Your Silver Nights and Golden Days Pt. 04

Before reading this story, you should read 'Your Silver Nights and Golden Days Pt. 03.'

The following events took place in the late 1980s to the early 1990s, before any "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was in place in the military. Being an active lesbian was risking your career, especially for an officer.

© 2020-2023 Candy_Kane54

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"Did Col. Stevens say what he wanted to see me about?" I asked, wondering what could be going on.

"No," said Cheryl, "but he did tell me to tell you it was not work-related."

"Maybe he just wants to congratulate me on my new assignment," I thought.

"Okay," I said. "I'll report at 9AM. Thanks, Cheryl."

At 8:55 AM, I was waiting outside Col. Stevens's door to report in. Just as I was going to open the door and report in, Col. Stevens opened his door and said, "Come on in, Major. No need to report in. This isn't an official meeting, so please have a seat."

Now I was getting nervous. This was entirely out of the norm, and I wondered why he called this meeting. I walked in and waited for Col. Stevens to sit before I took a seat.

Col. Stevens started, "I'm sure you're wondering why I want to talk to you. I want to reassure you that this meeting is not official, and anything we discuss is off the record."

"Yes, sir," I replied, now a little uneasy.

"First," continued Col. Stevens, "I wanted to say I'm happy about your new assignment. Your new program is more likely to get built than this program, and I'm sure it will prosper from your hard work."

"Thank you, sir," I replied, appreciating his praise.

"If you play your cards right, this could be your ticket to a below-the-zone promotion to Lt. Colonel. You definitely work hard enough, and we'll certainly lose a lot of technical prowess when you leave. I doubt your replacement will be able to fill your shoes right away, so I'm prepared to take some heat until they get up to speed," Col. Stevens said.

"Yes, sir. I hate leaving you in a bind like that. I am looking forward to my new assignment and working with Gen. Fain. He's a real fire-breather, and I'm sure the program will definitely get built," I said, feeling better about our conversation.

"Yes, and that brings me to the other thing I want to talk to you about," Col. Stevens said in a way that made me feel that I wasn't going to like what he was going to say. He looked away guiltily.

"Sir?" I asked, my heart starting to beat a tattoo.

"Information, nothing official, or even close to being official, has come to my attention that could ruin your career. Hints, and observations on my part, only add to it," Col. Stevens said reluctantly, still not wanting to look me in the eye.

"What kind of information, sir?" I asked, hoping against hope that it wasn't what I thought it was. I nervously played with my ring as I sat there.

Col. Stevens caught my movement and almost sighed. He leaned forward, looking me in the eye. He said, "The kind of information that, if I had to take official notice of, would force me to ask you a question that, if you answer truthfully, will end your career. If I was forced to ask the question and you answer falsely, you'd be brought up on charges, and your career would be effectively over anyway."

I sat there stunned, knowing his next words would determine my fate. In my frantic thoughts, I latched onto the fact that he had said 'if.'

Col. Stevens suddenly sat back and asked in a softer voice, "Virginia, do you trust me?"

"Sir? I don't ...."

"We've worked together well for over a year, and I've given you everything you need to get the job done. I need to know if you trust me."

"Yes, sir, I do," I answered, wondering where this was going.

"Good. We need to talk, but we can't talk here or while we are in uniform. I want you to take the rest of the day off. I need you to go home, change into civilian clothes, and meet me at noon at the Red Onion up on Sepulveda. I'm going to do the same. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, I believe I do," I said, my heart returning to its regular place as I started to feel some hope that my career may not end just yet.

"Good. I'll authorize the off-time as compensation so you won't have to use up your leave. Now go. I'll see you at noon."

I got up as he did, and he escorted me to the door. As I walked off, he called Tammy into his office, presumably to have her take care of the details. I went to my desk, thankful I didn't have any meetings scheduled and set up my out-of-office message on the phone. I looked over to Christine and told her that something had come up, and I was taking the rest of the day off. Having taken care of housekeeping, I headed out and home.

I changed into jeans and a conservative button-up shirt. I wondered what he wanted to talk about. I headed out, not wanting to be late for the meeting.

I got to the Red Onion about fifteen minutes early and went in to get a table for the two of us. The Red Onion is a nice Mexican restaurant with a wide selection of traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes.

Just as our table became available, Col. Stevens came in the door. I almost didn't recognize him in civilian clothes. He came up to me and said, "Thanks for coming, Virginia."

I replied, "I didn't think I had an option, sir."

"I don't see a 'sir' here," he replied. "The only people I see here are Virginia and Rick, just two friends having lunch. Understand?"

"Yes, s ... I mean, okay, Rick," I replied, a slight smile coming to my lips.

"Good. I'm hungry. Let's eat!" Rick said, smiling.

The hostess led us to our table. We sat, and when the waitress came over, we ordered Coronas. We looked at the menus and ordered our lunch. As the waitress left with our orders, Rick said, "I'm sure you're wondering why we're doing this. I want you to know that whatever is discussed today is between Rick and Virginia, not Colonel Stevens and Major Hanratty. Rick never discusses anything he knows with Colonel Stevens and vice versus. Okay?"

"Okay, Rick," I answered. "Virginia won't tell Major Hanratty anything either."

Then Rick surprised me by asking, "Did you know I had a twin sister?"

I noted he used the past tense, so I made sure I didn't ask what happened to her. "No, Rick, I didn't," I replied.

"Her name was Rachel, but she always went by Ray. We were inseparable when we were young. We did everything together; fishing, camping, hunting, and so on. She was a tomboy in the classic sense; she never wore dresses, played with dolls, or did anything girly like that. Mom would get so exasperated, trying to turn her into a girl. Finally, she realized that Ray was going to go her own way, accepted her for what she was, and stopped trying to change her."

"It sounds like the two of you were close," I said.

"We were. We always confided in each other. When Ray had her first period, she told me before she even went to Mom to tell her. When we were old enough to start noticing the opposite sex, I started chasing after girls. However, Ray just didn't seem interested in chasing after boys. When we were sixteen, she outed herself to me. She told me she was interested in girls like I was. I was okay with it and told her so. Of course, I joked that I didn't want her stealing my girlfriends from me. She promised she wouldn't if I promised I wouldn't try to steal hers."

Just then, our waitress came to the table with our food and asked if we needed another round of beer. We declined and tucked into our lunch. While we ate, Rick went on with his story.

"We both went to the University of Dayton to get our bachelor's degrees. We were both getting our BSEE, so we shared several classes each semester. In our sophomore year, Ray introduced me to Betty, who I eventually married. It turned out that Ray had been trying to get Betty to go out with her, and despite her best efforts, Betty just wasn't interested. So Ray figured if she couldn't have her, maybe I could win her over, so she hooked us up. Well, long story short, we hit it off. I got a wife, and Ray got a life-long best friend."

Rick paused for a moment. A look of sadness came over his face.

"Once we graduated, I married Betty and decided to join the Air Force, getting commissioned through OTC as you did. Ray and I started drifting apart since she decided that she wasn't cut out for military life, let alone that she was gay and didn't want to hide it. She went off and got a great job at IBM while I was enjoying a stellar career in the Air Force. Don't get me wrong. We stayed in touch and still turned to each other when we needed someone to confide in. She was so happy when we had Timothy. She became his godmother and doted on him as if he were her own."

Rick stopped, took a swig from his beer, and continued.

"Everything was fine for years. Then I was up for Lieutenant Colonel. As luck would have it, my security clearance review occurred at the same time. Ray was interviewed, and from the questioning, it was clear they were concerned about her sexuality. Ray had just broken up with a woman with whom she had been in a relationship for five years. Then we learned that I had been passed over for Lieutenant Colonel. Any chance I had to make General was over."

Rick stopped; a look of pain came over his face as he swallowed hard a couple of times.

"Ray thought it was her fault that I got passed over. She was already upset about her breakup, and this freaked her out. Betty and I tried to reason with Ray, and I thought she would be okay for a while. Then two months later, I got a call from the police ...."

Rick choked up and couldn't continue. I didn't know what to say. I was shocked at what I was hearing. My heart went out to him, and I reached over and took his hand in mine. As I did, I suddenly realized that this was the first time since my father died that I was holding a man's hand, that this was the first time I had even wanted to hold a man's hand.

"She killed herself," I stated.

"Yes," Rick husked, clearing his throat and swallowing several times. "Ray left a note to me saying she was sorry for ruining my career. She was positive that her being a lesbian was why I was passed over. I had tried to tell her that the two events were totally unrelated. None of the information from the security review would have been sent to the selection board. I should have tried harder to make sure she didn't blame herself."

He gathered himself and continued, "The irony is that, as I was arranging to fly home for the funeral, they announced that irregularities had been found in the selection board. They annulled the results of the board and convened a new selection board with different members. This time I was selected for Lieutenant Colonel. As far as the Air Force was concerned, I had not been passed over."

I gave his hand a quick squeeze and let go of it, sitting back in my seat. I said, "That goes to show that despite everything they do to try to make it as objective as possible, there is still subjectivity and bias in the selection process."

Rick gave me a slight grin as he sat back, composing himself. He then asked, "I suppose you're wondering why I told you about Ray?"

"I suspect that you want me to understand that you know what it's like for someone to be gay in a world where it is frowned upon, if not outright condemned and hated," I replied.

"Got it in one," Rick said. He leaned forward and said, "I know you're a lesbian, and I can see the little things that most other people might overlook. How you react, or rather, don't react to the men around you. It's like they're just another piece of furniture in the room. The way you react to other women is a dead giveaway. I saw you eyeing the waitress when she was taking care of us." He paused for a moment and then gestured toward my left hand, saying, "I also know what that ring you are wearing represents. Ray wore one like that too."

I looked down at my hand and the ring on my finger and fought not to fiddle with it. I looked back up at Rick and said, "I'm not taking it off. It means more to me than my career."

"I know," Rick replied, "and I would never tell you to. But as a friend, I want to caution you that you must be careful."

"I will, Rick," I said.

"I'm familiar with Jim Fain, your soon-to-be commander," Rick continued, "and he's old school. In fact, he's friends with Representative Dornan, and they share the view that homosexuality doesn't belong in the military."

My heart sank at that news, remembering the rant spewed at the dining-in last year, and it must have shown on my face. Rick hastily said, "However, he respects dedication and hard work above all else, which I know you're capable of. You continue to do that, and I'm sure he won't look too hard at your personal life."

The waitress came up with our check, and Rick said he'd pay for it while I studiously ignored her. While waiting for the waitress to return with the change, Rick passed on other tidbits he knew about General Fain that he thought I should know. I felt a little better after that.

We got up to leave, and Rick said, "Good luck with your new assignment. Forewarned is forearmed."

"Thanks, Rick," I replied.

With that, I left to go home. I had some thinking to do while I waited for Bonnie to get back.

I decided to go running. I drove down to the bike path and ran 10 miles, clearing my mind. By the time I was done, I had decided to go and visit Grace and talk to her about the upcoming move.

After I got home and showered, I called Grace and told her I needed to talk to her. She said she wasn't busy, so I headed over to see her. When I got there, we went into the kitchen and sat at the table to talk. I told her about what had happened earlier today.

"I'm glad your commander understands your situation and is willing to look the other way," said Grace.

"I am, too," I replied. "Unfortunately, from what Rick told me, my new commander will not be as understanding."

"That's a shame," said Grace. "How do you plan to handle the situation?"

"The only way I can," I returned. "I'll work my ass off and make him look so good he won't even look closely at my personal life. At least I won't be working with him daily. I'm glad my direct supervisor will be a civilian and not another officer."

"I'm sure you'll be just fine. I don't need to tell you to be careful. It's a shame that you have to hide who you are. You are such a wonderful human being, and I'll always be glad you are in Bonnie's life."

"Thanks, Grace," I said. "Speaking of being in Bonnie's life, could I ask you for a favor? Can you pick up the boys from school and keep them for a while this evening. I'd like to have some time to talk to Bonnie about this."

"No problem, sweetie," Grace replied. "I always love seeing them, especially since I won't see them a lot once you move."

"I know," I said, reaching over and taking Grace's hand in mine. "I feel bad about taking Bonnie and the boys so far away from you. However, we are planning to have a spare bedroom so you can come and visit whenever you want for however long you want."

"I'm looking forward to coming out to visit," Grace said, squeezing my hand. "I've always wanted to see other parts of the country."

"Well, I'd better get going," I said, getting up to go.

Grace got up and pulled me into a hug, saying, "I'll see you and Bonnie later."

I left and got home just as Bonnie was getting there. She was surprised and concerned about seeing me already at home. We went into the house together. I told her about what had happened earlier and the arrangements I had made for the evening.

When I had finished, Bonnie pulled me into a hug and kissed me as though if she kissed me hard enough, passionately enough, all of my concerns would go away. For a few minutes, they did.

"I love you," I whispered to Bonnie when the kiss ended.

"I love you more," Bonnie whispered back.

"Not possible," I finished softly, leaning in for another kiss.

We broke the kiss after what felt like twenty years or so and, without having to say a word, mutually decided to make our way to the bedroom. When we got to the bed, I went to take her top off, but Bonnie grabbed my hands and said, "No, I want to make you scream my name. Now, get naked and get on the bed," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," I snarked as I undressed quickly and jumped on the bed.

Bonnie stood there, watching me. Once I was on the bed, she slowly undressed, locking eyes with me once she removed her top and revealed her lacy demi bra. She then toed off her shoes and removed her shorts, exposing her bikini panties. My pussy started getting hot and wet as I anticipated seeing what was under her bra and panties.

Bonnie slowly removed her bra and panties, revealing her treasures for my eyes to plunder. Seeing her standing there naked was never going to get old. Bonnie slowly cupped her breasts and leaned forward as though offering them up for approval. I licked my lips, wanting to suck on those hard nipples.

Bonnie then got on the bed and grabbed my ankles to spread my legs so she could climb between them. Once she positioned herself between my legs, she lifted my right leg, holding my ankle with her left hand as she slowly slid her right hand up my calf to my knee. I could feel the goosebumps popping up as her hand caressed my skin.

Bonnie nuzzled the inside of my ankle as she bent my leg and pushed it up and out. She released my right leg and turned to my left leg, lifting it up, holding my ankle with her right hand as she slowly slid her left hand up my calf to my knee. Again, the goosebumps popped as her hand caressed my skin, setting it on fire.

My nipples were aching, and my pussy was sopping wet by now. A low moan escaped my lips as Bonnie bent my left leg up and out before clambering up and placing her knees on either side of my hips. She grabbed my knees and pushed them further up until they were almost even with my breasts.

Leaning over me, Bonnie positioned her clit, so it was directly in contact with mine, making me twitch as they touched. Her eyes were nearly black, with the desire she held for me. My eyes were just as dilated as her beautiful face filled my entire field of view.

I could feel the wetness of her pussy as Bonnie started rolling her hips, the sliding friction increasing the sensation. At the same time, our fluids attempted to reduce friction. My pussy was on fire and soaking wet at the same time. I started rolling my hips, increasing the rate of our clits colliding, each collision sending explosions of pleasure through our bodies.

I grabbed her breasts, squeezing them like stress balls, her hard nipples digging into my palms. Bonnie gasped as I did this, her eyes glazing over with desire. The dichotomy between the spongy softness of her breasts and hard nipples sent pulses through my body. I kneaded her breasts, enjoying the feeling of resistance to my fingers as they opened and closed.

Bonnie started increasing the tempo of her hips as our passion built. I kept time with her, my counter thrusts doubling the speed of our clits colliding. The sensation started to overwhelm me, making it harder to concentrate on keeping the tempo. I could feel the tsunami wave of my orgasm climbing higher and higher as it threatened to crash over my beach.

I sucked in a huge gasp of air as the wave broke over me, and I screamed, "Bonnieeeeeeee!" as I lost myself to the pleasure, my hips thrusting spasmodically as my hands crushed Bonnie's breasts. Bonnie went over the cliff, screaming, "Virginiaaaaaa!" as she fell into her orgasm.

I wrapped my legs around Bonnie's hips as she collapsed on me, both of us gasping, "Oh, God!" over and over as we tried to recover from our mutual orgasms. I then wrapped my arms around her, trying to merge my body with hers as we slowly regained our breath.