Trouble Triangle (Tyler's Trouble Trilogy) (35 page)

#

I arrived for work the next day with a smile that wouldn't leave my face. Holly and I had cemented our commitment to one another and it felt good.

Halfway through the morning, Watkins called me into his office. I sat down and he handed me some papers.

"Petty Officer Chambers, these are your orders. I have to supply a man for a
clean up
detail to Kahoolawe. It's a ten day assignment. You're leaving Friday."

"What? Who or what the hell is Kahoolawe?"

"It's a small, uninhabited Hawaiian island that the military uses for target practice. You're
gonna
paint rocks for ships to shoot at and for fighter jets to drop bombs on. And there's a lot of shells to be cleaned up. An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team will be on hand to make sure none of the ammunition is still live. It's a pretty good detail. I think you'll like it."

I frowned. "Do I have to? I'd rather stick around here, if you don't mind."

"I thought you'd be pleased. A deserted island, workdays that only go from about eight to noon, and then you got the rest of the day off with beaches where you're the only ones there. You'll be part of a team of about twenty. Marines, Air Force and Navy all supply personnel, plus the explosive team. You'll have a great time. Besides, you don't have any choice. I'm sending you and that's it." He smiled knowing he had the power to do just that.

It felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. It did sound like a pretty good assignment, but I just wanted to spend time with Holly. We had already agreed to meet at Dolphin's after work that night so I'd have to break the bad news to her then. I had a feeling she wasn't going to be too happy about it.

#

My heart skipped when I walked into Dolphin's to find Debbie and Holly sitting together in what looked like meaningful conversation. I walked over and sat at the table across from them. Holly looked up.

"Oh, hi," she said and turned back to Debbie, resuming their conversation. Debbie never even acknowledged me.

I got up, went to the bar and got a beer. I don't think either of them even noticed that I left and came back.

"You two talking about Jesse Jackson's chance of winning the '84 election next year?"

They stopped talking and looked at me.

Holly shrugged. "No, just girl talk. You wouldn't be interested."

"Oh."

Debbie gave me a phony smile.

"Bad news I'm afraid." I drummed my fingers on the table. "I'm getting shipped out on Friday and going to a deserted island for ten days."

"A deserted island?" Holly repeated.

"See
ya
later, Gilligan," Debbie said. She and Holly laughed.

"What for?" Holly asked.

"Picking up empty ammo shells and painting rocks."

"Bummer," she replied.

Debbie had excitement in her voice. "Ma
ybe we can do it then, Holly."

My mind went into overdrive. "Do what?" I asked.

"Debbie failed the test for E-5 and I promised I'd help her study for the next time. I don't know much about being an HT, but I know military regulations like the back of my hand." She looked at Debbie. "Well, if Tyler's going to be away, why don't you come around to my house this weekend and we'll do some cramming."

Cramming what, where, I nearly asked.

Debbie looked at me and gave a wry smile. "Perfect." She drank the rest of her Black Russian and set the empty glass down. She looked at Holly. "I'll come round about ten Saturday
morning, if that's okay." Holly nodded. "Hey, I
gotta
go." She patted Holly's leg and stood up. "See you Saturday."

Debbie walked behind me, running her hand across my shoulders as she sauntered past. "See
ya
, Tyler. Don't worry, I'll look
after Holly while you’re gone."

I watched her leave the building then shot around the table to sit next to Holly. I took her hands in mine and looked her in the eyes. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I think she's still got a crush on you."

"Don't be ridiculous. We got past that. It was just a little phase we both went through. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt my sexuality?"

I shook my head even though Debbie just gave me serious doubts about hers. But we did have amazing sex the night before and she now knew that I was in love with her. "I love you, babe."

"Me too," she said sincerely and patted my hand. "Anyway, she's still mad about her jerk boyfriend who cheated on her. She was telling me all about him. He's a real asshole. I'm tempted to give him a piece of my mind."

"Did she say who it was?"

She looked at me in disbelief. "Like,
helloooo
? Richardson. Surely you hadn't forgotten already."

"Oh yeah, right. I still don't think you should be hanging around Debbie. I still think she's gay. Like really gay. I know you wouldn't cheat on me or anything, but other people might talk. You know, guilt by association kind of thing."

"You're so sweet. Don't worry about me. If she tries to touch me up, I'll clock her one." She put her mouth to my ear. "Take me home and make love to me. I'll show you that you don't have anything to worry about." She slipped her tongue in my ear, deep.

"You know that always gets me going."

"That's why I do it, lover."

#

Holly and I spent every possible moment we could together until I boarded the helicopter. She made me feel special and I gained some reassurance that she was as hetero as they come. I did trust her. It was Debbie who worried me. Even if Debbie didn't try to get it on with Holly, she still held secrets that could blow the relationship apart. I asked Holly several times again not to tutor Debbie, but she remained adamant
she was only helping a friend.

The helicopter touched down onto the red dirt after a thirty minute flight. The isolation could be felt from the destruction the moment I set foot on the ground. Six Navy personnel got off the chopper and we were greeted by the
EOD
team. Some Air Force guys were already there and Army people and Marines were due to arrive any time. The faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the dusty air. We grabbed our gear and were led to our cabins. The
EOD
personnel gave us an indoctrination of what we would be doing over the next ten days, then we were free for the rest of the day to explore the island. A group of us headed for the beach and were the only people around. I had no trouble imagining what it would be like to be sole survivors after world destruction.

The
EOD
team led the detail and came out every other month to supervise the clean up. Six cabins comprised the campsite and jeeps along with a few carrier trucks were parked around the perimeter. That part of the island was exempt from getting shelled, provided the missiles remained fairly accurate. All shelling was suspended whi
le we were there, just in case.

EOD
barbequed a goat they had killed the first night and that proved to be our tasty dinner. The next morning we all boarded the jeeps and took a dusty ride to God knows where. We were dropped off and instructed to pick up the shells and stack them in a designated area.

The sun beat down on the barren land. We all dressed in t-shirts and shorts in an attempt to remain cool. I picked up one of the large, heavy shells and took it to the assigned area. I turned to go pick up another shell and tripped over a rock. I fell and gashed the underside of my forearm. Pressing my bloody arm against my shirt, I notified
EOD
.

One of the guys loaded me into a jeep and took me back to base for the first-aid person to have a look at it. He pointed me toward one of the cabins and told me to just walk in. A blonde clad in a white t-shirt, green shorts and combat boots sat at a table reading a Jackie Collins novel. Her shoulder length hair was tied back in a ponytail. She looked at me with jade-green eyes.

She closed her book. "What happened?" sh
e asked, nodding toward my arm.

"I cut it on a rock."

She grimaced then got up and motioned me toward a small cubicle in the back of the room. "Sit there." She nodded to a chair.

I sat back and watched her pull bandages and alcohol out of a cabinet. My eyes roamed her body. Her t-shirt offered a tight fit at what I guessed to be
32C's
. Around five and a half feet tall, unblemished creamy skin and looked to be about twenty-five.

She pulled up a chair and sat down opposite me with h
er supplies resting on her lap.

I held out my arm for her to examine the cut.

"Wow, that's pretty nasty." She cleaned the wound and wrapped my arm in gauze. "Stay there a minute." She went outside an
d returned a few moments later.

"Let's sit over there." She point to the table at the front of the room where she had been reading her book. We walked over and sat down.

"My name's Jody, by the way."

"Tyler."

She waved her hand at me. "You don't need to be so formal. What's your first name?"

"That is my first name."

"Oh, sorry." She reached behind her head and flicked her ponytail, trying to create a breeze. "Hot,
ain't
it?"

The question could have been about the weather or about her appearance. My answer would have been the same to either subject. "Yeah, very."

"You look like a Navy guy. Right?" I nodded. "I'm Air Force. By the way, I told the
EOD
guy that you won't be going back in the field today. You just have to keep me company until everyone gets back." She picked up her book and fanned herself. "There's no one else in the camp right now. Any ideas of how to pass the time?" Jody went back to playing with her ponytail.

I wished she'd quit playing with that damn thing. It may have been cooling her
down but it was making me hot.

I shrugged. "Umm…not really."

"Well I do. That Jackie Collins writes some really horny stuff. I got worked up reading this book." She walked over and kissed me. "I've never done it with a sailor before. C'mon, show me how you ride the waves."

I put my hand up. "Sorry, Jody, but I got a girlfriend."

"And I got a boyfriend. So what? We're on a deserted island. There's no way they're ever
gonna
find out. I'm sure Gilligan was sticking it to Mary Ann, and probably
givin
' Ginger the
high hard one as well." She wagged her finger toward my face. "
Ya
know, people thought that show was fake 'cause they never got rescued. I knew it was fake 'cause those chicks never got knocked up. Even if they had rubbers and birth control pills, they would have run out after the first season." She gasped, widened her eyes and slapped her hand over her mouth. She dropped her hand and whispered. "You don't think the Skipper and Gilligan were gay, do
ya
? I mean, that would explain it." She laughed.

I rubbed my fingertips across my forehead. "It wouldn't feel right. I promised my girl I wouldn't cheat on her."

"Promises,
smromises
." She fanned her face with her hand. "God it's hot. Be right back." Jody went to the back of the cabin and disappeared behind a fabric screen, reappearing a few moments later. "That's better.
Whatta
ya
think?"

I looked down at her chest. Partly because that's what I do and partly because she had it pushed out with her nipples poking the fabric of her shirt. Her solution to help cool down was to remove her bra. I grabbed her book and fanned myself.

"I thought they only went like that when it was cold outside," I said.

"Cold or horny, and I
ain't
cold." She licked her lips.

I closed my eyes and thought of Holly. It didn't work. All I could picture was Jody's big tits on a deserted island. She had a point. Well, two actually. Holly would never know, and it was getting hotter.

"Doc," a cry came from outside. "We got another one."

"Shit," Jody cursed and ran behind the screen, reappearing with her bra back on underneath her shirt. I made a quick exit and went back to my cabin.

I had to see Jody every morning for her to change my bandage, and every morning she flirted with me and brushed her big tits against me. I always talked about Holly when we were alone, but I could feel myself weakening. She was right, it was a deserted island. A ten minute walk and we could be totally alone and no one would ever know. This was a sure thing. Could I handle the guilt going back to Holly? Probably. I got over the guilt of being with Debbie. I'd probably get over this one even faster since I wouldn't see Jody
again once we left the island.

I had resisted Jody's advances for four days, but the bandage change on the fi
fth day and she upped the ante.

I walked into sickbay as I usually did. She changed my bandage and rubbed her boobs against me like she did every other morning and everything seemed normal. Then, she moved in, grabbed my crotc
h and gently massaged me.