On Seas So Crimson

by James Young

  “Hi Charl…” Patricia started, right before she was hit hard in the side of the head by the thrown pillow.. The impact staggered her, nearly causing her to fall before. Charles moved swiftly, stepping across the threshold and steadying Patricia by putting his arm on her shoulder. Jo watched as Patricia regained her balance, her eyes meeting Charles.

  I think I’m going to be ill, Jo thought quietly. Really, really ill.

  “Thank you,” Patricia said softly, her eyes still looking into Charles’s. The man closed the door behind him, his arm still on Patricia’s shoulder.

  “You’re welcome,” Charles replied with a nervous grin. “Sorry if I was a bit forward.”

  “Oh no, you weren’t forward at all,” Patricia replied breathlessly.

  Okay, time to break this up because I’ll be damned if I’m going to watch these two smooch, Jo said. She cleared her throat quite loudly, abruptly killing the mood without looking up from her book. The couple broke awkwardly apart, Charles fumbling to get the bouquet of flowers out of his left hand to his right.

  “I got these for you,” he said quietly.

  “They’re beautiful, thank you! I’ll go put them in some water.”

  Jo didn’t look up as her roommate walked past, concentrating intently on the last few pages of her book. As soon as she heard the water start running she looked up at Charles, the officer standing quietly inside the living room looking at pictures. Jo was about to offer him a seat when there was suddenly frenzied knocking at the door. Startled, Charles and she looked at each other, then at Jo when she came in.

  I wonder who in the hell that is, Jo thought, waving her roommate away from the door. Looking through the peephole she was surprised to see Eric and Nick Cobb, both resplendent in dress whites, standing on her doorstep.

  “This is a bit weird,” she said, opening the door. Both Cobbs looked at her in her shirts and floral print shirt like she had grown an extra head.

  “Okay boys, I know there aren’t that many white women on this island, but surely you’ve seen one that’s not related to you in the last few hours, so please stop staring at me like that,” Jo said drily. All three men suddenly got matching looks of horror on their face.

  “Let me guess…no one called you guys?” Nick asked grimly, looking at his watch.

  “Called us guys what?!” Patricia asked, stepping around the corner. Both of her brothers looked at her, then at Charles, then back at her.

  “Yes, it’s called a date,” Patricia snapped. “Now would you two stooges care to tell me what’s going on? Where’s David and Sam?”

  “Probably sweating out the most anxious forty-five minutes of any man’s life,” Eric quipped. “Well, next to…”

  “Look, we don’t have time for riddles…sir,” Nick said, seeing the look his brother was giving him when he didn’t add the last word. “Sam and David are down at the church getting David’s preacher to sign a marriage license.”

  “What?!” Patricia asked.

  “Yes, you heard correctly…Sadie wanted to get married in the church since they only had a civil ceremony last year. Let’s just say there are reasons this ceremony needs to be rushed,” Eric said.

  Jo and Patricia looked at each other, then back at Eric.

  “You guys were supposed to get called this morning by Sadie’s friend Cindy, her bridesmaid,” Nick continued. “Since you guys were never called, and now no one can seem to find Cindy, we’re going to assume that she took to the hills, which means that Sadie is going to need a stand in.”

  “Doesn’t she have to get dressed and everything?” Patricia asked.

  “Things change, little sis…you may have noticed there’s this whole war thing on,” Nick chided. “Since you’re dressed, and Lord knows ain’t no way a woman can get ready in fifteen minutes,” he said, looking at Jo, “you’ll do.”

  Jo raised an eyebrow at that comment.

  “If one of you louts will stay here to lead me to where the wedding is, I’ll make a liar out of you, Nick Cobb.”

  “Right, and next you’ll tell me there really is a Santa Claus,” Nick replied, laughing. “No matter, Eric can stay, I’ve got to pick up my date.”

  Eric and Patricia both did a double take at that comment.

  “You have a date?”

  “Yes, dear sister, you are not the only one who can have those. Now, let us go before all heck breaks loose down at the church.”

  Jo was moving even before the others finished going out the door. Starting to unbutton her shirt as she headed towards her bedroom, she looked back over her shoulder at Eric.

  “There’s lemonade in the fridge if you’re thirsty! This shouldn’t take but a few minutes.”

  “Thanks. Do you want a glass?”

  “Yes, please, I’ll get it when I get out of my room.”

  With that, Jo entered her bedroom and shrugged out of her shirt. Opening her closet she quickly decided to go with a solid, lightweight black dress. While arguably it would be inappropriate to wear black to a wedding as a woman, she just didn’t have the time nor inclination to try and impress anyone. Quickly putting the dress on, she stood and looked at herself in the full-length mirror.

  “Okay, obviously someone here has been losing weight without determining to inform the brain,” she muttered. The dress wasn’t as formless as a gunny sack, but it definitely didn’t do her any favors on where it curved.

  “Screw it, I’m only getting invited because some brainless nitwit forgot to call the remainder of the Cobbs,” Jo muttered. Reaching around to zip the dress up, Jo opened her dresser drawer to pull out a pair of nylons. Pulling them on, Jo silently thanked her lucky stars that she had taken a bath and shaved her legs despite being off that day.

  I swear, it wasn’t just because I wanted to feel better about Patricia having a date and me being without one, Jo thought. Or at least, that’s what I’ll keep telling myself.

  Looking at the clock, Jo gave a slight smile.

  “Shows what that knucklehead Nick knows,” she muttered. “I’ve still got eight minutes to spare.” Throwing on a pair of flats, she moved out into the living room. Like Charles before him, Eric was staring at the pictures on the bedroom wall. When Jo saw the specific one he was looking at she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

  “What is it with men and staring at pictures?” she snapped. Striding over to the one Eric was looking at, she quickly took it off of its hook.

  “So who’s the lucky young lieutenant with you and your father?” Eric asked, the needling quite apparent in his voice.

  “Lieutenant Gary Foster,” Jo replied. “And that’s the last question you get to ask about him.” Looking around, Jo spotted her lemonade and beat a quick retreat towards it across the room.

  Eric raised an eyebrow at that. From all reports as well as his own observations, Jo did not seem rather unflappable about most topics. Sam and David both thought that she seemed to be a good, stabilizing influence on Patricia, and was the primary reason that their younger sister had made a smooth transition into womanhood, to allude to her earlier statements in the hospital. Nick, after initially giving Eric a hard time for asking, had echoed those sentiments as well as pointing out that Commander Morton had quietly paid Patricia’s first two months of rent, a fact that only Jo and he knew. The money Patricia had given Jo for her half of the rent was currently accruing interest as a ‘rainy day’ fund back on the mainland and would be released to Patricia once she moved out. All in all, it appeared that the Mortons, both Jo and her father, were really good people.

  So why did she just react like a scalded cat when I asked her about this lieutenant? Eric wondered.

  “Okay, I’ve obviously struck a nerve,” Eric observed. “Why do I only get one question about him?”

  “Because I don’t ask you questions about Joyce Cotner,” Jo replied icily. “Even though she’s still alive, unlike Lieutenant Foster.”

  Eric let that one wash over him like a ship passing through a particularly
high wave—it hurt a bit, but he was after an objective.

  “So you’re saying Lieutenant Foster and you were engaged?” he asked. “That would explain why you guys look so chummy.”

  “Dammit, Eric, I said that we were not going to discuss him. Now, if you can’t handle that, you need to get the hell out of my house!” Jo said, her voice breaking into a sob at the last part. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a napkin off the nearby table and dabbed at her eyes.

  “Now look what you’ve made me go and do, damn you,” she sniffled. “We don’t know each other well enough for you to be making me cry, Eric. Maybe you need to be going to your brother’s wedding by yourself.”

  It wasn’t intentional, if that helps, Eric thought helplessly. He placed his lemonade on the nearby coffee table and went walking across the room.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, stopping just outside of arms reach. “I didn’t mean to pick a scab.”

  “Oh no, you completely meant to pick a scab, you just didn’t mean to make me cry about it,” Jo said, laughing mirthlessly. “I don’t know why, but all of you Cobbs seem to have this innate urge to pry at people.”

  Eric cautiously went to embrace Jo. His arms were almost all the way around her when she put a hand to his chest.

  “No,” she said, pushing him back.

  What the hell?

  “You’re wearing whites, genius. Trust me, you do not want to try and get makeup out of whites.”

  “Oh,” Eric said. Practical even when she’s upset, and did I mention pretty? While all three of his brothers had all sung the praises of Jo as a person, not one of them had ever mentioned her looks. While Eric would readily admit she didn’t have the porcelain doll beauty of the women he and his brothers had usually dated, he saw nothing that made him think Josephine was anything but beautiful.

  I’m not saying I’m in love with her or anything, I just think she’s really, really pretty, Eric told himself.

  “Not to mention that you’d have to explain that to your brothers, and if there’s one thing the Cobb family utterly lacks it’s the ability to avoid teasing someone when the opportunity presents itself.”

  “You say an awful lot about our family for only having known us for a couple of years,” Eric chided.

  “I think having met you all now I’m able to make an informed judgment,” Jo replied. “Now go on, you’ll be late.”

  “Hey, what do you mean I’ll be late. You’re coming too,” Eric said.

  “No, I’m not,” Jo said, stepping out of his arms. Eric touched her arm, just above her burn scar. Jo looked down in surprise, then up at him.

  “What?” Eric asked.

  “Most men avoid touching my scar,” she said quietly. “You’re the first I’ve ever met who hasn’t.”

  Eric shrugged as he watched the play of emotions over her face.

  “Everyone has scars,” he said, simply, then stopped as he realized how idiotic that sounded. “I mean…”

  Jo stopped him with a finger to his lips, looking up at him.

  “That is probably one of the most profound things a person has ever said, Eric, because we all do have scars.” Looking at where she had placed the picture of her dad, Lieutenant Foster, and herself, she swallowed. “Just not all of them visible. Now let’s hurry up before people start talking bad about us.”

  In the end, they weren’t as late as the bride. Of course, once Sadie walked into the small room, everyone stopped looking at clocks. In her white wedding dress, veil, and heels Sadie was an image of beauty, outshining every other woman in the room. The ceremony was quick, the pastor speeding things along even as he maintained the decorum and seriousness of the situation.

  Twenty minutes later, after the bride and groom had stolen away to parts unknown, the four Cobbs not joined in a state of matrimony, Charles, and Jo found themselves standing outside David and Sadie’s church.

  “You know, you’re still welcome to come with us, Jo,” Patricia said, looking at her watch. “Now that you’re dressed and everything, you might as well catch a movie.”

  Jo pondered for a moment, then seeing a gang of sailors walking by and quite obviously gawking at Patricia’s backside, she shook her head.

  “No, if you want to go play zoo exhibit, that’s fine with me,” Jo replied. “I’ve got a good detective novel to finish.” Looking at Sam, she suddenly felt very sad for the big lug. The man was staring despondently into space, and he looked all the world like a small child whose playmate had left for good. “Sam, why don’t you go with your sister?”

  Startled, Sam turned to look at Jo.

  “Huh?”

  “I said, why don’t you go with your sister to Casablanca,” Jo said, smiling. “It’ll be a great time.”

  “No, unfortunately I’ve got to get back and get David and I’s stuff ready for…uh, nevermind,” Sam said, having said far more than he meant to. Patricia cocked an eyebrow at her brother.

  “Ready for what?” she asked.

  “Nothing you should be asking your brother about on a crowded street,” Jo said. Patricia turned to look at her friend then closed her mouth, seeing Jo was in deadly earnest.

  “We’ll go with you,” Nick said, Agnes nodding her assent. Looking at the woman Jo had to admit Nick had done damn well for himself.

  Pretty girl, although I’m not sure if Nick realizes how tough she is, Jo thought. If he’s not careful she’ll eat him for lunch, Jo thought.

  “Eric?” Patricia asked, turning to her other brother.

  “Nah, I think I’ll walk back to BOQs and catch some rack time,” Eric said. “It’ll be pretty dead with most everyone on duty. Walk you back, Jo?”

  Jo saw a slight, knowing smile cross Agnes’s face, the expression so quick most people would have missed it.

  Okay sweetie, it’s not like you didn’t fall for some Cobb magic yourself, Jo thought.

  “Sure, let’s go,” Jo replied. “We’ll see you guys later.”

  “Okay,” Patricia said, waving. With that the two couples moved off, leaving Sam, Eric, and Jo.

  “Thanks Jo,” Eric said. “I’d hate to get my nuts ripped off because someone overheard the conversation.”

  “Eric!” Sam thundered

  “What?” Eric asked, nonplussed at his brother’s anger.

  “That’s no language to use in front of a lady!” Sam snapped. “You were raised better than that.”

  “Sam, I passed biology and I’ve been around the Navy forever—I am aware that men have nuts, balls, di…” Jo started.

  “You know, do you kiss your mother…” Eric started to ask, then stammered to a stop as he realized that was a very dumb and improper question. “Sorry.”

  Jo just looked at him, utterly amazed that a grown man could be so befuddled.

  I truly hope that you’re a better flier than you are a smart-aleck or I think I’m starting to understand how you keep ending up in the hospital, Jo thought uncharitably.

  “Notice that I am only saying these things around two men, one of whom that I only recently got to stop treating me like I was a nun, and not loudly where everyone can hear me. I realize that you’re not used to it, but we women have brains and stuff, we’re not just pretty pictures.”

  “I guess now I know where Patricia got her ‘I am a woman’ speech from,” Eric said quietly.

  “I think if we’re going to get along,” Jo continued levelly, prompting a bit of a snicker from Sam, “you’ll have to get used to my bluntness. Your brothers have managed to accept that not every woman is a delicate Southern belle who desperately needs a man to protect her from the world’s wickedness or who may occasionally say something a bit stronger than ‘shoot’, so there’s no excuse for you not doing the same.”

  Eric inhaled sharply, suddenly seeing Jo in a whole new light.

  I’ll be damned if I’m going to hide around just one man. If, and it was an ‘if’ the size of most continents, Jo was going to truly get serious with Eric he would have to learn to take
her warts and all. Studying his face, she suddenly found herself caring about his opinion.

  Not so much that I’m going to change, however, Jo thought.

  “Well, if my brothers can do it, guess I can’t very well complain, can I? Especially since it’s kinda hard to get a home cooked meal around here, and I get the sinking suspicion that I would be banned from your house by ‘Toots’.”

  “Heck, David, Nick, and I still haven’t been allowed back,” Sam observed. “And we didn’t even hit Charles.”

  “She’s forgiven you guys for that, she’s just too enamored with her new beau to get around to having you guys over.”

  The pained look on Sam’s face was something to behold. Jo gave him a slight smile.

  “Yes, it is something that she’s going to regret not having done in, unless I miss my guess, about seventy-two hours. Just how did Sadie get back from her school’s trip to the outer islands, anyway?”

  “Someone in the Patrol Wing owed David a favor, and some of our bosses are hopeless romantics,” Sam replied.

  “Those Distinguished Flying Crosses that you guys are up for probably helped,” Eric said wistfully. He clasped his hands together and looked up at Sam, batting his eyelashes. “You’re my hero, Sam,” he said falsetto.

  “Don’t be jealous,” Sam laughed. He looked at his watch and gave a slight smile. “And as much as I’d like to sit here and shoot the bull, I’ve got to go.”

  “Make sure you stop by the house, you big lug,” Jo said, stepping up and giving Sam a hug. There were a few whistles from behind Sam, one brave soul starting a cat call until the big man turned around and scanned the crowd. Suddenly, the dozen sailors that had conducted the whistling found something else to do and in another direction.

  “I’ll see you around, Sam,” Eric said, the before you leave remaining unspoken.

  With a nod, Sam turned and headed back towards where he had left the bicycle he had pedaled up from Pearl.

  “That man is not going to know what to do with himself tonight,” Jo observed. “At least Sadie didn’t actually chain him to a lamp post like she threatened to.”