October 11th 2000




 The pieces of Lisa’s world were coming together. Tony was due home in three months, days before the birth of their child. Like most things time moved on. The Y2K rollover had gone as smoothly as the six billion dollars pumped into it had guaranteed; Shawn, no longer willing to sit idly by and ignore Julie’s infidelity, filed for divorce and subsequently moved in with Charlie.


In many ways daily life seemed to have frozen: Charlie and Paula’s relationship was stronger than ever, there was even talk of marriage. For the first time in a very long time, Paula was unquestionably happy. As for Charlie he’d once again refused his commission and re-enlisted for another three years.


With the success of the Y2K rollover, their small band-of-brothers’ had their pick of the litter when job assignments came around, however most chose to remain where they were with the exception of Shannon and Chris Andersen who both took their commission and were attending Officers Training School.


SMSgt Roger Wahl, the boss, was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant and found himself divorced shortly thereafter. But he couldn’t avoid marital bliss for too long…within four mouths he was married to Ruth, a gutsy petite blonde that raked everyone’s nerves. John Wolf’s divorce was finalized during the early summer and much to everyone’s dismay he hadn’t shown the slightest hint of diving back into the dating pool.


Stephanie and Ryan were working on baby number three when she had what was to be the first of many miscarriages. Paula, Lisa, Mo, Tess, Cathy, Stacy, Jeanette and Judy (better known as “The Ladies”) were with her every step of the way. They were always there for one another. There was a strange bond between women who found themselves in similar situations—the ladies were from starkly different backgrounds and were it not for the military their paths would never have crossed. Yet here they were the best of friends. Even John’s daughter Sarah pitched in to help. She’d entertain the younger children while their mothers saw to Stephanie. Sarah was a constant in Paula’s life—who’d become somewhat of a second mother to her.


“Have they set a date?” Mo asked Stacy.


“No, not yet. They have to consider his mother’s schedule.”


“Wow,” Stacy looked up from shining her boots. “Paula’s mother-in-law is going to be Peggy Willis.”


“Stop talking about me like I’m not here.” Paula pulled her attention away from her computer.


“We wouldn’t if you’d talk more.” Mo said.


“Talk about what? We’ve talked about marriage but nothing is final. Hell, I don’t even have a ring.”


“What’s it like?” Stacy asked.


“What’s what like? Life with Peggy?” she shrugged. “Wonderful, we get along very well. She’s not as I’d imagined. I thought she’d be a self-absorbed snob but she’s not.”


“Being the commander of Andrews you’d think she’d be the worst of the lot.” Stacy brushed the tops of her boots. “Then again, look at Charlie,” they all cast their eyes on Charlie working a few cubicles down. “He was born to become brass and pushes it away; preferring to remain Enlisted.”


“Charlie is different,” Paula added. “He doesn’t give a crap about rank and status. He’s comfortable in his own skin—he doesn’t need rank to affirm his worthiness.”


Mo rolled her eyes at Paula. “God, you sound just like him. He needs to get over it and take the commission and stop wasting his ability.”


“You think he’s wasting himself here?” Paula questioned Mo.


“No, he’s one the best programmers we have. I’m saying he could do more as an Officer.”


Lisa walked into the office with a huff, dropped a folder of paper on her desk and collapsed in her seat. The ladies looked at one another utterly confused; she had been fine when she left. They went to her.


Mo sat atop her desk swinging her feet while Stacy and Paula pulled up some chairs.


“What happened?” Paula asked Lisa.


Lisa handed Mo the folder and pointed to a paragraph. “Tony isn’t coming home. They’re sending him to Diego Garcia.”


“Out in the middle of the Indian Ocean? For what? To guard the coral reefs?” Stacy shot off.


“I don’t know,” Lisa rubbed her temples. “He couldn’t go into detail over an unsecured line. All I know is: he, Shane, and Harley are going to Diego Garcia for six months.”


“Where are they now?” asked Paula.


“They’ll be in Saudi for the next few days until their paperwork clears.” She raised her hands to her face. “I’m so tied of this. I just want him home. A year here…six months there! How about sending him home for the birth of his son? I can’t do this alone”


“We’ll be here.” Stacy said. “You know Rich and the guys will handle the manly task: taking care of the house, putting together baby furniture and so on. And we’ll take care of the rest.”


“Stacy’s right,” Paula interjected. “We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again.”


Seeing the ladies gathered around Lisa, Tess joined them. “Hey, what’s going on?”


“Tony and the guys aren’t coming home. They’re going to Diego Garcia.” Mo answered handing Tess the folder and questioned the group, “I can understand Saudi but Diego? It doesn’t make any sense.”


Tess studied the papers carefully. “Maybe there’s been activity in the area.”


“Tony is a programmer, Tess.” Stacy sighed.


“Yeah but his Military Occupational Specialty is a 3C, a Communications-Computer Systems,” Tess pointed out to the wide eyed bewilderment of the others—not that they didn’t understand what she was saying moreover they were astonished she herself understood. “All of our MOSs fall under C-CS. Any of us could be called out.” Her eyes darted around at them, exasperatedly. “Seriously, you don’t get it? We supervise the operation of high frequency radio networks and systems. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Something is about to go down.”


Stacy laughed. “Like what, Tess? It’s probably a bunch of meaningless chatter.”


Neither Paula nor Lisa found comfort in Stacy’s dismissive reply. “We’re the DoD. We don’t mobilize for ‘meaningless chatter’.” Lisa said clearly. “Tess is right. Someone picked up a signal. Any of us could be next, especially since we have the Fusion Center experience.”


“Has anyone heard from Shane or Harley?” Paula queried Lisa.


“Tony says they’ve notified their families and the personnel office.”


“Shit,” Mo jumped down from the desk. “I’m keeping my head low until the smoke clears. They ain’t shipping me off to the middle of nowhere.”


Lisa giggled. “You don’t have to worry, Mo. Major Teasdale loves his hot little Latina--you’re safe.”


Mo walked away smiling.


“Don’t play into her ego!” Tess joked. “We’re going out tonight. You guys in?”


“Count me in.” Stacy replied.


“I’ll come along…belly and all.” Lisa added. “Paula, are you coming?”


“No, I’m watching Sarah while John’s in class.” She wandered to her desk and returned to work. 




                                                ******




“Do you know why some women have difficulty reaching an orgasm through intercourse, but can release immediately when they masturbate?” Charlie inquired in a kneeling position, looking at his cock embedded in Paula. Her bottom resting on three pillows, her legs spread indecently astride him. “My theory is when a woman is alone in the dark, comfortably beneath the covers; she has no one’s pleasure to think about other than her own. When she’s alone, she’s uninhibited, and she’s not ashamed.” He moved inside of her.

Paula arches towards him, the air rushing from her lungs. The pressure of his hand on her chest settled her. The walls of her pussy began milking him, his arousal of seeing his thick white cock engulfed by her slick brown lips was concealed behind his cool demeanor. It wasn’t his expression that aroused her--it's the change in his voice. It was deeper, softer, more controlling as he spoke. She loved when he took charge.


“Do you want me to fuck you, Paula?” His hands slid over her calves and along her thighs, fully aware Paula wouldn’t reply. “I've wanted you since you walked in the door this evening.” He inched into her. “You're so tight. I don’t know how you do it.” He leaned forward into her ear. “It's going to be such a pleasure fucking you. But first I need you to tell me what you want.”


Paula couldn’t form a syllable.


“Tell me, Paula, or you’ll get nothing.”


She placed her fingers over her clit, fending off an orgasm. She whimpered. “I want to cum with you buried deep inside me. I want to feel your cock as my body explodes and pulses around you.”


“Touch yourself” Charlie set back on his knees watching her as he slowly began moving in and out.


“Where?”


“Anywhere that makes you happy. You know your body better than anyone. I want you to pleasure yourself while I’m inside of you. Can you do that?” he moved deeper, letting her feel his length.