Chapter 18b: Coastal Arrival

They stopped again for dinner near the hotel that Kennedy had once again selected for them. This time, they each had a double bed to stretch out into and with the earliness of the arrival to the hotel, they actually sat up and watched a movie.

“Oh, I love this one. It’s so cringey that it’s good.” Said Kennedy as he scooted himself so that his wiry frame was supported against the head rest of the bed. He had swapped his jeans for sports shorts but wore the same t-shirt he had been wearing all day.

Megan looked over at him from her own bed, nodding in agreement. She was changed and under the covers, her hair pulled loosely into a topknot.

She was really beginning to enjoy her time with Kennedy and knew he was beginning to find her the same way. It was the ways they looked at each other and carried on conversations both serious and silly. Like two old college buddies, or maybe neighbors.

She appreciated the fact that although they were both very fit and attractive people, neither of them had ogled the other (other than their first encounter) or made the other feel like they were being objectified.

Megan also enjoyed his sense of humor and his laughter. It was the kind where he cracked himself up, and just by being in his proximity, you couldn’t help but begin to laugh, too.

Then a thought dawned on her. When they had attended and hopefully completed their 13 weeks of training, what would he be focusing on? She had aspirations of becoming a fighter pilot. But what about him. She wasn’t sure this was a good time to bring up the subject.

Megan wasn’t a superstitious person, but she did believe in not counting chickens before they hatched. She tucked that question into the back of her mind until after they graduated.

Focus on the now, she told herself.

She reached up and stretched, yawning slightly and settled under the covers as the movie came back after a brief commercial break.

She closed her eyes as the sounds of the movie washed over her light a gentle breeze and murmured, “goodnight Kennedy,” before rolling onto her side, away from him and the television.

“Goodnight.” He replied, turning down the volume so that it was not a faint whisper.

++++++

Promptly at 06:00, they woke as per their previous morning and Kennedy led them in another equally grueling calisthenic workout, if not slightly more so. He seemed a little more focused than he had been the day previous. Megan supposed it was because today was the day they would be reporting in. They were a few hours outside Officer Training Command.

They cooled down, and Megan felt the welcomed burn brought on by intense fitness. Kennedy showered first and it gave Megan time to call home and check in with everyone. Her mother picked up.

“Hey baby, how’s the trip? How’s the East Coast?” Her mother asked.

“Not bad. A little rainier than I thought. Maybe it’s a fluke?” she said, twirling a strand of raven black hair between her fingers.

“Oh, that’s nice.” Her mother said and Megan smiled. She could tell when something caught her mother’s attention.

“Did I tell you about our book club, dear? I think you’d really like—Tex! Texas, no! Off the tabletop! Go on with you!” Megan laughed. She noted the time and guessed he either needed to be let out for a pee, or someone had left breakfast on the low coffee table, precisely at his nose-level.

The latter was true as he could hear the phone being placed down and the muffled expostulations of her mother shooing a hungry dog elsewhere.

“My word!” She breathed when she picked up the phone once more.

Megan and her mother chatted a little more. Nothing new to report at home, other than well wishes from family and friends.

“Are you nervous, honey?” Her mother asked as the conversation was beginning to wind down. At that moment, Kennedy had stepped out of the shower and walked over the room and began to dress, turning his body away from her and keeping the towel around his waist while he pulled on his boxers.

Megan spied his toned abdominals as he pulled a fresh white t-shirt down is lithe torso after removing the towel. “No mom. I’ve already told you. I’m ready.” She felt it and she meant it.

There was silence on the other end and Megan thought her mother might be crying, trying to find words. But in a calm voice, she said “You’ve been called, honey. I know you have. Good luck and speak soon.”

++++++

Kennedy and Megan had a similar continental breakfast, this time forgoing the addition of smuggled food as they were close enough to be reporting in. Megan had wistfully considered grabbing an extra yogurt or breakfast bar but stopped herself. She had applauded the foresight of Kennedy had had whey they left the first hotel. That extra food they had taken with them had certainly scratched the itch of hunger that inevitably brews during driving when it seems like eating is the only thing to do to keep the boredom at bay.

With Kennedy at the wheel once more, they left the hotel and merged with the morning traffic, hitting some heavy stages no doubt from the commuters eager to get to work.

They had run out of things to talk about towards the final hour of the trip. They had decided to listen to the local radio stations en route, in part, because the playlist had gotten a little played out over the dozens of driving hours they had spent together.

“You think you can handle the mean streets of Rhode Island?” Said Megan with a raised eyebrow, feigning boxing movements with her arms and shoulders and ducking her head against invisible opponents.

“I think you are thinking of Charlestown, Mass.” He said with a grin.

“Same difference, no? Both cheer for the Red Sox and won’t let you forget it?”

“I highly doubt we will have free time to catch a baseball game while we are in training.” He said with a smile.

They had taken several reroutes after they had left the main interstate roadway, owing to traffic and road construction. As they had left early from the hotel, there was no eagerness to rush or speed to arrive.

Megan watched as large main streets littered with large and small storefronts shrank into smaller ones, spaced more apart. Then she saw large streets become smaller ones. They passed a few roads littered with commercial and residential buildings and houses.

They then crossed the Claiborne Pell / Newport Bridge and Megan got chills. She spied from across the other side a building that looked distinct from all of those around it. She knew that after they had crossed their bridge, they would take one road towards Officer Training Command.

Kennedy took the singular road that began to look more secluded and spread out like a campus. Various buildings that looked like classrooms and dorm rooms grew larger as they approached.

Up ahead, there was a small que of cars waiting to get through the checkpoint. Megan watched the familiar routine of the car patron handing across a stack of papers to the uniformed officer in the small station while another officer walked around the car with a mirror affixed to a long pole. She knew from the days of 9/11 that one could not simply 'just show up' to any base across America anymore, and saw that after the officer was satisfied with the undercarriage of the car, prompted the driver to pop the trunk.

"Got your papers ready?" Asked Kennedy, reaching back behind him to find the zip of his bag. His papers were tri-folded and nearly pristine.

"Oh my god! We needed papers? Fuck, we have to go back. No, seriously." Megan began, but she could barely hid her smirk as she saw Kennedy's face drain in shock. She was slowly pulling them out of her day bag, reassuring him.

He merely tilted his head and smirked back and gave Megan some sly side-eye before returning his eyes to the road and adjusted himself in the drivers seat as if to clear away the though of a return drive to get her papers.

They sat in silence and Megan began to let her eyes wander while they waited. She saw men and women in uniform walking about between various buildings. Some of them older, possibly instructors while some looked younger, possible attendees.

"We're up." Kennedy said unnecessarily as he hit the automatic button to lower the window and made to reach for the trunk unlatch button. Megan handed her papers over to Kennedy who unfolded them along with his own.

They were processed and passed through with ease by a young and efficient-looking officer and were sent away with a, "welcome to base. Just follow the road ahead and park alongside the others."

Kennedy thanked her as he received his papers back. He handed them to Megan to separate and refold as he put the car in drive and slowly pulled ahead. He saw the parking lot that was beginning to fill up with other people who looked much like themselves. Some were outside their cars, bags next to the front bumpers, looking around, checking phones. Some had with them what looked like parents or relatives.

Megan felt a rush of butterflies from deep within the pit of her stomach as Kennedy selected a parking spot, reverse parked and turned off the ignition.

“We’re here.”

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