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Lt. Commander Sidney Parker had just become a full Commander last month. He was in desperate need of some R & R. How many flight training exercises can a Naval Navigation officer do in one month? Sheesh! The amount was ridiculous. Although promoted, the new recruits were just downright immature, and training these future aviators was exhausting. It was more like babysitting. The Rear Admiral Lower Half on the aircraft carrier had finally signed off on his request for leave. Sidney just didn’t understand why it took him so long to approve it. It was like trying to push a bill through Congress, and it seemed to take just as long.
Sidney was off to Tokyo for one week. “Sayonara, mother-f***ers! I’m outa here!” he yelled as he sprinted off the base to the awaiting car. Mary was a saint for arranging his last-minute ground transportation to the Naha Airport. He could fly like a civilian. He could look like a civilian. He could dress like a civilian. Life was good!
He opened his Uber app and was at the Shangri-La in record time. Sidney checked his bags with Guest Services since check-in wasn’t until 2 more hours. He decided to take in the sights, maybe purchase a few small souvenirs for his favorite (and only) nieces and nephews and would send something nice to Mary. Maybe a silk kimono? Nah, too predictable. Ah, yes! He would select pearls to have strung into a necklace as he watched. That was just so fascinating. In fact, Sidney decided that a graduated double strand would be perfect for her. The lovely Japanese women could string and knot them in no time at all and made the process look so simple.
He had one strung for his ex-wolf wife years ago, but it broke while she was banging her old codger sugar daddy, Joe Campion, a bit too roughly. She didn’t do a very good job of gathering all of pearls off the sheets before Sidney slipped into bed that night. He got up and retrieved the handheld vacuum cleaner from the laundry room. He could hear the pearls rattling around in the collection receptacle. How dumb can a person really be? He flipped on the bedroom overhead light, ripped the covers back and started the loud battery powered little machine. It was fully charged so the motor was even louder. Excellent. VROOOOMMMM!!! Eliza shot straight up, rudely startled awake from her deep slumber.
Sidney was at his lawyer’s office at 8:00 a.m. sharp the next morning. He’d be sure to have her papers served to her at the Sanditon Country Club during brunch with all of her friends who were clipped from the eyes to the thighs.
As he sidled up to the display counter, he bumped a petite brown-haired girl with the prettiest wavy curls. He didn’t really think much about it, but then he stepped on her foot as he kept inching his way closer. Offering no apology, the lady was going to ensure she received one.
“Excuse me? You bumped me and then stepped on my foot,” she sternly yet politely told him.
“Sorry. You were blocking the view of the glass case. I couldn’t see the pearl selection,” he offered somewhat gruffly.
“I was just window shopping and a simple request for me to move to the right or to the left would have sufficed,” she replied. She was becoming annoyed.
“Excuse me, I was up rudely early this morning, just stepped off the plane, my room at the hotel wasn’t ready, and I’m famished. I’d like to move this process along. Unlike you, I’m not window shopping. I’m purchasing a necklace, so I’m a serious customer. You can window shop elsewhere,” he barked back.
When she turned around to leave, he gazed upon the most beautiful brown eyes that matched her perfect brown hair. Well, they were beautiful, but the fire in them said she was about to show a very ugly side. She decided it wasn’t worth punching this jerk’s lights out, so she headed back to her hotel. She needed a drink, a double at that, straight.
Charlotte showered and readied herself for the evening. She had fought with her hair her entire life and didn’t feel like fighting with it on vacation. A partial up-do was the only solution given she didn’t want to be late. She and some friends were meeting up at the hotel bar for cocktails before they headed out for a night on the town. It had been about 6 years since they had all been together. It was virtually a miracle that Esther had meetings in Tokyo at the same time Charlotte had R & R. Georgiana was interpreting again for Nissan, so the timing was impeccable. They had been inseparable when in the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Charlotte looked at her Apple Watch. It was about 7:45, so she was early. No problem, she could have that double now. She asked the bartender about a few of the bourbons that she had never tried. She was about to order but was bumped by someone from behind. It was him. That rude insolent man! Of course no apology.
“Excuse me! Are you naturally rude or naturally clumsy?” she snidely asked.
“Ugh! It’s you! Well seeing that I’m a pilot in the US Navy, clumsy I am not!” he shot back. Ha! Dumb ninny, that should put her in her place.
Charlotte continued, “Oh sure, you’re just ol’ Maverick, aren’t you? Waiting for Goose?” Ohhh, that was a good one, Charlotte.
He was about to explode. What an insolent little girl! “Aren’t you a little young to be sitting at a bar?” he asked, dripping with sarcasm.
“Well my Military ID says I’m 42 although my youthful looks belie me,” she answered back with equal sarcasm.
“Your what? Military ID? Let me see that,” he commanded.
Charlotte whipped it out like drawing a six-shooter from her holster and handed it to him.
“Holy sh*t!” he yelled loudly with disbelief. As he glanced at her ID, her date of birth clearly indicated she was truthful about her age. The real kicker that made him eat crow pie and slither off the bar stool was when he saw her rank. Rear Admiral Lower Half. She was older than him. She outranked him.
Admiral Heywood