“Think she’ll fall for it?” Aidan asked, as she put her phone away.
“I would,” Vicky offered.
“That’s because you’re in love with me,” she replied, as she goosed her in the ribs.
Paul deadpanned, “Well, I’m not in love with you, and I’d fall for it.”
As Aidan and Vicky laughed, Paul pointed to Barbara coming towards them, in the parking lot.
Paul stepped out from behind a van, “Going somewhere, Ms. Cox?”
Aidan and Vicky followed close behind him. Barbara had parked on the top floor of the parking deck, which was directly across from the main entrance to the hospital. There was no ceiling to this floor, with only a handful of other cars, parked nearby.
“I… I was going home. I’m not feeling well.”
“I’ll bet.” Aidan quipped. “Ve nerede ev diyorsunuz? Türkiye?” Turning to Vicky and Paul, Aidan translated, “I asked her where she calls home.
“Yes, I’m Turkish. What of it?” Barbara snidely replied.
Vicky stated what everyone was thinking, “Congratulations, your English is flawless.”
Paul eyed her tensely, as he explained, “We did some checking, and found some significant discrepancies in your time card, Ms. Cox. We also found out that you were working on floors that you weren’t assigned to, nor qualified for.”
“That, by its self, is grounds for immediate dismissal, so consider yourself fired, Ms. Cox.” Vicky mockingly informed her.
“Oh, and Homeland Security is very interested in talking with you,” Aidan said, “so why don’t we all go back inside, and wait‒‒”
Just as Aidan took her by the elbow, Barbara swung her fist. But Aidan stepped back, before she could connect. Barbara was furious. Knowing she was trapped, she took a fighting stance. She looked first to Aidan, then to Paul, daring them to take her on.
Paul looked to Aidan, and said, “You take her, I can’t hit a girl. It goes against my military training.”
“Uh, I had the same training, Paul.” Aidan replied, not sure what she should do.
Vicky looked at them, incredulously. “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” she exclaimed, as she put up her fists.
Thinking that this business woman, dressed in a skirt and jacket, with high heels, would be their champion, made Barbara laugh. The two danced around each other, fists at the ready, Vicky’s heels clicking on the concrete, their eyes locked in concentration. Barbara smiled, anticipating the one‒sided victory she was about to celebrate. But as she reared back to attack, Vicky hiked up her skirt, and kicked up her leg, delivering a perfect strike to Barbara’s head. Barbara reeled backward toward Paul, who caught her up, subduing her arms with his hands.
“Wow!” Aidan exclaimed, impressed with Vicky’s coolness.
“Three years of karate and taekwondo classes.” Vicky explained proudly, as she dusted off her hands.
***
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. Douglas McArthur
Today the White House will set a new precedent, when two presidents, President Sherman and President‒Emeritus Trenton, present two medals to one person, Sergeant First Class Aidan Cassidy, from Little Rock, Arkansas. The Medal of Freedom and the Medal of Honor...
The announcement continued, as dignitaries, soldiers, family and friends, found their seats, and waited for the ceremony to begin. Finally the room fell quiet, as Hail to the Chief played, and the two presidents walked to the podium, together. Then the orchestra played The Army Goes Rolling Along, as Aidan, dressed in her Army blues, with several medals already adorning her uniform, keeping cadence with the music, walked to the stage. She looked over at Vicky, sitting in the front row, surrounded by her parents, Alice and Leonard, with Joyce and her wife, Ellen, sitting beside Alice. Behind her sat Yvonne and Freddie, Paul, Dr. Kline and Specialist Jerry Williams, who was also in Army blues. To Vicky, Aidan’s walk to the podium was a magical, slow motion, special effect, like something straight out of a movie.
The Chaplain led them in prayer, then the master of ceremonies read all of Aidan’s accomplishments, from both medal applications. Aidan stood as rigid as she could, during the ceremony, but Vicky could tell she was nervous, and didn’t want to be there. That made her smile. God, she’s so beautiful. I wonder if we could do it, right there on the stage.
Alice poked her daughter in the ribs, and whispered, “What’s so funny?”
She looked at her mother, with saucer size eyes, embarrassed that she was so obvious. She looked back at Aidan, who winked at her. Was she thinking the same thing? Vicky hoped so.
None to soon for Aidan, the ceremony was over, and she stood on stage, wearing two new, very prestigious medals, on her chest.
The Master of Ceremonies walked up to the microphone, and announced, “This concludes our ceremony. Please remain seated, as the Presidents exit the platform. Thank you.” Trenton and Sherman shook Aidan’s hand, one more time, and then were escorted through a door, and out of the room, followed by a contingency of secret service agents.
Then the MC asked, “Will the family and friends of Sergeant Cassidy, please remain seated, as the congregation exits. Thank you.” The room began to clear, and Aidan, finally able to relax, made her way over to Vicky, shaking several hands, along the way.
“Hey, baby,” she grinned, as Vicky stood up, and hugged her tight, then ran her fingers over the medals, hanging from Aidan’s neck.
“I am so very proud of you, sweetheart.”
Aidan kissed her gently on the cheek, as Leonard walked up to her and saluted. Aidan snapped to attention, and returned his salute, then they hugged. That salute from Vicky’s dad, meant more to Aidan than the medal did. She smiled at him, then took Vicky’s hand, and looked at her friends.
“Listen, everyone, thank you so much for coming, and supporting Vicky and me, it means a lot to us. I’ve got one more thing I need to do, so if you don’t mind sitting here, just a few more minutes, we’ll get this done, and be on our way.”
Everyone nodded their heads, and sat back down. She squeezed Vicky’s hand, and motioned for her to sit down, as well.
Aidan walked over to the beginning of the row of seats, adjusted her uniform, straightened her new medals, and finally, snapped to attention. She placed the toe of her highly shined right shoe, a short distance behind the heel of her equally polished left shoe, and spun sharply, completing a perfect ‘About Face’.
With her friends watching intently, she ordered, “Specialist Williams. Front and center.”
Jerry stood up, and walked to the right of the seats. He stopped at the last seat of the row and brought himself to the position of attention. Then, he too, performed a perfect about face. Once facing Aidan, he snapped his right arm up, bringing his hand up sharply, so that his fingertips touched his forehead just above his right eye, saluting her. She returned the salute with a sharp snap of her hand to her forehead. In unison, they each crisply dropped the salute, returning their arm to their side.
Having never seen her lover as a soldier before, Vicky was mesmerized by every movement Aidan made, and the pride she felt was almost overwhelming. My God, she’s so strong, and powerful, and stunning!
After a brief pause, the two soldiers marched toward each other, one foot squarely in front of the other, their eyes locked, their posture rigid, arms swinging in unison, until they met in the middle, halting directly in front of Vicky.
Without a word, Jerry, with one gloved hand, took a red handkerchief from his shirt pocket, under his coat, and unfolded it. Then, bending over, he carefully laid it on the floor in front of Vicky. Confused, Vicky looked from the cloth up to Aidan, but Aidan was still standing at attention, staring straight ahead. Ellen, however, gripped Joyce’s arm, and smothered a gasp.
Jerry resumed his position in front of
Aidan, and with both hands, lifted the flap on his right side coat pocket. He pulled out a small item that the others couldn’t see, even though they tried. He held it out for Aidan, who put both of her gloved hands over his, and accepted the item.
She brought it close to her coat, and commanded in an even tone, “You are relieved.”
“I stand relieved,” Jerry replied. He took three steps backwards, stopped and assumed the ‘at ease’ posture, with his feet shoulder width apart, his hands clasped behind his back, and his eyes still locked on Aidan.
Aidan then, sharply pivoted, on the ball of her left foot and the heel of her right foot, then brought her left foot forward, heels nearly touching, forming a perfect V. Facing Vicky now, Aidan knelt down with one knee on the cloth. She opened the lid on the small box, and held it up to Vicky, revealing her mother’s eighteen caret, three stone, Celtic diamond ring, with trinity knot mounts on white gold.
Vicky gasped as Aidan addressed her, as if she were addressing a superior officer. “Victoria Ann Montgomery, in front of your family, and our friends…,” she never took her eyes off of Vicky, but she did relinquish her stiff, military demeanor, and asked with a playful grin, “Will ya marry me, kid? Will you be my wife?”
Shocked, and afraid that she had heard her wrong, Vicky repeated, “Marry you?”
Grinning, Aidan nodded, and slid the ring on her finger. Vicky jumped into Aidan’s waiting arms, almost knocking her over, “Yes! Oh my God, yes!” And with quivering fingers Vicky grabbed her lover’s cheeks, and kissed her so deeply that Aidan felt the tingling all the way to her toes.
“Wow, baby,” she laughed, when they came up for air.
Vicky regained her composure, smoothed down her skirt and spoke softly, “In front of my family, our friends, and before God himself, I most definitely will marry you. I love you, Aidan Marie Cassidy, I love you, so much.”
“Oh baby, I can’t love you anymore than I do, right now.”
The End
Books by Mairsile:
I Remember You
Aidan is tough, self-assured and suffering from amnesia. The only person who knows her heart, Vicky, can’t tell her that they were childhood lovers, even when Vicky is asked to hire her.
Vicky is the CEO of a multi‒million dollar health system, being targeted by terrorists hell bent on blowing up her hospital. (Book 1 of the A&V series) Buy it now!
Remember It’s You I Love
Aidan & Vicky are on a mission called, Operation Pink Knight, where they must enter a war zone in order to rescue Aidan’s second love, and first fiancée. It comes down to Aidan having to choose between the two women. (Book 2 of the A&V series)
Generations of Women Warriors: Battle of Pea Ridge, American Civil War
First in a series chronicling the life and times of women in a family, who fought in historic battles and loved in historic times, though both could get them killed. Temi, at age 17, finds herself pregnant, in love with a girl, and staring down a cannon, in this epic tale of growing up during the Civil War. Buy it now! (Book 1 of the Warrior series)
Generations of Women Warriors: Battle of Amiens, The Great War
The next generation in the second book of the series, finds the daughter of Temi and Robin, in France during WWI, fighting for her life, as German tanks rumble toward her. (Book 2 of the Warrior series)
I Remember You Page 32
