Waiting For Her Ship to Come In

This story is pretty short, but there will be additional chapters. I originally wrote it for an anthology that had a pretty severe length restriction. After months of not hearing from them, I've decided to publish it here.

*

"Sergeant Ridder?"

Looking up, I saw a corpsman calling my name. "This way please," he said. Efficiently and impersonally, he led me back to the examination room. "Have a seat please. The Dr. will be with you shortly."

Before he really even cleared the door, she was walking in. My first impression was that the Navy was now sending cheerleaders to do dental work at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. She was totally cute, and impossibly young to even be wearing gold bars. She was fairly tall, and very trim. She had a perky little set of breasts above a flat middle. Her hair was blond, and put up in a loose braid while her face was cute and pixyish with a slightly upturned nose and a spattering of freckles. She was wearing pristine dress whites that looked like they'd just come off the rack. I instantly felt the powerful stirrings of attraction.

"I'm Ensign Hegland, what seems to be the problem?"

My first thought was that I hadn't shaved my legs in over a month. Her nearness also made me acutely aware that I hadn't been laid in over six months. Gulping quickly, I told her "Uh, the filling put in last week came out." I fished the little piece of metal out of my blouse pocket and handed it to her.

"Okey-dokey. We'll have you fixed up in a jiffy."

Okey-dokey? She really was a farm girl. As she got out the materials to repair my filling, she asked me how long I'd been in the Corps, and where I'd been stationed, what my MOS was. I told her that I'd been in 6 years. I had re-enlisted to become an MP. I'd been around, but mainly I'd been in Okinawa and California with a side trip to Iraq. While she worked, she told me that she'd just come on active duty. She'd put herself through college in Minnesota where she was from. The Navy paid her way through dental school, with the expectation that she would serve six years in return. As she worked, I struggled to keep my lust in check. Fraternization between enlisted ranks and commissioned officers is a big no-no. I had about as much chance of getting something going with her as I had of being named the next Commandant. While serving as a Marine has its joys, it's had its share of petty heart breaks and this just added to the list. In a few minutes, she had completed the new filling and I was on my way, feeling a little sadder and introspective.

*

The next night I decided to go up to a lesbian bar I knew in La Jolla. Sometimes I could get lucky and find a trophy wife out to satisfy a little bi-curiosity. When I walked in, there was Ensign Hegland sitting at the end of the bar. She was totally blitzed, and begging the DJ to play every heartbreak song in her catalog along with all of Jagged Little Pill.

"Sergeant Knight!" she exclaimed drunkenly. "How good to see you. Come have a drink with me. We'll toast!" she slurred. "Did the Commander send you? Tell that old bitch I said to fuck off!" Damn, she was obliterated. I'd have to help her. If the base commander found out one of his MPs hadn't done something about a drunk and disorderly officer, I'd be on the permanent shitlist. At least I didn't have Don't Ask Don't Tell to worry about anymore.

"Come on Ensign, I know a better place than this. The DJ's my friend and she'll play Jagged Little Pill."

"Well, absolutely Sergeant Knight. Let's go! And you can call me Kristen. That's my name." Leaning against me, I got her out to her car. I helped her into the passenger seat, and slid into the driver's. My car was going to have to wait until morning.

"Say, you're kind of cute," she giggled. "Let's go back to my room."

"I'd like that. Where do you live?"

"I live in the B. ... B Something. I forget."

"You live in the BOQ?"

"Yesh, that's it. I live in the BOQ. Sergean Knight, I order you to take me to the BOQ and fuck me."

If it weren't for the fact that I really wanted to follow her order, I'd have been amused. I had a problem too. The back gate was closed by now, and I knew that Staff Sergeant Hammacher was working the main gate. Hammacher hated officers, particularly squid officers, and if he found her drunk, her ass would be in a serious crack. The chances of me successfully sneaking my inebriated damsel in distress through the gates of the castle, guarded by the evil troll SSgt Hammacher were zero. Turning east and north, I made my way to Escondido and got a hotel room. Waking her up, I got her into the room and tucked into one of the queen beds in the room. After stripping, I crawled into mine.

I felt desolate. I wanted her so bad, and she was in no condition. In the morning, assuming she didn't have the hangover from hell, the odds of her wanting my person were going to be zero. Then there was the whole fraternization thing. I'd be doing good if she gave me a ride back to my car. Little tears welled in my eyes at the unfairness of it. Crying, I rolled over and went to sleep.

In the morning, I woke up before her. I walked down to the supermarket and bought some Tylenol, a couple of tooth brushes, a travel tube of tooth paste, and some coffees. Returning to the room, I was brushing my teeth when I heard her stirring in the background.

"Um, hi," she smiled weakly.

"Hi yourself. There's Tylenol and a spare toothbrush on the counter for you, and I brought some coffee."

"Um, thanks. I need that." Turning away embarrassed, I went back to the bed area while she brushed her teeth and used the toilet.

When she finished, I wordlessly led her down the stairs and out to her car. As she stood in front of the driver's door, I looked at her and said, "Not until you've had something to eat. Get in the passenger side."

"You can't do that," she sputtered. "It's my car."

I turned to her and in a measured tone explained that she would either do as I say, or the next time I saw her on the town she was on her own. After thinking for a minute, she got into the passenger side. Still without speaking, I drove us to a diner for some breakfast.

After the waitress had taken our order, and we had some coffee she nervously looked up at me. "Did we ah ..., you know, last night?"

Grinning, I turned on my best enthusiasm and charm. "You mean you don't remember? After we made love, you swore your undying devotion to me. You insisted we go to a tattoo parlor and you had them ink "Mel's Bitch" on your luscious little derrière."

Looking panicked, she jumped out of the booth and tore into the women's head. Coming out a minute later, her eyes were flashing with anger.

"You're not a very nice person. I'm not sure I think much of your sense of humor."

"You're right and wrong. That was kind of mean, but I wanted to make a point. You shouldn't ever let yourself get out of control like that. You're confusing nice with good. I found you in trouble, I took care of you, and I kept you safe. I kept you from some pretty bad consequences that could have followed from your actions. I also spent my own money to give you someplace safe while you slept it off. Finally, I turned down your proposition last night because I decided that you really weren't capable of consenting, and that really pisses me off because I very much wanted to get in your pants. So, I guess I'm not always nice but I'm one of the good guys." Chastened, she sat silently.

When our breakfast arrived, we ate in awkward silence. Sitting across from her, I admired her beauty. It must have struck me the night before; she had this vulnerability that made me want to shield her in my arms. While I watched her eat, I could see her thinking over my words, and a couple of times I thought she was going to say something but each time she stopped herself. Finally, she worked up the courage to say what she wanted.

"I'm sorry for what I said. You're right. Thank you for helping me. I'll pay you back the money for the hotel. Can we start over? I'm Kristen Hegland and I'm really pleased to meet you."

"Melanie Ridder, but you can call me Mel."

We talked about inconsequential things for a while. When we hit a lull in the conversation, I brought up what had been bugging me since last night.

"Do you mind telling me what happened last night? Because it looks to me like you either have a world-class drinking problem, or you were trying to drown your sorrow about something."

Sighing, she looked down at the table. "It's pretty stupid really. My girlfriend Ginnifer broke up with me yesterday. We were together for two and half years and I thought we were doing well. She was going to come out here and start a practice and I was going to join the practice after I finished my service." Stopping for a minute, she took a drink from her cup and then topped it off from the carafe on the table. "Yesterday she called to tell me that she's engaged to this guy who plays for the Vikings. Not just a guy but a fucking football player! Can you believe it? I don't know what to think. Mainly, I'm not thinking right now. I'm feeling hurt." Reaching for a napkin, she started to try to blow her nose.

"I'm really sorry about your breakup. I don't have anything deep to say other than this: Tomorrow it will hurt a little less. The day after that it will hurt a little less too. In time, the hurt will be something you can manage."

"Have you had your heart broken like this? Does it really get better?"

"Yes, I have, and it gets better." I was lying through my teeth. I'd never had a serious relationship in my life. I guess I lied because I wanted to make her feel better, and I felt a little pathetic that I hadn't ever had someone care for me that way.

Finishing our breakfast, I let her pay the bill and walked her out to her car. Looking at her, I held out her car keys.

"If you don't mind, would you drive?" Smiling, I walked around her car and opened the passenger door for her. I slowly worked my way back down to La Jolla to pick up my car. When we got to the club, I handed her the keys.

"Do you really think my derrière is luscious?" she breathed.

"You need to forget I said that. It's a really bad idea. Look, I like you, and I think you're adorable, but you're incredibly naïve and you don't know the rules of the game you've signed up for. You need to go back to your BOQ and study up on the customs of the naval service, and specifically fraternization. It would be better if we didn't see each other again. Besides, you need to get over Ginnifer before you become involved with someone else." I felt like the noble queen horse's ass of the world. Here's the most amazing woman I've ever met and I'm being all noble and shit because if it fucked up, she'd be in more trouble than she could possibly imagine and I couldn't take that. God? Why does my life have to suck like this? Why do I have to be noble when I really don't want to be?

*

A couple of weeks later I was out running on the trails behind the hangar complex when I saw her. Her legs were long and bronzed and the slightest curve of a really first rate ass peeked out from underneath her running shorts. It looked like she'd add a few more freckles to her nose. I still hadn't solved my celibacy problem, and I had a strong urge to drag her into the scrub and eat her alive. Coming up to me she easily fell into step and started running with me.

"Hi Mel, how are you?"

"I'm good." I didn't trust myself to say much more.

"Do you run a lot? This is the first time I've seen you."

"I'm really more of a gym rat than a runner, but I've got a fitness test coming up and I need to get ready," I said between breaths.

We ran along until we hit the end of the trail, and then turned back. As we jogged, she chatted about how she was adapting to life in the military.

"Have you had a chance to look up the customs of the naval service for fraternization?" I asked.

"Yes, but I'm not sure I fully understand. Do you think we could meet so you could explain them to me?" she said shyly.

"You're hopeless." I should have walked away. I guess the extra freckles got me.

"Do you know where the Midway is?" I quizzed.

"You mean the aircraft carrier museum? Sure."

"Meet me at the park there on Sunday at 1300. Wear running clothes." Without saying anything else, I turned my back on her and walked into the barracks. My mind was reeling. Part of me wanted to vomit, and another part of me wanted to take a shower and rub myself to a furious orgasm while I thought of her. I ended up taking the shower.

*

As I walked into the park I saw the statue. Damn, I'd forgotten about the statue. Right in the middle of the park is a 30 foot tall statue of a sailor kissing a woman. It's a re-creation of the photo taken at the end of World War II. Leave it to me to accidentally choose a romantic setting for our meeting.

When Kristen arrived, I quickly hugged her and then we set out on our run.

"Mel, I want to ask you something. Do you like me?"

"That's a simple question, with a complicated answer." I replied uneasily.

"Let's simplify this. If you met me somewhere, and you weren't a sergeant, and I weren't an ensign, would you want to get to know me?"

"If it was like that, I'd chase you to the ends of the earth till I caught you," I said seriously.

"I'd like that too." Thinking for a minute, she looked over at me. "We're going to have to be exceptionally careful."

"I'd like you to understand happens if we get caught. If I'm lucky, I'd end up working in the armory at Camp Schwab for the rest of my enlistment."

"Is Camp Schwab bad?"

"Let's just say that if there's a bright spot in the Marine Corps, Camp Schwab is the place that's furthest from it. And, working in the armory sucks because there are no windows in the building. It's like working in a cave. Your skin turns all pasty white and you look like crap. If I'm unlucky, I end up working the gate at a base in Afghanistan, wondering if the guy who delivers my sandwiches is going to explode and kill me. For you the options are equally creative. For example, you could end up fixing teeth on a ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the next three years or until your sin is forgotten. Or, you could end up in the brig at Miramar."

"You're not making this up are you?" she asked.

"I'm not making this up."

"Well Knight, I have the strangest feeling that if I don't follow my heart with you, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life. I'm willing to take the chance if you are."

"I'm not sure I could take it if something happened to you," I said reflectively. "Why do you always call me Knight? You did it the night you were drunk."

"You mean I didn't tell you? Ridder is the Norwegian word for Knight," she mused.

*

Over the next two months, we met a couple of times a week for runs. After our runs, I would shower and gently finger myself to a bursting orgasm. At some point, I started sleeping with an extra pillow, holding it as though it were my lover. One day while we were running, she was extra cheerful.

"I had lunch with my great Aunt Mary and Uncle John yesterday. They live up in Long Beach. They've got a cabin up in the mountains northeast of Bakersfield. They've offered to let me use it any time I'd like. What do you think of going up there with me next weekend?"

"You're sure that's what you want?" My heart was beating out of my chest as I waited for her answer.

"I'm sure," she said simply.

As we ran, we made the plans. I would drive my car up to LA and put it in a parking garage. She'd meet me there, and we'd ride up to Kernville together.

When she met me at the garage, she got out of her car and handed me the keys. I realized she was telling me that she trusted me to drive our relationship too. On the longer stretches, her hand reached across the seats and rested itself on my thigh. Our secretive meetings had left us with little opportunity for physical intimacy, and I realized just how amazing it felt to have her touching me.

Finally, we reached her aunt's cabin. It really was a cabin, just one large open room with a fireplace, a bed, and a simple kitchen. In the back was a small bathroom with a toilet, a sink and a shower stall.

I'd wanted her so bad for the past two months that I couldn't control myself any longer. Reaching for her, I pulled her against me. I mashed my lips into hers, demandingly forcing my tongue into her mouth, savoring the softness and sweetness of her. Her breath was coming unevenly and she was moaning deeply into my mouth. I could smell the sweet aroma of arousal rising up from both of us, mingling with her body wash and making a combined scent that was heady and intoxicating. My skin was on fire, and pulling back from her I pulled my shirt over my head, and took off my bra. I'd fantasized about this minute for hours, I'd played it through in my mind while I masturbated, thinking about how slowly and teasingly I would remove her garments, how I would make her cry out in delirium as each new sliver of flesh was exposed. Instead, with her help, I tore her shirt off and stripped her of her bra in seconds. Stepping forward again, I moved my lips back against hers. This time she was prepared, and our tongues dueled as we rubbed our breasts against each other. Her hands moved behind me, grasping my ass and pulling me against her.

Even though the cabin was cool, I could feel her body grow heated as we kissed. When I couldn't take it anymore, I broke the kiss and led her by the hand to the bed. She followed willingly, yet shyly. In bed, we resumed our exploration of each other, only now we were moving more slowly, taking the time to enjoy the other person, and our own pleasure. Deliberately, I worked my way from her ears down to her neck, stopping to feast on the silken hollow of her throat and then moving down to her pert breasts. They were the cutest little cupcakes, each topped with a perfect pink nipple. They were already puffy and crinkly and as my tongue made first made contact, she let out a low growl of lust.

"Oh, baby, that's it. Don't stop," she moaned.

Stopping was the last thing on my mind. As I moved to her other breast, she grasped the hair at the back of my neck and pulled me more tightly to her. I worked one of my legs between her still denim clad thighs. As I alternated sucking each nipple, she ground herself against my thigh. I could feel the pace of her breathing picking up and her cries became louder and more desperate. Suddenly, she stiffened and then convulsed against me. Holding her close, I marveled at how beautiful she was when she came.

When she recovered, she pulled me back to her, and ran her hands through my hair, and down my back trailing her nails roughly down my spine. Then she reached down and unfastened my jeans. Lifting my hips, I helped her slide them off. In an instant, she had her face buried between my legs, licking me through the thin material of my panties. As my excitement built, she pushed them to the side and started directly licking me. I'd thought of myself as the experienced one in our relationship. My sweet little Minnesota farm girl instantly taught me that I had been wrong. It wasn't just her skill, but her enthusiasm. In seconds, I was cumming.

"Oh Kristen, don't stop baby, oh, oh, oh!" Tremors ran through my body as it convulsed over and over. Finally, I could take no more and I literally had to push her away from me.

As I caught my breath, she shucked off her jeans and soaked panties. Then climbing into the bed, she lowered herself over me until we were in a 69. I loved the way delicate way she tasted and I marveled at her wetness as my tongue buried itself into her hot core. I alternated back and forth between nibbling on her lips, spearing her tiny rosebud with my tongue, and giving her long flat licks. As we feasted on each other, a chorus of satisfied sighs and groans filled the room. When her release approached, I brought her clit between my lips and started running my tongue in a continuous circle over it. The result was immediate. She arched her back and her whole body flushed crimson as her orgasm washed over.