you want to fly?" Harm asked moving the conversation away from relationships. He didn't think that Joanne wanted to talk about that with him yet.
"I wanted to fly ever since I was in the CAP in Brooklyn as a teenager. The first time I took the controls of a Piper Cub at an encampment at Plattsburgh AFB, I was hooked. I was one of the first girls to apply and get accepted into Aviation High School in Queens," Joanne explained with such joy.
"Sounds familiar; I think every pilot has that story to tell," Harm said with admiration.
"Yeah, we are some fraternity. So what about you? Did you and Lt. Colonel Mackenzie ever hook up? I saw how you looked at each other during my case," Joanne asked oblivious of the situation with Harm and Mac.
Harm's face clouded over a bit before he answered, trying very hard to keep the anger out of his voice, "Things didn't work out for us. She married someone else two Christmas Eves ago."
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know," Joanne said sincerely.
"That's okay, it's water under the bridge," Harm said changing the subject. By that time they had placed their orders. He continued, "So why did you switch from C130s to Orions?
"More challenging. Sometimes I felt like a bus driver. Oh don't get me wrong the Hercules is a great aircraft. Flying P3s is much more mission-intensive. My crew hasn't lost a sub-finding competition yet. That's why Alex and I got the ferry job and the week's leave in Honolulu," Joanne said with pride.
"So if you're based at Miramar, are you living on the base?" Harm asked.
"Oh god no, I couldn't stand living in the BOQ in Arabia and it's not much different at any base in this country. I rented a cottage on the beach in La Jolla. It's got a beautiful view of the Pacific, especially at sunset. A lady named Trish Burnett who runs a gallery I visited once owns it with her husband…," Joanne began but stopped when she saw what she thought was alarm on Harm's face.
It was lucky for him that Harm wasn't eating or drinking anything; otherwise, there would have been a mess. His face went from shock to pleasure as he asked, "Is it on Windansea Beach?"
"Uhm yes on Neptune Place and Nautilus Street. What do you know it?" Joanne asked.
"Well yeah I used to live there before my mom married my stepfather and moved out because it was too small for the three of us. Mom never gave it up though. When I came home for the summers while I was at the Naval Academy I stayed there. After I went to flight training, she rented it out to military people throughout the years," Harm explained.
"Your mom is Trish Burnett!?" Joanne asked incredulously. She started to smile as Harm nodded his head.
"Mom and Frank live up the street also on the beach on Neptune at Fern Glen. I have dinner with them just about every Friday they're in town. I live in an apartment on Mission Beach at Ocean Front Walk and San Luis Obispo Place," Harm explained.
Now Joanne was chuckling as she said, "Wow small world. And here we are stationed and living just fifteen minutes apart."
"Yeah small world," Harm agreed. By that time their entrees arrived and they tabled the conversation to begin eating.
After they ate a bit Harm screwed up his courage to ask, "So uhm when you get back from Honolulu, would you like it if we go out to dinner someplace a little less military?"
"You know, I would like that. Maybe we can surprise your mom and show up on her doorstep together one Friday night," Joanne agreed with a bright smile.
"Great here's my card. Let me write my home and cellphone numbers on the back," Harm said as he fished one of his business cards from his cardholder.
Joanne did the same as they exchanged cards.
After they ordered and had their coffee, they walked out of the O-Club together.
"Can I run you over to the VOQ? It's a long walk across the base and my car is right here," Harm asked.
"Sure, I left my car at home and taxied here. I didn't fancy leaving it here over the week," Joanne replied.
"Right this way then," Harm said walking into the O-Club parking lot with her.
They reached Harm's Corvette and got in. After Harm left DC a year ago, Sturgis did Harm a favor by minding Harm's Corvette until he could get it to California. Harm took leave one-week last summer and flew back to DC and drove it across the country. While he was in DC he stayed with Sturgis at his apartment.
When they reached the VOQ, Harm asked, "Would you like me to pick you up when you return?"
"Yes, but I'm flying commercial back into LAX next Saturday. I'll phone you with my flight number and arrival time," Joanne answered.
"I can't wait to hear from you then," Harm said.
He leaned over intending to kiss Joanne on her cheek. Joanne saw that and giving into her mischievous side, met his lips halfway with her own. Surprised Harm tried to pull back, but Joanne put her hand up to the back of his head and held him there to attempt to deepen the kiss. Harm gave in and gently cupping the back of her head let the kiss linger. They broke apart by mutual consent.
As they stared into each other's eyes, Joanne said huskily, "Something to remember me by and to look forward to."
"Works for me," Harm whispered back.
At that Joanne got out of the car, thinking rightly that the VOQ parking lot was not the right place to make out like teenagers.
Leaning on the closed car door she "I'll be sure to call you Friday with my itinerary."
"I'll look forward to it," Harm said. He watched her walk into the VOQ lobby before he backed out of the space and drove away.