Chapter 3

Eddie, Al and the radioman chief were invited to go to dinner and then attend a dance at the Australian-American Club, which Eddie had never heard of. The chiefs dressed for the occasion, in a coat and tie. Dinner was at a seafood restaurant, where Valda and two girlfriends ordered a large seafood platter. Mario and his wife also came. Eddie was not fond of seafood, except for an occasional lobster tail, or crab legs, but he found enough on the platter to assuage his hunger. Afterwards, at the dance, he and Valda danced a few dances. Mario’s wife groused about her non-dancing husband, so Valda urged Eddie to ask Mario’s wife for a dance. It ended up being a cha-cha, which Eddie was familiar with, so she was thrilled to dance with him. When the music ended, she gave him a kiss on the mouth, and when he returned to the table, Valda pinched his leg, showing her jealousy. He just took it in stride, grinning at her and playing with her leg, under the table, nearly reaching to her pussy before she stopped his hand with an admonishing look. After the dance, Eddie and Valda went back to her apartment and spent the night making love.

The next morning, Saturday, they lazed in bed until late, but he wanted to return to the ship before noon, so Valda saw him off at the train station, crying softly at their parting. She made sure he still had her phone number, asking him to call her collect, from his next port visit, which would be Brisbane, in two weeks. He promised he would. Getting off the train at Woolloomooloo station, a short walk from the ship, he encountered Gladys Thompson, the wife of one of his fellow chiefs. They had the money to allow her to join her husband on one or two of their port visits. Gladys knew Eddie, through Carol, the two women gravitating to each other because of common beliefs and interests, but he and Chief Carl Thompson had never socialized, either overseas, or when in port. When he ran into her at the train station, he had his coat and slacks on, but his tie was in his pocket. Being a nosy bitch, she immediately asked:

Well, chief, or can I call you Eddie? What brings you out in town so early, all dressed up?”

Thinking quickly, he answered:

“A group of the chiefs were out in town, having dinner at the Australian-American club. The others returned to the ship, but I thought it would be nice to stay one night in a hotel, and not have to listen to all the crap coming over the PA. It was nice to just lay in bed and order room service. I don’t even get that at home.”

She harumphed and said:

“Carol is a busy woman. She has her hands full with working and raising your three kids, who seem to find trouble. I thought she needed a break, so I introduced her to another crewmembers’ wife, Veronica Brady. She invited Carol and I to a party a couple days before I left to meet Carl here, in Sydney. We had a blast! When I get back, I’ll tell her that I ran into you. Anything you want me to relate to her?”

Almost laughing in her face, he replied:

“Um, uh, just tell her I love her, and miss her and the kids. Tell her I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

They bid each other goodbye, and Eddie tried to visualize Gladys naked, eating another woman out. He’d never seen Veronica Brady, but if Steven thought she was a MILF, then she was ten times prettier than Gladys Thompson! He wasn’t sure she bought his story, but he wasn’t going to worry, now. Time enough to pay the piper, upon his return to San Diego.

While in Sydney, Eddie had only talked to Edward a couple times. The young petty officer was on an emotional high, being able to break loose, and seeming to have the same active libido as his biological father, he was living up to the anecdotal image of a sailor: fucking anything in skirts! Eddie did caution him one time, by repeating something he’d heard when he was younger: ‘It’s okay to try on a shoe, before you buy, but don’t shit in it, so you have to take it’! Edward looked at his father as though he had spoken a foreign language, so Eddie gave him the translation: ‘Don’t knock her up and feel obligated to marry her’. Edward agreed it was sage advice. Eddie also cautioned him about STDs, saying he didn’t want to see him at sick call, unless he had pneumonia, chuckling as he said it.

Also, in Sydney, he received letters from each of his family. As expected, Carol was pragmatic, telling him about mundane matters and sending him pictures of Breeanne’s graduation, though it had happened a month previously. She complained about dealing with Marley, during the summer, saying she had to keep a close eye on her, since she was in the throes of puberty. She mentioned the jobs each of their older children had and how they should work harder, to get advanced out of their menial positions. No mention of increased social interaction, so he figured she was being very circumspect about her involvement with the other women. Marley’s letter was a near carbon copy of her last, in that she bemoaned her having to wait to get any attention from her father, but also telling how Steven was doing a fair job of keeping her under control. Breeanne continued to give Eddie a hardon, by writing graphically about what she wanted to do with her dad when he returned. She mentioned her mother acted more secretive than normal, but still displayed her normal overbearing mother act. Steven, on the other hand, was starting to complain about Breeanne wanting him to up his game, as far as his techniques were concerned. She kept harping about: ‘daddy does it this way, or that way, etc.’ Steven told his dad how he wished he’d hurry home, so Breeanne would get off his case. He mentioned how he was trying to see how far he could get with a new MILF, who was married to a Second-Class Petty Officer. She had a new baby, but her husband had just shipped out for WestPac, too! He was being attentive to what he thought she needed, as far as handyman tasks went, hoping to get inside her guard. As far as their mother, he said he’d witnessed a few instances where there were surreptitious kisses and caresses as his mother and Veronica Brady entered the bedroom belonging to Eddie and his wife.