Yes, Ma'am!

"Pretty much everything you've done since getting commissioned has involved leading Marines. And as a lieutenant and captain, that should be your focus. But by the time you make major, you'll be expected to also know the admin side of the house in and out. The same is true with logistics and supply. Obviously, as a lieutenant colonel in command of a squadron or battalion, you'll be responsible for all of those things, and there's no excuse for not being thoroughly familiar with all staff functions. So while this is painful in the extreme, it's critically important if you decide to stay in."

Josh thanked her then asked if that was everything.

She smiled a little bit then said, "Relax, Josh. You're doing fine."

He stood up just as she said, "A whole lot better than I was at your time in service, okay?"

Josh smiled back a little and replied, "Yes, ma'am," before leaving her office with several folders containing corrections he'd either missed or needed to make.

Over the next couple of months, she saved his...backside...on quite a few occasions. The last time it happened he took it out on himself pretty hard because he felt like he'd been there long enough to get the hang of the still-new job.

But two weeks later, during a group staff meeting, he returned the favor for the first time.

The Group CO was at the head of the table in the large conference room, but it was the XO who went around the room asking for information or questions from each staff officer. As the adjutant, Josh was sitting to her immediate left, and when the Group CO asked her for the list of names for the Commanding General's visit the following week, she sat there stone faced.

"I uh, I don't believe I have it, sir," she said as every eye was on her and then the boss as everyone in the room wondered what he might say.

"Ma'am?" Josh said before the CO spoke. "You asked me to hold this for you."

He pulled out the list of names and slid it over to her as though it was planned. Josh saw the CO 'eyeball' the piece of paper, and somehow, he knew the man was aware that he'd just saved the XO's backside, but nothing was said as she further handed it to her boss.

When the meeting ended, she took him aside and thanked him.

"No problem, ma'am. You've done that for me more times than I can count."

"Well, I'm a LtCol and it's my job to help out the people who work for me. It's just nice to know that those people are there for me, too."

"My pleasure, Colonel," he told her as she smiled at him before walking away.

When he sat back down, Josh said to himself, "She is so damn hot!"

He'd noticed that many times before, but because his 'hard drive' was working at or near capacity just to keep up with the incessant demands of the job, he didn't have a lot of time for daydreaming. The workload was the same every day, but it was nice to take a minute every now and then and...enjoy the finer things. And while he'd never tell anyone, not even his roommate, he thought LtCol Holly Strader was fine indeed.

The weather began turning cold in October, and by early November there was frost on the window of his Jeep Cherokee each morning. The colder weather also meant breaking out what was called the 'wooly pully', the Marine's name for a green commando sweater worn under the utility uniform (BDUs to the Army) shirt or over the Service-B uniform which consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and tie for men. The tie wasn't worn with the wooly pully, and any excuse not to wear one was something Josh took advantage of.

He also couldn't help but notice the way it hugged the XO's very-fit body. The sweater itself was hideous looking, but on her it showed off every curve of her slender figure and ample 'upper body', and Josh often found himself trying not to stare. She'd caught him once, and although he didn't blush when she smiled at him, he felt unprofessional in the extreme and vowed never to make the same mistake again. Until he did.

As before, she waited for him to realize he was staring, and when he did, she only smiled again. Having been caught twice, he got up and went to her office where he said, "Ma'am? I'm sorry. That was completely unprofessional and it won't happen again."

She sat back in her leather chair, smiled again, then said, "It's fine, Josh. It's actually even a little flattering."

When she saw a puzzled look on his face she laughed.

"At my age, whenever a good looking younger man even looks anymore it's very flattering. So no worries, okay?"

Not sure how to take that, Josh responded the way he had a thousand times already with, "Yes, ma'am."

That Friday, it snowed for the first time. It wasn't a heavy snow, just a light dusting, but it got down to 22 degrees and was only up to 28 by lunchtime, and that, along with a stiff breeze, was cold enough to get LtCol Strader to stay inside during lunch.

"No PT today, ma'am?" Josh asked when he saw her at her desk at noon.

"Oh. No. Not today. I'm a fanatic, but I'm not going outside in that wind."

"I don't blame you, ma'am," Josh replied.

"Besides, there's always plenty of work to do," she said as she nodded to her inbox that was stacked with folders waiting for her review and/or approval.

"How about you? When do you get your PT in?" she asked, grateful for a short break.

"Weekends?" Josh said as a question.

"Josh? You have to make time. I know this job is a killer, but PT is important, too."

She looked around for the CO then quietly said, "And when you work in a place like this, stress reduction is even more important."

Josh smiled knowingly then told her he'd try and find more time.

"You're welcome to run with me now and then if you'd like," she told him.

"Oh, I don't know, ma'am. I'm not sure how I'd handle...getting run into the ground," he told her with a nervous laugh.

She laughed, too, then said, "You're preaching to the choir. While my concerns are from the reverse perspective, no one is more sensitive about being female in the most testosterone-laden group in the world."

"I didn't mean to imply anything, ma'am," Josh told her.

"I understood," she told him with another smile. "But the offer stands."

Josh thanked her then remembered the reason the whole conversation had begun and felt relieved that she was so understanding. She would have been well within her rights to read him the riot act, but instead she'd made sure to treat him with respect, and that was just one more thing he liked about her.

The Group CO left around 1730 that evening, and Josh stood up when he announced his departure. The XO did the same thing and wished him a good weekend.

"You two try not run the ship aground, okay?" he joked in his typically sarcastic kind of way.

The XO made sure to laugh as she told him she wouldn't.

Less than 15 minutes later, the XO said she was calling it quits, too, and asked Josh if he was getting close to being finished.

"Almost, ma'am. I just need to get the duty roster for next month in for your approval, and then I'm pulling the plug, too."

"Okay. Sounds good. I'll see you on Monday then."

"Yes, ma'am. Bright and early."

"You can say that again," she said with a laugh as she grabbed her purse and cover and headed out.

Five minutes later she was back inside.

"My car won't start," she said before Josh could ask why.

"Do you need a jump, ma'am?" he asked as he got up to go outside with her.

"That would be great. Thank you very much," she told him.

"No problem, ma'am," he told her as he grabbed his keys out the top desk drawer in front of him.

He pulled his Jeep alongside her Toyota Tundra as she popped the hood.

"Nice truck, ma'am," he told her.

"You, too," she replied with a laugh. "Okay. Jeep."

She turned around the said, "I do know the difference."

Josh laughed then asked her to get in while he hooked up the cables. Once they were in place, he fired his Jeep up and revved it a little then waited. He was tempted to tell her things he didn't think a woman would know, but she was two ranks senior to him, so he didn't say a word.

A minute later he heard her truck crank over and fire up, too, so he hopped out and disconnected the cables and put them away.

Colonel Strader waited for him, rolled her window down, then said, "Thank you very much, Josh."

"You're welcome, ma'am."

Her extremely polite reply really caught the younger officer by surprise.

"I uh, I sometimes forget how nice it is to have a man to depend on," she told him.

She was smiling, but the way she said it was unlike anything she'd ever said to him before.

"I don't see you depending on any man, Colonel," he told her respectfully.

"I am a Marine and a lieutenant colonel, but I'm still a woman, Josh, and while I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life than be with another man like my ex, I do find myself thinking how nice it would be to meet someone caring and decent."

For the first time since he'd known her, Josh felt like she was talking to him as a peer. Even so, he wasn't about to get overly familiar because, well, that just wasn't okay.

And yet he inexplicably found himself telling her, "I hope this isn't out of line, ma'am, but you're a...a very attractive woman, and whenever you're ready it'll just be a matter of choosing one."

She saw him shivering in the cold and apologized for keeping him outside, but didn't say a word about his complimentary remark.

"No biggie, ma'am," he told her as she thanked him again before rolling her window up.

He came to attention, saluted, and waited for her to salute back from inside her vehicle before heading back inside.

On Monday, Josh brought his PT gear to work for the first time. At LAAD battalion, he'd done that nearly every day for the entire time he'd been there. But here, he was too paranoid to even think about leaving the office—especially with the XO gone during lunch. Yes, there was a phone watch assigned every day, but Josh didn't like the thought of anything going directly to the Group Commander without his knowledge, so he stayed at his desk and ate lunch. Every day.

The XO noticed as soon as he walked in and laughed.

"Look who brought his PT gear in," she said with a bright smile.

"Whether or not I'll get outside is another issue, but I did bring it in, ma'am," he told her.

"If you want to run with me, just let me know," she told him before returning to the folder in front of her.

The weather had warmed up on Sunday and it was a balmy 40 degrees by 1130.

"So what's the verdict?" she asked as she grabbed her bag.

"Adj-itator!" the CO called out before he could answer her question.

"You go ahead, ma'am," the captain quietly told her as he jumped up and said, "Yes, sir!"

The CO assigned him a project that would take the rest of the day to complete, and he still had a huge stack of folders to get through before he could go home. The good news was there were only two that were 'hot' so he worked through them, put them in the XO's inbox then turned to on the CO's pet project.

It was a little after 1830 when Colonel Strader announced she was going home then added, "If my battery isn't dead. I put off getting a new one because it started up yesterday and this morning, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

Josh laughed then told her to give him a holler if it didn't.

Just like on Friday, she was back in a couple of minutes later.

"No go?" he asked as he stood up again.

"I'm really sorry, Josh. I know better. I just didn't feel like doing a da...anything all weekend," she admitted as they walked out.

"I know the feeling well, ma'am," he told her.

As they got to the front of the building, he went to open the door for her and stopped.

"Sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to imply you can't open your own door," the embarrassed captain said.

"I guess you forgot me telling you I'm also a woman, huh?" she teased as she pushed it open for herself.

This time, even after waiting ten minutes following a first failed attempt, her battery wouldn't hold a charge.

"Wonderful," she said once they realized it was a lost cause.

"Do you need a ride, ma'am?" Josh asked.

"Oh. I can't put you out like that. I'll just give someone a call," she told him as she got her phone out.

"Ma'am?" Josh said.

She looked at him and smiled.

"Yes?"

"I really don't mind. And you're gonna need someone else to bring your new battery back unless you want to tow this thing, so I can save someone at least one trip."

"Good point. And getting a tow truck on base can be tricky, but I will find someone to take me out to buy a new one then bring me back here."

She paused then asked, "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I'm ahead of schedule on the CO's project, so no, I don't mind at all."

"In that case, I accept," she told him very pleasantly.

Again, the way she spoke was different. It was almost...flirty. Josh knew she was just being nice, but even so, it felt really good. Good enough that he went around to the passenger side of his Jeep and opened the door for her.

"Well. I take back what I said. You were listening," she told him with a little laugh.

He even offered her a hand getting in which she accepted before saying, "Thank you, Josh."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he told her before shutting her door and going around to the driver's side.

"It's supposed to turn cold again on Friday," the XO said once he got inside.

"I heard that. Just in time for the weekend, right, ma'am?"

"Oh, right. Just our luck, huh?" she replied. "Not that we'd get out and do anything, though, right?"

Josh laughed then backed the Jeep up. He was more than a little surprised when the XO made small talk all the way to her place. As she spoke, he realized he'd worked around her for quite some time and still didn't really know anything about her.

By the time he dropped her off he knew where she grew up, that she had an older brother, that her marriage had lasted seven years, and that her ex-husband had gotten the 'itch' corresponding to that number of years around that same time.

She didn't go into detail, but the gist of it was that when she told him she wanted to have a baby he not only wasn't open to the idea, he reminded her they'd agreed that wasn't on the table when they got married. She tried letting him know things change and that she very much wanted to have a child, but he was having none of it. The cheating began shortly after that and went on for several months before she even became suspicious.

"Anyway, to his credit, he admitted everything, and that was that."

"Ma'am? No disrespect, but your former husband is an ass."

She laughed, but he could tell how much the infidelity, the divorce, and even more importantly the realization she would probably never have children, still hurt her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to lay all that on you," she told him as he pulled into her driveway.

"I'm glad you shared it with me, ma'am," Josh told her.

He hesitated then said, "After all, you are a woman, and sometimes a woman needs someone to talk to."

There was a brief moment when Josh wondered if this might be the time she put him in his place, but she only smiled and told him she agreed as he put the Jeep in park.

She thanked him then went to open her door when the young captain said, "Ma'am? I'll get that."

She pulled her hand away from the door handle, smiled, then said, "Okay," in that same...sweet-sounding voice he liked so much.

Josh opened her door, offered her a hand again, then got a sincere thank you as they stood there face to face. There was another uncomfortable moment when neither of them moved nor spoke.

"Sorry, ma'am," Josh said as he stepped to the side.

Almost demurely, the XO stepped around him then thanked him again.

He went to salute when she smiled again and said, "Not here, okay?" before giving him a quick, platonic hug and thanking him one more time.

Stunned, Josh didn't even hug her back, but he did ask if she needed a ride the next morning.

"No. I'll call a friend of mine who works at Wing Headquarters. She'll give me a lift, and we'll handle it from here."

Josh almost started to salute her again when he caught himself. She didn't laugh or even smile this time. She only told him how pleasant it had been having someone to talk to then let him know she'd see him in the morning.

As Josh drove home he couldn't shake the way he was feeling about this much-older woman he had no business feeling anything for. And yet he did. The physical attraction was obvious. Older or not, LtCol Strader was a very attractive woman. But after having gotten to know her, even a little bit, he found himself even more attracted to her for other reasons; reasons he couldn't seem to shake or ignore.

His troubling thoughts were interrupted by Vic as soon as he walked into their apartment.

"There he is! The Group Adj-itator himself!"

Vic had been home since 1600 after the battalion secured (called it quits) a half hour early.

"I hope the Group CO doesn't find out, or our...your...battalion CO will be in deep kimchi."

"Speaking of Adolph, did you hear what happened out at Bogue Field yesterday?" Vic asked. Bogue Field was an abandoned auxiliary airfield where LAAD gunners often trained.

"No. What's going on?"

"We had a platoon out there supporting the AAWEX."

AAWEX stood for anti-air warfare exercise and Stinger gunners always participated by tracking live aircraft that flew during the training exercise.

"Yeah, okay. And?" Josh asked.

"The Group CO and the Group S-3 officer showed up unannounced, and the next thing you know, he's in Lieutenant Negron's shit. Like...really in his shit!"

"How deep?" Josh asked, as he imagined the scenario.

"The CO was livid! He totally went off on him! I don't know all the details, but it had something to do with safety. Anyway, the word I got was that the colonel was so pissed off he was frothing at the mouth. Negron is standing there at attention taking it saying, "Yes, sir!" and "No, sir!" while the colonel's eating his lunch. Then the CO turns around, kicks the ground a few times then turns back around, and says, 'It's people like you who get Marines killed, Lieutenant!' then shoves Negron. Hard."

"Seriously?" a bewildered Josh asked.

"I wasn't there. That's just what I was told, but it came from Gunny Randall, and he claims he saw it. The ass chewing was going on behind a Humvee, and he just happened to walk by when he heard all the yelling. So he goes to check it out, and the first thing he sees is a silver eagle on someone's cover."

"So he did a 180."

"Yeah. I mean, what else are you gonna do? Counsel the freakin' Group Commander? Randall's done two tours on the drill field, and he said he's never seen anything like that before, so that should give you an idea how bad this was."

Josh just shook his head and wondered how anyone could get away with that sort of thing in 2019. Maybe in 1969 or even 1989. But now? He shook his head again then walked into the kitchen to grab a beer when he saw a flyer.

"What's this?" he asked as he held it up.

"Oh, yeah. The hypnotist. This weekend in Morehead City. You wanna go?"

Josh scanned the flyer and noticed two things. The first was that the flyer was for a magic and hypnosis show in which the magician/hypnotist was a very attractive woman named Elaine Collins. The second was that the idea of hypnotism reminded him of a TV show called The Mentalist. He'd always enjoyed watching it, and the male star of the show was, among many other things, a hypnotist who used that ability to help victims or criminals recall events or spill the beans.

"I don't know. Looks kinda lame. You goin'?"

"I am. And...I have a date," Vic proudly announced.

"No shit?" Josh asked.

"I wouldn't shit you, bro. You're my favorite turd."