by Jo Leigh
“Dude, you and the captain? At the pool.”
Shit. He’d kissed her. In public. What the hell had he done? “Does anyone else know?”
“Not that I know of. Maybe.”
“What about…?”
Hanover leaned closer, kept his voice down. “Don’t worry about Van Linn. She’s hot, but she’s crazy. She complains about everything. No one takes her seriously.”
This was not okay. Van Linn was unpredictable, although Sara had been giving Van Linn most of the choice interviews as well as a lot of attention. Luke played back last night’s drinks with Van Linn. She hadn’t acted any differently. Still, he and Sara would have to be more careful.
Someone tugged on the sleeve of his flight suit. He turned to face a young Asian teenager who smiled at him with what looked like all the courage she could muster. She was accompanied by two older women. Mother and aunt? He had no idea, but he’d better focus, and right now, because he had a feeling this conversation wasn’t going to be about Top Gun. “How can I help you?” he asked.
The girl glanced behind her, but only for a second before she met his gaze squarely. “I want to be a fighter pilot. My family doesn’t think I can hack it.”
Luke nodded before he launched the discussion. He’d call Sara as soon as could, but in the meantime, he’d help this young lady find the path to her dreams.
SARA WINCED AT THE NOISE LEVEL in the convention center. Normally it wouldn’t bother her, she was used to the constant buzz of job fairs, but her head hurt and oh, yeah, her boss had shown up at 0600 this morning, before she’d even had her first cup of coffee.
Of all the days for a surprise visit, why did it have to be today? Sara hadn’t slept more than three hours and she looked as if she hadn’t slept for a week.
She liked Colonel Graves. He was an easy man to work for and with. He expected results, didn’t micromanage, and he believed in the power of potential, which was something rare in her military experience. She’d noticed shortly after her first encounter with him that he started quite a few sentences with, “Given the chance…” Which is what he did. What she liked to believe she did.
The important thing was that Graves had given her a chance, and she wanted to feel worthy of it, which she most definitely did not at the moment. Although she didn’t regret a single minute she’d spent with Luke the past four nights, she truly was going to have to be more sensible before she crashed and burned. It wasn’t as if they had to make up for the past seven years in a few days. Her head ached, her eyes stung, and every step seemed half a beat behind.
It didn’t surprise her that the colonel had found Luke before she’d made it past the navy booth, with the coast guard display still to go. But she hadn’t seen Luke since his pre-dawn streak out of her room and it would’ve been nice to give him a heads-up.
She slowed her hurried pace, taking a hard look at what was happening at the air force booth. Two of the speakers were greeting visitors, handing out pamphlets. Two were behind the desk, manned with clipboards, and Hanover was talking earnestly to a thirtysomething man in a well-cut suit who was filling out paperwork. Luke was also speaking to a potential recruit. The girl was tall and slender, sported a dark bob and very large breasts. It didn’t appear that she’d taken the term job fair too seriously, unless she was trying to get work as a call girl. Her low-cut top and high hem almost met in the middle. The smile she offered Luke was a blatant invitation, her body canted so far toward him, a strong wind would send her toppling from her ridiculous heels.
Sara wasn’t surprised. Everyone gravitated toward Luke, flirted with him to some degree. Even the ones with boyfriends, and men who weren’t remotely interested that way. It was that damn charisma, and she knew it far too well. She’d had a moment’s pause just this morning as Luke had kissed her goodbye. She was allowing herself to be dazzled when she should be more cautious than ever.
But Colonel Graves was getting his first live view of Luke in action. Sara had learned a thing or two about the colonel, and while his expression remained neutral, she could tell by his right eyebrow he was very pleased. Why wouldn’t he be?
How lucky for the air force that Luke had fallen early and hard for flying. It was, she knew, his only true love. And she was fine with that, she reminded herself. Friends with benefits. That’s all they were.
She walked up to the colonel and waited.
“Solo Carnes?” Graves said, keeping his voice low.
“That’s right, sir.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing him do his talk. He looks great on the videos.”
“He is great. The whole team is. Honestly, I’m not surprised that our numbers are so good. These people are fantastic representatives.”
Graves, who was a nice-looking man, especially with his thick salt-and-pepper hair, smiled at her. Great smile, still fighting-trim. If Sara could have managed it, she’d have put him on the team first thing, although Graves’s appeal was more in his quiet power than in whatever combination of voodoo and allure Luke had. “You’ve put together an impressive tour, Captain. As I knew you would.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I’m going to check out the competition, but please extend my invitation to the team to join me tonight for dinner. I’ve got O’Malley setting things up, and he’s planning on the whole group.”
“I’d be surprised if anyone had to beg out, but I’ll let him know.”
“Excellent.” Graves nodded at Luke’s salute as he circled back to the navy team.
Luke turned his head a bit more and smiled at Sara, and from the brief look he gave her, she could tell he wished they were alone. She held her breath as she smiled back, still finding it hard to believe that he was in her life again. In her bed.
LUKE TOOK HIS SEAT to the right of Colonel Graves, as requested. He’d stayed at the job fair until the end, then come straight here to the Border Grill for Mexican food. Luke didn’t like these kinds of dinners around big tables. The team had to spread out, and there was no way to address the group as a whole without shouting.
Sara had taken a seat on the opposite side of the table. He hadn’t talked to her about Van Linn yet, and that bothered him. He’d called her twice, but she’d been glued to the colonel’s side the entire afternoon. He’d even tried to get her alone before dinner, but there were too many people and too many chances to be overheard. At least he got to look at her. The problem was that he also had to look at Van Linn, a seat away from Sara.
The redhead had been all smiles for the colonel, but there was something about the way she looked at him that made the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Luke couldn’t be certain if he was assuming the worst or if Van Linn was planning some way to take him down. It had to make her mad that he was sitting next to Graves. Especially after Van Linn had somehow managed to hitch a ride to the restaurant with Graves and Sara.
The menus arrived, and ordering grabbed the attention of everyone at the table but the colonel. He turned to Luke. “I’ve been impressed with your skills on the tour, Captain. Especially given the short time you had to prepare.”
“Thank you, Colonel. I’m glad I could make a difference.”
Graves nodded. “It’s important. We need bright young minds. From what I’ve seen on the videos, you’re striking a chord with the students.”
“The air force is my life,” Luke said. “Aside from my family, it’s been my biggest and best influence. It’s not hard to recruit when I believe every word of the message.”
Graves placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I see that in you, son. It was like that for me. I knew right off I was going to be air force, same as my dad and my grandfather. I’ve never been sorry. I know you’d rather be flying, but this is an important mission as well. I’m glad to have you on our team. Keep up the good work, Captain.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
The colonel turned to Captain Pearson on his left, and Luke relaxed. He’d never had a problem with the bras
s. Impatience, yes, but the chain of command was ingrained in him as firmly as the alphabet. He’d known for a long time that he’d keep flying as long as they’d allow him in the cockpit. He didn’t want to pilot airliners or private jets. That would bore the crap out of him. He was living the life he chose, and not many people got to do that.
He glanced at Sara, caught her looking back. She seemed tired. His fault. Hard to feel too badly though. Him. Sara. Again. Jesus.
His gaze shifted to the right. Straight into Van Linn’s glare.
DESPITE YET ANOTHER NIGHT of not enough sleep, in this instance courtesy of her boss, plus another long day of meeting with Graves, Sara felt wide awake and more excited than she’d been since getting this assignment.
She glanced at her watch. Almost 1500 hours. Luke might not have left yet for his turn at the radio station. She hadn’t spoken to him at all during Graves’s visit, and now that the colonel was en route to the airport, Sara could finally tell Luke all her good news.
She called his number from her cell, and he answered on the second ring.
“Carnes.”
“Hey, stranger,” she said.
“Hey,” he said back, his voice soft.
“Are you here?”
“Nope. On the way to the station.”
“Dammit.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“I should wait and tell you in person.”
“Tell me what?”
Sara grinned as she spun around in her terrible office chair. “I can’t wait. I had this idea, and I’ve been putting some things together to pitch it to Graves, but it wasn’t ready yet. I only had the outline. I didn’t know he was coming, so I was thinking I’d write the proposal up, submit it a week before the end of the tour.” Luke laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing. Go on.” He sounded strained, reminding Sara that he was in a car with Pearson and Franks, and that he couldn’t freely respond the way he might like to.
“I am,” she said. “So the project is for a comprehensive study of what works and doesn’t work on a recruitment tour. There hasn’t been one done in years, not even after the big Department of Defense speakers’ initiative in 2006. I want to go into speaker selection, audio/visual opportunities, venues, online coordination, everything. Historical precedence, new decisions and approaches and real-world results. We’re just beginning to understand social media tools—” She paused, took a breath. “The bottom line is, he said yes.”
“Really? To the whole project?”
“No. To me putting together the proposal. But he’s very much in favor of the project, and he gave me his word he’ll make it a priority.”
Luke cleared his throat. “That’s fantastic. I’m so pleased for you.”
“Pleased, huh?” She glanced at her closed office door, then grinned. “It’s really a pity you’re off doing public service announcements, flyboy, because if you were here, I swear I’d drag you into a closet and do every manner of evil things to your body.”
He coughed. “It sounds to me like that’s an idea worth saving.”
“I don’t know. It’s gonna be a while till you get back. I don’t know if I can wait. I might have to take matters into my own hands.”
“I’m sure you’ll find I’m more qualified for the job.”
“Are you blushing? You’d better not be blushing. I mean it. You’re in uniform, Captain.”
“I’m incredibly aware of the restrictions, thank you. More so now than ever.”
She grinned. “I can’t wait for tonight. Although, God, if I don’t get some decent sleep I’m going to collapse. So it’ll have to be a quickie.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “I’m anxious to speak to you. On several matters, actually. But for now, you have my congratulations. Well done. Very well done.”
“Thanks. Kick ass on the radio.” Sara disconnected and let her head fall back. What a day. What a week. But now was no time to slack off. The colonel had given her some points to cover and she had to get them all down on paper while they were still fresh in her mind.
Two hours later a knock made her look up, and while she hoped it was Luke, it was Van Linn who entered. The captain was well put together, as always. Even though her work at OSI didn’t require a uniform, she’d worn hers for the duration of the tour. But her air of authority didn’t depend on wardrobe. Van Linn was cocky and cunning, and Sara sensed that this was not a social call. “What can I do for you, Captain?” she asked, setting her pen down.
Van Linn stared at her for a long, uncomfortable moment, her green eyes hard. “I’m here to give you a heads-up.”
“Oh?”
“You’ve put together a good tour. The numbers are impressive. I’m glad I’ve been a part of it.”
The silent but hung between them. Her cell buzzed. A glance told her it was Luke. Sara didn’t make a move.
“However,” Van Linn said, “I’ve been disappointed and upset at the day-to-day management.” She didn’t sit, and Sara didn’t offer.
“How so?” Sara leaned forward in her chair, folded her hands on the desk. She’d been expecting this discussion. It hadn’t been Sara’s decision to seat Luke next to Colonel Graves at dinner. Sara had gone out of her way to make Van Linn feel appreciated, but there was only so much she could do.
A hint of a smile touched Van Linn’s lips, then the captain lifted a small notepad and began to read. “‘On five separate occasions since Captain Lucas Carnes joined the recruitment tour under the supervision of Captain Sara Weston, I observed Captain Carnes entering Captain Weston’s motel room after hours. On four of those occasions, it was past midnight. Captain Weston, who was not a member of the speakers’ team, accompanied Captain Carnes and only Captain Carnes to a television interview, without consulting the rest of the team. In addition, Captain Weston and Captain Carnes were observed kissing in the public pool in full view of all personnel and civilians.’”
The smile was back, not so small, and there was no effort to hide it. Sara’s stomach had already tightened, but now it rolled with the shock of realizing this wasn’t just about Luke, it was about the two of them. About their relationship. She’d been prepared for an argument about Luke, not about them kissing, not an already-written report and not a complaint about Sara’s professional conduct.
Van Linn must have seen something in Sara’s face, as a new smugness came to her voice as she continued reading. “‘Captain Weston singled out Captain Carnes at Colonel Graves’s team dinner, again without consultation with the rest of the speakers. Despite Captain Carnes joining the team as a last-minute replacement, he was immediately given priority in the speaking order, and in all Q & A sessions and at job fairs. As a result, professional judgment and common sense indicate that the relationship between Captain Weston and Captain Carnes has resulted in a degradation of morale, good order, discipline and unit cohesion, and are subject to action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.’”
Van Linn had staked out their rooms? She was in OSI; it was conceivable she’d done more than that.
“How very thorough,” Sara said, finally.
“It’s my job to be observant. I’m very good at my job.”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I invited you on this tour.” How Sara made her voice sound so calm was a miracle. “Have you sent it in?”
“Not yet, no.”
“Why not?”
Van Linn blinked slowly. “I’m trying to be fair, although the evidence doesn’t lend itself to misinterpretation.”
“I see.”
“It’s not just me,” Van Linn said. “It’s all of us, the whole team. You seem to have forgotten that we exist. Carnes doesn’t outrank us, and he’s not actually Tom Cruise. We’re all supposed to be in this together.” She took a step closer to the desk.
Sara knew this wasn’t winnable. Van Linn was out for blood, whether from jealousy alone, or from a staggering need for the spotlight. In the end it didn’t matter why. This wasn’t a
bout fairness.
There was a way to fight it, of course. Even Luke going to her room after midnight. He was the newest team member. He might have needed her help. Each incident had a perfectly plausible explanation, and she had considerable latitude as to how to use her staff. Every incident but one.
The kiss at the pool.
That was what was going to hang her. There was no explaining it away, especially if anyone else had seen it. Sara hadn’t given it a thought at the time or since. She’d been too caught up with Luke, learning the new man, reacquainting herself with the taste and feel of him. But the irony that her one mistake with him, of all people, was going to hijack her career tasted as bitter as cyanide.
She wouldn’t be court-martialed, most probably wouldn’t even be disciplined. However, the complaint would become part of her record. The tour would continue to be a success, and that would stand on its own. And her new project? Colonel Graves would assign it to someone else. He wouldn’t be happy about it, but the integrity of his unit was more important than his relationship with Sara. She wouldn’t get the big jobs, not the important ones. Because it was her personal reputation that would be questioned. And those who ranked above her wouldn’t want to risk it.
“I understand your concerns,” Sara said. “I’d appreciate a few days to give the matter my full attention.”
Van Linn’s eyes narrowed. “I’m writing this up tomorrow. I won’t hold on to it for long.”
“Understood.”
Van Linn didn’t salute. It wasn’t necessary given their equivalent rank, but the manner in which she left felt like an insult. The door closed, and Sara didn’t move. She played back the overheard conversation the evening of the television appearance. The rest of the speakers hadn’t seemed to give a damn about Luke being on the show. But that wasn’t necessarily true now.
She hated to think that her behavior had been a source of embarrassment to the service. Her face heated with the thought, nausea making her swallow hard. She loved her job, loved being in the air force. She’d found her place, and she’d given it everything she had.
