A marine discovery, p.4
A Marine Discovery, page 4
part #3 of A Marine's Heart Series
“Welcome to summer camp, Corporal Warren.”
“Thanks, Sergeant,” Cam replied, equally sarcastic. “I can’t wait to see what activities they have planned for us. Do you think there’s a swimming pool?”
With few cots remaining Sharon took control, directing a young PFC to move over a position, allowing Cam and Sharon to claim adjacent cots. Cam walked around the second one and dropped her pack. Sharon dropped her pack as well before looking up at Cam meaningfully.
“I think cold showers are the closest we’ll get to swimming.”
“That’s probably for the best. This place is hotter than I expected.” With her back to everyone else Cam felt safe enough giving a quick eyebrow waggle.
Moving closer, Sharon’s voice was low enough for only Cam to hear, “I expect you to find me when you’re heading to the shower. Can’t have any of these kids developing a crush now.”
Cam replied equally quiet. “If anyone should be worried, it’s me. Not that I am, but I’m sure as hell not missing an opportunity like that.”
Choosing to shift her mindset was already proving to be beneficial, but this was going to be a challenging living situation. Cold showers with her girlfriend might be the highlight of their month, living in a tin can without air conditioning in the middle of the desert.
There was little they could do to settle in, so Cam staged her gear and tested out her cot. It was surprisingly comfortable even before rolling out her sleeping bag. With Sharon next to her this seemed to be the best-case scenario.
A thunk made them turn toward the entrance but Cam couldn’t see what caused the noise. A male voice called from the doorway but didn’t enter, likely already warned to stay out of the female building. ”Lunch MREs.”
“Warren, why don’t you grab….” Sharon looked at the PFC she’d displaced. The young woman seemed to have already developed a sixth sense when it came to her superiors and answered the unspoken question.
“Uh, PFC Landers, Sergeant.”
Sharon nodded. “Why don’t you and PFC Landers open the case of MREs?”
Cam stood but gave Sharon a confused look. Once Landers passed, Sharon reminded her that opening a case of MREs meant she had first pick and Cam understood how Sharon was looking out for her. Each case of food was basically the same, with some meals more popular than others. Given Cam’s pickiness around meat this was her best chance to secure a vegetarian MRE.
They snagged their lunches and found a reasonably private bench outside for some fresh air. Cam had managed to snag cheese tortellini, one of her favorites. She learned Sharon preferred chili mac with the entire mini bottle of tabasco sauce included in each pack.
“Does this remind you of MCT?” Cam asked, looking for a safe conversation topic.
“A little. Do you realize we’re the same age that many of our instructors were back then?”
“That’s so hard to believe. I remember my drill instructors as being so put together and mature. MCT instructors were a little rougher around the edges, but nothing like the inexperienced Marines we were. How could all of them been in their twenties?”
“Well some were probably thirty,” Sharon replied dryly.
“Still hard to imagine. Do you think you’d head back to Parris Island if they offered you a drill instructor billet?”
“Without hesitation. It’d be great for my career and I could keep an eye on the younger versions of ourselves.” Sharon took a moment to study Cam’s face. “Would that be okay with you? It might interfere with your classes if it happens sooner than later.”
Cam glanced around to see if anyone could overhear before responding. “I told you before, and it’s still true. I will go wherever you go. If that means transferring and commuting for classes, so be it. I couldn’t deprive recruits of your awesomeness. As long as you get all dressed up for me once and awhile, I think I’ll be okay.”
Sharon arched her eyebrows suggestively. “Cameron Warren, did you have a crush on your drill instructors?”
Laughing, Cam answered immediately. “Fuck yeah, I did. Who didn’t?”
“Even Gunny Newsome? Should I be worried?”
A shiver traveled down Cam’s spine at the thought. “God no, she’s way too scary. Any tiny crush I might have had then is long gone. Now, if you want to talk about Sergeant Barlow-“
Sharon elbowed Cam in the ribs, making Cam stop talking. “On second thought, I’m not sure I want to share you with all those youngins.”
“Oh, come on. They need something to dream about besides a long hot shower and pizza. Would you really deprive a recruit of that simple pleasure?”
Cam couldn’t restrain her giggle at the word pleasure. “As long as they keep that pleasure to themselves, I guess I’ll ignore it.”
“So noble of you,” Sharon said before glancing at her watch. “Looks like it’s time to clean up and head over to the shop. You ready?”
“As ready as I’m going to be. Let’s go.”
The shop turned out to be in a large aircraft hanger a fifteen-minute walk from their living quarters. They spent the afternoon unpacking and preparing for the aircraft that would arrive in the morning. It was hot work, even with a breeze, and Cam wished she’d be heading to their car soon to blast some air conditioning. Instead the day ended with a hot walk back for evening chow where Cam was practically tackled by Sarah.
“Shit, Taylor, how do you have so much energy? Don’t they work you hard enough over in ordinance?” Cam tried to sound annoyed, but she was glad to see her friend. They’d skipped their normally scheduled weekly friend dinner to prepare for this training, so it had been too long without her boundless enthusiasm.
Sarah shrugged. “No aircraft, no ordinance. And since I’m in charge of getting everything set today I was smart and delegated. You should try it sometime.”
“Ha, you need to work for Rodriguez then. She’ll work you into the ground.”
Sharon chimed in. “Privilege of rank, Warren. Which you’d have if—”
Cam rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Pick up sergeant, Cam. Think of all the perks. But in two months my ass is free to sleep in and only run if I want to while you’ll both be taking orders.” Cam stuck out her tongue for good measure.
Sarah didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, you’ll still be taking orders.”
“Completely voluntarily, my friend. And I’m confident those orders will be to both of our benefit.” Despite her confident reply, Cam was certain her cheeks were turning pink, and not just from the sun beating down on them. Thankfully Sarah let it slide.
They arrived at the chow hall and joined the line, catching up as they filled their trays with food. Cam eyed the food skeptically. Beef stew? The brown squares certainly resembled beef. At least the potatoes, corn, and peas should be edible. Cam added rice and cornbread to her tray. They found an open spot to sit together. Sharon sat close enough for their legs to touch inconspicuously, immediately stopping Cam’s bouncing leg.
“Well, it resembles food. It can’t be that bad, right?” Cam asked, poking at her stew with a fork.
“Scared of a little mystery meat, Cam?” Sarah teased.
“I don’t see you diving in.”
In response, Sarah snagged a piece of meat from Cam’s plate and popped it into her mouth. She bravely chewed and swallowed while Cam eyed her steadily. At her self-satisfied smirk, Cam loaded her fork with the rest of her meat and added it to Sarah’s plate across the table.
“You’re gross,” Cam said, only half-joking.
Sarah shrugged and Cam returned her focus to her remaining food which was edible enough, especially after a long day in the heat.
“So, have you guys joined the betting pool for deployment? I’m down for July 25 and Afghanistan.”
Sharon’s eyes met Cam’s as her stomach fell.
“Shit, sorry. I’m an ass,” Sarah added as she looked between her friends.
Reminding herself of her determination to enjoy the meal and company, Cam pushed away her reticence, opting to tap Sarah in the shin. “You are, but I still love you. Is there an option for a surprise peace deal? I wouldn’t mind helping that possibility along.”
“At least there are no losers with that option,” Sharon observed.
The air grew heavy with unspoken thoughts and Cam forced herself to eat her dinner, despite losing her minimal appetite. Increasingly aware of the noise around her, Cam focused on eating, looking forward to a little less chaos.
With no reason to linger, the trio bussed their trays and left the chow hall, wandering with no apparent destination.
Sarah broke the silence. “So, do you want me to run interference so you can enjoy some alone time in the shower?”
Cam laughed, more in shock than amusement. Leave it to Sarah to break the tension so effectively “What, you think we can’t go twenty-four hours without risking Sharon’s career on a quickie?”
Sarah raised her eyebrows skeptically and Sharon nudged Cam’s shoulder. “What do you say? Break in the shower with me?”
Well acquainted with Sharon and Sarah’s teasing, Cam hid her smile. “Fuck you both.”
“We’d need another lookout,” Sharon said without missing a beat.
“Alright, new plan,” Cam said, redirecting the conversation before it got out of control, which was very possible when they were both in a playful mood. Cam was simply too tired to keep up. “No shower and we hit the rack early so we can function tomorrow.”
Sarah nudged her shoulder. “So boring. I vote for playing cards.”
Sharon cast a glance at Cam. “You can try to sleep, but I’d rather play cards.”
Cam had to admit she wasn’t tired enough to sleep quite yet. “In that case, I better join in so it doesn’t devolve into strip poker.”
***
By their second Saturday in the desert everyone was dragging ass and grumbling. They were supposed to be on leave, the Memorial Day holiday typically meaning a three-day weekend. To appease the unit their staff NCOs surprised them with a party. A few kegs of beer, a cooler full of other alcoholic beverages, dozens of pizza, and then they made themselves scarce. Honestly, Cam wasn’t all that interested in spending her night surrounded by drunk Marines, but there wasn’t anything else to do.
After a beer Cam was able to relax a bit as Sarah broke out some cards. Cam grabbed Thayer so they had an even number and they sat around shooting the shit and playing poker. After Sharon won her second game in a row, Thayer grabbed the cards to shuffle. As they waited, an unknown Marine walked up, his attention fixed on Sharon.
“Hey, can I play?”
“We’re kind of in the middle of something,” Sharon said, returning her attention to Thayer’s shuffling, but the man didn’t leave.
“And you can’t deal someone in?”
“No,” Sharon said firmly, without a second glance.
“Can I get you another drink, then?”
Sharon glared. Cam froze, grateful she’d only had a single beer so she wouldn’t say anything stupid. This was exactly why she didn’t want to spend time with unfamiliar drunk Marines. Sarah broke the brief standoff. “Are you feeling okay? Should we find you a corpsman? Maybe the heat’s gotten to you.”
Cam snorted, trying to restrain her laughter, though she wasn’t sure where Sarah’s questions led. His puzzled expression made it clear he didn’t know, either.
“No, I’m fine.”
“I don’t believe that. I think you must be delusional if you think you’re anywhere near in the same league as Rodriguez.”
Cam’s eyes grew wide at her harsh approach, actually feeling a little sorry for the guy, but only a little. He was hitting on her girlfriend after all.
After a beat he looked at Thayer. “And he is?”
The table erupted in laughter. Sharon finally said, “Just walk away, Marine.”
“But—”
“Away. There’s nothing here for you,” Sharon reiterated.
As the confused Marine turned and left, they laughed even harder, though a thought wiggled around the back of Cam’s head. How often would random guys hit on Sharon without Cam around? As soon as the thought appeared she shut it down. Cam trusted Sharon completely. Sharon could clearly handle herself, especially with Sarah around.
Sharon caught Cam’s eyes, steadying her. “Would you mind getting me another drink?” The way she said it made it obvious even to Cam that she asked to make a point to any others watching.
Cam stood but paused when Sarah joined her. “I think we could all use another round.” More quietly, Sarah added, “I also want to keep an eye on you. She might have just thrown you to the wolves.”
Looking around, Cam didn’t think so, but given how they’d met she wasn’t about to turn down the offer. Remarkably, no one bothered her or Sarah, but Cam walked taller on the way back to the table, projecting as much confidence as she could muster. Sharon took her cup from Cam with a knowing grin. As she took her seat, Cam was a little embarrassed to admit her ego had just grown a few sizes.
Time slipped away as one round of drinks turned into two, and then three. Surrounded by her most trusted friends, Cam drank more than usual. But she didn’t realize how much until Sharon stood, announced her need to pee to the entire table, and pulled on Cam’s shoulder to get her to follow. Cam stood too quickly, causing the tent to spin but it soon settled, allowing Cam to follow Sharon without losing her balance.
Sharon tripped when they left the tent, grabbing Cam’s arm for support, looping her arm through for added stability as they walked to the women’s bathroom in the distance.
When Cam first arrived, she worried that frequently walking to the bathroom with Sharon would send up a red flag. Then she realized that most female Marines went to the bathroom in pairs, and not because they hoped to share a quick kiss away from prying eyes. While it shouldn’t be necessary, there was safety in numbers, especially at night.
“Does this mean I’m somehow in your league?” Cam asked, the events of the night replaying in her mind.
Sharon leaned into her as she replied. “You’re the only person in my league. Can you believe he thought I was into Thayer? How do men survive being that dumb?”
“Fuck if I know, but I’m not complaining. It means we’re flying under the radar.”
They passed another pair of women who were returning, but the building was empty once they arrived. Even drunk, Cam didn’t enjoy using the toilets since there were no stalls, just a row of five toilets uncomfortably close to each other along the wall. After relieving themselves and washing their hands, Sharon cracked the door enough to peek outside. Intrigued, Cam watched her.
“We’re safe,” Sharon said as she took Cam’s hand and led her to the shower area which was at least separated from the toilets by a wall, but it too had no doors. the most privacy they had without wandering into the darkness. Cam found herself pushed against the wall before her mind could catch up, Sharon’s lips crashing into hers. Clouded by alcohol and desire, Cam kissed her back without fear, releasing her constrained passion.
“I’ve missed you,” Sharon whispered against Cam’s neck before kissing down to Cam’s throat. Just two weeks in and she was so starved for touch her vision blurred.
Cam groaned, pulling Sharon’s hips against her, the contact lighting a fire everywhere they touched. They shouldn’t be kissing this passionately in a communal shower, but the alcohol was keeping all of her rational arguments at bay.
They kissed again feverishly, and before she knew it Sharon was guiding Cam’s hand inside her pants. Cam turned them, pushing Sharon against the wall before dipping her hand lower. Finding Sharon’s wetness, Cam stroked her while coating her fingers and entering her with two fingers. Sharon bit down on Cam’s shoulder through her shirt and moaned, spurring her on. Cam found the spot behind Sharon’s ear that made her tremble and thrusted even deeper, bringing her close to orgasm in seconds. She slipped a hand up Sharon’s shirt, teasing her nipple through her sports bra, increasing the pressure as she added the strength of her thigh to her thrusting hand until Sharon shuddered against her, muffling her cry with Cam’s shirt.
Cam slowed her hand as they both gasped for air, in shock at what had just happened. Sharon wrapped her arms around Cam’s neck and kissed her slow, deep, and showing no signs that her hunger for Cam had abated. Cam’s center ached, wanting so much more than a quickie in the shower, but there was no alternative. Instead she focused on this one kiss of reconnection.
Voices pushed to her consciousness shortly before the door opened. They broke apart and froze until Sarah’s familiar voice became clear. Sharon’s shoulders relaxed, and while Cam couldn’t follow her lead, she at least allowed herself to breathe more fully while waiting for Sarah and the unknown woman with her left.
In a message meant entirely for them, Sarah said, “I’m surprised no one else is heading this way yet. Looks like everyone needs to drink more. Beer counts as hydration, right?”
The door closed and Cam and Sharon dissolved into giggles. Sharon spoke through her laughter. “We owe her, you know.”
“Oh yeah. But I’m more concerned about needing a cold shower now or I’ll never sleep.”
Sharon tugged at Cam’s belt buckle, causing Cam to suck in a breath. “You heard her, sounds like we have another few minutes.”
Cam trembled as Sharon made quick work of her belt and dove her hand into Cam’s pants and briefs. She was helpless in the face of Sharon’s desire and quickly found herself quivering against Sharon’s hand.
They slid down against the wall, holding each other as they both recovered.
“Well, that’s one way to get my attention,” Sharon said with a chuckle.
