Chapter 8

The selection list came out from the board, and it took a few minutes before Eddie could work up the courage to look at the selectees for Electronics Technician Senior Chief. His evaluations had always been good, but he was still surprised he was so far up on the list. His obligated service must be extended two years past his advancement date. For him, this meant he would have to extend the full two more years, since he would be advanced just prior to his previously planned retirement date. He knew he had to discuss it with Carol now that they had a closer relationship. Al had been selected also, but he still had time before he was eligible to retire, so he could still go out at twenty, as a senior chief. Going home that evening, he was pondering things in his recliner, with a rare can of beer in his hand when Carol walked in from work. Seeing the beer in his hand made her stomach clench, wondering what calamity had befallen her husband, and could it affect the family. Going to his recliner, she knelt at his feet and took a pull on his beer, making a face, like always. She then put her hand on his knee.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you alright?” she inquired.

“I made the list.” he intoned.

“What list? The horndog list? We already knew you qualified.” she quipped.

“The Selection Committee List. I made E-8, Senior Chief!” he announced.

“That’s great, isn’t it? I mean, you’ll be higher in rank, and get more money.” she blurted.

“I’d have to extend my obligation for two years, to accept it. Do you want to stay in the Navy for two more years?” he inquired.

“I’ve followed you for almost the entire twenty years you’ve been in the Navy. What’s two more years? When you do retire, your pension will be that much more. Will they transfer you? Do we have to move?” she questioned.

“I have no idea about the transfer. I wish they would, so I didn’t have to go overseas again. I don’t know. I need to call my detailer, so see if my being an E-8 will require me to be reassigned. I doubt it, but it sometimes happens. Al made E-8, too. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be transferred. So, you think I should take it?” he asked.

“Honey, I think you’re already a ‘Super Chief’, so they’re really demoting you! Yes, I think you should take it. I was worried about what would happen if you retired on time. Me and the girls wouldn’t have given birth by that time. This will give us time to have our babies and raise them to the toddler stage.”

“I’m surprised, babe, by your willingness to stay in the Navy. I understand your reasoning, with the babies and all, so I’ll call my detailer tomorrow and have a long talk with him. What he tells me may affect whether I stay or not. Like I said, I really don’t want to deploy for another six-month cruise.” Eddie exclaimed.

“Edward and Steven are taking the girls out to dinner and a movie, so us old timers are left to our own devices, tonight. I can make us a salad, and then would you be interested in fooling around in the bedroom, my super chief?” she suggested.

“We can have a salad anytime, but I like the idea of fooling around, with no one else at home. That way I can howl when I ravish my baby mama.” he boasted.

“That’s more like crowing, you stud! I can be as loud as I want, also. Maybe Veronica will hear me and eat her heart out with jealousy.” she sassed.

“Well, that gives me incentive to really get you going. Come on, little mother, before we can’t do this without taking precautions.” Eddie admitted.

Getting up and going to the bedroom, they were very animated in their lovemaking and though Carol didn’t get Veronica’s attention, it wasn’t for lack of trying. She reveled in the wondrous sensations Eddie brought out in her and he was cognizant of her just developing gravidity. She had already given in to his many skills and allowed him to control her body as he chose, knowing he would bring her pleasure no matter what he did. He touched, kissed and sucked on her entire body, but as promised, he never attempted to penetrate her fundament with his cock. Everything else was open for discussion, and she usually allowed him to do whatever they discussed. All in all, she was constantly amazed at the pleasure her husband was showering upon her, and she kicked herself for denying him and herself of each and every one of those pleasures. By the time the kids came home, Eddie and Carol had collapsed into a sated slumber, still naked and barely covered by their sheet. Each of the children peeked in on them and backed out again, giggling. They then paired off: Edward and Breeanne, Steven and Marley, to satisfy their own desires. Edward got very little sleep before he had to get up and leave the house just thirty minutes before Eddie left for the ship.

With his detailer on the East coast, Eddie put in a call to him as soon as he could after making sure his division was industriously engaged. His division officer and department head were aware of his selection for advancement and had congratulated him, with the proviso that he hadn’t made up his mind about accepting it. He spent nearly an hour on the phone with his detailer at NavPers in D.C. At the end of his call, he wasn’t sure he was any closer to deciding, but wanted to talk with Carol about what the detailer had told him. He knew Al was also contacting his own detailer, but the two friends failed to cross paths that day, so he didn’t know what the HMC had discovered. He did run across Edward and saw the haggard look on his face. He just chuckled and told his son that maybe he should rethink his association with the Nolan family. Edward just smiled and told him:

“No way!”

Walking in his front door, Eddie changed his clothes and went to the living room to ruminate in his sofa until Carol came home. Marley came out of her room but made no advances to her father other than to greet him with a kiss and hug. Steven was doing homework, and Carol arrived just minutes ahead of Breeanne. Eddie announced that a family council would be held during dinner. All three women pitched in to prepare supper and after they sat down to eat, he opened the ball:

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you three last night, but your mother already knows that I have been selected to be advanced to senior chief...”

Everyone spoke at once, congratulating him and hooting and whistling. When that died down, he continued:

“It’s not cut and dried. I have to stay in the Navy for two more years if I want to accept the advancement. That’s the sticking point, so far. How do you all feel about me extending my enlistment? You were all expecting me to retire within a few months.”

“Would we stay here, in this house?” Steven inquired.

“There’s a good possibility of that. I know your mother is in favor of me staying, if for no other reason than to give you mommies-to-be the opportunity to have your children and start raising them before I go out into the civilian world. There are a few things I learned today, when I called my representative back at the bureau in Washington. I’ve been on this ship for a little over a year, and they like to keep personnel on board at least eighteen months before transferring them again. That leaves me about four months to go, which is what it would have been if I put in for retirement. I told your mother that I didn’t want to go on another six-month deployment, if I could help it. I figure the ship will do local ops for another six months, and then deploy to WestPac again. If I can get off before it leaves, I’d be happy because you ladies are due in about seven and a half months, according to your first pre-natal visit. So, if I must deploy, I’ll miss all the births. That being said, my detailer told me that they don’t necessarily transfer you, just because you make rate. My ship has a billet for an E-7 electronics technician, but that doesn’t mean they would automatically transfer me as an E-8. On the other hand, they have an abundance of E-7 ETs returning to sea duty, so if I leave, it would open up my billet on this ship.”