“I’m not, big-head, I’m getting it for me.”
I chuckled, understanding completely.
“No, I don’t need anything. We will eat around eight,” I told her.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” she kissed me again, and I felt myself getting aroused, as she had a way of kissing that defied imagination.
Knowing the affect she had on me, she laughed and walked off.
“You see, she has changed,” said Mickey, chuckling at our domesticity. We had a few more beers. I took a short walk to a small jewellery store and bought an engagement ring. It was a diamond ring, with a circle of blue sapphires around the diamond. The blue stones matched her eyes perfectly. Then I went back and rang Colonel Rick Masterson.
“Colonel, just thought I’d report in,” I said.
“Ed, good to hear you’re back. What are your plans?”
“Sir, if it is in order, I guess I’d like to take that training post you offered me. If the job is still on the table?”
Rick’s chuckle came down the line.
“You surprise me. I thought you wanted combat or nothing.”
“Sir, I have some responsibilities now, it seems I will be married soon, and well, I need some security if I’m to become a family man,” I said.
There was a stunned silence.
“Sir?”
“Ed, did I hear you right?”
“Yes sir, you did. I need to ask for some extra leave, I have to go to Scotland to marry my bride, so I need two weeks,” I said.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“No sir.”
“I can’t wait to meet this woman. Does she know what she is taking on?”
“Sir, yes sir. She does at that, sir.”
“Scotland, I always wanted to go to Scotland.”
“Sir, you have an open invitation to attend the wedding. When I know when and where, you will too,” I said, grinning like an idiot.
“You have your leave, and I would like to attend the wedding. But I have to pass on a bit of good news.”
“Sir?”
“As from this moment you are Sergeant Major Ryan, you are the chief instructor for the Marines in Training, at Parris Island. Okay?”
“Sir, yes sir! Thanks colonel,” I said.
“It’s the least I could do. Are you coming back to the base?”
“I’ll have to collect my personal stuff, as I’ll need my number one uniform for the wedding, with new rank insignia.”
“Are you bringing the intended Mrs Ryan?”
“Sure, I ain’t letting this one go,” I said.
“Good, then please bring her over to dinner. I want to meet her.”
“Yes sir. I’ll see you tomorrow night then.”
“Bye Ed.”
I hung up the phone, and looked at Mickey. The poor man was having a stroke or something. His eyes were bulging out of his head, and his jaw was slack. He was drooling and trying to speak, but nothing intelligible was getting out.
I almost picked up the phone again, to call the paramedics.
“Hey Mickey, are you okay?” I asked.
He grunted and pointed behind me. I turned round, and hell, I damn near had a stroke too!
Gillian had returned, but she had bought some clothes, had her hair done and had a complete makeover. She looked like a whole different person.
She was standing in the doorway, wearing a white skirt, with a navy blue strapped top. She had stockings on and a pair of high heeled shoes that made her legs look fantastic. She was carrying a white jacket for the skirt, but it was over her shoulder, and she was wearing earrings in both ears.
Her new and exotic makeup accentuated her huge blue eyes, while her mouth looked so damn kissable. Her hair was shaped and framed her face so nicely, that she could have walked into Hollywood and demanded a job on any movie she liked. With her tan, she looked like a million dollar movie star or a princess from Europe. And she went and fell for a grunt like me!
“Are you going to offer me a beer or stand there dribbling all night?” she asked, in that wonderful Scottish accent.
Mickey was still semi-paralysed, so I opened a beer and passed it to her. She grinned and drank from the bottle. She hitched up her skirt, swung her gorgeous legs up and perched on the bar stool next to me.
“You have no idea how awkward this crap is to try to walk in,” she said, grinning.
“Believe me, that ain’t nothing on early nineteenth century fashion,” I told her. “And don’t start me on the damn Romans.”
“Someday, you’ll have to tell me about Jane. I feel she’s my sister. The other one is less distinct.”
“Gigi, the door’s open, just come on in, whenever you want,” I said, now wholly grateful I had kept the memories. They could be shared with someone who’d understand.
Then an idea hit me.
No, it wouldn’t be fair to recruit her to the Time Corps; or would it?
“No, when you’re ready,” she said, interrupting my train of thought and smiling at me in a knowing way.
Hell, I loved this woman!
“You look amazing,” I said.
She smiled and wrinkled her nose delightfully.
“Thanks, but now I know why I didn’t bother with it all. I have had more guys try it on with me in the last hour than the last fifteen years,” she told me.
“That’s because you look hot, girl,” Mickey said.
“But I got my man now, so can I go back to baggy pants?” she teased.
I laughed, and put my arm around her. Mickey was still drooling a little.
“My colonel has asked us to dinner tomorrow night,” I said.
“Oh, is that good?”
“Sure. He wants to come to the wedding too,” I said.
“Oh! Fine, talking of which, who’s going to be your best man?”
I hadn’t even thought about it, so she laughed. It is all very well, but there are disadvantages of having a woman who knows your mind!
I looked at Mickey, and instantly discounted him as they would never let him into Scotland, if they had any sense. You could never have Mickey in the same country as so many whisky distilleries.
“Don’t look at me, Ed, I’m booked up solid through to October,” he said.
“You must have some friends, or your brother-in-law, the policeman in Ohio, is it?” she suggested
I shook my head, he was a nice guy, but not that nice.
“How about your Colonel?” she asked, on the ball as usual. It was a perfect solution. The Colonel wanted to go. Now he had a good reason, and I would have the kudos of having my CO as a best man.
“Smart girl, I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
“Where is this new job of yours?” she asked.
“Parris Island, South Carolina. It is the basic training depot for the corps, here on the East Coast. Why?” I asked.
“Because I’ll have to start looking for a job, so I need to know where to look.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. What sort of job will you go for?”
“Any teaching post, at any level except little kiddies. I have a teaching qualification, but ideally for a University or college, but High School if needs must.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that African languages are the main curriculum,” I said.
“Maybe not, but I can teach French, German or even English. I am not too specialised, you know?” she said.
“What about the Island language, is there anything you have to do with that?”
“Probably, but I’ll have to produce my paper on it and then see what happens. It may be that it will catch someone’s eye, so I may get some good offers. But to be honest, my love, all I want to do is be around for you. I will be quite happy teaching, and then coming home to you,” she said, reaching across and taking my hand.
“Aw, come on you two, let’s go eat, otherwise I may puke,” said Mickey.
* * *
Gillian.
I had never experienced shopping properly. Oh, I had been to shops and bought things, but I had never just wandered and looked for things as I went. I had one aim; I wanted to look good for Ed.
Silly really, but I had never wanted to dress like that ever before, so whatever happened in that village really worked.