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“We have a full house; however, we often have no-shows. Please, stick around. If everyone does come, you can have our slot.”
“Oh, we couldn’t take your spot,” Sally said.
“It’s no problem. Since I was coming to coordinate, I signed Graham and me up. But it’s supposed to be a date night for the troops. We’ve been on several dates already the past week.” She smiled adoringly at Graham.
“Erin’s already quite the chef,” Graham added as reinforcement. “Last week, she made us salmon and whipped sweet potatoes that was fabulous.”
“I’ve got extra name tags.” Since Erin wasn’t sure what the general would want on his, she handed Sally the blank name tags and a marker. “Claim any empty workstation.”
“All right then.” The general overrode any further objections his wife might have and took his name tag.
“Thanks for that,” Graham whispered near Erin’s ear after the McKittricks claimed a spot in the center of the room.
“Absolutely.” She could go hungry a while longer to sell her and Graham being a couple for the general and the team members here.
Erin greeted three more couples, including Sergeant Mateo and his wife. Michelle scanned the room. Rather than pick a station next to other members of Mateo’s teammates, she led her husband to one in the back corner.
Erin checked the time on her phone. The class was supposed to start in five minutes, and three couples still weren’t there. As she went down the list of contact numbers, the door opened.
Noelle Ayers entered with her husband, and Erin groaned inwardly.
“Pete, have you met Erin?”
“Not yet.” Pete smiled and extended his hand as Graham made introductions.
“Nice to meet you, Colonel. Hello, Mrs. Ayers.”
“Sally said they were doing a cooking demonstration for the troops here tonight.” Noelle’s usual frosty tone softened a bit in her husband’s presence, and she made a point of waving to the general and Sally.
“It’s a cookingclass. I don’t recall seeing your names on the registration list, though.” She was one hundred percent certain they were not.
“Sally didn’t mention registration. Wait, class?Doingthe cooking?” Her pitch rose with each word.
“Doing it ourselves might be even better. You could learn something new, dear.” Colonel Ayers’s suggestion and encouraging smile garnered a tight-lipped, totally forced smile from his wife.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any spots available unless two of the three remaining couples don’t make it.”
“Well, we are here before them.” Noelle motioned to the unclaimed name tags.
“However, they registered. And here’s one of them now.” Thank goodness.
AJ Rozanski, one of the Delta operators who had done the defensive driving class, slipped up to the table to grab his name tag. “My girlfriend got held up at the hospital, but she’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“No problem at all.”
AJ set the cloth bag he’d carried in on a station at the back next to John and Elizabeth.
“I’m sure my husband outranks anyone you’re waiting on,” Noelle persisted.
“Honey,” Pete started.
“At the USO, we treat all military members equally regardless of gender, race, religion,or rank.”Noelle was not pulling rank with Erin in charge. “I’ll try to get in touch with the other two couples to verify if they’re coming.” Erin smiled, though, behind closed lips, her teeth clenched.
“We appreciate that. If there’s no room, we understand,” Pete said for him and Noelle. “We’ll know to register next time.” He placed a hand near his wife’s elbow. “Let’s say hello to the general.” He stepped in that direction, still gripping his wife’s arm to lead her.
Erin immediately called one of the two couples still MIA.Please let them come. Her call went to voicemail, and she left a message. She also sent a text in case they’d screened the call. She copied the message and texted the other couple before calling. The woman who answered apologized and said their sitter had canceled and they wouldn’t make it.
A pretty redhead wearing hospital scrubs hurried in. “You can start without me. After ten hours in scrubs, I need to freshen up for my date.” She picked up her name tag.
