AllFreeNovel
Share Us
John burst out laughing and shaking his head at the other pilot.
“Hey, have you ever been to Las Vegas?”
“Yeah, once a few years ago… why?”
“I want to take Emily someplace nice…”
“You’ll have to look up stuff online, my friend,” Vapor said quietly. “There is so much change and growth there, that what might have been there a year ago is long gone.”
“Ah… I see.”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you there, but you might look at a show? I’ve heard they are pretty spectacular.”
“I heard they are topless,” John said flatly, frowning, causing Vapor to laugh. “I am not taking Emily to a topless performance. I want to impress her.
“Not all of them – no. I saw concerts, acrobatics, and a comedian when I went – but I will tell you that the food there is incredible. You might see if that little restaurant is still open at the top of the Eiffel Tower.”
“Thank you.”
Gathering up the dates that Emily was going to be out of town, he went to track down his commanding officer to see if he could get his request approved right away. The moment it was, he was going to book his flight and start his planning.
* * *
He brought Reillya cup of coffee, knowing you got more flies with honey than vinegar. Several of the guys had problems with the colonel, but so long as you made him feel important… the older guy never had an issue.
… But then again?
John never rocked the boat.
Nope.
He believed in doing what he was told, staying on the ‘straight and narrow’as his mother used to tell him. If he was ordered to run, he ran. If he was assigned to mop floors… he’d mop floors and spit shine them. He was never a leader like Thumper or Reaper – and quite content in his position.
“X-Ray, what are you…”
“Thought you could use a fresh cup of coffee. I noticed yours went cold during the briefing, since we took a while with all our questions.”
“You aren’t fooling anyone, X-Ray…” Reilly actually chuckled, accepting the coffee. “What do you want?”
“I’d like to see my girlfriend and thought I would check the vacation calendar,” he admitted openly, brandishing the request form that was already filled out. “Looks like it’s clear on those dates. I don’t suppose you’d mind signing this, would you?”
“If everyone appreciated how to ask, we’d probably all get along much smoother,” Reilly said bluntly, shaking his head… but grabbing a pen.
John’s heart hammered, because it wasn’t a done-deal until the document was signed and filed online. Reilly could always change his mind, and he wasn’t sure what he would do if he did.
Reilly signed it and handed the form back to him.
“I’ll just have this filed for you… enjoy your coffee, sir,” John grinned.
“I bet you will,” Reilly said flatly with a slight smile. “You might share with the others that if they come in here with it already filled out, ready to go, and without the attitudes… it would all go so much better.”
“I’ll be happy to pass it along.”
John left the room and hurriedly went to Reilly’s secretary to have his request filed online. Moments later, he was on his way back towards the barracks, whistling, and thrilled.
He was going to call his Emily on Christmas and book his flight.
CHAPTER15
