“It must be because you’re a female,” he huffed.
Kimberly resisted punching him for the remark.
“What did they say you did wrong?” Jonathan asked.
“Service and Support. They laughed and put me out when I said we had F22’s on standby.”
“F22’s? Dude, where the heck do you see any fighter jets? You’re supposed to use the weapons you know we have. The example didn’t even have fighter jets. You can’t just make stuff up.” Jonathan looked at him sideways.
“And somehow my passing is because I’m a female? No, I think it had to do with me using mortar rounds from our artillery and not F22’s.” She rolled her eyes at him and put her head down so he couldn’t see her holding back her amusement.
“Screw both of you.” He stormed away from the area.
Jonathan turned towards Kimberly and laughed. “F22’s? Really? The Air Force is loaning us their jets now?”
“He’s still trying to be a big shot.”
“More like get shot down. No wonder they kicked Harvey out the tent,” Jonathan said.
They stopped talking when Rice returned.
“It went fine for me. I don’t know what Harvey’s problem was,” Rice said.
“F22’s,” Kimberly said.
Rice looked at her and cracked up. “What a douche.”
“I guess I should do my duties and go check on him.” She headed in the direction Harvey had stormed off to. Kimberly saw him standing by the water buffalo filling up his Camel Pac. “You okay Harvey?”
“I’m fine.”
“It didn’t seem that way. You were pretty upset when you walked off.”
“Why’d you call me out in front of the white boy?” he huffed.
“What? I didn’t call you out. I asked how you did.”
“You can speak to white boy but never make time for me?” He walked away from her.
“They’re all white.” She followed. “I speak to everyone. Look around there’s only a hand full of black people here. I’m not going to separate myself and only speak to those who are black.”
Cutting his eyes at her, Harvey twisted the cap to his Camel Pac and put it on his back. “I know better for next time.”
“You ever think part of the issue is you’re too eager to show off? Leading isn’t always about jumping in head first, especially if you’re unsure of what it is you need to do. Look, most of us are prior enlisted; we’ve all been through a majority of this training. But we haven’t done it their way. There’s nothing wrong with relearning something. If you were to act that way when leading troops, someone is going to get hurt. You have to stop and think about your actions.”
Harvey shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever.”
“Harvey.” His behavior was working on her nerves.
“Look, I said whatever. It’s all good.”
“Fine. We’re in this mess together. If you need help, ask for it. There’s no reason for you to fail. Let’s get back. I can take a look at what you have. Then you can go again and show the cadre what you’re made of.”
He followed her to the rest of the squad. Kimberly sat down with Harvey and showed him the areas, besides the F22’s, that needed improvement. Once he updated everything, Kimberly gave him another pep talk and sent him to go stand in line and wait for the next opening with the cadre.
“I applaud your leadership, but I still don’t like nor trust the guy,” Jonathan said when no one else was paying attention.
“I feel bad for him. Besides, we do get evaluated by our peers. You’ll have your say then, just as he will have his.”
Chapter Fourteen
The cadre who came up with the route for the seven-mile road march had to be one sick bastard. The trek uphill most of the duration, and the terrain constantly changed from gravel, sand, to wooded area. With less than a mile left, all Jonathan could do was will himself forward.
His entire body hurt. He, along with the entire company, wore full “battle rattle.” All the marches leading up to this one were mild in comparison. The medal plates in his vest crushed against is body. Weight from his ruck sack caused the prongs on his load bearing vest to jab his lower back, and his hands cramped from holding the M19.
Kimberly foraged on in front of him. From time to time, he could hear her singing cadence to herself. They weren’t supposed to talk so she kept it low and went silent whenever the cadre passed her.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
Her nod could barely be seen. Daylight was coming, but with the trees surrounding them, it was hard to tell. Jonathan did see the piece of beef jerky she held back for him to take. Hours had passed, and he needed a boost.
He grabbed it. “Thanks.”
“Almost home, going for the stragglers,” Captain Brown shouted to Staff Sergeant Lopez.
Jonathan watched as he ran to the end of their platoon. The way Captain Brown’s ruck sack bounced, he knew it was stuffed with nothing more than pillows. The cadre had nothing to prove, therefore why hurt themselves? They did this at least four times a year with the different classes. He did the same a drill sergeant.
The last hundred meters were nothing but sand, breaking the spirit of those barely holding on. With each step, one of his feet sunk in and he had a hard time pulling it free, but he didn’t give up.
Their platoon made the last turn in and formed up. The faces of some of his squad looked worn, but they made it.
“Second Platoon, listen up,” the Student Platoon Sergeant said through gasps of air. The leadership had changed, and Craig was now in the position. “Great job, everyone.”
They stood around until Captain Brown and the stragglers made it in. “Congratulations to all those who made it. Those who didn’t, you know the routine. I’ll be seeing you this evening. Go ahead, drop your sacks, and get some hot chow.
A detail had set up breakfast next to a makeshift staging area. The smell of the food was the only thing making his feet move. Dropping the weight from the ruck sack and load bearing vest did little to stop his pain.
Jonathan and the rest of his platoon slow dragged over to the breakfast buffet. Powdered eggs and rubbery sausage never looked so good. He filled his plate and took a seat on a large boulder with a few of his squad members.
Everyone but Kimberly made small talk.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“My body still feels like I’m marching. It hurts to lift this spork.”
“You don’t look so good.” Her normal caramel complexion looked greyish. “I think you need more than water.”
He went to get some Gatorade. Jonathan knew the look all too well; she was dehydrated. Water didn’t have the nutrients she needed. If her skin didn’t change colors soon, he’d have a medic look at her. But a medic was the last resort. Call him selfish, but he didn’t want her away from him longer than she had to be. Being near her each day gave him something to look forward to. He found himself smiling whenever he thought of her.
After filling two cups, he headed back to her and handed her a cup. “Here, drink this.”
She sipped a little, made a face, and then sipped some more.
“Take your time. Your body needs it,” he said.
By the time she was on the second cup, she was able to take small bites of food. Relief sweep over Jonathan.
“Finish up, candidates. It’s time to pack it up and roll out,” the Student Sergeant Major said.
A shower was exactly what he and everyone else needed. The road march had him dripping with sweat from head to toe. The sun came up and the flies were swarming. He smelled awful, or like hot garbage as he heard Kimberly say before.
They gathered their gear and packed it in the truck. A few moments later, the buses pulled up to transport them back. Within in minutes of loading the bus, Jonathan was sleep.
“We’re here,” Kang said, bumping him.
“Man, I’m exhausted.”
“You and everyone else. That march was a beast.”
&n
bsp; Jonathan and Kang waited for the seats in front of them to clear out before piling out behind them. They grabbed their gear off the truck and headed to the formation area. He stood in a daze along with the other candidates as the Company Commander addressed them.
“Great job, for the most part. We have a few No Go’s, but with any class, that’s to be expected. For those of you who made it, you’ll be given a pass. Those who didn’t, you’ll be on details the remainder of the weekend. Go get showered up and enjoy yourself.”
At dismissal, they all headed into the building. He sent Kimberly a text message and headed to the showers. He couldn’t wait to be next to her instead of in the room full of naked, musty men.
The plan was to meet up with her at the same hotel. Things would be much easier now that they were allowed to wear their civilian clothes on the weekend and stay out overnight. He lathered up and rinsed off as fast as he could.
Kimberly passed him in the hallway. She gave him a wink and a smile. With less females, she had a shorter wait time for the showers. She was already dressed and on her way to the hotel.
“What’s your plan?” Kang asked when Jonathan entered the room.
“Rest and relaxation.”
“I bet. I think I’ll find the mall.”
Jonathan packed his bag as he said, “The last thing I want to do is any more walking.”
“That’s because you’re old.”
They laughed. Jonathan was only a day older than Kang.
Chapter Fifteen
Kimberly arrived at the hotel and took a seat in the lobby. She couldn’t stop smiling. Jonathan insisted on her staying in his room so she waited for him.
“Hey, Woodson. What are you doing here?”
Harvey stood in front of her, blocking her view of CNN on the TV.
“Same as you I assume. I’m relaxing,” she said.
“You look really nice in your civilian clothes. I almost didn’t recognize you with your hair down.”
She wore a khaki dress with wedge heels. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He had on a polo shirt and jeans. He sat in the lounge chair next to hers. “I wanted to apologize and thank you again for the other day. You’re right. I need to focus on doing things the OCS way. Things will go a lot smoother for me.”
“Not a problem. We’re all trying to get through this…” Her voice trailed off when she saw a familiar black, bald man walking in her direction. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach.
“So this is why you can’t answer my calls?” Charles asked. He was fuming.
“How…what are you doing here?” she said.
“You two know each other?” Harvey said, standing.
“Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing with my wife?” Charles got up in his face. He puffed his chest out and bumped against Harvey. Jealousy oozed out his pours. He shoved Harvey.
Kimberly grabbed Charles’ arm and pulled him back. “Stop it. Are you crazy?”
“Wife? Woodson, I didn’t know you were married.” The bravado Harvey displayed during training left him. .
“Why would anyone? She’s obviously not wearing her ring.” He pointed to her hand.
“Harvey, stay out of it.” She’d never seen Charles this upset.
“Yeah, Harvey, stay the hell out of it,” Charles snapped. “For someone who doesn’t have any time for her husband, you sure have time to whore around.”
She spoke through gritted teeth. “You need to leave.”
“Am I interrupting you?” Charles asked. “Now I know why you wouldn’t come home and work on us.”
She put her hand on her hip. “You’re delusional. I didn’t come home because of you. We’re separated. I can do as I please.”
“Look I don’t know what’s going on but there’s nothing going on with me and your wife. We’re just friends,” Harvey said.
Charles shot Harvey the death stare. His actions were those of wild bear. Kimberly thought he was sizing up his next meal. She stepped in-between them.
“Friends? Yeah, right. You happen to be at the same hotel sitting all cozy in the lobby.”
His fist was balled. Kimberly grabbed his arm.
“Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave unless you’re getting a room,” the hotel manager said.
Charles stopped in his tracks. “I’ll leave, but, Kimberly, you better believe this is far from over.”
Kimberly watched in shock while Charles stormed out the hotel. She sank in the chair.
“You okay?” Harvey asked.
She ignored him, walked over to the lobby, and got her own room. After checking in, she headed up to her room and called Jonathan.
“Hey, babe,” he said answering.
“I’m in room 612.” Her voice was shaky.
“What? I told you I was taking care of it.”
“Just get here.” She hung up.
Her mind raced as she paced the room. What is Charles up to? How did he find me? Will he really fight Harvey?
The knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts. Taking no chances, she looked through the key hole. She opened the door and fell into Jonathan’s arms.
He held onto her and closed the door behind him with the other. “I ran into Harvey downstairs. He said something about your husband being here and acting like a lunatic. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I was waiting for you. Harvey saw me, and we were talking. The next thing I know, Charles was there and ready to fight.” The tears she held back began spilling over.
Jonathan wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. “It’s going to be okay. If you’re separated, why would he show up here?”
“We are separated. I can show you the papers.” She snatched away from him.
“No, darling. I believe you. I’m trying to understand his agenda.” He pulled her back to him.
“He’s pissed I don’t want to work it out. It’s over. I’ll never go back to him. Never. He’s a cheating bastard.”
Jonathan kissed her.
“But—”
He cut her off with another kiss. She relaxed and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth. Jonathan unzipped her dress.
“You look nice, but the clothes need to go,” he said.
Her dress fell to the floor. She stood in the all-white lace bra and thong lingerie she ordered from MeMe’s Passionate Playhouse. When the mail was passed out, no one was the wiser due to its discrete brown box.
“How about this then?” she asked coyly.
His eyes widened in approval. “Nice, but it needs to go too.”
Using on hand, he unsnapped her top. He cupped a breast and took it in his mouth. She arched her body to him. Sucking on one, then the other, he worked his hand down the front of her thong. Smiling when he found his target, he fingered her bud.
Her body tingled from his touch. “That feels good.”
“You’re so wet.”
He licked down her breast to her stomach. Pulling her thong part way down, he used his tongue to replace his finger. “Open your legs.”
She did. He removed her thong and flicked it on her pearl. Jonathan slid it in her hole and pumped in and out. She moaned and held on to his head. His worked inside her, back and forth from her hole to her button. He vibrated it against her.
The tingling increased. “I’m about to cum, baby.”
He sucked her pearl harder as she released on him. Picking her up, he carried her to the bed. She helped him remove his clothes. His member stood out to greet her. Kimberly held it in her hands and rubbed the shaft down to his balls before taking him in her mouth.
He moaned.
She worked her mouth all around his hard steel. He pushed in deeper, and she accepted him. Using her mouth and hands, she stroked him in and out her mouth.
“I…need…inside,” he said.
Kimberly spread her legs and guided him inside her wetness. Her inner walls welcomed him, enjoying his thickness. He lifted her off the bed and
thrust into her while standing. She wrapped her hands around his back and held on. He pumped into her with ease, then lowered her back on the bed.
He stroked, and she accepted. They were in unison. Nothing matter to her but him pleasing her. She took a leg and placed it on his shoulder, allowing him deeper access.
“Yes, baby, take it,” she said.
“I just want to make you feel good. I’ll never hurt you.” He held her hips and pushed into her.
“I’m about to cum again, baby!” She grabbed onto him.
“Oh! I’m gonna cum with you.”
Together, pleasure released from them. She lowered her leg, and he laid on her. They breathed in unison. Heartbeat to heartbeat. She was at peace again. Jonathan ran his fingers through her hair until she dozed off.
Chapter Sixteen
All weekend long, Jonathan’s mission was to please Kimberly. He wanted her to relax and enjoy their time together. Between making love to her, he massaged her, washed her up while they bathed together, and fed her the strawberries and grapes room service brought.
Jonathan watched her sleeping next to him. All the stress she had when he first came to her door had faded away. He hated their first overnight stay had been marred by her soon to be ex-husband. His gut told him their relationship had long been over. Now was his time, and he would let nothing, and no one, stand in the way. Jonathan had waited a long time for a woman like her.
She found a way into his heart. Kimberly was independent, kind, and looked amazing with or without clothes. He loved how she didn’t wear a lot of makeup. The first time he saw her in civilian clothes, she only wore a touch of eye shadow and lip gloss while some of the other females caked on the foundation and war paint.
Jonathan didn’t tell Kimberly, but he’d been celibate for the past year. He’d vowed to wait until he’d found the one. The circumstances bringing him to OCS weren’t to his liking, but with Kimberly by his side he was glad he’d come.
Her eyes opened “What’s on your mind?”, She smiled at him.
“I’m just enjoying watching you sleep, love.” He kissed her forehead.
Soldiers in Heat: Training Session Page 6
