Scout Force (30 page)

      
“Oh, well, I didn’t think you could say anything.
 
I have spent a great deal of time around my dad.”

They chatted on for a bit about matters other than Scout Force, until Candy announced, “Well, here we are, my humble abode.”

      
Kelly did not think her house was humble at all.
 
It was magnificent.
 
It was a large, two-story house, built out of some local quarried stone that was very similar to limestone.
 
The front elevation was three side-by-side arches.
 
The central arch was the front door surmounted by a window.
 
The two side arches contained large double height windows.

      
Kelly followed Candy inside.
 
The inside mimicked the outside.
 
Her house was decorated in a style reminiscent of Moorish Spain.
 
Large cushions on Persian carpets took the place of chairs and couches.
 
Curtains instead of doors closed off rooms.
 
The breeze through the open windows rippled the doorway curtains slightly.
 
Beaten brass platters and sconces hung on the walls.

      
“So, what do you think of my little place?”

      
“It’s very nice.
 
Did you decorate it yourself or bring in a professional?”

      
“Actually, it came fully furnished.
 
I loved the look when I first saw it.
 
It's so unusual that I just kept it like it was.”

      
“I like it, too.
 
It’s exotic.”

      
“Come with me and let me show you something.”

      
Kelly followed her to the rear of the house.
 
The rear matched the front with its three arches.
 
The three arches were set out from the living area and enclosed a glassed-in porch, which overlooked a small swimming pool and garden.

      
“Wow, what a lovely backyard.
 
Has your mother helped you with the garden?”

      
“No, that was all there when I moved in.
 
Why don’t you follow me upstairs?
 
I’ll show you where to clean up and change.
 
You probably want to get out of your uniform.”

      
Kelly walked up the stairs with her.
 
She pulled aside a curtain on the right side of the hall.

      
“This is the guest room.
 
Drop your stuff in here.
 
The guest bath is next on the right.
 
Why don’t you get comfortable?
 
We’ll eat lunch in a bit and then discuss what we’ll do tonight.
 
I’m going to get comfortable myself.
 
I’ll bring you a beer when I’ve changed.”

      
Kelly grabbed a shirt and shorts and went to take advantage of her guest bath.
 
Kelly hadn’t had a “Hollywood” or unmetered shower since he moved out of the BOQ.
 
A long hot shower would feel great.

      
Kelly stripped down and climbed into the shower stall.
 
He had soaped up and was preparing to rinse when a hand holding a beer was thrust into the shower.
 
Kelly took the beer and thanked Candy.
 
He took a sip and got back to cleaning himself up.
 
The unlimited hot water felt so good.
 
Kelly luxuriated in the warm water.
 
As he quickly finished the beer he also finished his shower.
 
He reached out of the stall for a towel and it met his hand.
 
He looked out and Candy was standing there with a towel in her hand.
 
He took the towel and dried himself off.
 
Candy called out, “Hand me the towel and I’ll dry your back.”

      
Kelly stepped out onto a furry rug and handed the towel to Candy.
 
She took it and dried his back.
 
He looked at her in the mirror and she had a large smile on her face.
 
He slipped on a pair of shorts and a shirt, took the towel back from her and hung it on the rack.

      
He combed his military short hair with his hand and turned to get a good look at her.
 
She was wearing a pearlescent, low cut, white caftan that left nothing to the imagination.
 
The material was practically transparent.
 
The view almost took his breath away.
 
She grabbed his hand and led him back downstairs.

      
“Let me show you the kitchen, in case you get hungry or thirsty.
 
I expect you to make yourself at home and help yourself to anything you want.”

      
She showed him hampers full of small loaves of bread, a fridge with cheese, meats, vegetables, and fruit.
 
Beer and wine were kept in a small refrigerator under the counter.
 
It was a well equipped kitchen.

      
“Kelly, would you grab a bottle of wine and come out on the sun porch?”

      
Candy pulled a cheese tray out of the fridge, got two wine glasses, and walked out to the sun porch.
 
Kelly got the wine and followed Candy, enjoying the view.

      
Candy set the cheese tray and glasses on a low table.
 
She took several pillows, threw them up against the wall, and sat down.
 
Kelly sat the wine down, realized he hadn’t gotten a corkscrew and went back to the kitchen.
 
He looked in the drawer nearest the small fridge and got lucky.
 
He took the corkscrew back to the porch, opened the bottle, poured two glasses and handed one to Candy.
 
She clinked glasses with him and said, “To a pleasant visit.”

      
Kelly asked, “Are you still going to take the job at JAG on base?
 
If you do, aren’t you going to hate to leave this place?”

      
“I like this place, but I won’t miss it.
 
My law firm still treats me like a law clerk.
 
It’s not going to work out.
 
They are so testosterone poisoned, I think they only hired me as decoration.
 
I’ve got no future there.”

      
“Well, I hope everything works out for you.”

      
Candy and Kelly sipped their wine quietly, watching the clouds pass by.
 
Time passed slowly.
 
She leaned forward, placed her glass on the table and took some cheese and crackers.
 
Kelly couldn’t help but notice her right breast fall out of her caftan.
 
She noticed too, smiled, and pulled the neck of her caftan up to cover it.
 
Kelly smiled back.

      
Candy got up, moved over to Kelly, pulled her caftan up to her thighs and sat down straddling Kelly’s lap.
 
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long slow kiss.
 
Her warm body pressed against his.

      
She broke the kiss and said, “I’m having a very tough time figuring out what I’m going to do with you, Kelly Blake.
 
I like you a lot.
 
I am very attracted to you.
 
I just don’t know if I want a Fleet officer as a lover.”

      
Kelly knitted his brow, “What’s wrong with Fleet officers?”

      
“Well, they aren’t very reliable.
 
They’re always running off on patrol and deployments and stuff with no advance notice.
 
They have a very limited wardrobe.
 
You can’t sleep over with them if they live on a ship.”

      
“Oh, that.
 
I thought you were going to mention the girl in every port thing.”

      
“That, too.”

      
“Damn, I thought I’d found a loophole there.”

      
“You can’t use a loophole.
 
I’m a lawyer.”

      
“I must have forgotten that.
 
It’s probably got something to do with your breasts poking me in the chest.”

      
“Do they bother you?
 
I could put them somewhere else.”

      
“No! No!
 
It did for a little while, but I think I’m getting used to it.”

      
“Well, my legs are falling asleep.
 
Would you like to go for a swim?”

      
“I’d love to go for a swim.
 
I bet the water is so much cooler here in the south.
 
The water up north is so warm.
 
You get no relief from the heat swimming in it.”

      
Candy got up and helped Kelly to his feet.
 
“Come on.
 
The landscaping makes the pool very private.
 
She shook the caftan off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
 
She stood there for a heartbeat, achingly beautiful, and went out the door to the pool.
 
Kelly took off the shirt and shorts and joined her.

      
After their swim, they wore towels and lounged about outside while having lunch.
 
A cool breeze raised goose bumps on Kelly’s arms.
 
The sweet fragrance of some local flowering plant wafted through the area.

Candy had prepared a fresh vegetable and fish salad.
 
They ate it with a dressing made from some of the local wine.
 
It made for a great afternoon.

      
Candy asked Kelly what he had brought to wear.
 
What he brought would decide where they ate.
 
Kelly had a couple of pairs of slacks, one dress pair and one casual pair.
 
He had two shirts, one casual and one dress.
 
He had even brought a tie.
 
He only had a pair of casual shoes, but they were new enough that they would go with either the dress slacks or the casual slacks.
 
Their restaurant choices were wide open.

      
“Kelly, I’m going to make reservations at the Triple Moon.
 
It features Armstrong native grown vegetables, meats, and wines.
 
I’ve got tickets for a musical.
 
I’ll make our reservation for 1900 and we’ll have time for a leisurely dinner before the show at 2100.
 
How about another bottle of wine?”

      
It sounded good to Kelly.
 
The wine, the company, the restaurant, and the show were immensely enjoyable.
 
They returned and had a nightcap on the porch watching the three moons of Armstrong transit the sky.
 
Candy fell asleep in Kelly’s arms and they spent the night together on the porch.

      
In the morning Candy woke first, put coffee on, and put an egg casserole in the oven.
 
She woke Kelly.
 
They went up to her bath and scrubbed each other’s backs.
 
When they were dry and dressed, breakfast was ready.

      
Kelly and Candy spent the day wandering around town.
 
Candy helped him pick out some clothes.
 
By the time he finished, he needed another suitcase.
 
They got one to match his current bag.
 
He stopped her insistence that he get a hard sided bag instead of a duffle, by pointing out that he had minimal storage in his quarters on the Vigilant.
 
Neither was all that hungry, so they went into a bar for a snack and some drinks.

      
The bar had a nostalgia theme going on.
 
There were monitors in all the corners of the room.
 
The bar had three monitors above it.
 
Each was on a different channel of the local news, sports, or entertainment feeds.
 
The monitor above their head was on the Galactic News Network.
 
They had a drink and talked for a time.

      
Kelly looked up at the monitor and stopped in mid-sentence.
 
The monitor was reporting on a fire at the Indigo Consortium jewelry factory on Secundus in the Fomalhaut system.
 
The reporter was standing in front of a burning office-manufacturing building.
 
Kelly reached up and turned up the volume.

      
“The fire broke out before dawn this morning.
 
At this point, the building is almost totally consumed in the fire.
 
This building behind me, before today, contained the main offices of the Indigo Consortium.
 
We have no reports on casualties.
 
We only know that the security force here at the compound detected the fire at 0623 and called the local emergency forces.”