by Holden, Abby
Jake kicked a soccer ball back and forth with one of the young boys. As with all of the other White Pine crew, his M4 was strapped to him, but the kids didn't even notice. Guns were a natural part of their world. He laughed as they played. Soccer was a universal language.
He stopped the ball, rolled it onto the top of his foot and kicked it straight up. Then quickly taking off his helmet, he head butted it several times, before bouncing it off his knee, then off the inside of his foot. Finally he 'caught' it with his foot, and with a smile gave it a kick to the kid.
The boy clapped in appreciation and caught the ball with his hands. His smile was from ear to ear.
Jake laughed as he put his helmet back on. He patted the kid on the head, who ran off, calling to his friends. Jake looked around for a security check.
As he settled his strap back in place, he saw relief workers conversing with the village leader. Cowboy was holding onto one end of two jump ropes tied together and twirling for some little girls. Gunner and Fisher were playing an improvised game of soccer with a group of kids. His eyes panned past the Chinook to the other side of the field, but there was no one. He looked at the Chinook to see Megan relaxed, watching all. He walked up to the cockpit.
Megan opened the window.
"Did you see that kid?"
"Yeah. Let's hope they remember that we aren't the bad guys when they get older," Megan said softly.
Jake nodded. His smile was genuine as he leaned on the side of the helicopter. "Sorry you can't get out, Chief."
Megan shrugged, then glanced at her watch. They would need to be heading back soon. Still this provided great relations between Afghans and Americans. Perhaps there was bridge building going on that might last a lifetime.
Jake stood up and chuckled. "Look at Cowboy."
Megan started laughing.
Cowboy was jumping rope. He looked silly bent over trying to miss the rope as it went over his head. Within seconds, he fell. He lay there laughing as the aid workers hurried to help him. The little girls and boys were laughing too. Cowboy got to his feet and brushed himself off, then bowed to the kids. They laughed and clapped at his antics.
When Megan looked back at Jake, he was smiling at her. "What?"
Jake glanced around but no one was near. "You're so beautiful when you laugh."
Megan's smile fled from her face. "Cupcake, I told you this can't happen."
"I know. Still doesn't stop the fact that you're gorgeous."
A blush crept into her cheeks.
Jake laughed. "Even more beautiful." With a wink, he started to move off.
"Hey, Cupcake."
Jake stopped and turned.
"Round them up, Handsome."
"Handsome. Much better than Cupcake."
Megan shook her head. "You're stuck with Cupcake. It fits."
Jake chuckled, tapped on the side of the chopper twice and headed for Cowboy. Once the helicopter was warming up, the others would know it was time to go.
***
As Megan shut down the helicopter at the White Pine base, she glanced around. Cowboy was staring at her. She frowned. "What?"
Cowboy turned around to see that the crew had already vacated the back and were heading into the hanger. He returned his look. "Watch yourself, Darlin'."
"Excuse me?"
"McGrew. Don't be losing your head over this one."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Right. Late night meeting? Darlin', try to be more discrete. There are much better places for a liaison than your quarters." Cowboy winked at her conspiratorially as he exited the cockpit.
Megan caught up with him and grabbed his arm. "What do you mean?"
"I saw Jake coming out of your room last night."
A blush spread over her face. "It's not what you're thinking, Kelly. He overheard a conversation I had with my spineless brother. Jake was concerned."
"Jake was fishing," he said looking down at Megan. "But did he catch or was he caught, is the question."
"There was nothing like that at all."
"Sure. Okay," Cowboy said as he continued walking into the hanger, Megan at his side. "Then what 'bout that little smile exchange in the village today. Luckily, I think I was the only one that saw it. Be careful, Darlin'."
Megan stopped walking and sighed. It did look bad, Jake in her room even if they hadn't kissed. And the village exchange, although it warmed her heart, was very dangerous. That can never happen again. I can't be alone with Jake again, unless it's work related. Damn it.
She jammed her fists into her pockets.
***
The next three days Megan's crew was on security rotation at the runway. It was their turn to watch and guard, and as always, it was a milk run. When they returned to the base on the third night, Megan informed them that they had two days off, with tomorrow night being the Annual Executive Cookout near the patio.
The executives, including the three crew chiefs, were cooking for the staff, giving the cooks a night off. Everyone would be at the picnic since they were serving traditional American food, hamburgers and hot dogs.
Megan sighed after filing reports in the cabinet behind the main front desk. "Any news for me, Zarin?"
The Afghan shook her head. "Sorry, no word."
Megan nodded; she actually didn't expect to hear anything. Her dad would never call, maybe write. And her brother was even less dependable. She'd wait another week then try calling again. "Thanks anyway, Zarin." Megan started to step away then moved back to the high desk. "Are you staying for the picnic tomorrow?"
Zarin shook her head. "I do not think it wise. My husband would not approve. It is bad enough I must work, but to socialize with other men, no." Zarin shook her head emphatically.
"Why can't he come too? There'll be plenty of food. Bring everyone that lives in your house. That's your parents, your sisters and brothers and all their kids. I'm sure no one will care."
"I think not. But thank you for the generous offer." Zarin gave her a slight smile.
"Okay. How about I save you some of the food then? You can eat it the next day or take it home with you. What about that?" Megan asked, shifting on her feet. She knew that White Pine paid Zarin a pretty good sum according to Afghanistan standards, but it was way low by U.S. standards. And she also knew that Zarin's wages fed all of the people in her house. Megan had never found out what her husband did for a living, but she guessed that he had recently been fired.
"That would be fine. I believe my family would like that. Thank you, Megan."
"Sure," she said with a smile and headed to her room. She grabbed a paperback, heading to the roof. She got settled into a chair near the edge and soon was lost in the mystery.
Occasionally, she heard laughter from the basketball court, where it sounded like some of the guys were playing ball. The compound slowly quieted. Off in the distance, she could hear the call for the faithful to prayers as evening began to assert itself. Finally, she didn't feel like reading anymore and just sat looking at the mountains.
As the sun set, she headed downstairs intending to go to bed, but decided she had better check the crew chief box in the main office building, just in case. She hurried over, heading through the hanger to peak at the choppers. It was weird, but she occasionally liked to spot check them. Nothing was amiss, so she headed into the office. There were no papers in her box, so she slowly walked back to the barracks.
As she passed the patio area, which was enclosed by the three barracks, she noticed that the guys were still playing basketball. In the waning sunlight, they were trying to finish.
Megan paused with a smile. Her crew was playing another crew and it looked like they were winning. She stopped near one of the picnic tables and sat down, putting her feet on the seat with her butt on the table.
The team was Cowboy, Gunner, Tiny, Fisher, and Jake. Bosser and Chips were seated on the ground nearby cheering them on. The guys were going all out, but the score had just become tied. The
five met near the hoop to discuss strategy.
Megan smiled, watching them. She rested her chin on her hand. As she panned her eyes back to her guys, she noticed Jake looking at her. He gave her a wink, then headed with the rest of them back to finish the game.
It was half-court basketball. The other team brought the ball back into play, but her crew played very defensively. The other crew shot but missed. The ball was recovered by Tiny, who passed it to Gunner, who took it out at half court. Now it was her crew's turn to play offensively.
Megan's eyes involuntarily followed Jake. He was sweating profusely through his t-shirt, but on him it looked sexy. His sweat-soaked, khaki shorts allowed her to watch his thigh muscles flex, his calves taut. Cowboy threw him the ball. Jake bent over trying to fake out a guy, giving Megan a good ass shot.
Megan took full advantage of the view and sighed softly when he executed the fake, went for a lay up, but instead, as he jumped for the hoop, passed it to Fisher who was in the corner, unguarded. Fisher paused after catching it, and shot at the basket. It missed and was recovered by the other team.
Within minutes, the other crew scored a point and won the game. Despite the competitive nature of the crews, everyone shook hands. Tiny and Fisher sat down on the court to catch their breath, while Cowboy headed to Megan to sit at the table. Jake followed.
Cowboy collapsed on the bench in front of Megan breathing hard. He laid the length of the seat. "Damn."
"Having fun?" Megan asked with a teasing smile.
Jake moved to sit next to her on the table, pushing at Cowboy's legs so he could put his feet on the seat. Then, as though totally exhausted, he collapsed to lie on the table. Megan's eyes flashed to his sweaty shorts again but quickly pulled her eyes back to study Cowboy, who didn't answer.
"When was the last time you played ball, Kelly?" Megan asked leaning down to look at him, desperately trying to keep her eyes off Jake.
"High school. I should never 'ave agreed to this. Damn, I hurt."
Jake laughed. He sat up, wiping his brow. He smiled at Megan who hardly looked at him.
Megan tried not to be obvious that the man sitting next to her was making her heart race. He even smelled good, the sweat enhancing his normal odor. It turned her on more than she wanted to admit. She wouldn't be able to sit here much longer.
Within a few seconds, Gunner showed up, followed by Tiny and Fisher. The whole crew slowly cooled down near the table.
Megan stood with a smile. "You did good guys. Congratulations."
"We lost," Jake said, matching her smile.
Megan shrugged trying not to meet his gaze. She tingled in all the right places. Get away now! "You'll get them next time."
Gunner patted her on the shoulder. "Nextest time we need the secretive weapon."
"Secret weapon?" Jake asked, again wiping the sweat from his head. Everyone laughed.
Gunner pointed at Megan. "In Iraq we learned that she was star on the basketball field. We play several other….Uh…" He looked for help from the others.
"They beat the tar outta a couple of military teams," Cowboy informed Jake, looking up at him from his supine position. He gave the ex-military guy a huge grin. "Smoked'em good, they did."
Megan chuckled.
"Really, Chief?" Jake asked, amusement in his blue eyes.
"They over exaggerate my contribution. I distracted the guys in Iraq. Most of them had been there over a year, and to see a woman in shorts and a T-shirt… Well, let's just say it was more than a distraction." She winked at Jake. "I didn't wear my body armor."
Jake cracked up.
Megan congratulated them again and headed to her room. She needed to cool down. That man did things to her, things that she hadn't felt in a long time. Things that she didn't want. Things she tried to ignore but failed. Miserably.
***
It was nearing eleven o'clock and Megan still wasn't asleep, tossing and turning in bed. Her mind kept returning to the basketball game and the sweaty man driving her insane. She sat up in bed and sighed, turning on the light. She tried to read, but she couldn't. She wiggled a little from a full bladder and decided she'd better use the bathroom.
The halls were quiet. Somewhere down the hall, she could hear a radio playing a soft tune, but for the most part it seemed like the men were turned in for the night or at least in their rooms. There was a breeze blowing in the hall since most of the guys left their doors open.
As she passed the rooms, she tried not to look in. Being the only woman in the barracks, she kept her door closed, but most of the guys were not shy about what they did or wore most of the time. She found it better to be in her room by curfew and stay there, to avoid embarrassing situations.
When she reached the bathroom door, which also housed four showers, she knocked. It was policy that the last person out was to leave the door open or, as was the case tonight, the sign on the door was switched to the male stick person, so she would know that there was a guy in there. They would know if she was taking a shower if the female stick person was on the door.
There was no answer.
She opened the door a crack and heard a shower running. With a sigh, she closed the door. It was a good thing she wasn't critical. It wasn't long and the shower shut off.
Megan opened the door a crack and called out. "I need to pee. So don't dawdle."
No one answered as she closed the door again. Even if she stuck her head all the way in, she wouldn't be able to see the showers. They were farther inside the room, which was shaped like an L. The stalls were on this end of the bathroom, with a quickly constructed wall hiding the urinals. The changing area and showers were around the bend.
She leaned on the wall waiting.
CHAPTER 7
The door opened. Jake walked out of the bathroom with a smile on his face and a towel wrapped low around his hips, still dripping water. "Sorry, Chief."
Megan didn't answer. Jake saw her looking him up and down. He hurried after hearing her and hadn't even dried off. With a wry grin, he shook his head, flinging water on her.
That drew her out of her reverie. She blushed. "Not a problem."
Jake didn't move. He blocked her entry with his body. His shower stuff was in one hand, while his other hand held the door open.
"You're dripping," Megan said with a grin.
"I didn't want you to wait." His smile got bigger.
"Can I get in, or is someone else in there?"
Jake could see her desperately trying to keep her eyes front and center, off his cut chest and washboard abs. His smile was now from ear to ear. "Nope. Just me." He could tell she was having a hard time controlling herself.
"Do you mind? I need to pee." She motioned with her hands for him to move.
"Sure, Chief." Jake moved fast, brushing up against her.
She jumped to the side as though she had been singed by a flame. She narrowed her eyes.
"Sorry again." But his smile stayed in place. "Have a nice night, Chief." He slowly walked away, his smile getting bigger. He could tell she was still watching him; he could feel her eyes on his back. Right as he got to his door, he wiggled his butt at her.
A snort sounded as the door to the bathroom closed.
Jake laughed, walking into his room. It was fun putting her on the spot. And he knew the reaction he was causing. As soon as I'm out of her crew, I'll have her. So help me God.
***
Megan checked the cooler again to see if the sodas needed replacing. The other crew chiefs were actually cooking on the barbeque grill. The executives were dishing out potato salad and coleslaw. Her job was to keep the refreshments stocked and play gofer for the others. That was fine with her. She hated cooking. Whenever she tried to cook, it turned out either raw or burnt.
"I'll take one." Jake's voice sounded behind her.
Megan jumped.
"Sorry, Chief. Didn't mean to scare you."
With narrowed eyes, she turned to face him. Through clenched teeth she whispered, "
Would you stop that."
"Stop what?" Jake asked, his smile getting bigger. In his hand was a plate full of standard American grub: hamburger with fixings, chips, and assorted salads.
"You know what," Megan said still whispering as she glanced around. The guys were busy eating and when these guys ate, they ate. The world could explode around them, but don't interrupt their hot dogs and hamburgers.
"I just wanted a soda," Jake said, his smile fading but the amused look still in his eyes. "That's your job, right? Refreshments?"
Megan almost growled.
"Lighten up, Chief." He gave her a cocky grin.
"You know what I meant."
"Yeah, I did," Jake said, holding out his hand for a soda. "But I still want a soda, Ma'am."
Megan reached into the cooler and grabbed one. She held it out to him. As he took it, he looked deeply into her eyes. It caused a pulsing in her loins and a tingling in other parts of her body.
"Stop it, Jake." Her teeth were still clenched.
Jake chuckled. "You want me bad," he whispered to her as he passed.
Megan snorted.
"You know you do." He walked off nonchalantly.
Megan bent down fiddling with the ice and sodas in the cooler again. When she stood up, she took a piece of ice and ran it across her forehead. Cool down, idiot. He's just a guy. A reckless, good-looking guy, but off limits. She checked out the food table, but everything was still full. No need for refilling yet. She glanced around the food area and as she rubbed ice on her forehead she caught Jake's eyes who sat down next to Gunner. She immediately dropped the ice cube to the ground.
Jake's smile widened.
Megan kept her face neutral even as her eyes narrowed, but then and there she vowed to get even. Oh, this is war, Jake. You'll get yours for making me hot and teasing me. Payback. Some how. Just wait.
Two hours later she was watching her crew playing basketball again. This time they were losing. Another crew chief sat down next to her.