Our Air Force Life

By John Sechrist

Master Sergeant Carl Johnston had no idea that his whole life would be turned upside down when he answered the phone before leaving that night. The Base Commander told him to attend a meeting the next day at Headquarters. Later another call, from a female Captain telling him the same thing and all she knew was Command had run a background check on each of them. At the meeting, both Master Sergeant Carl Johnston and Captain Linda Sake had no indication that their future was about to be turned upside down! This is how two Generals in the Air Force, would guide both of their destinies from one project to another. The Generals were using them as chess pieces. Along the way, they both were given promotions commensurate to the task. This is about their military lives from one project to another and about the people they met along the way. But mainly, it is a story about two people’s lives and how they were able to cope with all that confronted them along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387052332

Book preview

Our Air Force Life

OUR AIR FORCE LIFE

It was eighteen hundred hours when the phone rang. Master Sergeant Carl Johnston was just getting ready to wrap things up for the day. He decided to answer it before he would head out for Ralphs Rendezvous Bar and Grill and get a cool one with his cohorts from work. He picked up the phone and said, Master Sergeant Johnston, Advance Technical Testing Section!  There was a slight delay and someone said, Please hold for Lieutenant Colonel Brenner! Carl wondered what was going on, was someone playing a trick on me, or maybe there was some special inspection or a problem with their electronic KC-97 guidance system that they were testing. All of a sudden, a voice came on the phone, Am I speaking to Master Sergeant Carl Johnston, this is Lieutenant Colonel Brenner, Base Commander. Carl said, Yes Sir, this is Master Sergeant Johnston speaking. Lieutenant Colonel Brenner said Good! I was afraid I wouldn’t catch you. I want you to be present at Headquarters, room C-3 at eight hundred-hours tomorrow morning. We will explain what it is all about then. Master Sergeant Johnston said, Yes sir. Should I wear my dress uniform? The Lieutenant Colonel laughed and said, No Sergeant, just your work uniform will do this time! Carl was about to ask if he should bring anything, but the phone went dead!

He sat there for a few minutes, trying to think if he had done something wrong or what this was all about. He looked around the shop and didn’t see anything out of place. He decided he would head for the Rendezvous Bar and Grill and maybe he might come up with an answer over a few beers. He closed and locked the safe and made sure everything else was locked and then headed out. Security was a big thing around here lately. There were rumors that something was happening in other sections on base, but not much had changed here where he was working.

The bar was just down the road from the base entrance and it was a local Air Force hangout. When he pulled in, he recognized a few of the cars there, so he knew some of his friends were there already. When he went in, three of them waved at him so he stopped at the bar and got a beer, then joined the group. Sergeant Pete Furner asked him what took him so long getting there.  Sergeant Jack Letterson said, I saw that you were heading out the door when I left. Carl told them about the phone call he had just before he left the shop. Pete said, Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that a female Captain called and asked for you while you were over at the test lab today. I asked if I could have you call her back. She said no, she would get in touch with you later. Sorry, it just slipped my mind! Carl said, I don’t have any idea what it’s all about. I can’t think of anything that I did wrong. They want me to appear tomorrow at some meeting at Headquarters at eight. Sergeant Kent Mason asked, Do they want you in Blues? Carl said, No, I asked them that and they said I could wear whatever I wear to work. Pete laughed and said, Well that means they aren’t going to promote you to a General or something like that! They all laughed and sat there drinking their beers and talking about how their day went.

As they were talking, Pete said, There is a female Officer sitting in the corner that keeps watching us. Do any of you know who she is? They all looked and they first discussed that she was good-looking for an Officer and then decided that maybe they were making too much noise and she must be irritated with the noise they were making. After a while Carl said, Well I’d better get going. I have to get up early and if I’m wearing my fatigues, I want to look decent for whatever I’m going to tomorrow. 

That night he ironed his fatigues and shined his brogans so he would look as good as he could in his fatigues. He loved the freedom of living off base. All night long, he kept wondering what they wanted from him at Headquarters and why he was being asked to be at whatever this meeting was about. Just then, the phone rang and he answered, Carl here! A female voice said, Is this Master Sergeant Carl Johnston? Carl said, Yes, but who is this? She said, Oh, I’m sorry, this is Captain Sake from Arnold Air Force Base. I tried to call you earlier! Carl said, Yes Sir, I didn’t get the message until just a while ago. I’m sorry I didn’t return your call!  She said, Well, for now let’s use our first names. My name is Linda. Linda Sake. I was hoping to catch you before you left work today. When I did call your lab earlier, someone said that you just left and you were heading for the Rendezvous Bar and Grill. By the time I got there, you were with some friends. Carl laughed and said, So you were the female Officer we saw looking at us at the Rendezvous! We figured that we were probably making too much noise and you didn’t like it. She laughed and said, I tried to read your name tags, but in that place, it’s had to see anything. If I knew you were one of them, I probably would have come over and joined your group! I like drinking with others more than drinking alone. I was just trying to figure out which one you were! Carl said, Well you found me! What can I do for you Mam? She laughed and said, That’s even worse than Sir! As I said, between you and me, when out of uniform or off base, it’s Linda. You won’t be offended if I call you Carl, will you? He said, No Sir, I mean, no Linda! I take it from what you are saying we will be seeing each other again? If we do, it will just take a while to get used to calling you Linda when we are alone or when not in uniform. She said, We will see each other, at least tomorrow. It all depends on what will take place then. I will be at the meeting tomorrow at Headquarters with you. I would like to meet you at the Snack Shack on base before we go to the meeting tomorrow morning and we could talk about the meeting before we go. Could we meet about six there and maybe have coffee while we talk? Carl said, That would be great! I was wondering what all of this is about. I sure don’t have any idea what is going on! It would be nice not to walk into the meeting blind. Linda laughed and said, Good, then it’s a date! See you at six tomorrow morning. Carl laughed and said, Well this is a first for me! I have a date with a Captain. Isn’t it against the rules for an Officer to date an enlisted man? She laughed and said, Well it is some kind of rule that I’ve heard about, but I know a few Officers that are married to an enlisted man. We will call this just a business meeting, that should make all this legal! I’ll make sure I’ll be a good Officer and keep my hands to myself when we are together. See you tomorrow! They both laughed and they hung up.

Now Carl was really worried what this was all about. The Commander and now a Captain getting in touch with him in just a few hours. To top it off, it is the female Officer he saw at the Rendezvous Bar and Grill that was watching them. She seemed to be a nice person, even though she was an Officer. He could not think of anything that he did or was doing at the lab that was different. He just started working on an Infrared System for some kind of aircraft, but that didn’t seem to be anything big. Well, tomorrow, between Captain Sake and the meeting, he will find out. He set his alarm and went to bed.

The alarm went off at five and Carl turned it off and went to take a shower. While showering, he started to think again about what happened yesterday. He was surprised at how well he slept last night and he found himself smiling, looking forward to, as the Captain put it, their business date at the Snack Shack on base this morning. At least then he should find something out. He was trying to remember what she did look like when Pete pointed her out last night. All he remembered was she had pretty eyes and dirty blonde hair put up in a bun. He laughed and said out loud, Well, so all I have to do is walk around the Snack Shack looking for a female Captain with pretty eyes and dirty blonde hair. He got ready and decided to head for the Snack Shack right away. He wanted to get to the Snack Shack early enough so he could get something to eat first. It was bad enough going to some kind of meeting at Headquarters and he sure didn’t want to go there on an empty stomach.

When he went in to the Snack Shack, he looked around and there was no Captain or even any Officer there. He got an egg sandwich and coffee and sat back in the corner. He figured that whatever Captain Sake had to say, she wanted to be discreet about it. He had two bites and just then he heard a voice say, Hi Carl! He looked up and there was the Captain, standing there holding out her hand. He stood and shook her hand and started to say something, but she said, I’ll be right back! That coffee and sandwich looks good! He stood there watching her until she came back. After she sat down, he sat across from her and she said, I’m glad that we are meeting here before we go to the meeting. First let’s get to know each other. I’ll let you know right now that if all goes as they seem to be planning, we will probably be spending a lot of time together! Carl looked at her, thinking, well things are looking up. She said, Where are you from? Carl said, I’m from Georgia. Grew up in a small town, north of Atlanta, Canton. Went to school there and then joined the Air Force. She said, Just to let you know, I’ve already read about your time in service. Carl sat and stared at her. That really threw him off guard! She said, The first thing I will let you know, is that this is a Top-Secret project they have going, and you and I may be asked to participate in it. They have already researched our past. I had been given a list of three candidates to look over and see which one I thought would be the best person and one that I think I could work with. They also gave me the backgrounds on each person. Needless to say, I chose you!  After this meeting, I have been told, we will be given the decision of yes or no. That’s about the sum of what I know now.

Carl sat there trying to soak all of this in. She continued, As I told you on the phone, I’m Linda Sake. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and lived there and graduated when I was seventeen, then I went to Ohio State University and took Electrical Engineering. After that, I went into the service to see the world. The Air Force sent me to special training in England and then back here in the states to a special school at Boeing Aircraft Systems. Carl said, Well we do have something in common. After high school, I also went to Ohio State and took Electronic Tech, but right after my junior year, due to circumstances, I ended up later in the service. Don’t ask me how or why. I’m still not sure how and why it happened. To be truthful, it started when I dropped out of my first semester of my junior year when Thomas, my Dad, died and I stayed to help take care of my mother for six months until she passed away, then went back to school for about two and a half months. So here I am, in the Air Force. I did finish college while I was in the service. I just got back from a school at Boeing on IR Technology. Seems we just passed by each other. Same college and going to Boeing! She said, Both of my parents have passed away like yours. I read the part about your parents and your education in part of the summary section on you. After reading your background and all you have been involved in, I knew that whatever we are getting into, you would be my choice! They sat talking about what each wanted to do when they retired. Seemed that they both had the same ideas on what they wanted later in life. Carl looked at his watch and said, I think we should head to Headquarters. Why don’t we go in my car and after whatever is said at the meeting, we could get together somewhere and talk about what they want. Linda said, That’s fine with me. I also want to get this over with!  So, they headed to Carl’s car and to Headquarters Building.

Carl pulled up to the building and said to Linda, Well I guess I’d better start to call you Captain or Sir from here on! She smiled and said, I guess we will have to abide by military protocol, Sergeant!  They both smiled and they went into the building. When they entered, they walked over to the reception desk and the Second Lieutenant stood. Linda said, I’m Captain Sake and this is Master Sergeant Johnston. We are here for a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Brenner at eight hundred hours this morning. The Second Lieutenant said, Yes, I have both of you down for room C-3. It will be a few minutes, until the room is cleared, please have a seat over there and I will come and get you when the room is ready.  Captain Sake smiled and she and Carl walked over to where the Second Lieutenant pointed and sat down.

Carl smiled at Linda and said, Well so far, so good! Knowing how it usually is with Officers and me, I get there on time to sit and wait until the Officer gets there! Linda smiled and said, Not all of us are that way, but I have to admit, the higher the rank, the longer the wait! They both smiled and sat there looking around at everybody coming and going. Linda looked at Carl and pointed to a few of the workers there and said, If this is what I would have to do every day in the service, I don’t think I could stand it! Carl smiled and said, You and me both! I love getting my hands dirty and working out in the field. It seemed about twenty-five minutes sitting there talking until the Second Lieutenant came over and asked them to follow her.  She took them to room C-3 and there was an Air Policeman standing at the door. He asked for their ID cards and went over to a monitor and looked at the monitor and looked back at them. Finally, he came back and gave them their ID cards back and had them sign in on a sheet he had. Then opened the door for them. Carl looked at Linda and whispered, This must be bigger than I thought! She just smiled at Carl and pointed to two seats in front of a large desk and said, I guess we should sit there.

They sat down and looked around the empty room for a few minutes. About three minutes later, a door opened and three Officers came in and sat behind the large desk. Captain Sake and Master Sergeant Johnston stood at attention. One of the Officers stood there and said, Please, at ease and sit down. This meeting will be informal! I am Lieutenant Colonel Brenner, Base Commander. This is Major Hinkle and Captain Martin. We also have Mr. Watson and Mr. Sawyer from Boeing Corporation and Mr. Pyle from GE with us today. I know that you both are wondering why we called you here! Captain Sake raised her hand and said, Sir, I met Master Sergeant Johnston this morning and told him you wanted to talk to us about a project and that I had already looked over his Air Force records. In fact, that is all he and, I know.  Captain Martin stood and smiled then said, Well we had a report that you met him at the Snack Shack this morning. Was the breakfast sandwich as good as I remembered Sergeant Johnston?  Carl sat there with a blank look on his face. He couldn’t believe someone was watching them there! Finally, he said, Yes Sir, I enjoyed it Sir. Then Captain Martin smiled and said, Well what we are about to discuss today, as you probably know, is top secret but I knew about your sandwich episode because I came into the Snack Shack to get a cup of coffee to go this morning and saw you two sitting there. Just wanted you two to know that if you get involved in this project, be careful wherever you are and what you say. Carl looked at Linda and they both smiled at each other.  

Major Hinkle then said, As you both probably know, all of us here today have gone through both of your service records. You both have had intensive training in Thermography. Both of you also have a complete knowledge of IR capture and radiation. We know that each of you have also had extensive training in Infrared camera technology and some training in Low Light TV. What we are about to talk about are two different projects. The first will be what we will call, a diversion. It will show us how you two work as a team. The second part will be completely different and you two probably will be sent overseas. It could get dangerous, but nowadays, anywhere overseas is dangerous. Lieutenant Colonel Brenner then said, Before we are certain that you two will say yes, all we can say for now is that the project may last as long as a year. We hope it will not be any longer than that. The project is classified top secret and you will be reporting to me on the first phase. The second phase, you will be reporting to Lieutenant Colonel Rollin and a Mr. Sawyer from Boeing. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more for now. He turned and looked at the others sitting on the panel and they all nodded yes. Then he continued, We will give both of you two days to make up your mind. I’m sorry we can’t tell you any more about the project until you commit yourselves to join us due to security reasons. Both of you take the weekend and get to know each other and report back to me on Monday and if you do decide to take this assignment, both of you will leave within a week for training. I’ll see both of you here at Headquarters Monday at eight hundred hours! Then they all stood up and left, leaving Carl and Linda sitting there alone.

Linda looked at Carl and said, This isn’t anything like what I expected! Carl said, You and me both! I still don’t know what this is all about. I figure that from what they mentioned, it probably has something to do with Thermal Radiation. Linda said, I think you’re right, but they also mentioned about IR camera technology and Low Light TV. I also deduced from what they said, there are two separate parts to this. He said, I did too! The two of us have a lot to discuss. After being seen at the Snack Shack together, I know this is being forward, but how about having a real date this time? He smiled and said, I guess we should call it a working date! I’d like to take you out for dinner tonight after work, and afterward, we could go to the lake at Tim’s Ford and sit and talk where nobody can listen. She looked at Carl for a while and finally laughed and said, This sounds like we are plotting something and don’t want to be seen! But that sounds good to me. That way we can get to know more about each other before we decide to take this assignment. What time, I live in Tullahoma on Porter Boulevard, apartment one twenty-three. Carl laughed and said, Great! I also live in Tullahoma.  I think this will be a good way to get to know more about each other and especially since we don’t know what will be happening and how long we will be together. How about if I pick you up at six tonight. She smiled and said, Great, I’ll be ready. She gave Carl her address on a piece of paper and phone number. Carl put it in his wallet and said, Then I’ll see you tonight at six. They both got up and Carl took Linda back to her car.

Carl smiled and said to Linda, I’m looking forward to tonight, we have a lot to talk about. She smiled and the both of them headed back to their work places. When Carl started to go into the office, he remembered he forgot to let anyone know that he would be late coming into work this morning. He headed towards his boss, Senior Master Sergeant Henderson, to tell him he was sorry that he didn’t notify him that he would be late. As he walked up to him and started to tell him how sorry he was about not letting him know about the meeting, Sergeant Pete walked over to him and said, Well, you’re back already! Great! Must have been a short meeting at Headquarters! Knowing the high brass there and how long winded they are, I figured you would be back much later. I told Henderson about your meeting but he already knew about it. Did you get whatever they wanted straight? Carl just stood there for a second with his mouth open and thought, they must have contacted our office about me going to the meeting, or maybe one of the guys told him about me going there. He said, Yes! It wasn’t anything big. I have to go back Monday and make sure everything is ok. He looked at Senior Master Sergeant Henderson and asked, Did one of the guys tell you about the meeting? Senior Master Sergeant Henderson said, Pete did, but when I got to work this morning our Commander left me a note that you would be at a meeting at Headquarters this morning, why! Carl said, I just wondered. I was so worried about what the meeting was about, I forgot to notify you about it. It turned out it was no biggie.

All that day, no one said anything about it. The only thing said, was from one of the guys he worked with. He asked Carl if there was something wrong. He felt that Carl’s mind was someplace else. All day, his mind kept wandering about the project that they wanted him to join. Near the end of the day as he was walking down towards the test lab and the Squadron Commander passed him, smiled and said, Good luck on whatever you decide! Carl smiled and kept walking while wondering what all the Commander really knew.  He had other things on his mind and wanted to get the lab project completed. The rest of the day went fast and as he was getting ready to leave, Pete and Jack came over and asked, Hey Carl, you want to meet us at Ralphs Rendezvous when you are done tonight? Before Carl thought, he said, No, not tonight. I have a date for dinner and I want to get home and get ready for it. Pete said, Well, this is the first! You having a date tonight! Who is the lucky woman? Carl felt his face getting warm after he said that. He thought, how will I be able to keep a secret about whatever I might be getting into, when I almost told them about the date with the Captain? He said, It’s a woman that works over at Headquarters. I met her while waiting there for the meeting today. He started to calm down and thinking that he almost told them the truth about meeting Captain Sake, and he was taking her out. Pete said, Well you don’t waste any time getting a date, do you? Well, keep us posted Monday at work on how it went tonight and they turned and headed for Ralphs. Carl made sure all the equipment was turned off, locked everything and headed home to get ready.

When he got home, he was wondering where to take the Captain for dinner tonight. He remembered a place called Emil’s where he had stopped in once for a drink. He remembered that it had nice atmosphere there. He figured it isn’t every day I get to take an Officer out for dinner, and a nice looking one at that. He called Emil’s and made reservations for seven. Then he thought, Well I think I’ll try and impress her and wear my new suit. He got out his best suit and started to get ready. He laughed thinking how he felt like he was getting ready for his first date. He knew it was because she was an Officer and also thinking about that meeting today. Then he thought how he really liked her and their talk in the Snack Shack. How they seemed to get along with each other right off the bat and he remembered that he thought she had a great personality. 

When he was ready, he looked at his watch and headed out the door to pick up Captain Linda Sake. He didn’t have any trouble finding the apartment house. He finally located the right apartment and looked at his watch. He didn’t want to make it look like he was too anxious. It was almost six when he knocked on her door. The door opened and there was Linda! He didn’t think that her hair was that long, and the dress she had on showed how beautiful she really was. Linda said, Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in? Carl finally got his mind back to normal and said, I’m sorry! I must have the wrong apartment. I’m looking for a Captain Linda Sake! She laughed and took his hand and pulled him in to the apartment. She said, Come on in. I just want to get my shawl. By the way, you look a lot better in a suit! I don’t think I would have recognize you in that. You really do look different. Very nice! Carl was surprised at how he felt when she said that. From her, it made him feel good! Carl said, Well I know I wouldn’t have known you with your hair down and dressed like that! You look so beautiful in civilian clothes! After he said that he started to feel his face turn red. Then he said, I mean you look so different with your hair down! They both smiled and she put her shawl on and they headed to his car.

On the way to the restaurant, they didn’t talk much. Linda did say how busy she was today and Carl said, When I got to the lab, I had to catch up with a project I was doing since I was gone this morning. Then he laughed and said, I guess in a way, being gone made me work faster and I completed the task. Linda asked, Where are we eating tonight? He said, Oh, I’m sorry! I should have told you. I made reservations at Emil’s. Is that ok with you? She said, Well, you are going first class tonight! He said, Well it isn’t every day I have a date with a beautiful Captain! She looked at Carl and smiled and then said, As I said earlier, tonight I’m Linda and you are Carl! He looked at her and smiled and said, That will be great! So far Linda, I think you are great! Just then they pulled up to Emil’s and a valet opened the door for her and Carl gave him his keys.

When they went in, Carl said to her, I chose this restaurant for two reasons. One I’m pretty sure none of the guys I work with from my squadron would ever come here or see me here and ask questions on Monday. But now I have second thoughts about that. I wish they could see me here with you! The second reason is, I wanted this to be special tonight! They looked at each other and she took his hand, smiled and they went to the front desk. After being seated, they both ordered a drink. They didn’t say anything until the drinks arrived. Linda broke the ice and asked, Have you been here before? Carl said, Just one time. I didn’t get past the bar though. Right after I made a date with you, this place popped into my mind and I thought this place would be perfect. She said, I had heard about Emil’s, but I’ve never been here. I think this is a perfect place to get to know each other. You made an excellent choice!

Carl said, Well I guess I will start in! I told you about college. I really liked Ohio State, but I had a phone call about my Dad being sick just at the beginning of my junior year. My sister and mother insisted I finish that year! I finished and went to stay with them. I had been home for three weeks when my Dad passed away. I made a deal with my sister, Eve, that I would stay with Mom and that the beginning of next year she would take Mom and have her live with her. But after Dad passed away, Mom went downhill fast and passed away six months later. Linda asked, Was it hard on you, losing both your parents in that short of time and not finishing your senior year at college? He said, Everything seemed to be happening so fast! Right after she died, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Now, talking about it, I guess I just wanted to get away from Canton, Georgia. So, I joined the Air Force and here I am.  As I told you, while in the Air Force, I did finish my college. I had some good training and wonderful experiences while I’ve been in the service and I must say, this is one of them! She looked at him and smiled, seeing that there was a slight blush appearing on his face, she reached over and squeezed his hand and said, I guess it’s time that I even the playing field. Since I had the privilege of reading your background, I guess it’s my turn to bore you with mine. Just then the waiter came over and asked if they would like another drink before dinner. Before Carl could answer, Linda said, Yes, thank you! We are just discussing things. The waiter smiled and left two menus and walked away.

They sat there for a few seconds, looking around and finally Linda started to say something when the waiter came over with their drinks. Carl thanked him and looked at Linda. She smiled and said, As I started to say before, now it’s my turn! I told you I was born and raised in Great Chicago. Lived just outside of town. Other than the wind and being cold during the winter, I loved it there. During my senior year in high school, three of my girlfriends and I decided we would go to Ohio State together. During the first year of college, one left to go back to Chicago and then at the start of the second year, the other one became pregnant and got married. So, it was just Shirley and I. When we graduated, she ended up in Atlanta and I headed back to Chicago. When winter hit there, I had enough of that weather there, so I went downtown and joined the Air Force. They sent me off to Denver to become an Officer. As I told you, afterwards, I was sent to England for specialized training and then to Boeing and ended up here at Arnold Air Force base sitting here with a great guy! Carl could feel his face getting warm again.

Carl said, Just being with you makes it worth going to that meeting today! As I said before, I feel that our specialized training must have a lot to do with whatever they are after. She nodded her head yes. Just then the waiter came to the table. They gave him their order and sat there finishing their drinks. Linda said, You are right about going somewhere where we can talk and not being afraid that someone will hear us. Carl said, All I can say is that so far this has been a wonderful evening getting to know you. I already feel like I’ve known you for some time! I guess all 0fficers aren’t demons! They both laughed. Just then the waiter brought their dinners to the table. They sat there just chatting about this and that, while eating their meal. When both were finished, Carl asked, Would you like dessert or a drink before we go? She said, We have a lot to talk about. I’d just like to leave if you don’t mind. He paid the bill and almost forgot the tip because his mind was already thinking of going to the park with her for their talk. In his mind, he was thinking what he wanted to say to her when they would get to the park. They got up and he helped her put her shawl on and they went to get his car.

While waiting for the car, Linda looked at Carl and said, I have an idea! Why don’t we go to my place instead of the park? I know no one will see us there.  It’s a lot better place to talk and we could have a drink while we try and figure out what is going on with both of our lives. Carl couldn’t believe what he just heard! He was just about to ask her to his place and they could talk there. He looked at her and said, That’s a great Idea! Looking at the weather, I was just about ready to ask you to my place. I was just standing here thinking if my place was clean! They both laughed just as the car arrived. He gave the Valet a tip while the Valet helped her into the car. Carl ran around the car to the driver’s side and jumped in. The Valet walked around to the driver’s window and knocked on the window. Carl rolled down the window, wondering what he wanted. The Valet held up Carl’s keys and said, Sir, I think you might need these! Carl took the keys and started the engine and didn’t dare look at Linda, while Linda was sitting there with a smile on her face.

They drove to her apartment and she showed him where he could park. She went to the door and unlocked it and showed him where he could hang his jacket if he wanted, and where to sit. She went into the kitchen area and got a bottle of white wine out of the refrigerator and held it up and asked, Will this do? I also have some red wine if you prefer. He said, White wine will do fine! Right now, all I can think of is what they want from us." He knew he was lying! Right now, he couldn’t figure Linda out. There was something different about her. She was so beautiful, but she was an officer. Then the idea that they may have to spend a lot of time together on a project, in a way, made him feel excited. She came into the living room with the wine and handed him a glass and poured each of them some wine and sat next to him.

She looked at Carl for a second and then said, This is a toast to you and me and whatever comes about from this mess! They touched their glasses and took a sip. Then she said, First I want to let you know what I was able to find out today! We females have our ways! I found out that what they are after has something to do with overseas and is secret and top priority. Also, I found out that whatever it is has been going on for a while!  Carl said, I thought it must be something like that. As I said earlier, I think it has to do with Infrared TV or Low Light TV or something in line with that. We both are trained in those fields. I also think that whatever it is, the first part that was mentioned will be training. She agreed with that and said, I also think that since both of us have been through the special Boeing education training class, that Boeing might have something to do with it! Do you also remember that there were two civilians with them, a Mr. Pyle, if I remember right, and a Mr. Watson? Carl said, Yes, I thought that was kind of odd, being so top secret and all.

Linda continued, As I said, When I got back to work, they told me that I was to take the rest of the day off. Now that really started to make me think! I had to try and find out something. He said, I know when I got back to work, I had forgotten to tell my boss I would be gone for a while. My Commander had already told him about me and the meeting at Headquarters. Then later in the day, I saw my Commander and he said good luck on whatever I decide! It started me wondering what is going on here? She said, That’s the way I feel too. I did find out that Mr. Watson is with Boeing and Mr. Pyle is from GE. Seems we are the only ones that have no idea what is happening. She poured some more wine for each of them. He said, Well we have decided that it has to do with Infrared TV or something like that and you thought it would be something overseas and maybe Boeing is involved. At least that’s a start!"

She said, From what I see, it will take some time to complete. That is why they wanted us to get to know each other and see if we could work together. I’m willing to bet that if we say yes, they will have us working together immediately! Carl said, I figured that out when I think it was the Base Commander saying we would probably be gone by the end of the week. That is why I wanted to get with you tonight and see how you felt about that. She looked at Carl for a few seconds and said, Well I don’t know about you, but I also feel like I have known you for some time already. I would love to be able to work with you on the project. Carl looked at her for a few seconds and said, That’s the way I feel also! I know we can work together and it will be great! Lind took his hands and held them and said, I know that, but let’s be sure! She pulled him up off the couch led him to her bedroom. Carl was beside himself! It was what he was sitting there dreaming of. It was so unexpected!

After they made love, they were lying there and he smiled and said, If I had known making love to an Officer was so wonderful, I’d have done this a long time ago! They both laughed and lay in each other’s arms. Linda said, I want to get this straight between us right now before we go any further! This is not me, or I should say, I never made love to a man this quickly! There is something about you that made me want you tonight! I don’t know what it is, but I’d like you to spend the rest of the night with me. He said, You must be a mind reader! Linda, from the time you opened your door tonight, I knew you were special! I saw you as a beautiful woman and not as a Captain! After our talks and getting to really know you, I’d love to spend the night with you! They hugged and made love again.

Saturday morning, he woke up and noticed Linda wasn’t in bed next to him. He put his shorts on and walked to the door. She was in the kitchen making breakfast. He came up to her and asked, How long have you been up? She turned around and gave him a hug and they kissed. She pointed to the frying pan and said, Just about ten more minutes. I just started making breakfast. Do you like pancakes? He said, I do! I know this might sound corny, but I would eat anything, as long as you are next to me. She laughed and said, You’re right, that is hard to believe. One good thing I found out tonight, I’m happy you don’t snore! They laughed and he said, Well I don’t think they were thinking about that as a pre-requisite for the project. Linda said, I don’t think us sleeping together was a pre-requisite either. They laughed and Carl started to help her get the breakfast ready. Linda said, The coffee should be ready by now. Want a cup? Carl said, That sounds great! I don’t think the military could function without coffee! She went over and poured each a cup of coffee. She laughed and said, I think you’re right about coffee. Seems every place on base has a coffee pot somewhere!

They sat during the breakfast and talked about their growing up days. Carl said, A few years, back while in the Air Force, I decided I wanted to be an Officer, so I took the tests for Officers Candidate School. I made up my mind that if I was going to stay in the service, I would try to become an Officer. She asked, Did you pass the exam to become an Officer? He said, Yes, they gave me my number, but I never heard from them again and, anyway I was working on a special project then and I guess they couldn’t let me go just then. She said, That’s a shame! I think you would have been a good Officer. He said, Now, after meeting you, I wish I was an officer! It would make me feel better about this whole situation of keeping you and me a secret!

When they were through with breakfast, Linda said, Look, you know where my shower is. Go take a shower and get dressed. I can’t keep my mind on anything with you running around in your shorts!  He laughed and said, Well maybe that was what I had in mind! She asked, Speaking of that, did you have anything in mind about what we are going to do today? He said, Well up until last night, no, why? She said, I thought we could spend the day together. Maybe putting our heads together about that project, we might come up with something else that we didn’t think of. He said, Well I was hoping you would ask. I want to spend as much time as we can together. Monday will be here before we know it. Carl said, I’m for any time with you! He turned and went in the bedroom.

He went and took his shower and got dressed. He left his tie and jacket off and went to the kitchen and gave Linda a big kiss. Linda smiled and said, The coffee should be done soon. If you want, there are two cups and milk there. Would you mind bringing me a cup of black coffee to the bathroom? I’d love that. He got a cup of black coffee for her and took it into the bathroom and told her it was on the sink and left to go drink his coffee. Soon she came out in a robe and sat with him. She kept looking at him and finally said, I can’t believe what has happened! I feel like we have been a couple for some time already. He said, I’ve been sitting here thinking. I feel so close to you! This has been so sudden for me. You are a special woman to me. I’m wondering how I will be when you are in uniform! She said, I will still be Linda Sake, but I have to admit, you will have to call me Sir then. They both laughed, but they both knew it would be hard for them.

That morning the weather was so nice, they did go to Tims Ford and walked around holding hands. They sat by the lake on a bench and talked. After a while, Carl held her hand and looked at her and said, I’m about ready to commit to whatever the service wants me to do, as long as you are with me. She looked at him and gave him a kiss and said, I feel the same way! I wish this was Monday and we would find out what our future will be. He held her head and gave her a kiss and said, At least, whatever this project entails, it brought us together! The way you and I are getting along, who knows what the future holds for us, but we will be getting to know more and more about each other as time goes by! I think Monday won’t get here fast enough for me! She said, I’ve been thinking about all of this! When they gave me the three names of prospective people that I wanted to work with, they emphasized that I should read over the files carefully, because I would be spending most of my time with whomever the person I select will be. They told me to remember to select the one that I felt I that I could be with most of the time. Carl asked, How did the other two work out? She laughed and said, You were the first, but now I think it would be a good idea if we go to your apartment today, get your uniforms and whatever you will need and stay at my apartment. Then on Monday, we will both go together to the meeting and by then we will be sure about each other. Anyway, I want to see how messy your apartment really is. He laughed and said, You have the best suggestions! A man can’t say no to moving in with you!

They sat there with his arm around her shoulder, looking at the kids playing on the swings, when suddenly, they heard a voice say, Hey Sergeant! Carl looked around and then spotted Pete and a girl in a rowboat near the edge of the lake. Pete yelled, Nice to see you! Didn’t expect to see you here at the lake, especially with a nice-looking lady! Hi mam! She waved back and turned to Carl and gave him a big kiss! Carl looked at Linda and asked, What did you do that for? She pointed to the lake and said, See, it worked! They are leaving! They both laughed and he said, Well now I will hear about this on Monday morning! She said, That isn’t that bad, is it? As long as they don’t know that I’m an Officer, we are scot free! He smiled and gave her a kiss.

The rest of the day they went to some stores along Lincoln Street and just window shopped. She was thinking to herself how she felt about Carl and how she loved being with him. She came up with an idea and had him wait outside one of the stores while she went into a lingerie store and when she came out she showed him a bag and said, I have something special for tonight! She wouldn’t let him see it. She said, After we have some wine, I will really show it to you! He could feel he was getting aroused just thinking about it. As they went down the street, he said to her, Now it’s your turn to wait outside here. He went into a men’s store and purchased some new underwear. He remembered what she said this morning about him parading around in his shorts while she was making breakfast and he couldn’t remember how his others were back in his apartment. He started to go outside when he thought he wanted to get something special. He stopped at a counter and a sales woman talked him into some new cologne, as he always called it, smelly stuff! When he came out, she asked him what he had in the bag. He showed her his new underwear. She laughed and said, I can’t wait to see you take them off tonight! They look better than what you had on this morning! They both laughed and went to get something to eat.

When they were done eating, he said, Well I’m getting tired of keeping my fingers crossed about how my apartment will look, so I guess we might as well head to my place and get my uniforms and stuff! He drove her to his place, parked his car and he took her to his apartment door and told her to wait. He opened the door slowly and peeked in. Then he said, Well it isn’t as bad as I thought. You can come in now! She walked in and looked around and said, This isn’t bad at all! I like it. He said have a seat. I don’t have any wine, but I have beer if you would like some. She smiled and said, Believe it or not, I do like beer. He handed her a glass and a bottle of beer and said, I want to shave before we go, then I’ll gather my things.  When he was done, he came back in the room, he started to laugh! She said, What’s so funny? He said, I gave you a glass and I see you sitting there drinking out of the bottle. I just didn’t expect that! She laughed and said, Well I’ll probably surprise you many times in the coming days!" When they were through, they both loaded his stuff in the back seat and headed for her place.

On the way, she asked Carl, Would you mind trying my cooking? I’d like to cook for you tonight but you will have to stop off at the next grocery store. He said, Sounds great, but only if I can help in the cooking! They stopped at the grocery store and they went in to get what they needed. He helped her get some vegetables and she asked, Do you like steak? I figured every man loves a steak. He said, Well I’m the typical male! Yes, I love steak. I guess you are thinking about the saying, to get to a man is through his stomach. But with me, you already have! They laughed and went to the meat counter and got what she wanted. On the way to the cashier, Linda picked up two bottles of champagne and Carl paid for everything, then they headed to her apartment.

They took the groceries in and while Linda put them away, he went out to the car and got his clothes out of the car and Linda showed him where he could hang them.  He ran into the bathroom and splashed on some of the new cologne he just purchased, then went out to help her start the meal. When he went into the kitchen, he asked, What should I do first? She pointed to some potatoes and said, Peel them and slice them into small pieces. How are you on salads? He said, That is my specialty!  Just tell me where everything is. She showed him where all the makings of a salad were and she was busy getting the vegetables and tenderizing the meat. She started to laugh! He asked, What is so funny? She came over to him and put her arms around him and said, Here it is, you and I have only met just two days ago and now we are like two married people working together in the kitchen! I think you’re great Carl! She kissed him and as she turned to finish what she was doing, she said, I don’t remember you smelling like that before. I like it! He smiled, thinking that he should have given that saleslady a big tip for suggesting that cologne. Also, he would purchase a bigger bottle the next time.

They finally had everything ready. Carl had set the table and helped put the meal on the table and they sat down and started to eat. They talked again about their growing up as kids, then Linda said, I was surprised today when you said that you had put in for Officer Candidate School. I didn’t see anything about that in your records. What year did you do that? He thought for a while and said, I’m not sure. It must have been about three years ago, because I was going through Infrared training when I took the tests, why? She said, That must be it! The copy they gave me about you had a few things blackened out here and there. I just figured that was probably when you were on special assignments. He said, Yes, when you mentioned that you saw a file on me, I was nervous about what was in there. He laughed and said, Now I wish I could have seen a file on you! She laughed and said, As far as I know, it would have probably put you to sleep. Your file had many blacked-out spots, with all the different projects you were involved in. Me, it was a few schools after I became an Officer, nothing big! Carl said, Well since I was single, I was big on volunteering on different projects! I think that was what happened to Officers Candidate School, I was into a project and they wanted me to finish what I was working on. Linda said, I don’t know about you, but after eating this meal I think we make a good steak dinner! He said, This was the best steak I’ve ever had also! Partly because you cooked it and the company I had eating it. They both laughed!

They both cleaned up the kitchen and afterwards, sat on the couch with her head on his shoulders, listening to some music and sipping champagne. They both were trying to picture in their minds what they were about to get into and what the Air Force had in mind for them! Carl was the first to speak, and said, I’ve been sitting here thinking of what we are about to get into! I’m still positive it has to do with some new Infrared imagery. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Both of us have had training on parts of it. She said, I agree. That’s what we keep coming up with, but I don’t know where they are going to send us. Carl said, I guess Monday morning we will find out. After what happened Friday, when my Commander knew I would be at a meeting, I guess our section managers know more than what we know and that we won’t be in tomorrow morning. You still want to stick your neck out with me? She smiled and said, So far, yes! The more we are together, the more I’m sure I want to be in this project with you! We have to get up early in the morning. I suggest we head for the bedroom, I want to show you my new nighty and see you take off your new underwear. Let’s take the champagne with us. Carl grabbed the glasses and the bottle of champagne. He said, I was hoping you would say that! I can’t wait!

Sunday came and they had breakfast and dressed and since it was a nice day they headed for Tim’s Ford again and walked around the lake. They sat at the same bench by the lake. Linda said, I was just thinking, they said we would be off for some kind of training first if we take this assignment. If we go, I wonder where it will be? I know that, in some ways, I’ll miss this place. He said, As you know, from reading my background, I have moved so many times, but with each place I’ve lived, there was something special with every place I’ve been stationed! I know Tim’s Ford will be special for me with you sitting here with me! They both smiled. The rest of the day, they spent most of the time at Linda’s apartment.

Monday morning, about four am, the alarm went off. Carl sat upright and Linda reached over and shut the alarm off, then turned to Carl and pulled him down with her. She said, I set the alarm early because I want you before we get up! They made love again and laid there for a short time, both thinking what will be happening at the meeting today. He said, Well, this is it! I’d better get ready so you will have enough time to get yourself ready. We want to look our best standing there today. After I’m ready, this time I will make breakfast. How do you like your eggs? She smiled and said, Over easy. A girl could get use to this! He reached over and gave her a kiss and went to get his uniform and headed for the bathroom. She said, Just leave it here on the bed. When you’re through in there, you can just come out here and put it on. He smiled and said, Well you have to promise me you will control yourself, I’ll be wearing my new shorts! They both laughed while he put his uniform at the end of the bed and headed to the bathroom.

When he was