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Hot Cakes chuckled, shaking his head, and cut one of his chicken tenders into bites. John just picked his up with his fingers, scooping up the potato/pea/gravy mixture heavily, and taking a bite.
“Mmm… heaven,” he uttered, chewing.
“Vapor! Knock it off!” Hot Cakes suddenly snarled beside him, and John saw that the other guy was at the next table, flinging peas at them like he was a child.
There were three loose peas on the wood laminate table before them – and John picked one up, popped it in his mouth, and gave Vapor a thumbs up.
“I’ll take your cherry crumble dessert too, buddy…” John said loudly, grinning.
“It’s the only thing edible, X-Ray… I don’t think so,” Vapor laughed.
“Nahhh…” John replied, scooping up another blob of the white goopy mixture on his chicken tenders with relish and taking a bite. “This is the best stuff ever. If I ever find me a girl that likes her peas and ‘taters mixed with gravy… I’m gonna marry her.”
“That would require wearing shoes down the aisle, Cajun.”
“Cajun’s sittin’ on the other side of the room… and you need your eyes checked pretty boy,” John mocked, unphased as Hot Cakes glared at Vapor.
There was no love lost between the two men and he wasn’t exactly sure why, but something about Vapor pushed the other pilot’s buttons.
“Does your girlfriend eat… peas and ‘taters…” Hot Cakes asked, stumbling over the mock-accent.
“No girlfriend,” John admitted – and then suddenly looked at him warily. “Why?”
“Just curious. I don’t know a lot about you outside of work, I guess.”
“Yeah, no girlfriend – and no urge to have one, honestly. I mean, would it be nice someday? Sure. My mom was married and divorced repeatedly, and I’ve seen what that does to the family… I’d rather wait until I can give it my all, you know?” John admitted, shoving his food around on his plate to scoop up another large bite.
“… And that sure isn’t now while I’m stationed out here, you know?”
“I get it – and that’s admirable,” Hot Cakes said quietly, staring at his tray and looking almost disturbed.
“What’s up?” John asked pointedly, smiling at him. “What’s with all the chit-chat and personal questions? I mean, we’ve lived in the same barracks for a while now, and I think this is the most you’ve said to me. What’s on your mind?”
“A pest…” the other man muttered openly.
“Huh?” John looked at his food tray curiously and then back to his own. “I don’t see any pests and I’m pretty sure they spray all sorts of chemicals to keep ’em out of here.”
“How do you feel about having a pen pal?” Hot Cakes blurted out quietly under his breath, catching John by surprise. “I mean, it would be just a pen pal and nothing else. No funny business. No girlfriend stuff. Just someone to talk to occasionally or write when you are bored… and I can’t believe I’m actually asking you this, but there is no one else I would trust with this particular person tonotbe sleazy towards them.”
“Thanks… I think?” John laughed and shrugged. “Sure, I guess. I mean, I don’t really get much email now, unless it’s a bill.”
“But you are on the computer at least once or twice a week…”
“Looking for movie trailers, shopping Amazon, or searching for a book. Sometimes I can download a comic book for free on there and it kills a little time. I like to read – a lot.”
Hot Cakes looked at him – and nodded.
“Jana is not a reader… and a huge pest sometimes… but my sister is nice and looking for a pen pal to write. I guess she wants a new hobby, and I’m not sure how long she will actually commit to writing someone. It might be one email, or it could be twenty.”
“Sure,” John said, shrugging again, before taking another bite. “I don’t have a problem with it so long as she’s over eighteen.”
“Why do you saythat?” Hot Cakes growled, glaring at him, and John stopped mid bite – his food suspended right before his mouth in surprise.
“Dude… really?” John whispered, looking around warily, suddenly embarrassed for even asking or doubting his wingman. Didn’t he understand? Maybe not everyone grew up the way he did, but he had no one else to watch his back – ever.
He’d had to guard himself several times growing up, for different reasons. One of his mother’s ex-husbands liked to play pranks, while another was simply mean – slapping him around.
Elmer was the only one that planted stolen items in his backpack and had a girl hiding in his room one time when he arrived home from school. The police had gotten there first and were waiting for John.
