The Goodwill Gesture

by McKay, KC

  "Indeed." His face was frozen without emotion.

  I looked at my watch. "Well, I gotta go." I looked at Darcy. "You gonna be okay, Lieutenant?"

  She nodded, still rubbing her ankle.

  "Cool. See you all on the ship Monday." I turned toward the door.

  "Umm, Chambers?" Woods looked at me suspiciously. "After you took the trouble to come in here, aren't you going to get something to eat?"

  I patted my back pocket. "I left my wallet in the hotel. Besides, why eat this American crap when I should be experiencing the Scottish culture and cuisine? See ya." I left without looking back.

  ***

  Darcy hobbled into the room about an hour later with a KFC box as I sat on my cot.

  She held it out toward me. "Thought you might be hungry."

  "Thanks." I took it. "Sorry about kicking you, but I thought if he saw us— Well, you know… close like, he might wonder what was up."

  She offered a thumbs-up. "Yeah, quick thinking, I'll give you that, but I'm getting worried about you."

  I gave her the 'What?' look.

  "You get in a brawl with a couple of Marines. You scrap with some Scottish bloke. Then you kick the crap out of me. Do you have a violent streak?" Her brows furrowed.

  "This isn't part of your psychology training, is it?"

  She smiled. "No, just making an observation. A painful one, I might add." She placed her foot on the bed and rubbed her ankle.

  Trust Master Chief to screw up a perfect build-up to a first kiss, which very well could have led up to a first moment under those panties. Instead of bedding her, I wind up kicking the crap out of her. Great. She'd never offer me her flesh now. At least not until the pain fully subsided, anyway.

  "Sorry about that." I tucked into eating the chicken. "So what'd he have to say?"

  She sat on the edge of my cot. "He's here for the Tattoo with his wife." She rolled her eyes. "I'm his boss, but why do I feel like my father just rolled into town checking up on me?"

  I offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Well, we'll have a good time at the Tattoo tonight. That'll take your mind off him."

  She sighed. "About that. His wife insisted I join them for dinner before the show." She looked at me with sad eyes. "Would you mind terribly if you didn't come tonight?"

  "Oh." I never wanted to go in the first place, but this wasn't about the Tattoo any longer. This was about being with Darcy. Sadness seeped into my core knowing I'd miss spending time with her. I knew I couldn't have many moments with her given our professional relationship, so this was a golden opportunity now spoiled. After our chicken encounter, I'd been looking forward to what the night might have brought.

  Good. I'm glad Master Chief wiped my cock hairs all over his lips. Bastard.

  I did my best to sound nonchalant. "Naw, that's okay. I don't have a ticket anyway. No sense you being out of pocket on my account."

  "Zac." She leaned forward and rested her hand on my leg. "Will you quit sounding like it's your fault you don't have any money? You did a very brave thing and I'm grateful. Here." She reached over, grabbed her purse and took out a twenty pound note and handed it to me. "Get yourself some grub and a drink tonight while I'm out. It's the least I can do."

  "No thighs tonight then, huh?"

  "Not from Kentucky, no."

  God, sometimes she could be so hard to read. Was that KFC thighs or her Kentucky thighs? She wasn't letting on and left to go to the bathroom, leaving me none the wiser.

  We watched TV in the room the rest of the afternoon, in our own beds, until she had to go to dinner.

  After she left, I used the money she gave me and got a bottle of whiskey. I had planned to just sip it and share a few nightcaps with her when she returned, but I was depressed and the next thing I remembered was her waking me up Sunday morning to get the train back to Sacred Loch.

  Chapter 17

  On the way back to Sacred Loch, Darcy warned me that business was business, and despite our fun time away, there would be no favoritism or leniency shown my way once back at work.

  I swore my understanding of the situation, but still felt like I was the teacher's pet. Even if I couldn't actually pet the teacher.

  Having sex with her would have breached her authority, so it was a good thing I hadn't let things spiral out of control.

  I went to the supervisors' meeting Thursday morning as usual. I always looked forward to seeing Darcy, even if she was confined to my imagination and mere memories of her black panties.

  Totally unexpected, Lt. Novak informed us the ship was getting underway later that day. The submarine USS Anthony Wayne had some technical difficulties and was stuck off the coast of France. We, the Anticipation, were going to sail out and fix her.

  The whole reason for the ship going to sea was for my shop to repair a faulty valve. It became my responsibility to get the stricken sub fit to submerge and carry out her stealth duties.

  In record speed, the ship completed all her checks, pulled anchor and we set sail late that afternoon into the open seas.

  I felt a certain calmness and confidence about the job. Looking at the blueprints, I didn't see any major problems. George Walker was the best man in the shop to do jobs which had a high profile. He thrived on pressure.

  After evening chow I went to the back of the ship and stood on deck on the open fantail, staring out to sea and taking in the salt-tinged air. It was invigorating. I always enjoyed it at sea. Although I was in the company of 1500 other shipmates, there was a certain isolation when separated from the rest of civilization. I liked the escape.

  I lit a cigarette and gazed over the gray Atlantic waters, watching the wake being cut by the propellers as white waves splashed against the hull, the engines humming in a low roar.

  "Mind if I join you?" Darcy leaned her arms on the lifelines next to me.

  "Not at all," I said. I reached into my top pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offering her one. "Care for a smoke?" I knew she didn't smoke, but I wanted her to know I'd be willing to share with her if she did.

  She shook her head. "Those things will kill you."

  I took a drag and made sure I exhaled the smoke in such a way that it wouldn't drift in her face. "Better than dying of a broken heart."

  She raised her eyebrows. "Having woman troubles, are you?"

  I didn't know why I mentioned broken hearts. Maybe just looking at her, and knowing I couldn't have her, my heart did break a little. "No, ma'am, I'm past that. Its already been broken a few times, so now I just smoke."

  "Umm, shame." She stood upright and looked at me. "I would have thought you could have made a girl very happy."

  "An enlisted girl, right?"

  She grinned. "Have you given up on courting the PMA?"

  "I like the people I court to purr, not growl." I grinned back.

  "Wise choice." She looked around the fantail. We were alone. "Word has it we're going to dock in France once we get the Wayne fixed and underway. Do you have any plans?"

  "First I heard of it. How could I have any plans if I didn't know about it?" I inhaled a deep drag.

  "Of course. How silly of me." She folded her arms. "What would you think if you and I headed out into the French countryside, you know, for a quiet dinner or something? Just as friends."

  Was this a date? Did Delicious Darcy just ask me on a date? No, she wouldn't have. Despite an unleashed surge of excitement racing through my bloodstream, I needed to be coy. "Sure. Maybe we could find a still or something and get some moonshine."

  She flashed her near perfect teeth. "Being France we may have to settle for a bottle of wine."

  "Sounds great. I'll look forward to it." My heart pounded hard and my soul cart-wheeled. Sweat collected on my palms. I was pretty sure she just asked me on a date, even if we had to keep it under wraps. A date in the French countryside with Delicious Darcy, drinking divine wine. This was the stuff fantasies were made of.

  "Great. I'll see you around." She turned and
walked off.

  Holy smoke. I needed to keep myself grounded. She probably just wanted some company for the day. To avoid disappointment I couldn't let myself think it was anything more than a simple outing. But if she insisted on something happening, well…

  ***

  The ship tied up next to the Anthony Wayne the next morning and we got George set up on the sub to do the job. I stayed with him most of the time as top brass kept coming around checking on the progress, with the PMA and the Captain of the sub being frequent visitors.

  I reassured them and told them what they wanted to hear, adamant things were going well and we had everything under control. Darcy also made several appearances, offering me encouragement and support, which I appreciated. Every time I laid my eyes on her made me look forward to our jaunt away from prying eyes all the more.

  Once George finished brazing in the new valve and cleaned it up, I fetched QA to do the inspection. Charlotte Kemp was the designated inspector to read it.

  I escorted her down to the sub and stayed with her while she did the inspection and recorded the readings as she called them out. From the numbers she called, it sounded promising and I had little doubt it would pass, and I'd be the hero for being the supervisor to orchestrate such a crack operation. Darcy would be impressed.

  Charlotte and I were the only two around when she made her final calculations.

  "Hmm… interesting." She rested the butt of the pen against her lips. "Whaddaya think the PMA would say if it fails?"

  I put some tools in the bag, getting ready to go. "Oh, come on, Charlotte, don't give me that crap. You know as well as I do it passed."

  "Don't be so sure, Petty Officer Chambers." She looked at me with her eyes narrowed.

  I examined her face and she did look like she was serious, but she was a woman scorned. "This isn't funny, Charlotte. It passed, right?"

  She shook her head. "Unlike me, it's fucked."

  I held her by the shoulders. "Charlotte, it can't. Now quit messing around. Tell me it passed."

  "Well, there is a way to make sure it passes." Her eyes pierced through mine. "You know we're docking in France. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself and prove to me that I'm worthy of your affection. That really crippled my ego, ya know? Seeing you all limp like that while I was standing there naked. I've been emotionally scarred."

  God, why did she have to plant that image in my mind? She couldn't be serious. Surely she wouldn't hold a submarine to ransom over my dick. "What? You mean we have to fu—"

  She wore a smile and nodded. "That," she poked my crotch, "is the difference between pass… and fail. The choice is yours."

  "You can't do this." I stared her down, waiting for her to giggle and say 'Just kidding.'

  She didn't.

  Would I seriously have to have sex with her to make sure it went through? I ran through the scenario in my mind of me telling the PMA I was in a fuck or fail situation. I couldn't see him buying that. She was in serious need of a vibrator.

  Under different circumstances I would have corked her just to get the extortion over with, but I had a date with Darcy. And I would rather have a non-fucking date with Darcy than a fucking date with Charlotte. I folded my arms and continued to stare at her.

  She shrugged. "Okay. Well, you go tell the PMA that you can't train your guys well enough to braze in a simple valve replacement. I'm sure he'll be understanding." She still wasn't smiling. "On second thought, I'll go tell him myself. This should be fun." She stepped away, heading for the way out.

  If it really was a substandard weld, there was no way she would pass it if it was unsafe. But there was no reason why she couldn't say a good weld failed. Asking for a second opinion would mean Knothead would have to disagree with the girl he wants to pump and make her look incompetent in front of God and everybody. Even he would know he'd never get in her drawers that way.

  A pain shot through me as I realized I'd have to fuck my way to glory.

  Footsteps echoed down the metal deck plates. When the stomping stopped, the PMA and the Captain of the submarine stood there, looking eager and anxious.

  "Well?" the PMA growled.

  Charlotte looked at me with arched eyebrows.

  I lowered my head, closed my eyes and gave Charlotte a nod. It felt like I just sold my soul to the devil.

  "Good news, Commander," Charlotte beamed. "It passed."

  "Halleluiah," he commented triumphantly.

  They walked away while Charlotte finished documenting the paperwork.

  "How do you want to work this?" I asked.

  She grinned. "Once liberty call is announced after we dock, meet me at the bottom of the gangway and we'll find a quaint little hotel, your treat of course, and have mind-blowing sex."

  "And if I don't show up?"

  "I tell the PMA you fudged the numbers when you wrote them down and allowed the submarine to go to sea under false figures." She fanned her hand. "Ouch. Endangering lives of fellow servicemen. I bet that would give him a rupture, after he kills you, of course."

  She turned and walked away. I didn't even get a twitch looking at her cute bubble butt as it wiggled its way down the passageway and out of sight.

  Chapter 18

  We docked in Brest, France and I sat in the office with most of the other shop members in my civilian clothes, waiting for liberty call to be announced to go ashore. Every port I had ever been to I yearned for liberty call to go in search of pleasure of the flesh, anticipating and wondering what female I would hook up with to fulfill decadent desires.

  Now, I had a hussy lying in wait for me and I didn't want her. Not only because I wanted to spend time with Darcy, but I was also fearful of delivering a substandard performance again. The one time in my life I couldn't get it up and it had to be with a vindictive, power-hungry nymphomaniac.

  I smoked a cigarette, staring off into space, when all conversations around me abruptly stopped.

  The PMA stood in the doorway.

  I stubbed my smoke out and stood up.

  "Good afternoon, Commander," I greeted him. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" I tried to sound confident, but was nervous as hell. Maybe Charlotte changed her mind and decided it would be more fun to have the PMA screw me than having me screw her.

  "I suppose you think you did a good job on the Anthony Wayne, do you?" His expression wasn't giving anything away.

  "Umm… well, yes, sir. It passed, didn't it?" My question was genuine, not rhetorical.

  "Yes it did. Lieutenant Novak said you'd do it." He held his hands behind his back which made him look even more powerful. "Well, as you know, if you had screwed it up, I'd be all over you like white on rice. But since you did it, and made the Anticipation proud, I thought it fitting that I should be the first to stop by and say 'well done.' Enjoy your port visit in France. You've earned it." He turned and walked off.

  Wow. A compliment from the PMA. I had his blessing. Go forth and fuck Charlotte Kemp's brains out. You've earned it. Now I'd have the image of him in my mind watching me dork Charlotte, cheering me on. Pump 'er good, boy, or I'll rip your sack off. Holy crap. I'd never get it up now. A gnawing settled in the pit of my stomach.

  "Petty Officer Chambers, can I have a word with you a moment?" Darcy stood in the doorway wearing a yellow sun dress with a wide black belt highlighting her slim waist.

  "Sure thing, Lieutenant." I did my best to sound professional and avoided looking at her luscious legs.

  We walked over to the other side of the shop out of earshot of everyone else.

  She tucked some hair behind her ear. "I've been speaking to one of the other officers who've been here before. Can you get a taxi and meet me at the Continental Hotel? There's a car rental place there. I'll rent a car, and we'll head to the country and have a picnic. What do you think?" Her smile was filled with lustful anticipation. Well, that's how I saw it anyway.

  "Continental Hotel, huh?" I looked at the floor. "There might be a slight problem, Darcy."

&nbs
p; "Umm, Lieutenant, if you don't mind," she whispered. "We're still on the ship."

  "Of course." Butterflies infested my stomach. "I'm not sure if I can make it."

  "Oh." She dropped her gaze toward her open-toed sandals. "Of course, I understand. Going to spread some goodwill around the French community, are you?" She smiled, but I could see it was forced.

  "No, ma'am, it's not like that." Our eyes met. "I hoped you and I would be goodwilling together." I gasped when I realized what I said. "Not like that— I mean, just platonic-like goodwill. Not anything untoward. I mean, I'd never defile you without your permission— what I meant to say was—"

  "Zac. Shut up."

  "Yes, ma'am. And, it's Petty Officer Chambers, if you don't mind." I offered a playful smirk.

  She smirked back. "Well, obviously I'm disappointed, but I understand. Since we only have one night here, I guess the drive in the country is not happening." She sighed and I detected she was putting on a brave face. "Maybe next time." She took a few steps to leave.

  "Lieutenant," I spoke out, just loud enough for her to hear.

  She turned around and took a step back in my direction.

  "On second thought, I'll meet you in the lobby of the Continental Hotel an hour after liberty call."

  "Decided to cancel your goodwill tour, did you?" Her smile confirmed I was doing the right thing.

  "Something like that."

  There was a definite lilt in her step as she walked away.

  ***

  Liberty call was announced and I meandered down the gangway. Charlotte stood at the bottom in tight shorts and a blue tank top. She smiled as I approached.

  "So where you taking me?" Her exuberance was obvious.

  "Why don't we grab a drink first and talk about it. I could use a drink, couldn't you?"

  She shoved a finger in my face. "Look, if you get blotto again and can't get it up, there's going to be big trouble. Got it?"

  I nervously nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Don't worry, Charlotte, you're looking particularly hot today."