Chapter 5

Junior year started much the same as the previous two. That is, Emily slipped back into the routine of classes with little problem. She and Lynn were still sharing the apartment and now her classes were mostly in the civil engineering field. She still dated a number of men but had yet to find one to hold her interests.

Her cartography class was a lecture of about fifty students. She knew about half of them from the previous year’s classes, but a number of them were unfamiliar. When the first exam was given back one Friday afternoon in mid October, the professor called each by name before handing back the paper. Emily was pleased to see the 98 along with a big, red A on hers.

At the end of class she was feeling quite happy as she gathered her things and prepared to leave for her apartment. As she slipped on her backpack and started towards the door, a voice said, “Emily Letton?”

She turned to see a man, tall, probably a bit over six foot, dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes. A little hesitant she replied, “Yes. I’m Emily.”

“Are you by any chance related to John Letton? Army Captain John Letton?”

Emily stared at him for a second. “Yes, he’s my brother, but he’s not in the army any more.”

The man smiled. “I know that. I’m Donald Moore. I was John’s top non-com during his last assignment. I owe him big time.”

Emily stared at the man, taking in his physical appearance - not bad at all. Definitely not bad. But not just that, his face reflected what Emily could only think of as caring or maybe empathy as well as intelligence. At last she managed to speak. “He said he pulled his sergeant and a couple of men around to safety before he was hit. Was that you?”

“It certainly was. If it weren’t for you brother, I wouldn’t be here. In more ways than one.” He looked around at the empty classroom. “Look, I’d like to talk with you some more. I know a girl as lovely as you probably has something going on tonight, but do you think you might have a little free time sometime?”

Emily blushed a little at the compliment. “Actually I don’t have anything scheduled tonight.” She had been expecting to go out that night but Ralph, the guy who had asked her, had called the night before and tried to insist that they go to a frat party a friend of his was attending. Emily knew such parties were mostly loud, drunken affairs and had no interest along those lines. Ralph had tried to insist and finally Emily had simply told him to forget the whole thing. Now she felt quite happy that she had done so.

“In that case may I take you to dinner?”

“You don’t have to do that. You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to but I want to. Besides if I didn’t want to take a beautiful woman like you out, I should be seeing a shrink.”

Emily laughed. “All right. Just let me go back to my apartment and change first.”

Donald gave a theatrical bow and said, “By all means, Beautiful Lady, although you look wonderful as you are now. Seriously if you want we’ll go to Mancetti’s. I’ll go back and change also. Tell me where your apartment is and I’ll come by about six. How does that sound?”

Mancetti’s was a somewhat upper scale restaurant in the area. Not black tie or anything but a little above what most college students selected. “That will work but it certainly doesn’t have to be anything like Mancetti’s. I’d be just as happy with a Big Boy or something.”

“Ah, but I wouldn’t. Seriously, I would love to take you there. Or even somewhere better.”

“All right. Six it is.” She gave him her address and they parted.

Back in her apartment she made a quick phone call to her brother. John had obtained a job as a senior mechanic at a small place over near Louisville. “Hi, Em. What’s up?”

“I just met a guy in one of my classes who said he was your non--com.”

“Don Moore? How is he?”

Emily’s voice softened. “He looks fine. I just wanted to make sure he really was who he said. He’s asked me to dinner.”

She heard John’s laugh. “He’s a great guy.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice. “Seriously, Em, he really is a great guy. I would trust my life to him and, in fact, did so a number of times. Smart, too. You said he was in one of your classes? I guess he took my advice and went back to school.” For a second he didn’t say anything. Then in a teasing tone, “I hope you’re still taking your pills, Em. He just might be what you’ve been looking for.”

Emily felt herself flush but managed to stammer, “He just asked me to dinner. Said he wanted to talk about you a little.”

Again John laughed. “Don’t worry, Em. He won’t rape you.” Then the teasing voice once more, “Of course, if you decide to rape him...”

Emily felt herself go even more red. Good thing John couldn’t see her. “OK, John, I just wanted to make sure he really was who he said. Talk with you later.”

“Bye, Em. Later.”

Emily went into her bedroom and looked for something that would be appropriate for Mancetti’s. It was fairly cool so the dark blue velvet would be all right. She hoped so. She didn’t have a huge wardrobe. Laying the dress on the bed she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Just at six Donald knocked on her door. She opened it and found him dressed in a tie and dark sport coat. He came in and for a couple of seconds stared at her. Then he gave a decided wolf whistle. Almost immediately he said, “I hope I didn’t offend you, Beautiful Lady, but you are truly lovely. John’s description didn’t begin to do you justice.”

If anything Emily felt embarrassed rather than offended. “No, none taken, I assure you.” The dress Emily had chosen was off the shoulder, somewhat low cut and came to mid thigh. Since coming to college her clothing sense had changed, largely with the help of Lynn and a couple of the other girls she knew. Growing up where she had she would only have envisioned such a dress on television or in some distant world where she would never travel. She still wasn’t completely used to these styles.

Emily had a wrap which she picked up from the couch. Donald immediately took it from her and held it as she put it on. She picked up her purse and Donald held the door as she went out. “You have your key?” he asked and when she nodded he snapped the lock and pulled the door closed, checking that it was secure. He offered his arm and led her to a car parked near the curb. It was a two seat sports car, black in color, and to Emily it looked a little older. Not in bad shape at all but somehow id didn’t look like current models she had seen. He held the door for her and she swung into the low vehicle.

Donald quickly went around to the driver’s side and entered. As he was fastening his seat belt Emily asked, “What kind of car is this?”

“It’s an old Porsche 914. A seventy four model, to be exact. Don’t get the idea I’m rich or anything. I found this one for five hundred, in bad shape, but I managed to rebuild it for not too much. Actually the engine is pure Volkswagon.”

“You fixed it up yourself? It looks great.”

“I learned a lot of mechanics in the army. Just like John. And my dad had a body and repair shop, so I picked up a little of that also.”

Emily leaned back in the low bucket seat as Donald started out. She noticed he drove with smooth and easy actions, as though the car were an extension of the man. In just a few minutes they pulled into the parking lot at Mancetti’s and Donald quickly moved around to open her door, offering his hand to help her out.

Again he offered his arm and they made their way into the restaurant where he quickly told the man who met them, “Don Moore. I have a reservation.”

“Of course. If you will just follow me.”

He quickly led them to a small, secluded booth against a back wall and presented them with menus. “Sara will be serving you.”

In seconds a young woman - probably another college student - asked them for drink orders. Most people here were having wine with their meals but Emily was still under twenty-one. “I could probably get away with it,” she thought, but decided on iced tea instead. She was sure Donald was old enough but he ordered the same.

After they had chosen their selections and the salads had been brought, she confessed, “I called John.” She turned slightly pink as she added, “Just to make sure you were really who you said you were. I hope you aren’t offended, Donald. He did say you were a great guy.”

He smiled. “Not at all. John said you were smart and I would have expected nothing else. By the way, I usually just go by Don.”

“I’m Emily.” She smiled at him. “You said you were John’s sergeant. Just during his last tour?”

“Yes, but I was also with him once on an earlier tour. He was a good officer.” After a second he added, “And a helpful friend.” He shook his head back and forth. “Generally, officers and non-coms don’t hang around a lot together. From a military standpoint that makes a lot of sense. An officer is responsible for all of his men and sometimes that can mean putting some of them in danger. He can’t be playing favorites because of a close friendship. We weren’t really close friends or anything but John was always ready to listen and give me advice if he could.”

He sat back and for a second closed his eyes. When he opened them again he began. “You see, I had attended two years of college. Planned to go into Civil Engineering then, as a matter of fact. But I think things just got to me. I began to feel I was missing out on life or something like that. Anyway, I dropped out and joined the army. Because I had a little engineering background they sent me to mechanic’s school and I ended up in that field. But after a couple of years I began to wish I had stayed in school. Traveling around was interesting at first, but it was getting old. Still, I was advancing nicely. Somehow I ended up talking with John about everything.”

“We spent several evenings together, helping me sort out my own feelings. Nothing really unusual about that. A lot of good officers help their men in ways like that, but somehow John seemed to really care. He finally showed me that I had only two real choices. Either I could leave the army and go back to school to finish what I had started. Or, I could decide to make the army a career in which case I should try to compete a degree and go to OCS to become an officer.” Don stopped and smiled. “He seemed to think I had real leadership qualities.”

Emily broke in to his story. “This was before the attack?”

“Yes. In fact I had finally made up my mind and had decided to leave at the end of my tour and go back to school. When we were hit I only had six weeks left.” He was silent again for a few seconds, obviously deep in thought, remembering. Suddenly he shook his head. “That day we were just going from one place to another. Shouldn’t have been any danger in that area at all. But I guess someone had other ideas. We were suddenly hit by that ambush. There was a small IED that damaged the front of the Humvee. Everyone dived out, two men and myself on the right side, the driver and John on the left. Then the firing started coming from the right, maybe a hundred yards off or so. There wasn’t much cover on our side and John cane around to the back to try and give us some covering fire. The driver did the same. I told the two other guys to get around behind the vehicle while I help fire back. One made it and the other was just going behind the vehicle when he took a round in the leg. John ducked out, exposing himself, and pulled the man into shelter. Then he came back to help again. I stood and started to make a dash to shelter when I took a round in my thigh. Fortunately not a serious hit but it dropped me to my knees. John didn’t hesitate and ran over to pull me back. Not two seconds after he got me behind the Humvee an RPG hit right where I had been. If John hadn’t run out, putting himself in danger, I’d be dead. It cost him his foot. Something from the RPG blast hit him as he shoved me into shelter.”

Emily listened to the story with her eyes locked and her mouth open. John had never given her any details of what had happened.

Don took a deep breath and finished. “Luckily there was another squad that saw what happened. There was an A-10 patrolling in the area and they radioed him. Thirty seconds later a couple of rockets took care of the ambush and the other squad was able to get us to the field hospital.”

For several seconds Emily sat transfixed. “John never told me just what happened. Thank you for doing so.”

“You’re welcome. He did tell you he got a Bronze Star for it, didn’t he?” Emily shook her head back and forth. Don smiled. “That would be like John. The other guy and I weren’t hit badly and recovered quickly. John, of course, was sent on the Germany and back stateside. I never got a chance to see him before he was gone but I e-mailed to thank him and after a couple of weeks was able to talk with him on the phone. Like I said, I owe your brother my life.”

After a few seconds Emily shook her head a bit, then changed the subject. “So you decided to come back to school. What made you choose here?”

Don actually looked slightly embarrassed. “Well, John had talked about his sister going into Civil here and how great you thought the program was. I guess I didn’t want to go back where I had quit before and this sounded good.” Then for just a second he looked slightly more embarrassed. “Besides, John gave such a glowing description of you I wanted to see if you were really as lovely as he said. I see he understated it.”

Now it was Emily who looked a little embarrassed.

As the finished the meal, the conversation turned less serious. They found they talked easily together and discovered a number of interests in common. Emily was finding herself quite attracted to this man and he seemed to be feeling the same about her. Emily hoped he might ask her out again.

When at last he drove her back to her apartment, opened her car door and walked her up to the entrance, both felt quite comfortable with each other.

As she unlocked the door, Don touched her shoulder and she turned to face him. “Emily, I find I’m quite attracted to you. I would love it if you would go out with me again.”

She smiled up at him. “I’d like that, Don.”

“I know it’s short notice, but maybe tomorrow night?”

“I think I can fit that into my schedule,” was her smiling reply.

“Suppose I come by for you about five. We can get something to eat and then maybe find a movie.”

“I’d like that.” After a few seconds of looking at each other she suddenly said, “Good night, Don,” and then surprised both of them by reaching up and placing a quick kiss on his lips.

A stunned look on his face, Don replied, “Good night, Emily.”

Over the next few weeks Don and Emily went out a number of times. Emily always found him polite and attentive to her needs. He never tried to push her but was not afraid to express his opinion even if they disagreed on something. Fortunately, this didn’t happen often, as they found that they had many things in common and generally thought alike.

Don never tried to push Emily into anything sexual but without anyone directly thinking about it they found themselves holding hands as they walked or Don’s arm around her shoulders. It was, in fact, Emily who finally made the first move on their third time together. They were walking through a wooded area of the campus when they stopped next to an old oak tree. After a couple of seconds, just standing there, holding hands, Emily suddenly pulled Don around into the shadows and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down into a long, hot kiss. Don didn’t hesitate and quickly matched her actions. They spent the next thirty minutes in a really hot necking session.

This changed their relationship in some ways but not in others. Their dates became once or twice a week and after almost every one they found somewhere to hide from the lights and spend at least an hour or so in a hot make out session. They didn’t go beyond some heavy petting but obviously enjoyed everything they did. Yet Don’s politeness and thoughtfulness never altered. He held doors, held her chair as she was seated, offered his hand or arm whenever it looked as though it would help. It was also obvious to anyone who watched closely that Don was enamored of the lovely young woman.

Emily was also finding herself entirely caught up with this man. She had never dated anyone this many times or looked forward to dates as much as she found herself doing. While she had made out with other men, she had never done as much with any of them and had never seriously considered sleeping with them. She even surprised herself when she realized she was definitely considering sleeping with Don.

Don lived by himself in an apartment just off the campus. As he had told Emily he could manage this because he had saved some while in the army and had the GI Bill to help with his school. The first time he invited Emily to his apartment was to study for a test they had in their cartography class. They had eaten dinner at a pizza joint nearby and by six were going hard at the books. Over the next three hours they quizzed each other and it became a game to try and catch the other one in a wrong answer. But by nine they began to feel they had done as much as they could to prepare. Closing her book, Emily said, “Well, I guess we are as ready as we’ll ever be for this.”

Don sat up and stretched. “I expect you’re right.” After a second he said, “Want something to drink?”

“Sure.”

“I’ve got diet Coke, coffee, tea, or some white wine.”

Emily smiled at him. “White wine? You know I won’t be legal for another two weeks.” Her twenty first birthday was coming up the last week of November.

Don smiled. “I won’t tell if you won’t. Want some?”

Emily nodded her head slightly. “I guess so. Just a small glass, though.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll both want clear heads in the morning.”

In just a minute Don was back with a glass of Pinot Grigio. He handed it to Emily and raised his own. “To a lovely girl who I’m sure will ace the exam.”

Emily smiled and in returned, “To both of us acing it.”

They took a sip and Emily closed her eyes as the crisp, cool liquid slid down her throat. When she opened them she saw that Don was studying her closely. Suddenly he shook his head and said, “Thanksgiving is coming up next week. Are you planning on going home for the holidays?”

She shook her head back and forth. “No, I don’t think so. It’s a lot of trouble for just four days.”

“Then perhaps I can take you somewhere for Thanksgiving dinner?”

She smiled. I’d like that.”

When they finished the wine the two spent another hour, but not in study. However, when they heard the clock strike ten, the two pulled themselves up from where they had been lying on the couch. “Emily, we should probably get some sleep. That exam will come too quickly in the morning if we don’t.”

Emily straightened her clothing a bit. “I expect you are right, Don, but don’t think I wouldn’t like to spend a little longer here.”

Smiling, he said, “I’d really like that also, but I think I’d better walk you back to your place.”

“You don’t really have to do that. I can make it there on my own.”

“I know you can, but I like spending as much time with you as I can.” Then he stopped for a few seconds. “Emily, I’ve grown really fond of you. You seem to have me completely enthralled.”

For long seconds Emily just looked at him. Inside she was thinking that she was just as caught up in his spell. She had already realized she was coming to think rather seriously about him. At last she quietly said, “No more than you have me enthralled, Don.”

For long seconds both of the young people just looked at each other, neither willing to take the next step of explicitly saying what they both seemed to be feeling. At last Don picked up Emily’s jacket and held it for her. Then with almost no words between them, but with Don’s arm around her waist, they walked the few blocks to Emily’s apartment where they parted with a long, long kiss.

Lynn had already been in bed when Emily came in but was up in the kitchen when she came out the next morning. “Hi. I know you’ve got that exam sometime today. Going to be back for supper?”

“Yeah. It’s at ten this morning.”

“OK. I’ll fix something tonight anyway.”

“Thanks.” After a few seconds, “Lynn, you going to be here next week or are you going somewhere for the holiday?”

“I’m going home. In fact, I’ll probably skip Wednesday and take off Tuesday night.” They were silent for a bit as they each got their food. “Emily, I know you aren’t planning of going home and I’d ask you to come with me but I’m taking Jim to meet my parents. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, Lynn. In fact, Don has asked me out for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“You’re beginning to get a little serious with him aren’t you?”

Emily actually turned a little red. “I’m not sure but I think so. We’re still waiting to see how it goes.”

Lynn looked lost in thought a for a bit. “Jim and I are in about the same situation, I think.” Then she smiled. I do know we are quite compatible in some ways.”

Emily grinned at her. Lynn had been going with Jim quite a lot since September. She was aware the Lynn and Jim were sometimes sleeping together. “I expect you are. Otherwise I’m sure you’d be back in the apartment a bit earlier on weekends. Someday I’ll find out what’s so fascinating about it.”

Lynn laughed. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Girl.”

Emily smiled back at her. “Oh, I have some idea. I guess it’s just that I want to be sure first.”

Lynn’s face took on a serious look. “I know. You’re looking for someone to match those fictional English Lit heros.”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t worry about it. When it happens you will find that whoever it is is just as good as anyone you’ve read about.” She was silent for a few seconds. “I know I did with Jim. Right now I can’t imagine anyone better.”

The girls finished breakfast and then each headed of to her own class.

The test went well and when she returned to the apartment that afternoon, Emily began to think quite seriously about Don. Was she falling in love with him? She wasn’t sure but she did think it was quite likely. How did he feel about her? From everything she could tell, he was feeling pretty much the same.

They got along quite well, had a lot of things in common, and — she felt herself turn a little red — the erotic aspects of their relationship certainly wasn’t lacking. Not lacking in what they had done, at least. Did she want to go further? Before she had ever started college, John had suggested it would be a good idea to start on the pill in case she met someone she wanted that way. She had listened to him, had gotten blood tests and started taking birth control pills early in her freshman year. She had never met anyone that made her want to actually need them. At least until Don. True, she had only known him a couple of months but John had known him much longer and she trusted John’s evaluation of most everything and everyone.

She heard Lynn come in the door and shook her self out of her serious contemplation. “How was the exam?” Lynn asked.

“Not really bad at all. I’m not worried.”

“Great! How about fish for supper?”

“Fine with me. I’ll come help.”

The next week Lynn left for her home on Tuesday night and Emily had the apartment to herself. She made herself a dinner, made sure she had any assignment due the next week completed and then started to pick a book to read. However, nothing seemed to appeal at the moment and she soon found herself just sitting and looking out the window at the dark night.

As she sat there thoughts of Don unsurprisingly came into her head and her mind began to seriously examine how she was feeling about him. She could easily admit to herself that she found him more attractive than any other man she had met at the school. They had interests in common, they were both studying and planning on a career in the same field. She definitely found their amorous activities more exciting than any before. But was she seriously considering a long term - or permanent - relationship? Could she imagine herself married to Don?

She leaned back and closed her eyes. Her immediate response had been to say definitely yes. Still, she had not really given marriage a lot of thought. Oh, it was definitely in her future, she thought, but now? Or even soon? That was a different matter entirely. She wanted to be a working engineer, not just a housewife. Still, Don had never given any indication that he thought women shouldn’t have a career, too.

Finally she shook herself. Don had not said anything to indicate he was interested in a long term relationship, although he did seem to be as enamored with her as she was with him. She had e-mailed her brother several times since she and Don had met and he never was reluctant to say she was making a good choice in seeing him. He had, in fact, once said that she could certainly do a lot worse in finding a boyfriend. She smiled to herself, shaking her head back and forth, and thought that, yes, she definitely could do a lot worse.

Finally she gave a deep sigh and decided to make it an early night and get some sleep. She did have classes in the morning.

Thursday Emily awoke and realized she was free until that afternoon. No classes. No homework. She stretched, but remained lying in bed, sometimes dozing off for a short time, until she noticed the time was nearly nine. She never slept this late. She rose and decided on a quick workout before breakfast. She and Lynn had purchased a treadmill and a small rowing machine so they could exercise in the apartment instead of having to head over to the gym. Now she spent the next forty minutes working up a sweat. When she finished she headed into the bathroom for a quick shower and then, wrapping on her robe, made her way to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast.

After finishing the meal she decided to catch up on a few tasks in the apartment. For the next four hours she washed dishes, did laundry, cleaned up everywhere she could find and rearranged her books and papers which had becomes rather mussed in the last few weeks. She stopped for a couple of leftover pieces of pizza for lunch and by three had the apartment looking the way she wanted.

Emily realized part of the reason she had gone into her domestic fit was to avoid serious thinking about Don and their relationship. She did realize that the only real concern she had was the uncertainty of her own feelings. Well, and maybe a little uncertainty about Don’s feelings. Otherwise she had nothing but anticipation. In fact, she suddenly realized she was quite worked up and excited about seeing him that evening. Don had said he would be by about five and they would go somewhere nice for dinner. That gave her long enough and Emily decided to spend more than her usual time in getting ready.

She generally didn’t spend a lot of time on that at all. Now she took another shower, longer and more relaxed this time. She washed and dried her hair, brushing the fine blond strands to a glow. She wore her hair down below her shoulders, leaving it loose and flowing. She had selected the dark blue velvet she had worn the first time he had taken her to dinner along with a sapphire necklace on a sterling chain. OK, it wasn’t a big, natural sapphire or anything. Emily still could not afford to spend on things like that and wouldn’t have even if she had had the money. But the pure blue of the lab stone looked good against her neck and went well with her eyes and hair.

Just at five Don knocked on her door. “Hi. Come on in.”

He entered and stopped, staring at her. “You are truly beautiful, Emily. More so every time I see you.”

Emily felt her face go warm. She didn’t think she rated that description even if most men would. “Thank you,” she managed.

Don held her coat for her and they headed out to his car. The top was closed. Not surprising considering the temperature was in the low forties. He held her door and offered his hand as she swung into the low seat.

He rounded the car and settled himself behind the wheel. Before starting off he turned towards her and said, “Emily, I wanted to take you somewhere really nice tonight but I’m afraid all the really good restaurants are closed. I didn’t expect everyone to close for Thanksgiving but I guess they are. Anyway, I found a steakhouse that’s open. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why should I mind? As long as it’s not McDonalds, it’s fine with me.”

Don gave a funny laugh. “McDonald’s was closed, too.”

Emily joined his laugh. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

And it was. The food was surprisingly good even if they had steak instead of turkey. The service was fine and the atmosphere was cozy and quiet, partly because it wasn’t very crowded.

When they left, Don drove over to a nearby park where he and Emily had often spent some time. This time it appeared to be completely deserted. “Let’s take a walk,” Emily suggested.

“All right.” Don went around and opened her door, offering his hand again as she rose from her seat.