Charlie and Paula lay spooning in bed silently watching the day begin to take shape outside her window. His muscular arm held her near while their fingertips played with one another’s. This was their morning ritual before starting the day: quietly cocooned, half asleep, half awake; preparing for the bullshit ahead.



“Am I just a fuck to you, Paula?” Charlie’s fingers stopped moving.


“Of course you are.”


He took a deep breath and rolled onto his back, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.


Damn it. Paula thought. It’s too early in the morning for this conversation. She sat up straddled his torso, her hands resting on his bare chest. “Do we have to talk about this right now? Why do we have to define what we are? Can we just leave it the way it is? We’re friends. We have a bond,”


“A fucking bond,” Charlie said sarcastically.


“Yes, a fucking bond.”


“Is that all you want?”


Paula sighed, unable to meet his eyes. “Yes, that’s all I want right now. I have neither the time nor energy for anything more substantial. My career takes presidents over everything.”


Charlie watched Paula for a moment curiously. This wasn’t the first time Paula had mentioned her career in relation to her love life. “You love money.”


“I don’t love money. I love the independents and security it brings,” she looked at him. “I come from a large family. My parents are both educators so money was always tight but they did their best.”


“But it wasn’t good enough for you.”


“It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate what my parents provided, but I wanted more. I didn’t wanna struggle the way they had. I love my parents but I needed more. I got married on my eighteenth birthday. It’s wasn’t for love, it was for security. Derek was four-two years old and very well off.”


“You married for money?”


“Not entirely, I loved him on some level I suppose but his money sealed the deal. We were compatible, he earned the money and I went to school. Long story short, within hours of getting my second degree, he filed for divorce and left me with nothing.”


Charlie found her words difficult to take in. “He left you with nothing at all?”


Paula shook her head. “Nothing, not a penny. I was dead broke without a job or home. Come to find out, the homes we owned were in his family’s name therefore they remained with him. I moved in with a girlfriend, found a well paying job and worked my ass off to get where I am. I don’t rely on anyone and having my own money gives me the stability I’ve always wanted.” She paused, staring at the unblinking eyes beneath her. “Now what do you think of me? Do you think I’m a gold-digger?”


“No, I don’t think you’re a gold-digger but it explains a lot.”


“What’s that supposed to mean?”


Charlie flipped her underneath him and settled between her legs. “This explains why you don’t take shit from anyone and you don’t compromise your standards.”


“Why should I compromise?”


“I’m not saying you should. Everyone has their standards and you might find that you don’t live up to others standards,” he kissed her cheek.


“Do I live up to yours?”


“I’m here aren’t I? That’s not to say that you live up to all my standards because you don’t. But you’re pretty close.”


Suddenly there was a knot the size of a bowling ball in her gut. In many ways she felt his superior but his words left her exposed and humbled. “So why did you ask me if you were just a fuck?”


“I asked because I want to be sure we’re in the same page. I don’t want a serious relationship until I’m further along in my career. With my hectic schedule, having a relationship would be an unnecessary strain.


Paula smiled up at him. “We’re definitely on the same page. Neither one of us should even consider full time relationships until we’ve settled down. Our sufficient others wouldn’t understand the shit we go through.”


“Amen!” Charlie exclaimed and left to take a shower. “We’re going to Bolling AFB next week.”


Paula followed. “Who’s “we”?” She reached for her toothbrush and toothpaste.


“Me, you, Shawn. You missed the evening briefing yesterday. It’s a last minute trip---some systems testing, they want three people from our team on hand.” He stepped into the shower.


“God, I hate going to Bolling. Then again I don’t care for DC at all,” she spat. “You know we’re gonna get stuck inside the Pentagon again. That was the worst trip ever. On locked down for over eight hours because Ashcroft’s feckless wife left his briefcase on top of his car.”


“It was a security measure,”


“It was stupid!” Paula brushed harder and faster. “I don’t like that man. He gets on my nerves.”


“Well we’ll be there for a week so we’re bound to end up over there sooner or later. Hey, DC isn’t too far from my parents. We can visit them while we’re there.”


There was that knot again. “You’re taking me to meet your parents?”


Charlie’s laugh echoed off the tiled walls. “No, I haven’t seen them in months. I’m going regardless. I thought you and Shawn might wanna come along.”


“Count me in. I’m sure I’ll be climbing the walls by then.”




                                                ******



Wearing an unusual uniform, Shawn marched stone-faced into the office and headed straight for the Fusion Center. Stephanie and Cathy began whispering under their breath along with everyone else sitting around Paula.


Janette gave a long sigh. “Oh boy. Here we go again.”


Paula rolled her chair closer to Janette. “What’s going on? Why is he dressed like that?”


“Shawn belongs to the Honor Guard, the guys you see at ceremonial events holding the flags; they’re also the pallbearers at the military funerals. It’s not to be taken lightly. He’s on funeral duty tonight. Just lay low. He’s gonna to be in a foul mood.”


“Why?”


“Funeral duty wears him down. Shawn hates to see the family crying, it gets to him. We stay out of his way until he’s back to normal.” she stopped talking when she saw Shawn walking towards them.


Shawn took his seat at his desk in front of Paula; all that separated them was a 12 inch partition. Minutes later Charlie swaggered in wearing the same uniform, prompting Shawn to leave with him.


“Charlie, I didn’t know you were on guard today.” Janette said.


“I’m a last minute replacement. Sergeant Wells broke his foot so I stepped in.”


“Do we know the family?” Stephanie asked.


“No, he was a veteran living in the Veteran’s Hospital. No living family.”


Shawn stood and gathered his shoeshine kit and coat. “The poor guy won’t have any family there but we’re gonna send him off in style even if it kills me.”


“Someone should be there. Can we go?” Cathy piped in.


Charlie and Shawn look at one another. “You’ll have to ask the Major. It’s a graveside service. I don’t see a problem with you going.” Charlie said.


Before he could finish his sentence Cathy and Stephanie were in the Major’s office pleading. They returned minutes later following Colonel Robin Wilson and Major Steven Teasdale. The Col. called the room to attention.


“In light of the funeral service today, I’m mandating an ADL and early dismissal. We’ll run the “Skeleton Crew until the morning. Sgt. Willis.”


“Yes ma’am,” Charlie answered.


“You know the drill. Take roll before and after arrival.”


“Yes ma’am.”


“You’re all dismissed.” She announced with a clap of her hands and retreated once again and everyone began packing up to leave.


Paula raced to Charlie’s side. “What the hell just happened? What’s an ADL?”


“An ADL is an alternate duty location. As the highest ranking Officer, Col. Wilson has the power to determine any location fit for duty. ADLs are used when you find yourself displaced; flood, fire and so on. But today we’re using it like a hall pass.”


“That’s kind of her to excuse all of us.” Paula observed.


“It doesn’t surprise me. She’s prior Honor Guard. You never loose your sense of obligation.” Shawn chimed in.


Charlie began taking account for everyone leaving. “Not all of us are going. “The Skeleton Crew”: two Airmen and two civilian are staying behind to guard the fort in case of an emergency.”


Paula gave Charlie a vacant look.


“You didn’t understand a word I just said, did you?” he laughed.


Paula shook her head. “Not really but if it means I have the day off, I’m all for it.”




                                     ******




One hundred-fifty Officers, Enlisted Airmen and Civilians met under a blue canopy at Greenwood cemetery on a chilly August day to pay their last respects to a man none of them knew. There was no chattering or bantering as Paula would have expecting seeing that the coffin hadn’t a body had yet to arrive. Everyone stood soberly awaiting the hearse and guard to appear in the bend in the tree lined road.


There, walking behind slow moving silver hearse walked the Honor Guard in tight formation. Unblinking and unwavering they marched until the hearse came to a stop. They preformed their detailed positioning rituals before removing the flag draped slate blue coffin from the car. Each reverent move so precise and measured drew tears from even the most hardened of men. The ladies stifled breathy sobs cutting through the heavy August air.


“Attention!” Major Teasdale commanded as the precession advanced.


Everyone, Civilian alike snapped in place.


Paula quickly wrapped away the small droplets forming in the corners of her eyes as Charlie passed her.


Carefully they balanced the coffin over the supports and continued their formal procedures until Shawn and Charlie stood rigid, their white gloved hand snapped to the brim of his hats then back to their sides, facing one another at the head and foot of the coffin while the others servicemen flanked either side. Per the deceased Airman’s wishes, the Chaplain forewent the extended eulogy and read the Airman’s creed while a short distance away the riflemen’s three shots could be heard followed by the bugler’s haunting rendition of Taps rang out eliciting crisp salutes from all. The Guard performed the flag-folding ceremony with each of its distinctive fold steeped in symbolism. Once completely folded in a tight triangle, Charlie presented the flag to the Chaplin as there were no family members in attendance.


It was all too much for Paula to take. The level of respect the Airmen paid to their dead made her heart swell. She felt unworthy of being present, as if she were eavesdropping on a conversation she hadn’t the knowledge to properly understand. Her tearful eyes surreptitiously darted to the imposing faces about her, some tear streak and some not…but all dignified.


Seeing Charlie in this light, distinguished and rigid changed her perception of him. She’d awaken with Charlie, her friend and bed-buddy but tonight she’d fall asleep with Charles, her friend.