Chapter 17
Michael nudged his sister as they walked to the monthly staff meeting held at headquarters. “You’ve been quiet all morning. What gives?”
“I think I have a female version of what you guys call blue balls. Rich teased the hell out of me last night, but wouldn’t give it up. And he forbade me to do anything about it!” she complained. Only to her best friend could she feel comfortable sharing such news, humiliating as it was.
“I guess you won’t be threatening to withhold from him any time soon. It’s a miserable place. Trust me, I’m with you on this one. Jen’s holding out because I wouldn’t protect her.”
“And you let her?”
“I won’t force myself on her, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Rich said he didn’t care, he would take it if he wanted. Is that a bad thing?”
“He would never, ever really force himself on you. No, he would do whatever he did last night and get you begging for him.” Michael laughed, hugging her.
She pouted. “It’s too complicated. I don’t like playing games, I just want to have fun.”
“Sometimes the fun is in playing the games, kiddo. After you, ma’am.” He held the door for her. They entered the large conference room and stood by their places at the table, waiting for the commanders to come in. Four other officers were already there from different units unrelated to theirs. Rich walked in, smiling as he approached his friends.
“Good morning. How are you today?” he asked, shaking Michael’s hand formally in front of the others and making a small bow towards Sam.
“Better than the shrimp. Apparently, she was only half fried last night and is still grumbling about it,” Michael teased quietly. Rich winked at him, watching the girl try not to blush.
“Inform Richard that I am not speaking to him,” Sam ordered her brother. Both boys raised their eyebrows.
“Is she really saying what I think she’s saying? That I will have some peace and quiet for a while?” Rich asked, amused, loud enough for Sam to hear.
Michael grimaced, seeing the look Sam shot in Rich’s direction. “Don’t underestimate her stubbornness. She gave me the silent treatment for an entire week once and it drove me crazy.”
“You can also inform him that I have plans this weekend that do NOT include him,” Sam added in a huff.
Rich grunted, sitting next to her. “You can’t ignore me. You love me,” he whispered. She stared straight ahead without a sound, coming to attention when the unit commanders entered.
Smiling, Scott sat everyone down. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This won’t take long today. Just some updates and catching up. We also are planning the officer staff mixer. Any volunteers?”
Several people raised their hands. Sam pretended to be interested in what her uncle was saying, completely ignoring the man sitting beside her. He touched her leg, she moved away. She kept her hands on the table so he couldn’t grab one. Her face remained stoic, although, to the others at the table, that was normal. Her father, however, noticed the change and made eye contact with her. She stared right back and he nodded. He knew she was pissed and it was obvious with whom. Poor boy.
Scott asked for some volunteers for the weekend OOD and she raised her hand, surprising her uncle most of all. He knew she hated duty.
“She must be pissed at Rich,” Scott whispered to his friend, who nodded.
“Look at her body language. Wonder what he did last night to bring this on,” Dr. Quimby whispered back.
“I’m also available for Sunday, sir. Please sign me up,” Sam added. Rich cleared his throat and Michael caught the hint.
“Sorry, Lieutenant, but we have mandatory field training on Sunday. You’ll be too tired.”
“I can—” Sam began to argue with her brother.
“No extra duty. That’s an order,” Michael said firmly.
“Yes, sir,” Sam muttered, wishing the other officers weren’t around so she could tell her beloved brother what she thought of his orders.
“Lts. Quimby and Lewis, please stay after the meeting to discuss the labs. Everyone else, you’re dismissed,” Scott said when he finished. He entwined his fingers, resting his wrists on the table and leaned forward while Dr. Quimby leaned back in his chair. “Well? Does anyone care to share with me as to what is going on between you three?”
“Nothing, sir,” Sam said formally.
Scott nodded slowly. “I see. So taking extra duty was because you love doing it so much, not because you don’t want to be home?”
“It gives me time to catch up with my computer work, General.”
“We are very professional behind closed doors today, aren’t we? Don’t you and Rich have plans this weekend?”
“With all due respect, General Jenkins, my personal business is not the concern of the command. Now, if you would please excuse me, I have a full schedule that I have to complete today.”
“Dismissed. You too, Mike. Richard, stay,” Scott said, watching his niece scurry away without even so much as a smile. “What the hell did you do?”
“Actually, nothing. She’s just being pissy.”
“I’ll say. You really did nothing?” Dr. Quimby asked, amused.
“I teased her a little bit, but nothing unusual. She’s testing me, that’s all. I can ignore it.”
“I hope so. Can we?”
“That’s up to you. She’s done nothing wrong, just pushing her boundaries. It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Rich smiled.
Scott shook his head. “Just don’t let it go on for too long. She’s got a stubborn streak she inherited from her father.”
“Yeah, right. The pride she got from me, the stubbornness from the Jenkins side. Not a good combination. I hate to admit it, though, but Scott is right. Don’t let it go for too long.”
“How long do you suggest?”
“No more than a week. If it doesn’t resolve itself, then you take the steps to resolve it. Mike can help you there. He’s used to it.” Dr. Quimby chuckled.
“Do I really want to be the one to do that?” Rich asked cautiously, eyeing Scott, seeing his quick nod.
“Yes, in this case. If you don’t, then she’ll think you don’t care. Let me know if you need my credit card.”
“I am NOT taking her shoe shopping, Scott. She’s being a brat and trying to get her way.”
“How does one win a war, son?” Dr. Quimby asked softly.
Rich looked confused. “Strategy. Choosing battle sites and foes you have a chance to beat.”
“Infantry 101. Choose your battle and win it. She’s a war worth fighting. She wears size 7 shoes,” Dr. Quimby reported.
“If you’re really serious, go for boots. She loves ‘cute boots’. Preferably suede and in unusual colors,” Scott mimicked Sam’s voice.
“Unbelievable. How many stupid pairs of shoes can one person wear? Her closet is already full.”
“She has a second walk-in located in her bathroom with lots of shelf room. Sorry, son.” Dr. Quimby sighed.
“You two spoil her. This isn’t good and you know it.”
“We choose our battles, my boy. And we typically come out ahead.” Scott smiled.
“Would you be upset with me if I choose to handle this my own way?”
“Of course not. We just wanted to offer you the path of least resistance. We won’t interfere, will we, Scott?” Dr. Quimby promised.
Scott muttered, “No. Not much, anyway.”
“I do appreciate your input, so thank you. Wish me luck.” Rich sighed.
“You’re going to need it. Trust me,” Dr. Quimby remarked.
***
“What’s going on with you and Rich?” Michael asked, helping his sister into the hopper.
“I don’t like being ordered around or assumptions being made regarding my activities,” Sam snapped.
Michael held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t do anything. You need to talk to him about it, not shut him down.”
“You don’t help. You encourage him being bossy.”
“Because I’m bossy too. But duty? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. You loathe duty.”
“It’s better than hanging around and waiting for him to dictate my every breathing moment.”
“But you LIKE being with him every breathing moment,” Michael reminded her.
“By my choice, not because he demands it,” she answered stubbornly.
“Semantics. You’re just being a brat. You know that, right? Shoving your independence in his face is not going to go well for you.”
“What mandatory training is on Sunday, by the way?” Sam asked, trying to change the subject.
“I was just dictating what you will do on your time off. Are you going to stop talking to me too?”
“You wish you were so lucky. I’m going for a dive when we get in.”
“That didn’t sound like a request.”
“Michael, now is not the time to mess with me. Lay off.”
“Gotcha,” Michael said, taking the hint. “Do you mind if I run a pattern before you leave? It will only take three minutes.”
“Fine, then leave me alone.”
“Okay,” Michael said, docking the boat. He helped her out and escorted her into the lab. Jen smiled, waving and Michael signaled a throat strangle, thumbing his sister. Jen giggled and returned to work.
“What’s with her?” she asked, watching her friend plunge into the whale tank and take off quickly. Michael explained, seeing her nod. “I know how that feels. I really hate being informed that I’m doing something. It’s respectful to ask and give me a choice.”
“I gather you don’t want me to make plans for you, then?”
“You can plan a date, but I do liked to be asked if I want to go out. She’s no different.”
“There’s more to it too. Rich withheld from her last night and she’s pissed.”
“That was mean of him. He’ll pay for that, I’m sure, the big dummy. I thought he was smart enough to know that tides are changed big time when us gals are refused. It becomes personal.”
“Maybe you can talk with him,” Michael suggested. “You took the role as his little sister. It might be good for him to hear how you feel about it.”
“Oh, he’ll hear. Whether he wants to or not!” Jen said firmly.
***
“I don’t know why you are laughing, Richard Lewis! You are acting like a total, chauvinistic asshole!” Jen scolded, hands on her hips and glaring at Rich as he leaned back on the couch in his living room. She had come over after work to give him a piece of her mind.
“You’re cute.”
“Take me seriously, damn it! You are screwing up here.” She stomped her foot.
“Maybe, but it’s my life to screw up.”
“You aren’t the only one involved, you stubborn piece of shit! Sam and the whole family are affected.”
“You need to stop swearing, Jenny.”
“You’re infuriating!”
“Yelling at me isn’t going to change my mind either. Where’s Mike?”
“He’s on his way to get me. Rich, I’m warning you, don’t fuck this up. You’ll regret it.”
“I hear you. My god, the whole base hears you. Jen? You need to tell Scott about your mouth when you get home,” Rich ordered. Red in the face, she stomped her foot again and left, slamming the door behind her. Rich laughed, flipping on the TV. He trusted his instincts, even though no one else did.
Michael walked into the house about ten minutes later. “What gives? Jen is outside and totally pissed. I mean, keep-all-sharp-objects-out-of-her-reach pissed. Are you trying to break some sort of record today, buddy?”
“She’s having a fit because I wouldn’t cave to her orders. That, and I told her to talk with Scott regarding her language when she gets home.” Rich chuckled, putting down his laptop. “She’s getting quite the vocabulary.”
“It’s the men again. Our girls… any ideas?” Michael asked, helping himself to a bottle of water.
“Toss me one, please. Thanks. I’m laying a foundation with mine, that’s all. Would you believe your folks tried to talk me into taking her shopping to get her over her ‘tude?”
“It works. Positive reinforcement. Sort of.”
“No way. All she has to do is throw a fit and she gets new shoes? Uh, uh. Sorry, dude.”
“We don’t do it all the time,” Michael defended his family. Rich raised an eyebrow, saying nothing as he looked at him. Michael shrugged. “Okay, you’re right! It’s easier to diffuse her that way. She does appreciate it. We met you because of it,” Michael reminded him.
“Yes, and don’t think I’ll ever forget that. However, her tantrum is uncalled for. Now, if I had done something reasonable to piss her off, I can understand. Not this time.”
“She told me what happened.”
“Did she tell you everything?”
“Just that you teased her and wouldn’t finish up. And that you ordered her to wait for the weekend.”
“Does that sound unreasonable to you?”
“Not to me, but we’re talking about Sammi. She’s got her own definition of reasonable.”
“She has her own dictionary of definitions, for sure. She has this little stubborn and defiant streak I’d like to see toned down a bit, Mike. It’s one thing when she pulls it on her family, another when she tries the same thing on me. She needs to allow me to be the commander at home and she doesn’t.”
“She can be a bit bossy, I admit. It runs in the family. If it makes you feel any better, mine is, too.” Michael thumbed to the outside porch where Jen waited impatiently.
“Go on and call her to come inside,” Rich said with a smile.
Michael laughed. “Yeah, right; that’s all I need is for the two of you to start fighting. Do you think I’m a total idiot?”
“Have you ever heard me raise my voice?”
“No, come to think of it.”
“That’s my power, my friend. These girls don’t know quite how to handle it.”
“I can see that. I remember my biggest fear of my father was when he stopped shouting and got real quiet. That’s when I shook the hardest. Scott always yells,” Michael recalled.
“That’s Scott’s weakness and your dad’s strength. Of course, my little Sam tunes them both out when she doesn’t want to listen, doesn’t she?”
“So you’ve seen that?”
“I miss very little. Now, either have Jenny come inside or take her home. She’s pacing.”
“Jen? I want you to come inside, please,” Michael requested from the doorway.
“No. I don’t want to be around that infuriating, swelled headed, egotistical—”
“Let me rephrase. You are to come inside and apologize for your language. Now.”
“But Michael—”
“I didn’t ask you. Inside, now.” Michael held the door open for her. Snarling, she reluctantly obeyed. She crossed her arms and stood next to the door. “Well? Do you have something to say to Rich?”
“I apologize for swearing at you,” she growled, not looking at Rich.
“That doesn’t sound very sincere. Try it again, please,” Michael ordered.
Jen rolled her eyes. “Fine! Rich, I’m very sorry I was so rude to you and cussed you out. You made me mad and I should have had better self-control. I’m sorry.”
“That was better. Now go hug your brother. We don’t hold grudges in this family,” Michael commanded. Jen looked at him pleadingly before obeying.
Rich stood to embrace her, then held her chin up to look at him. “I still want you to talk with Scott about your language, Jen. It’s not appropriate for such a beautiful young woman. Understand?”
“Yes, Rich,” she answered softly, ashamed of herself. Michael shook his head. How does he do that?
“Go on home, now. Give my love to the folks, okay?” Rich said, kissing her temple.
Jen paused then turned to him again, hugging him
tightly. “I really am sorry. Please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not. But, if you ever speak to me like that again, I promise to exert my brotherly rights to your backside. Got it?”
“Yes, Rich.”
“Go wait in the car, I’ll be out in a sec,” Michael said, opening the front door for her. He looked at his friend. “I have a lot I need to learn from you. You are a combination of both my parents. It’s the perfect balance for my sister. You’re right, I’m going to trust you to handle things as you see best. Damn, I sound like my dad with Uncle Scott.”
“They have a long history together and loved the same person. We don’t have that history yet but we do share that love. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Let’s grab some sparring time, too. About 1330? That is 1:30, Sam’s time.” Michael tried to look serious, punching Rich’s arm.
“Yes, sir, commander. I’ll be there,” Rich smiled, walking him out.
***
Michael walked into the house and gently pushed Jen towards Scott. Even sitting in his big recliner, flipping through channels, the man appeared intimidating. Jen looked at Michael helplessly before approaching him, hands behind her back, and trying to appear sweet and innocent. Satisfied, Michael left to help his father and sister in the kitchen.
“Hello, my dear. How was your day?” Scott asked, reaching for a hug.
“It was fine until I had to interfere in someone else’s problems.”
“What did you do?” Scott turned the TV off. Jen sat heavily on the couch and explained her interaction with Rich and how angry he made her by not taking her seriously, ending with his order to tell the man about her swearing.
“I see. He frustrated you, huh?”
“Yes, sir. He is so… so… infuriating,” Jen blustered.
Scott chuckled. “Like me, huh?”
“More. You, at least, listen to reason. And you never laugh at me when I’m being serious.”
“So tell me something – haven’t you and Rich taken on the role of brother and sister? Why is it he didn’t deal with you if he felt it was so bad?”
Aftercare: General's Daughter, Book 4 Page 21
