Chapter 46

It was not until June that I got called into the Company Office. But I knew what it was about, Frannie had been called in the week before and she had already told me what she had gotten. I reported in, and the Staff Sergeant handed me a telex printout.

I scanned through it, it was a copy of my orders. 1 August I was to be detached from the Third Marine Division, and after appropriate PCS Leave policies in place I would report to Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona. I quickly ran this information through my head.

Yuma was about 300 miles from home, about a five hour drive. Right on the California-Arizona border, almost due east of San Diego. Nothing like what I had hoped for, but a hell of a lot better than catching Lejeune. I could not go home on weekends very often, but it was plenty close enough for a 96.

I read through it two more times, then nodded. “OK Staff Sergeant, looks good, but can I refuse?”

“Sure, just sign a three month extension, and throw your hat back in the ring for another posting. If this was for the school at Stumps, or the Drill Field or Recruiting at San Diego you would likely be SOL. But this, you can go ahead and stick it here for another three months and try again. You might get something better, but of course you might get something worse also. All up to you.”

“OK, I’ll take it. I live about five hours from there, so I could make it home at least during a 96. Would that be a problem?”

“Officially? Nope, just don’t tell them. On the books, there is a limit of around 250 miles during a 96. But the Corps also tends to look the other way if you violate that, so long as you do not do anything stupid. So long as you are back on duty when it ends, nobody will care. Go there, come back, you will be fine. But if you say get a DUI while you are there, then you are fucked.”

I laughed, knowing by well how the Corps worked. You got a lot of freedom, and a lot of “rules and regulations” were regularly ignored. But if you broke them outright or did something stupid, you got slammed.

I told Frannie the news, and she was happy. “Well, Treasure Island is not all that far away, so we can get together in LA sometimes. It’s about six hours for each of us, so that is a good half-way point.”

“Sure, we can even do it for a convention. I think OrcCon has moved to near the LA Airport, so we can hook up there.”

The calls that evening were good news for almost everybody. Dad was thrilled to hear I was going to be home soon, even if it was five hours away. Holly was excited also, and she had news for me also. Seems that next month she was moving in with her boyfriend. They were just tired of having to rent hotel rooms if they wanted to get together, and neither of them had cars that were as good for some activities as I had in the past.

Rosie told me Mandy was out on a date, but she was glad to hear I would be home soon. I asked her if I should call back later, and she laughed. “I don’t think I will see Mandy until tomorrow, to be honest. Yes, she spends a night or two a month now like that.” I told her the news from Holly, and she chuckled.

“Yes, you all are grown up now. Seems like only a few months ago you all would be taking off to go to the beach, or Disneyland. Now, she is about to graduate college, you are coming home after being in Japan for over three years, and I may an old maid living in this place all by myself.”

“Oh Rosie, you were never an ‘old maid’. You were just, discreet.”

She laughed, and asked how I would know that. “Well, let’s just say that many years ago you had the girls stay with me while you had to make a trip to, Portland was it? But I remember it was funny, when I took your luggage into the house there were no airline tags on it. As if you had not flown anywhere, but instead drove somewhere.”

“Did you tell Linda about that?”

“Nope, nor Mandy. Like you always said, discreet.”

“Well, at the time I was kinda seeing a guy from another office in my building. We were getting serious, were even thinking of letting the girls know. He got transferred to another state though, so it kinda ended after that weekend.”

Knowing that my time was drawing to a close, I contacted MWR, and made reservations for a cabin at Kin Beach. They took the phone reservation, and told me I had 72 hours to come down and fill out the paperwork and leave a deposit. Thankfully the same Chief was there, and he smiled when I handed him the card he had given me a few days later.

“Ah, welcome back Corporal Culver. Yes, this is still good. Is your friend going to be here again also?”

I told him she had already gone back to the states, but I was sure I could find somebody to stay with me. Or if nothing else, just enjoy the weekend of peace and quiet. He said not a problem, but to remember that if I had more than one guest there would be an additional charge if they were over 18.

The convention at Butler had gone off without a hitch though. It got a bit crowded the first day, and I made a note that it should be promoted less than the one at Kadena. We had simply called it “Butler Con”, and I was more than a little shocked when at the next board meeting when I told them I was going to tend my resignation the next month that they were voting in new names for the conventions.

I voted against it, but it still carried. “OkiCon” was now the official name of the small conventions each 96 that rotated from camp to camp. “KadenaCon” was for the large Thanksgiving convention that would be held there at Kadena. And the Memorial Day convention at Camp Butler?

ButCon!

Great, in my resume I could now add to it that I had helped create “ButCon”. Might be great, if I ever need to start one in San Francisco.

That night I was having some drinks with Frannie at the NCO club, and when she asked what I was going to do during the 96 I said I had a cabin reserved at Kin Beach. She asked if I was taking Deb, and I just shook my head. “Naw, she’s actually going to be home on leave then. She leaves in two weeks, and we are spending next weekend up at Ie Shima together. So it’s probably gonna be just me.”

“Well, you could always ask your best friend.”

I pretended to ponder it for a minute, and shook my head. “Well, if I thought I could get Holly out here I would. But that ain’t gonna happen.” I then laughed as she started slapping my arm and chest. “I’m joking Frannie, I’m joking! But to be honest, you are by far my best friend here. I would say I have maybe five in the world. Holly is always number one, always will be. And Kim is more my sister than best friend, But the rest of you are all number two equally. Holly, she’s just special.”

“Yeah, that she is. But what about me?”

“Well, I thought you were seeing that guy from Hansen? The grunt with the big arms and big chest.”

“Well, that’s over already. He also had a small brain and a small pecker. I could deal with the latter, but he kept trying to use that head there to do all his thinking. I finally had to cut him loose.”

“I’m sorry. Of course you can stay with me. A last weekend trip before we both leave this rock. Sounds like a lot of fun actually.”

My last weekend with Deb was about as I expected. We made love for hours each night, and walked the beaches and shops in the day. And with only a few tears and a lot of kisses we said we would miss each other.

And on the 4th of July weekend, we threw everything into my car and headed south. Most of the trip there we had talked about our time on the island, and the people we had seen come and go. But both of us were looking to get home to the “Land of the big PX”, where we would have more than one TV and two radio stations to enjoy.

We got checked in, and she looked in puzzlement when she saw all my dive gear in the trunk of the car. “Pete, I hope you don’t plan on going diving and leaving me on the beach for an hour at a time during this trip! That would suck!”

“Nope, I can promise I will not be doing that. But let’s put these things in the room, then go get some dinner.” We decided that yakisoba sounded good, so we headed over to Kinville and got dinner at the truck just outside the gate to Hansen at the end of the club street. Then after walking the streets a bit we hit Sergeant Pepper’s. We had a lot of fun, chatting with a few we knew from the base there and dancing before deciding to head back to the cabin after two drinks each.

Frannie told me to take a shower first, and after I was finished I got into shorts and T and was sitting on the patio as she took her shower. This was a different cabin than my last visit, all the way at the end of the row this time, instead of at the other end near the lodge. I was looking over the cliff at the Pacific, hearing the waves in the distance and watching the moonlight play off of them.

I was brought out of my wandering when Frannie came out and sat in my lap. My arms wrapped around her waist instinctively, and her arms went around my neck. She leaned in close, and we were kissing as we held each other.

After about five minutes, she broke apart. Both of us were slightly breathless, and looked into each other’s eyes. “Pete, this is our last weekend together. In a few weeks we are both leaving, and we will never have this chance again. Will you please sleep with me?”

I reached up and lightly caressed her cheek. “Yes Frannie, I will sleep with you. I will even make love to you, if you wish.”

She moaned softly, then kissed me deeply after I said that, then pulled back. “You have changed a lot in the last year. You never would have done this a year ago.”

“Well, let’s just say I have been doing a lot of learning and growing since the Ball. Deb helped a lot actually. Jacki was the one that got me to understand that I can have a love that is not forever, that I can just have fun with while we are together then move on. Deb showed me I can make love to somebody who is really just a friend, and keep them as a friend afterwards. I will never be like some people I don’t think. Where I can just hop into bed with just anybody. But now, I think I can decide to sleep with somebody if it feels right, even knowing it is all we will ever have together.”

Ten minutes later we slipped back into the cabin, and fifteen minutes after that I was slipping into Frannie. And it was like making love to a tsunami. While not as small as Linda, they were both similar in body build. And when she wrapped her thighs and arms around me, Frannie as much pulled herself up onto me as I plunged down into her. I learned quickly she was very vocal, and loved to encourage me how she wanted me to move over and in her. And I loved following her directions.

Her first orgasm had just finished washing over her body, and I was holding myself still deep inside when I suddenly realized something I had not thought about in the previous twenty minutes. “Uh, Frannie, I forgot to put anything on.”

She giggled. “Well, that just means I’m pregnant now and you have to marry me. Shh, I’m teasing Pete. I’ve been on the pill for years. And you are the first guy I have done this with in well over a year that I let inside without a rubber. So I know I’m safe. And I’m pretty sure that Deb is safe. And I’m pretty sure that when you visit the Seam Bath you use one. So I ain’t worried.”

“Steam Bath?” I said, making sure it really sounded like a question.

“Oh, I’ve seen you go in there before. Even saw you leave once or twice. I know what you do in there, and am pretty sure you are always covered. Did you ever notice that hotel next door? Where do you think I normally went if I had a guy? That little hotel we found near Kadena closed last year, so I go to that one now. The windows there have a great view of the street, and let’s just say the first time I saw you go in I was getting it from behind as I was looking out the window. Kinda surprised me, to be honest. But also good in a way, as it showed you were starting to come out of that shell you had built up around yourself.”

I rolled us both over, and reached up to grasp her amazing breasts as she started to ride me. “Why do you think I mentioned a few times I was jealous of you guys? You all wanna get laid, you just go to a place like that or hit up a bargirl. Have your fun, and nobody thinks bad of it. We ain’t got nothing like that. We gotta find some guy, and not get a different one each time we wanna get laid or we get thought of as a slut. I will admit, I had hoped at one time last year we might hook up again, once you were ready. And now that it’s almost over we finally do.”

“Hmm, and it’s amazing. Fuck, I can barely believe how good this feels with you Frannie.”

“Me too Pete, me too. We may only have this weekend, but I plan on wearing you out between now and then. So you better be ready, you are going to have me as a nympho girlfriend until we get back to base.” At that, she lowered her body against mine and we started kissing deeply. And this time I was barely able to hold off until I felt her clenching me through her orgasm as I had my own.

We made love again just as the sun was coming over the ocean the next morning, and Frannie was insistent that I not hold back at all. I thrust into and out of her deep and fast, and she was gripping me tightly and moaning “Yes, yes, yes,” over and over again as I sank into her and slid back out. I could not hold off any longer and plunged deeply inside and started to cum when she shuddered under me, pulling my lips from her neck and kissing me deeply. It was very satisfying, kissing and holding each other afterward as we both glowed from our orgasms.

After breakfast at the chow hall, she realized that she had forgotten to grab a few things, so we drove to Hansen to hit the exchange. Frannie got some shampoo and a few magazines. And it surprised her when I pulled up in front of the dive locker.

“Pete, I told you I was not gonna sit on the beach as you go diving!”

“You’re not!” I said, and held her hand as I took her hand and pulled her inside. By this time I had gotten to know Carl inside, and soon I had him helping Frannie with a mask, snorkel, and fins. “This is all you need for skin diving, and I got no problem paying for it. I can probably find somebody to sell it to without a problem.”

“Oh Pete, I’ll pay for it. This will be mine, I really have wanted to try this for a long time now. Just go look at the rest of the toys, I’ll be looking until I decide what I want.”

I got the other guy to the side and had him throw a tank in my trunk when Frannie was busy, and soon found myself looking at the display in the back. “Ain’t that sweet?” Carl said. “It’s a Nikonos V, just got it in last week. Good for 150 feet, and a big improvement over the older III and IV.”

“Standard 35mm?”

“Yep, good for surface or underwater shooting.” He used his key to open the cabinet, and pulled it out and handed it to me. It was a bit heavier than I expected. “Negative buoyant?”

“Well, pretty much neutrally buoyant they claim in salt water down to around 60 feet. Will sink, but slow enough that if you drop it without a tether you should be able to grab it before it sinks too far in saltwater. But you should still use a tether unless you are in really shallow water. It is negative in fresh water, and will sink faster. I read in an article though that if you are under 60 feet it sinks like a rock.”

“Hmm, nice. Sold many?”

Carl just laughed. “What, at just under $600 each? Not a one, but I do sell some of that Canon Aqua Snappy there. It’s only $100, but only good really for skin diving. Only good for about 10 meters down”

I looked over at Frannie, she was looking at the fins with the other clerk on duty. “Well, wrap this one up, I’m taking it. I’m gonna go help Frannie there, she is looking at the split fin, and that is a bit much for her I think.”

Finally we had her all set up, and she actually seemed happy with what she was getting. Carl even grabbed a pair of felt-soled tatami dive boots from the back that were a size too large, but for $10 she got them. “Pete, why are the soles covered in felt?”

“Sea urchins. Their spines will go right through most shoes and boots, but the felt makes them break off so they do not go through them. And trust me, I’ve had sea urchin spines in me before, they are a real bitch.”

I took the bags and threw them in the trunk, and after a quick pizza at the snack bar and another stop at the PX for film and batteries we were heading back to the cabins. I got the camera all loaded up as Frannie got changed into a bikini.

Holy hell she looked good! Her firm high breasts looked amazing in it, and the dark blue looked amazing. I quickly changed into shorts and a shirt and we drove down to the beach at the bottom of the cliff. She was adjusting her gear as I pulled out my Buoyancy Control Vest and fitting my tank to the back and attaching the regulator. “Pete, you are so going diving!”

“Cutie, we are going diving. We are going out together, then I will sink to the bottom. I want to take some photographs, and can’t really do that with just what I hold in my lungs. Here is all you need to know. See the regulator here? If you need a breath, put it in your mouth and breathe out a bit to clear any water that is inside. Then just breathe in normally, Take a breath or two, then just drop it and keep going. In fact, you will likely find that what breaths you take last longer when we are underwater. The important thing to remember is that if you need to surface, breathe out! The air will be compressed, so as you surface it will expand so you got to let it out. This way you can stay down a bit longer, but it will be fun. Trust me.”

I just added the BCD, and left the weight belt and wetsuit in the back. And hand in hand we walked to the water. Once out to just past my waist we put on our fins and we snorkeled out to where it was about 10 feet deep. I handed her the regulator and had her take a few breaths, showing that it really was not much different than breathing normally. I then let out the air I had put in the BCD and sank to the bottom as she swam on the surface.

And the first shot of my new camera was a good one. She was still on the surface, and the sun was making rays that seemed to come from her body. The blue bikini made a great contrast with her skin and the water around her.

She looked down at me, then with a little effort made her way down. I was next to a small coral reef, and she smiled at me around her snorkel, then started to look at the coral. But after about a minute she went back to the surface. But not for long, as she was soon next to me again. I had taken a few more shots, one of a lionfish hovering nearby watching. I pointed it out to her, and made a motion telling her to not touch it. She nodded, and I took her hand and put the regulator in it.

She popped out her snorkel and took a few breaths, then nodded and let it go. We spent the next five minutes exploring the reef, with Frannie taking another breath as she needed it instead of surfacing again. We had gotten to the end of that section of the reef, and I pulled up my gauge cluster. Well over 1,000 pounds of air left, and we were at just under 30 feet. I pulled up the dive charts in my head and smiled. We could both stay at this depth for over an hour without worry. I would run out of air in the tank long before we were in danger of getting saturated with nitrogen.