Chapter Six - part five

    It was a formal invitation for him to attend a New Years Eve party. The party was being held at the AOG building. It was being put on by the AOG, Association of Graduates. It wasn't unheard of for cadets to be invited, but they were normally Firstees or maybe a few of those who would soon be moving up as Firstees. James didn't know what to make of it. How could they have asked him to attend a function where he would stick out no matter what he did? Was this just one more effort to put him into a place he couldn't get out of in one piece? He was one of only a few cadets who were back in time for it, but that wouldn't make it any easier. As he headed back to his room he tried to sort this latest surprise out in his mind. He had another shock when he returned to his hallway. There was another message waiting for him. He was to report to the Senior Master Sergeant Baker, A.S.A.P., concerning an important matter. Now what did Sarah want with him? It was an official summons, so he dropped his gear and headed directly to her room. That should be where she was, since she had already signed in for the day.

    He knocked and waited for a response. He was shocked again when she opened the door and smiled at him. She wasn't in uniform. She was in a tee shirt and from what he could tell not much more. She had a private room, so she could dress very casual with no issues at all. James felt the heat rising in his cheeks even before he heard her laughter. She left the door open and told him to come in. She walked back in and took a seat on her bed. That left a nice desk chair for him, but James stayed on his feet. Sarah just grinned, but said nothing about that. Instead she went straight to the point. "Have you stopped by to pick up your mail yet?" When he nodded she just smiled as she spoke. "Good, I won't have to catch you if you faint. I assume you have read the invitation and are wondering what is going on." Again a nod was his only response. He wasn't sure he could have spoken if he wanted too. It was bad enough trying to adjust to the invitation, but her sitting there in just a black tee shirt was too much. James was trying very hard not to look too closely or think too much.

    Sarah proceeded as if she was unaware of his discomfort. "Well it seems that you are still the center of attention for a lot of people. I was given a heads up that you would be invited. You are one of the very rare and very few four degrees who ever managed to get the supers pin. Between the Ironman run and nailing that pin you have a lot of AOG folks curious. The only way they can get a good look at you is for you to attend this party. Listen Cooper, you have to show up. And once you do show up, you have to stick it out. I wish I could tell you it will be easy, but it won't be easy. I got to go last year as third degree cadet, but that was as a guest of a Firstee." She hesitated. "I was thinking that maybe you could go as my date; you know to sort of take the focus off of you being a newbie. What do you say, Cooper?"

    Now James did sit down. How many more surprises would he have to deal with? She had just asked him to be her date. He sat there just staring at her in stunned silence. What was he going to say? What should he say? Darn it, she was one of his superiors. She would be a firstee next year and word was that she might get the top spot in Mach One. Could he be her date? What would the officers think of that? Oh no, what would the other cadets think? What was worse, what would they do because of it?  James dropped his head into his hands and began to groan. Why him? Why did he have to deal with all of these constant problems? Something hit him in the head and it hurt! He yelled and began rubbing his head as he looked up in shock for the source of his sudden pain.

    Sarah wasn't sitting down anymore. She was standing up and she was pissed. If looks could kill, then he was as good as buried. He dropped his eyes and saw the textbook that was lying on the floor. Dang, she could have knocked him out with that! He looked back up just in time to dodge another. Sarah was really pissed. He didn't think he had ever seen her look that mad before, and he had seen her plenty mad over some of the stunts the Doolies had pulled in Mach One. He had felt her wrath then too, but nothing like this. As he prepared to dodge again if needed she began to speak. She wasn't yelling, but her voice was loud and clear, because she was still very pissed. "Well, excuse the heck out of me! I didn't realize that going out as my date would be such a horrible thing! I thought I was a decent looking girl! I thought you might enjoy my company! Well fine with me, if you want to face them on your own, well just go for it... Ironman! I hope they roast you alive! I thought we were friends, but I guess I was very wrong!"

    James was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. Oh wow! He had really screwed things up now! A light knock made them both look at the door. The cadet who had been manning the desk was there, looking very nervous.  "Is everything alright in here? I thought I heard someone yell... in pain?" Sarah glared at him as she spoke. "Unless you are looking for some pain of your own I suggest you get out!" TT The cadet snapped to attention as he gave a quick reply and disappeared without giving James a second glance. "MA'AM, YES MA'AM!" He was gone just that quick. Sarah turned her attention back to James, but that brief interruption had been just enough time. James held both his hands up in surrender and slowly came to his feet trying to look as helpless as he could. Standing with his hands still held up in front of him he managed a half smile.

    "Please listen, I didn't mean it like that at all. I just wasn't expecting anything like this when I got back here. I thought I would have a couple of days to just unwind and not be on full alert before everyone got back. Just let me live long enough to explain. Then I promise, I won't even yell if you decide to kill me. And Joe will bury the body for you, no questions asked.” Joe was the third degree who was at the desk. He might well be the only other cadet in Mach One at the moment, and he had been terrified when he left after checking on them. Sarah relaxed just a bit, but only a bit. She was still tense and clearly still pissed in a major way. James tried to compose himself before he started to speak again, but he kept his hands up... just in case. As he tried to find the right words he couldn't keep from grinning just a little. Sarah was a very good looking young woman. He had known that before, but now he realized that she was beyond that, far beyond. She was absolutely beautiful. Standing there in that black tee-shirt with her arms folded under her breasts she was stunning. The shirt just barely covered her bottom. It was well worn and snug with her arms folded against herself. James was pretty certain that was all she had on too!

   "Look, I think maybe we need to try this all over. My reaction had nothing to do with you, well not the way you were thinking. I mean, oh, I don't know what I mean. All I could think about was what kind of a mess everything else would be. I wasn't thinking about being your date at all. I can't even imagine that. Sarah you are just so far beyond me that I just never thought... well I thought, but I. Dang it! Sarah you have had my head screwed up since the first time you spoke to me at the Chapel. I can't think straight unless I just focus on you being Senior Master Sergeant Baker. If I even start to really look at you... darn it! I am doing it now. I can't think. I can't even talk. I am helpless! The idea of going on a date with you would be great, but what would it cost?" Sarah had been starting to relax, but the last question had made her start to stiffen up and get red again. James quickly stepped forward. "Wait! Please wait! I didn't mean it like that! Sarah, I am just afraid of getting you involved. It is bad enough when I have to take their abuse, but I don't want you involved in it. Look I really like you... a lot; maybe too much. I mean you are my superior and I know the rules, but when I am around you..." He just stopped. She was starting to smile.

    Sarah stepped even closer to James and rose up on her tiptoes so that she was almost able to look into his eyes. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't glaring at him anymore either. "Cooper... I may be your superior, but in case you haven't noticed I am a woman too." Then she did grin and he saw something in her eyes that made his heart skip a few beats. She dropped back onto her bare feet and stepped back, spreading her arms as she did. She turned slowly around as she spoke in a much softer voice to him. "Look at me Cooper. Don't I look like a woman to you? Don't you like what you see?" She stopped facing him once again. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He wasn't sure he could talk. Finally she started to laugh and shook her head at him in amusement. She took her seat on the bed again before she stopped laughing. Then she just sat watching him for a minute. After he managed to sit down again she spoke very softly.

    "Cooper, why do you think I was waiting for you... dressed like this?" She spread her hands and looked down at herself. "I like you way too much and I know that. I am your superior and I wish I wasn't. Cooper, do you really think I would let just anybody in my room when I am half dressed? I wanted you to notice me. I wanted you to look." She giggled and looked away. She was as red as he was now. "I don't know what it will cost for you to be my date, but I honestly don't care. I haven't been out on a real date for three years. Oh, I have gone out. I have even slapped a few faces, but I haven't been on a real date since I came here. This won't be a real date either, not like that anyway. I just thought maybe it would be easier on you and fun for us to try. I still think it would be fun. I don't know what I feel about you, but I feel something. I think maybe you feel it too. I just thought this might be a chance for us to try out dating. You know without any strings, attachments, or even expectations, just two friends out for an evening together. Can you handle that or is that too much to ask?"

    James let out a long sigh and nodded his head in relief. Then he grinned as he spoke. "Yeah, I think I can handle that." Then he laughed. "But jeez, you didn't have to do this. Sarah, I have to work, to not look at you, even in your uniform. Now, I don't think I will be able to even try to do that. I sure don't want to do that." He shook his head again. "If you wanted me to look at you then you sure are getting what you want. I will never be able to get you out of my head now... not that I want too! I mean... oh heck, here I go again." He dropped his head and blushed even more. If he didn't shut up he was going to tell her what he was really thinking about and... It would be best if he just shut up!

    Sarah had gone through several shades of red herself, while he was talking. She had to make herself remain seated and not pull the blanket over her legs. She could have told him that it was a combination of desperation and determination that had driven her to this. There had been plenty of attention from other cadets her first year. In fact she had been forced to beat the crap out of more than one cadre who didn't understand the word 'NO'. She had finally resorted to rooming with another girl and letting it be known that they were a couple, though they weren't at all. This year had been the first year she hadn't had her as a roommate. She was still in Mach One and they still went out together sometimes. It made life easier for both of them. The problem cadets were so thick headed they hadn't figured out the trick. The rest had and respected it. James was another matter entirely. He had gotten her attention, but the more time she spent around him the worse it had become for her. She couldn't help giggling as she thought about it. What would he have done if she had done what she had thought about doing? She had considered just wrapping a wet towel around her to answer the door. The only thing that had stopped her was all of her towels were either too big to show enough or too small to hide enough!

    She managed to regain her composure and they worked out the details for them attending the party. That was the longest ten minutes of her life. By the time James had left he was back to giving formal answers, starting and ending with ma'am, but there was nothing formal about the way he looked at her. Sarah wasn't sure how this was going to work out, but she knew one thing for certain. She liked the way he was looking at her. She hadn't been sure he would be interested, but now she suspected that he was more than interested. The best part of it was she was reasonably sure that he had been that way before she did this. She couldn't be 100% sure that he would be what she thought he was, but she just couldn't believe he would be like some of the other macho butts that had tried to show her what she was missing. James was still a question mark to her in many areas. He was very reserved and seldom revealed much about what was going on inside. If she was right about the way he had been looking at her, well maybe this would be a happy New Year after all.