First Class Hero (First Class Novels) (7 page)

Paul,

Really? You think I would
give you a fake address? What kind of girls have you dated?

Nic

RE: Is this the right
email address?

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Saturday, April 12
03:43 PM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Nic,

I haven’t dated much
recently…been a bit busy with all the bad guys. ;)

So how was the trip home?

Paul

RE:
Is this the
right email address?

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Sunday, April 13
10:22 AM

To: Paul Lathem
([email protected]...

Paul,

ARGH!!! The train home
was NOT a good experience. I got to sit by a mother with four kids under six.
Yep, FOUR!!! Ordinarily, I love kids, but these were little hellions for sure. But,
I made it home in one piece, so all’s well that ends well.

Are you back in San
Diego?

Nic

RE: Is this the right
email address?

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Monday, April 14
05:40 AM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Good Morning,

Yes, I’m back in San
Diego and back with my unit. We’re going to do some training exercises with the
Canadian Navy in a few days so it may be a little while without email.

Any word on your
interview?

Paul

RE: Is this the right
email address?

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Monday, April 15
01:52 PM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Paul,

What kind of training
exercises? That just sounds weird. ;) Have fun I guess.

No word on the job. I
think the longer time I go without hearing, the less likely I am to have gotten
it. BUT, I did get a response from another application and they have asked for
my letters of references. That’s a step in the right direction but I’m not
holding my breath or anything.

Have fun doing push-ups
and jumping jacks with the Canadians, eh?

Nic

RE: Is this the right
email address?

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Tuesday, April 16
04:33 AM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Nic,

Navy Seal training does
NOT involve jumping jacks! You can do those with your kindergarteners. ;)
Actually, I can’t tell you what we’re doing…but we leave this morning. I’ll be
gone for a week or so.

Oh, btw, I found out
yesterday that my official last day as a Seal will be August 12
^th
.
It seems surreal at the moment, almost like I don’t believe it’s happening. My
mom is thrilled though.
J

I really hope that
something pans out for you on the job front. You’ll be so experienced at this
job search thing maybe you can help me find a job. LOL

Well, have a good week.

Paul

Back in the good ol’
USA

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Wednesday, April 24
12:03 PM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Hi Nic,

We’re back! I’m on base
right now in Coronado looking at the beautiful ocean and wishing I was in it
instead of working. ;)

How are you? Any news on
the job?

Hope to hear from you
soon,

Paul

RE: Back in the good
ol’ USA

From: Nicole Stewart (nicas821@outloo...

Date: Wednesday, April 24
11:41 PM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Paul,

Glad you are back safe and
sound. Kill any Canadians? LOL

I didn’t get the job in
Harlem. In some ways I’m relieved. I’m not sure it was the best fit for me.
They seemed to be a little more structured in their curriculum than I am. I
believe that the students should dictate what the syllabus should be…to an
extent anyway. I think it encourages excitement about learning when we study
something they are interested in. I mean, I know that there are standards that
have to be met, but why can’t we study nature in tune with the seasons? Or math
during snack time with carrots and milk cartons? Oh well, maybe it’s all for
the best. I don’t know that I would like being pigeon holed.

Sorry about the ranting…I
get a little worked up. ;)

I’m off to bed. It was a
LONG night at work! Wednesdays are usually quiet but I guess seeing as though I
wasn’t in a great mood to begin with everyone decided to come in to get a drink
and annoy me! ;)

Goodnight,

Nic

RE: Back in the good
ol’ USA

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Thursday, April 25 05:09
AM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Nic,

Sorry to hear about the
job, BUT like you say, it may all be for the best. Chin up. It will all work
out the way it’s supposed to.
J

We’re being deployed on
Sunday…another mission. Not sure how long we’ll be gone. I think this will be
hard for the team, with Cody’s death still so fresh. I know we’re supposed to
be tough but not when it comes to losing one of our own.

Gotta go. Can’t be late
;)

Paul

RE: Back in the good
ol’ USA

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Friday, April 26 09:51
AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Paul,

It seems so…so weird that
someone has died but we just all go on like nothing has happened. There is a
grieving wife and family and I’m just sitting here whining about my life. Seems
terrible to be so insensitive, but then, you know, what are we supposed to do?
Life does go on.

And
please
be
careful. No CNN reports this time, k? ;)

Oh, maybe some good news!
I have a preliminary phone interview for another teaching position. The lady
who called me said that they would do it over the phone so that I didn’t have
to make the trip for a ‘sit-down’ unless I make it to the final three. So
here’s hoping I’m off to New York again real soon. :)

I hope to hear from you
before you leave.

Nic

RE: Back in the good
ol’ USA

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Saturday, April 27 08:51
PM

To: Nic
Stewart (nicas821@ou...

Nic,

That’s great news! I’m
sure you will kick ass in the interview. Anyone would have to be blind not to
see how passionate you are about teaching. And I’ve seen how great you are with
kids. Good luck, but I’m sure you won’t need it.

We are leaving early
tomorrow so this will be my last email for a few days. I’m pretty sure we’ll have
some internet access on base. Sometimes it can be sketchy…not real reliable.
And I’m not sure yet how long we’ll be there. And, if it helps your anxiety,
this is not a mission like the last one. No hostages, no concussion grenades or
C-4. LOL. I’ll be just fine.  I’ll email when I can. I’m really enjoying
getting to you know you better.

Paul

RE: Back in the good
ol’ USA

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Sunday, April 28
10:22 AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Hey!

FYI, that email did not
ease any anxiety. C-4? Concussion grenades?? I didn’t know what they were so I
googled them. And now I feel worse than before! I know you’ve already left and
I don’t know when you’ll read this, but PLEASE be careful! You only have a few
months left and you want to be in one piece to enjoy the rest of your life!!

Anyway, I can’t believe
that in yesterday’s mail I got three rejection letters – on the same day!
Three!! I told Evelyn and she just shrugged her shoulders and said that meant
she didn’t have to worry about moving yet. Really? Maybe she doesn’t mind being
a waitress but it’s not what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to
teach! I’m good at it. I’m a damn good teacher! Well, I still have a couple of
applications out that I haven’t been rejected for…yet! And my phone interview
is on Tuesday. I probably won’t have heard from you by then. But maybe the next
time I do I’ll have something positive to share.

Take care,

Nic

Where are you?

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Wednesday, May 01 09:41
AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Hi Paul,

So where are you? Are you
back in Afghanistan? Can you even tell me? Well, I hope you’re safe and I pity
the poor bad guys that get in your way.

I’m emailing you because
I had my phone interview yesterday. I haven’t heard if I’ve managed to move to
the next round, BUT, I think it went really well. The gentlemen I was
interviewing with asked some really good questions and I was able to articulate
what I wanted to say, which is sometimes difficult for me. So, I’m hoping that
they liked what they heard. They seemed to, or at least they pretended to. So
now I just wait…again.

I had a drink with a
couple of friends of mine that still teach at River Grove. (That’s the
elementary school I used to work at.) Anyway, they have heard some
rumors/gossip that there are some changes in the works for the district.
They’re all hoping Jenny gets her ass kicked out, but Leslie thinks she’s
either sleeping with the superintendent (I thought he was gay, but who knows)
OR
she’s blackmailing him with something, because she certainly isn’t keeping her
job based on performance!! We’ll just wait and see. Not that it really affects
me anymore.

I guess it’s cuz I’m
writing instead of talking to you, but it’s really easy to tell you stuff.
Thanks for listening, well, reading, I guess. LOL

Really, I hope you are
safe and well. I hope to hear from you soon.

Nic

Good news!

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Friday, May 03
11:05 AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Hi Paul,

I haven’t gotten an email
from you so I’m guessing you are not near any internet access but I had to
write and tell you that I have made it past the first round for another job!
Yay!! Anyway, I received an email telling me that after reviewing all of the applications
I had made it through the first cut. So I have a list of questions I need to
answer and return to them next week and then I wait…again. But I guess just
knowing that on paper people don’t immediately hate me is a good thing. LOL.
I’m kind of excited here. Couldn’t guess could you? ;)

So I’ve watched the news
a few times – making sure you aren’t on it. I’m hoping you are safe and not in
any danger. That’s probably a ridiculous hope…not in danger? I guess that’s
what your job is – being in danger all the time. But I hope you’re ok.

My mom called me today. I
haven’t talked to her since Christmas. Did I tell you about her? Probably not.
Anyway, it was weird. It always is.

Well, I’m anxious to hear
that you’re okay. Please take care.

Nic

Still out of range?

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Monday, May 06 08:22
AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Hey,

I’m really hoping that
you are still on a secret mission, far away from all civilization, otherwise
you’ve just blown me off and have no intention of responding to my emails. LOL.
Just kidding! I’m sure you are working hard to protect our country and I thank
you.
J

Anyway, I wanted to
update you on what was happening here…NOTHING! Grrr. I haven’t heard back from
anyone and feel like I am living from day to day unable to make plans for
tomorrow. Really quite frustrating. If I believed in a higher power I might
wonder if there was a plan for me and if this was just all part of it. Or that
I was being taught some invaluable lesson. But I don’t so I’m just frustrated.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.

Still watching the news
every so often. ;) Still haven’t seen you on it so that’s good news I guess.
Stay safe please.

Hope to hear from
you…eventually!
J

Nic

Moving in the right
direction

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Thursday, May 09
11:05 AM

To: Paul
Lathem ([email protected]...

Hi Paul,

Hope you are well…and
finishing your mission soon. It feels very James Bond-like saying that. LOL

Anyway, I finished all
the questions for the job in Boston. Did I tell you it was in Boston? Anyway,
it is and I emailed them yesterday, so we just wait and see on that one. Other
than that all is quiet on the job front.

Oh, some interesting
news…I got a call from the school board chair here. He wants to meet with me
next week. Have no clue what’s it all about, but I’ll go find out. I haven’t
got anything better to do, right?

Well, I really hope to
hear from you soon.

Nic

We’re back

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...