Chapter 3

Dad and Deana came back just after noon, and by that time we had everything fully cleaned up. The girls were helping me move the last of my things into the garage, labeling all of the boxes and printing out sheets on the computer with an inventory of what was inside each one.

Dad came and I showed him how I had organized it all, and he was impressed. “This way, if I need to get something or you need to send me something, it should be easy to find. There will be a folder on top with all of the lists, and also inside each box is a copy of what is inside.”

Deana looked a bit sad when she went into my room, and saw that other than the furniture it was mostly empty. I hugged her, and told her I was leaving some of the clothes there. “After all, I will be here on occasion for the next several months. After that, it will all depend on where I get sent.”

Dad made a call to Rosie, and soon all of us were at a table at La Fiesta. Dad even got a carafe of wine, and we all had at least one glass as we discussed what was to come. I told Rosie that Linda was going to drive me to 29 Palms the next morning, I had to be checked in by 3 in the afternoon. She said that was not a problem, and of course Linda had full use of Blue Whale while I was gone once again.

“I can’t have it there, and I see no reason for it to not be used. And this way after school on Friday she can come and pick me up, and we can do different things before we each have to be back on Sunday.”

We talked over dinner, and everybody seemed to agree that these were the best plans we could make without knowing more of what my schedule would be. Mandy then asked if she could come with Linda. I reached out and took her hand in mine and smiled.

“Of course you can sweetie, but let’s wait a few weeks first, alright? Let the first time or two be just Linda and I, and later on we can make plans together for the three of us. Disneyland, Vegas, there are a lot of places all three of us can go to together. And I promise you can come along at least sometimes. Is that good enough?” Mandy smiled and nodded, and came around the table to hug me and give a kiss on my cheek. I even mentioned something I had been considering the last month or so. “Dad, I was even thinking I might get a motorhome.”

He raised his eyebrow, and the gals all looked shocked. “Pete, how can you afford that?” Rosie asked. “I know you are a PFC, do you make enough to afford one?”

“Well, not really. But I have quite a bit saved up. Remember, all the royalties from my writing have just been put in the bank for the last four months. I can not afford a new one, but I think I can afford something like a 25 foot used one. Then I can just use it on weekends, and park it somewhere off-base during the week. And I can take it with me wherever I am stationed. And if I go overseas, I just sign it over to my dad.”

“Pete, if that happens I will just buy it from you. And when you get back, we can then work something else out since it will be a few years older.”

“That works also. It might even be handy for you Deana. You can take it when you go to conventions, and stay in it instead of a hotel. That way you can bring your computer and everything else you need along with you.”

She agreed that sounded like a good idea, and that she had been considering getting a camper van for that very reason. But living in Santa Monica she would have had to rent a place to park it for when it was not used. But here, so long as it was not over 30 feet it could be parked in the driveway.

Finally Rosie and Mandy gave me hugs and kisses goodbye, and we all headed home. I put all my luggage into the truck, and my garment bag. One of the things I had gotten the last week was a hard sided hanging garment bag. The one I was issued was little better than a plastic garbage bag, this one had hard sides, and could hold things like my dress shoes and other things.

Finally everything was loaded, breakfast was cooked and left in the fridge, and after hugs and kisses Linda and I went up to bed. Once there we made love for over an hour, most of the time looking into each other’s eyes if we were not kissing. Towards the end of our first session Linda had her arms and legs wrapped tightly around me, holding me tightly against her. She started to moan loudly as she grew close to her third climax, so I had to kiss her deeply in order to keep her quiet and after some rapid strokes after it washed over her I had my own orgasm.

We both dozed off, and sometime after midnight I woke up and realized I was on my back, and she had already climbed onto me and I was inside of her. This was slow and gentle, almost 30 minutes of rocking and holding each other. And when she started to move faster and reach for her orgasm, I did not even try to hold back. I thrust into her and right before she came I sent my sperm deep into her. Linda continued to rock over and against me and came again shortly afterwards.

When the alarm went off at 5 we each took a shower, and I got dressed in jeans and a shirt. I nuked the breakfast as Linda showered, and when she came down I had already gone to fill the tank. I was back 10 minutes later, and we were heading to 29 Palms.

It was a long, dull four hour trip. We stopped for lunch shortly before we got to the gate, and once I pulled up I handed them my ID. I asked them the directions to reception, and they pointed me where to go. Once I pulled up I had Linda wait outside as I went in and changed into my uniform. Then giving her a kiss I went back in with my orders and reported in.

That took about three hours, and during one break I got all my luggage out and put into the squad bay I was to use, and told Linda to head over to the PX where there was a food court. Finally I was all checked in, and was told to be back down at the reception office at 8 the next morning for what to do next.

When I rejoined Linda, I told her I was staying in a squad bay like in boot camp. But now at least I had a wall locker, so had I hung up my things and locked them up before changing and going to meet her. We had dinner at a fast food place there on base, and then made out for a bit in the parking lot before with a last kiss and a few tears from her she headed back home.

There were three guys and a gal that watched our parting, and they asked if that was my girlfriend. I confirmed that it was, and we all started chatting. One of the guys was from San Diego also, and had graduated the week before I had. The gal and other guy were both from Parris Island, and in the tradition of the Marines we then compared “East Coast” and “West Coast” training. And yeah, they had sand fleas. But we had Mount Motherfucker. They had humidity, we had an International Airport less than a mile away.

They then filled me in on what to expect for the next week. Tomorrow would be filling out travel vouchers, and getting signed into the base and training unit. And we might get a few hours of duty every day or so, mostly to keep us busy until the school started.

A Lance Corporal came out and joined us, and he gave us some more information. It looked like my school would likely not start until the next Monday. That means they would pick us up by a bus on Sunday evening after chow, so we had better be there. He gave us a good idea of what to actually expect at the school, and it was about what I was told. PT in the morning, chow, class all day until around 1600. Then evening chow, and we were on our own unless we had fire watch or some other duty from then until the next morning.

No real official curfew, but we were expected to be back in the barracks by 1AM Sunday through Thursday. Weekends we were on our own, unless once again we had duty of some kind. I asked if I would be allowed to leave on weekends, and he said not a problem. He said though that LA and Vegas were outside of the official travel distance for students. But so long as we did not get into trouble and were back on time, nobody would care.

And of course my new friends pumped me for more information. Only the gal though was in my class, the other two guys were going to be radio technicians. We all chatted and hung out until it was almost time for lights out, so we went on upstairs. It was nice to actually decide when I wanted to go to sleep instead of having it dictated to me.

And the week went as expected. two times I pulled fire watch, and once I was the runner at the duty desk in case somebody needed a message sent. Pretty easy stuff, in addition to getting my medical records updated, some more shots, and getting a few things at the PX.

On Friday night I checked into a room I had reserved at the base hotel, and was waiting at the main gate when Linda pulled up at just after 10. I asked the guard at the gate about her being able to get in, and they told me that since she did not have a military ID and I was a student I could not get a vehicle decal, having me meet her there would probably be the easiest way.

“There is actually nothing against us letting her in if she said she was going to pick you up, but some guys up here are real dicks, and love to be assholes for no reason. But since you are going to be here for months, odds are that in a month or so they will know her enough to just let her in without an issue.”

I thanked him, and I drove us to the hotel. It was nothing fancy, but it had a pool, a gym a short walk away, the chow hall was just down the street, and we had a bed for two nights. There was even a small fridge in there that I had some sodas I had gotten from the PX inside. And some chips and other snacks.

We told each other about our week, then after a lot of kissing and cuddling we made love before we went to sleep. I got us both up at 8, and decided to show her how I had been eating breakfast since September. I had already found out that guests could eat at the chow hall for under a dollar, so we walked there.

We got in the line, and Private Dean was in line a bit ahead of us. I waved at her, and she came back and joined us. I introduced the two of them, and learned her first name was Lisa. And the girls seemed to get along really well. Linda was blown away at the chow hall. There were eggs to order, sausage, bacon, several fruit juices, all you could eat. Lisa and I both got full plates, but Linda only got about half a plate of food.

We all sat to eat, and talk about the weekend. We said that we were going to poke around the base a bit, then probably explore a bit out in town. Linda asked Lisa if she would join us, and she gratefully accepted. It seems she had been there almost two weeks already, and was bored to death. She had not left the base since the bus dropped her off.

So we headed into town, and had a great time. We looked in some stores, and Linda and I checked out some of the motels in town. We had already decided that the next week we would probably get a room out in town. We then told Lisa our plan of going to different places on future weekends, and Linda told Lisa she was of course invited if she wanted to come. Disneyland would be one trip for sure, as would Vegas. Others would be to where we lived in Van Nuys, but we could find a place for her to stay if she wanted to go there.

Lisa was excited, and said it would be great to get away from base when she could. We even hit a few stores, and Linda showed her some of the things that gals would wear here in California. Turns out that Lisa was from Alabama, and had never been to California until the week before. And she and Linda talked a lot about how fashions were different there when compared to here.

“Heck, I never traveled farther than 500 miles from home before I joined the Marines,” she said. That surprised both of us, and I smiled as the girls talked about all of the places Linda and I had gone to in the last two years. And she was even more amazed that I was actually paid to go to many of them. Finally after introducing her to Carl’s Jr, we headed on back to base.

I decided to take another road to get to the hotel once we got on base, and saw a large parking lot with a bunch of vehicles in it. Including motorcycles, trailers, motorhomes, cars, and trucks. And they all seemed to have signs on them. I pulled over, and saw a sign proclaiming it the “Lemon Lot”. And sure enough, all of them were for sale! It seems this was a lot set aside for people on base to sell their vehicles.

We all climbed out, and were going from vehicle to vehicle, seeing what all was available. And when I saw one of them in the back corner, I actually stopped dead in my tracks. I laughed and pointed it out to Linda, and she laughed also. And almost together, we shouted out “The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle!” It took Lisa a second, but she also laughed when she got the reference.

I read the sign in the window, it was a 1975 GMC Motorhome. And it was fully loaded! I looked at the description, and it seems that the owner was a retired Marine who had to settle down after a medical issue. But it seemed to be everything I needed and wanted, and was only $18,000.

Lisa whistled when she saw that, and I just grinned. I wrote down the phone number, and went to the room and had her come up with us as I got the phone. I was soon talking to the owner, and after a little negotiation I offered him $16,500 cash and he accepted.

“But son, you sound a bit young. Can you afford this, or are you just yanking my chain? What’s your rank?”

“Well, I’m a PFC sir. But trust me, I can have a cashiers check here within 5 days to cover the full amount. Let’s just say I have my own income from before I joined, and a trust fund that has more than enough in it to cover this. I would like to give you $300 tonight or tomorrow to hold it for me though sir, and to look it over.”

He said that would be fine, and to meet him back at the rig in 45 minutes. Linda had gotten us all sodas out of the fridge, and of course I was having to explain to Lisa how I really could afford it. “And honestly, I am looking at it as an investment. I can look at getting an RV space out in town, that will save money on hotel bills. And for weekend liberty, we can take this in a lot more comfort if we want to get away. On weeks I go home Linda and I can stay in my room, and I can drive out there myself in this. That avoids her having to make a round trip out here and back to pick me up.”

“But I thought we were not authorized POVs?”

“Yep, and technically this does not count. We are allowed to drive, and to rent or borrow cars. We are just not allowed to have a car at the school. But a car out in town or a girlfriend that picks me up on weekends, that is allowed. I already checked, so long as I do not drive it from Sunday night through Friday when class ends and it is not parked here on base, nobody will care.”

And once we finished the sodas we drove back, and met Gunny Cornell. He was an older retired Marine, craggy as hell and looking like he had served from WWI. Turns out it was only since shortly before WWII, but he was a really great guy. He opened it up and we all looked through it. It had about 120,000 miles, most of that he said from when he first retired and did a lot of traveling. But he was now blind in one eye, and back problems had made such long distance trips impossible for him.

I asked him about places in town I could store it at and campgrounds in the area, and he just grinned. “Hell there PFC, throw me $50 a month and you can park it at my place. I have five acres just ten miles away, and already have all the hookups there needed. Water, power, and sewage. That is where I parked it until I decided to sell it. You said just for storage and some weekend uses, right?”

“Yeah Gunny. From Sunday through Friday it will just sit there. But on some weekends my girlfriend and I will probably stay in it. And on other weekends we are planning on some road trips. Vegas, Anaheim, LA, things like that. It will be more comfortable than my truck, and we will save money on hotel rooms.”

We talked a bit more, and he held out his hand and we shook. He then handed me the keys, and told me to follow him to his house. It was a huge boat of a vehicle, and it seemed to take forever to turn. But it was fairly smooth, and drove really nice. About 15 minutes later he directed us to park near a large yellow and red pole with a Marine Corps flag flying from it, and at the base were all the hookups.

He then showed me how to hook up the power, the water, and the sewer. Then he walked me through how to operate it, how to turn on the water heater, the heater and AC, and it even had a built in vacuum cleaner. A four speaker AM-FM-Cassette deck, CB radio, even a small TV set. This had almost everything.

He brought us into his house and after giving us each a beer he drew out a simple contract, and I handed him $300. He then gave me his address and name and let me use his phone. I called my dad, and after telling him what I had got he said he would go to the bank and have the cashiers check sent Monday for $16,800. I then let the two of them talk for a bit and he seemed more than pleased with the sale.

Gunny Cornell said that was over what we had agreed on, then shook his head when I said the other $300 was for the six months space rent.

“Hell son, I’m just glad she’s going to somebody that seems to appreciate her. If you had only paid me once or twice I actually would have called it even. And you have a great girl here, and you seem to really have some plans for what to do. But what are you going to do if you get sent overseas? That is a real chance, being your first tour after all.”

“Well, in that case Gunny my dad and I already have an agreement. He will pay me the price I pay for it, and when I get back we will have it appraised and he will sell it back at the depreciated value. That way he can get to use it, and I have a feeling he really will. But I can guarantee it will be staying in my family.”

Soon we shook hands again and Linda gave him a big hug and he handed me the keys. We went back in and looked everything over. And it was exactly what I had dreamed of getting. She was 26 feet long, and had two axles in the rear. Linda and I plopped on the dining table as Lisa got in one of the turning Captain’s Chair and we watched TV for a bit.

“This is great you two. I have not even started school yet, but I already have a buddy that has a motorhome, and has offered to take me to places on our weekends off. I have a feeling that we are gonna become good friends before we graduate.”

I agreed with Lisa, and said that since she seemed to get along so well with my girlfriend, that was a good thing. “And this way, she will now have a spy in my class that will tell her if I get drunk at some wild party and start hitting on another girl.” They both laughed at that, and soon it was dark outside and time to go.

Finally we shut everything down, and headed out to a local Mexican place for dinner. After eating we drove back to base, and Linda and Lisa exchanged hugs as we dropped her off at the barracks. Then we went to the hotel and got settled in for the night.

Linda proposed taking our first weekend trip next week to Disneyland, but I said that might not be a good idea. “Babe, that will be at the end of my first week of school, so I will still be learning the schedule. But let’s pencil that in for the week after next, and we can confirm it next weekend. Is that OK?”

She kissed me, and said that it was. We then cuddled in the bed and watched TV, until we were tired. Then we cuddled up together and went to sleep.

The next morning we made love, then took a shower and went to get some breakfast. We met Lisa again and after eating together Linda and I went back to the hotel and made love again. Then after we turned in the room key we kissed goodbye and she said she would meet me on Friday night. I gave her one of the keys to the motorhome and told her to meet me there. I would find some way to get out there, even a taxi would not cost much for such a short distance.

I went back to the barracks, and read until it was time for dinner. Lisa and a few others joined us as we walked to the chow hall, and she was talking about the RV I had got. One of the guys asked me how I was able to do that since we could not have cars there, and I explained the loophole about parking them off-base and only using them on weekends.

“But this will mostly be like a motel for my girlfriend and I. This has a kitchen, a bathroom, and everything else we would need. So we can just set it up as we like and it will be like having a small apartment.”

Two of the guys were going to be in our computer class, and I told them that if we took trips to other areas we would welcome others to join us. “But remember, only as transportation. Say if we go to Disneyland, you need to get your own place. Only Linda and I will be staying in the RV.” And some were not sure about that, until I told them there were a lot of motels right outside the park for $20 a night for two people.

“For two of you, Friday and Saturday night, that would be $20 each. $40 if you want a room by yourself. And we will probably be making a list of other places we want to go to. Knott’s Berry Farm is another theme park in the area. And Long Beach, San Diego, Las Vegas, and twice a month or so I will be going to LA. I’m sure we can find cheap motels in all of those areas, all I ask is that you kick me $10 or so for gas. Oh, and when I drop you off you had better be waiting when I come by to pick you up on Sunday. I will wait a bit, but I will have to get back here so if you are too late, you risk getting left.”

One of them asked how many I could take, and I thought a moment. “Well, I figure in the RV I can fit a total of twelve people. I will be one, Lisa here always has a guaranteed seat so that makes two. So I figure ten more, unless some are willing to sit on the floor.”

“Dude, that ain’t fair! You’re doing that because she’s a gal.”

“Nope, I’m doing that because she and my girlfriend get along really well. And this is mostly a way for my girlfriend and I to be together, I’m offering rides more as a favor to you all. This is not going to be a pecker wagon, full of horny guys. My girlfriend already made that decision, and I am taking her over you all any time.”

Everybody laughed at that, even Lisa. Then once we dropped our trays in the scullery we headed back to the barracks. I put on my Walkman and read until they turned off the lights.

The next week was the same as the one before. Mostly doing make-work, like cleaning the parking lots. Then finally it was Friday, and I was glad for one of the friends I had made. Lance Corporal Hanks was one of the “Reclass” students, a grunt who when he reenlisted got a change to a new MOS. And unlike most of us, he was actually allowed to have a car. The prohibition on cars at the school only applied to those that were going to an MOS school for the first time. And he had no problem in driving me over to Gunny’s house.

One evening during the week I had made a run to the PX, and gotten a bunch of things I thought I would need. Sheets, towels, shower items, and a few other things. I also had a long list of items I wanted to get including dishes, silverware, pots and pans, and other things from food items to soda.

Finally at just after 9 Linda pulled in. I went out and greeted her with a huge hug and kiss, then I brought in two of the things I asked her to bring as she went to the bathroom. Once those and her luggage were inside I set up my addition.

I had her bring my boombox and VCR. I hooked up the VCR to the TV, and put the boombox on the kitchen counter and started one of my tapes. While the rig did have a nice stereo, you had to go all the way into the front to use it and that was kind of a pain in the ass.

We cuddled at the dining table and I put in one of the videos she brought (The Outsiders), and we settled in to watch. And while we were both glad we had this, we both admitted that the couch was not the most comfortable in the world.

“Well, when we are out this week I will see what I can do about finding another way to use a TV. I really want mine, this one in the rig is tiny. I figure if nothing else we can cut a hole in the closet and mount it in there. We lose closet space, but it gives us a nice TV we can watch from the bed.”

Linda said that sounded like a great idea, and I added it to things I wanted to talk over with my dad. The movie was actually pretty good. And while young, all of the actors were really good. Linda then helped me make the bed, then we christened it by making love for the first time what we were already calling the “UAV”.

And while not as comfortable as fucking in an actual bed, it was unquestionably more comfortable than fucking in the back of either Blue Whale or Scout. Afterwards we took turns taking showers, and we realized that all showers would have to be short. The hot water tank was small, and only good for just under ten minutes. Then we headed off, and after we got some breakfast at McDonald’s we went shopping again.

I bought a thin 2 inch foam rubber pad, pillows, more sheets, three blankets, dishes, some pots and a two cast iron skillets, a coffee pot, hand mixer, cooking utensils, plastic drinking glasses, and a few other things from K-Mart. Then to the grocery store where we got some spices, soda, canned food, cereal, eggs, milk, hamburgers, buns and bread, and about $40 of canned and other foods from soup and beans to peanut butter and syrup. Then going back and putting everything away.

After talking for a bit, we decided to go to base for lunch. We went to the chow hall again, and we got hamburgers and had just sat down when Lisa came in. She came to join us, and Linda told her about our first night in the RV.

They giggled when Linda said the bed was not all that comfortable, but it suited our needs just fine. Then she explained our shopping trip, and the VCR that she had brought from home. Lisa said that sounded awesome, so after lunch she joined us and the three of us headed over.

Gunny was outside and we talked a bit, and when I mentioned what I had bought he said he actually had a foam pad he was intending to give us but had forgotten. He went and got it, and we decided we could still use it for the dining table if we took it down into a bed. I then asked him if he could get us some beer, and he smiled. “I will get you a 12 pack every weekend, no more.” I laughed, and said that should be more than enough for two or three weeks, as none of us were heavy drinkers.

He smiled, and said he would be right back. Five minutes later he brought us a 12 pack of Coors, and I handed him $10. “We might have one or two a day each, neither Linda or I drink much. But at the end of the day having a beer is a nice way to unwind.”

For the first time he really looked at Linda, and asked her how old she was. He then whistled and Lisa gasped when she admitted she was 16. “Girl, does your mom know where you are?”

She nodded. “Yeah, Pete and I have been going together for over two years now, and have been engaged since last year. She knows exactly where I am, and what we do together. I hope that’s not a problem, Gunny.”

“Nope, not with me. So two years, that means you were 14 and he was 16. Pete, I suggest you keep this between only the three of you. I ain’t got no problem, you two have been together for a while now. And unless her mom makes a stink there will be no problem there. But some stick in the ass types might make it an issue, and you don’t want that.”

Lisa agreed, and promised to say nothing. And Linda said if she was ever asked again she was 18 and a Senior instead of 16 and a Junior. Gunny then went back to his house, and we all sat down and had a beer, and Linda and I told Lisa about how we had met, a clean version, only discussing skating. And how we had gotten together again a few months later.

“And you have been together ever since, that’s really great. I was dating a guy until I joined the Marines. But we broke up right before I left, we knew we would not be seeing each other for years and neither of us felt the other was right for marriage. But I am happy for you two, I really am. Plus you give me a place to come and hang out with ya’all, and have a beer.”

We all laughed, and Linda restarted The Outsiders again. Lisa had not seen it before, but like all of us had read the book in junior high. She said it followed it really closely, and I agreed, having read it also. And we all thought the cast was incredible. I invited her to stay for dinner, and soon I was cooking some hamburgers and we sat around the table eating.

We all had another beer, and Linda pulled out another tape and started Flashdance. Of course both of them had already seen it, but we all watched it again, and had another beer before it was finished. It was almost 10 when it was over, and when I stood up to go to the bathroom I realized I had more to drink than I usually did.

Fuck. I went back to the front, and each of the girls seemed a bit worse for wear as well as they took their turns. When we were all at the dining table, I admitted that we had a problem. Thankfully Linda kissed my cheek, and offered Lisa the front bed to sleep on. She agreed, and the two went into the back to get shirts to sleep in as I converted the dinette into a bed, and made it up for sleeping. When the girls came back up front I went to the back and got into sweats.