Tired of Teaching

There were some gasps in the room, but after one stare from the judge, the room fell silent.

"In the case of the United States versus Captain Michael King, we the jury find the defendant..."

Cheri's heart was in her throat, and she was unaware that Mike's mother was squeezing her hand so hard it hurt when the colonel said, "Not guilty."

Paul turned and hugged his wife who then turned and hugged Cheri who was now crying.

No one heard the judge order the convicted Marine to be taken into custody pending an appeal or his thanking the jury for their service.

Mike, who was now free, shook hands with a number of officers from his squadron, HML-269, then walked over to Cheri and his parents.

"It's over," Paul said to his son as he fought back tears of his own as he embraced his son and slapped him on the back.

"Thanks for having my back, Dad," Cheri heard Mike say.

"Always," his father told him before slapping his son on the shoulder then turning him over to his mother who was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Mom. It's over, okay?"

"I know," she said as she held her boy tight, not wanting to ever let go of him again.

She kissed him on the cheek, hugged him again, then remembered Cheri.

Mike looked at her and saw her drying her eyes and smiled.

"You are so beautiful," he told her, surprising her as much as she'd ever been surprised.

She played off the compliment then put her arms around him again and said, "I am SO happy for you."

"Thank you," Mike told her as he held her, running his hand up and down her back and along the hair over the hair that cascaded around her neck.

As he slowly let go of her he stopped as their faces were just inches away from one another.

"What?" she asked, her heart hammering in her chest.

Mike didn't say a word. If she'd been surprised before what he did next stunned her.

Mike leaned down and kissed her softly—on the lips—then smiled as he looked into her blue eyes.

Cheri was so shocked she could neither speak nor move. But before she could ask what had just happened, another Marine officer who'd been waiting stuck his hand out.

"Duke, how you doin'?" she heard Mike say as he let go of her.

"Good, Highness," he replied as he pumped his friend's hand and calling him by his call sign.

The other officer's last name was Wayne, and he'd been dubbed 'Duke' after John Wayne's nickname. King's call sign was also a play on his name. Formally, it was 'Your Highness' but typically shortened to 'highness' most of the time and especially on the radio.

"Who's this gorgeous woman?" Duke asked as he sized up the beautiful, older woman in the dress next to his fellow Cobra pilot.

"This is..."

Mike looked at Cheri, smiled at her, then said, "The most beautiful, amazing woman I've ever met."

"Um...does she have a name or did you just take a stupid pill?" Duke said, in that sarcastic way Marines of similar rank often spoke to one another.

"I'm Cheri," she said introducing herself and sticking her hand out.

Duke grabbed it and pulled her in toward him and hugged her.

"No. You are hot!" he said as he let her go. "So...you and Your Highness here. You guys together?"

Not sure what to say, Mike stepped in and, as he put his arm around her, said, "Not yet."

Cheri gave him a funny look when Mike said, "But I'm hoping that will change."

After another flutter of her heart, Cheri managed to say, "Is that so?" as she smiled at him. She was trying to imitate Duke's sarcasm, but it didn't come out quite the same.

"With any luck, yes," Mike told her as Duke said it was nice to meet her and that he needed to get going.

"Honey? Excuse me," his mother said. "I wanted to ask Cheri to join us."

"Sure. Yes, definitely," he son said as he lowered his arm.

Linda saw the look on Cheri's face and explained.

"We're having a celebration dinner party for Mike this evening. And we'd like you to join us."

Cheri started to beg off, but Paul moved closer and said, "Please come."

He looked at his son then said to Cheri, "I've never heard my boy talk about any woman the way he talked about you."

The older man winked then said to Linda they should get back to their hotel.

As they excused themselves, Linda said, "Please do join us, okay?"

"O...okay," Cheri said, too confused to sort through the plethora of emotions she was experiencing let alone the appropriateness of going to a celebratory function for someone she barely knew.

Mike told his parents he'd see them later then turned to Cheri and said, "I have to sign some paperwork. Will you wait for me?"

"Um...okay. Yes. I'll wait."

Someone came in and said the courtroom needed to be cleared for another case, so Cheri followed the few remaining people out into the common area and waited by herself.

As she stood there she began wondering why she was there even though the obvious reason was well...obvious. But so much had happened so quickly with much of it having romantic overtones that a part of her thought it might be smart to walk out and never look back. But she couldn't. She couldn't because another part of her could only remember their conversation over lunch and...the kiss.

One part of her could understand why he'd kissed her. Mike could have been taken directly to the brig in handcuffs like the other officer she hadn't thought about until now. She knew that he was the one who'd fired the bullets or whatever machine guns spat out, and he was now facing the very real possibility of months or even years behind bars. So kissing a woman, any woman, who'd taken some interest in him made sense. And it was also possible that it was nothing more than a post-verdict high causing him to not think clearly.

But the other part kept telling her there was something different about this handsome, younger pilot that, in spite of the similarities to her failed marriage, beckoned to her. And, unless it had been nothing more than a kiss to relief stress, Cheri couldn't but but wonder if he might genuinely like her.

So to counter that part of her brain the first part reminded her that he was in his 20s while, "You are in your FORTIES!"

The mental scream seemed so real she yelped when someone touched and apologized for taking so long.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Mike told her.

"No. I...I was just thinking."

"I can only imagine how crazy all of this seems to you."

She wanted to say, "You have no idea," but didn't.

"I've been living this for the better part of a year, and it's still crazy to me," he told her, the playfulness in his voice gone.

"I can only imagine what a huge relief this is for you."

She saw that empty look in his eyes again just before he said, "Yeah. It is. It's just that those two kids. They're..."

He didn't need to say it again. Cheri understood. They were still dead, and although he was now a free man who'd just been completely exonerated, she could tell that he was racked with guilt. And while many, if not most, people would say something about how he needed to move on and put all that in the past, Cheri realized that was far easier said than done.

He seemed to snap out of it then looked at her and said, "I want to apologize for...coming on so strong."

"No. It's okay. The stress. The uncertainty. It...it's fine. Really."

"It's no excuse, though," Mike quietly told her. "But...the truth is...I really do like you, Cheri. I know I've been stressed out, but I also know I've never met anyone like you before."

She tried to lighten the mood and asked him if she was the first middle-aged woman he'd ever met.

"I've met quite a few woman who are a little older than me and even dated one or two. I've just never met one who's managed to so completely captivate me."

Cheri's silly smile evaporated at the seriousness of his words, again leaving her speechless.

"I really would like you to join us tonight, but if all of this has been too fast or...too much...and if you're looking for a way to run..."

Mike finally smiled then finished his thought, "To run the hell away as fast as you can, I understand. I'll be disappointed, but I will understand."

"I'll go to the party or dinner or whatever it is. I just have this feeling that everyone there will, you know, be your age, and I'll be the only woman who..."

"Who turns every head in the room?" Mike offered as he looked into her eyes.

"Not...hardly," Cheri said, the compliment making her own turn and head spin.

"I beg to differ. I know my buddy, Duke, is a little...crass...but he thinks you are um...incredibly attractive."

Cheri knew enough pilots to know how they talked, and she was certain Mike was cleaning up the comment. Still, it was flattering to think that younger men, or even much-younger men, still found her attractive.

"But you don't have to just take his word for it," Mike said as he reached out for her hands.

Cheri let him but didn't take his back as he said, "Take my word. After all, I'm a much better judge of beautiful women."

"I...I drove here. Do you want to maybe give me the address and when to meet you?" she asked, hoping to change the subject as goose bumps grew on her arms. It wasn't that it didn't feel good to hear him say such nice things, it was more that she had no idea what to say back.

"Sure. But may I walk you out?"

Cheri told him that would be nice, and when they got to the door, Mike put his hat back on his head before opening the door for her.

"Oh, just so you know. We Marines don't wear hats."

"Then what did you just put on your head?" she asked, finally feeling somewhere close to normal again.

"Marines wear 'covers' not hats."

"I see," Cheri said as Mike stopped dead in his tracks.

"I believe the entourage is waiting."

The camera crews were all there with reporters holding microphones, just waiting for the acquitted Marine to give them a statement.

"I don't know how long this will take, but if you want to duck out, just wait until they swarm around me then make a beeline for your car."

He smiled then said, "But first, can you give me your phone?"

Cheri fished it out and handed to him as she felt the pressure of the reporters even though none of them were waiting for her.

"If you'll send me a text, I'll send you the address and the time."

"Is what I'm wearing okay?" Cheri remembered to ask.

"You can wear anything you like and I'll love it. But if you want to dress down a little, that'll be fine, too. I can assure you I'm changing as soon as I get home."

"I'll definitely text you," she said before wishing him good luck again.

She watched him open the door, and before he got both feet outside, the hordes descended on him. Cheri gave them a few seconds to surround Mike then slipped out unnoticed. Or so she thought.

After making it to her car she pulled her phone back out and sent the text.

"Testing! One, two, three!"

She added a smiley face then sent it. But before she could put her phone down it rang.

"Tina? What's up?" Cheri said before starting the car to get it warmed up.

"You tell me," her friend said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Um...I'm in the teacher's lounge, and a half dozen of us just saw you on TV."

The realization hit her hard, and now she had to explain why she'd been on the New River air station, and more specifically, at this court martial.

"It's kind of a long story," she began, knowing that wouldn't fly.

"So start talking. I have four minutes left before my next class, so use every second of it to tell me what in the world is going on."

"I kind of know the um...defendant. The one who was acquitted."

"Oh, wow. This is getting SO good! Keep going," Tina said as she walked to her room.

Cheri quickly went over how they bumped into one another, the lunch, their very pleasant conversation, then how she saw him on the news.

"I couldn't get it out of mind. He's such a nice guy. And the charge of...murder...it seemed impossible, you know?"

"Unfortunately, I'm at my room. But I want you at my house tonight for dinner, and I want every single detail from soup to nuts!" Tina told her friend.

"I...I have...another commitment."

"What? What could possibly be more important than gossiping with your best..."

Tina stopped talking, and Cheri 'heard' her smiling.

"You have a date, don't you? A date with the gorgeous, young pilot. Right?"

"No. It's not a date," Cheri said, hoping that students walking in would force Tina to hang up.

"But you are seeing him tonight, aren't you?"

"Yes, but it's just a family thing. A celebration."

"A family thing that you were invited to," Tina said in that 'this is so delicious!' voice of hers.

"Don't you need to teach your class?" Cheri asked, now smiling herself.

"Yes, but the bell hasn't..."

Cheri heard it ring and laughed.

"Bye, Tina!"

"You better be calling tonight, and I don't care what time it is!" her friend said as Cheri laughed as the call ended.

Back at home, she turned on the TV. It was five 'til the hour, and the local news began in five minutes. She sat down and waited, and as she suspected, the trial was the lead story.

She listened carefully to every word, and then she saw the courthouse on base.

"Acquitted pilot, Marine Captain Michael King, spoke to local reporters as he left the building. Our own Jaycie Quinn has the details."

As the local reporter began setting up the scene, Cheri saw herself leaving the courtroom and gasped. She'd done nothing wrong, but just seeing herself on television for the first time was jarring to say the least.

She was only in the shot for about three seconds as she walked down the steps and out of view, and yet her first thought was how the camera made her legs look fat. There was no fat on them, or on her body, but as a 41-year old woman who was self-conscious about her age and appearance, it was what she saw.

"Mike was on trial for murder, and you're thinking about your legs. Selfish much?" she said to herself, putting things in perspective.

That thought made her remember the text. She'd left her phone in her purse and got up to get it. She saw a '1' under messages and smiled.

"I read you Lima-Charlie," it said. She remembered the saying from her ex. It stood for 'loud and clear' and made her laugh.

"Here's my address, and we're kicking this off around 1900 or 7pm for you civilian types. I really am looking forward to seeing you there, Cheri, and I honestly hope you'll come."

She felt some other emotion hit her; a very pleasant emotion, at that.

"I'll be there," she wrote. "Can I bring anything?"

She got a response in just seconds.

"Just your smile. That'll be more than enough."

It was a little corny, but it made her feel good.

"I can do that," she replied. "And Mike? I really am very happy for you."

He replied with a thumbs up and a smile of his own, and with that, she went to try and decide what to wear.

The news had switched to the local weather, and the temperature was dropping as a cold front moved in.

"Oh, great!" Cheri said, not a fan of the cold by any means.

The day after talking with Mike she'd worn the 'bounciest' sweater she had to work and even flaunted it a bit when she knew Eddie was looking her way. She'd been on an emotional high and felt like nothing could hurt her while just the day before she'd been as low as she could ever remember.

She had very pretty light-green sweater she loved, and with a khaki or gold-colored skirt, it would look amazing with her blonde hair. With that settled, she changed and touched up her makeup. But as she did Cheri took a close look as she squinted and checked the corners of her eyes for telltale signs of creases. The squinting caused a few fine line to appear, but all Cheri saw was a huge swath of wrinkles; wrinkles that didn't otherwise exist.

Had she not promised to show up, she would have stopped getting ready and called Tina to let her know she was free to head her way. But she'd given her word, and she would follow through. Besides, she was well aware of the reason she was suddenly taking an interest in crow's feet. So she sighed deeply then moved away from her newfound enemy—the mirror.

"You don't have to stay," she told herself. "Just show up, say hi, talk to Mike and congratulate him again, then make your exit."

Feeling better about the evening, Cheri finished up then went back downstairs to eat a small snack. She'd missed lunch and wanted something to hold her until she got to Mike's. The dichotomy was lost on her as she didn't realize that she was both planning on staying for dinner and leaving early.

When Cheri arrived it took her several minutes to find a parking spot. The driveway was jammed with cars, and both sides of the street were also filled. She ended up parking about 200 yards from the house and walking. In her coat. With gloves. And a scarf.

Mike's mother met her at the door and welcomed her. The noise level inside told her the place was packed, but what Cheri couldn't see was the number of people outside on the patio.

"I'm afraid dinner has turned into a massive barbecue. We've got four grills going out back, and that's where you'll find Mike. He's a terrible cook, but he loves to barbecue," his mom told her as she stepped inside.

"I'd offer to take your coat, but it's gotten cold outside, and you may want it out back."

Cheri was again aware of what she was wearing and said she thought she'd be warm enough and let her hostess help her remove her coat. Now, with both 'girls' ready to do their thing, Cher made her through the throng of friends and well-wishers who'd shown up to let Mike know they supported him.

It was cold on the patio, but at least the light breeze was blocked by the house making it tolerable. She scanned the crowd but didn't see Mike, so she went to walk around when two hands gently grabbed her arms from behind.

"You made it," Mike said as he spoke from just a few inches from her ear.

He let go and Cheri turned around and smiled.

"You scared me!" she told him but smiling back.

"Sorry. I was just so happy to see you!"

"I almost got cold feet," Cheri told him. "Okay, my feet are already very cold, but that's a separate issue."

Mike laughed then asked her to come back inside as he glanced down at the 3-inch pumps Cheri was wearing.

"It's warmer but a whole lot louder," Cheri said as she followed him inside.

"No worries. I know of at least one place that isn't occupied."

He held out his hand and looked at her, watching her reaction. She hesitated but took the hand and let him lead her through the living room to a hallway and then to a bedroom.

Mike opened the door to let her in, but after taking one step she stopped.

"What the hell?" Duke said, coming up for air and leaving an attractive young woman underneath him trying to pull him back down.

"Do you ever take a break?" Mike asked as he laughed.

"Uh...not really, but if you and your girl want the room, I suppose we can go...elsewhere," Duke said as he slid off the bed.

"Unfortunately, Cheri isn't my 'girl', but we did want to talk."

The other girl sat up and smiled as she pulled a sheet up to cover her own sweater puppets which were fully exposed, unaware that this was Mike's bedroom and that she had no business being there.

"Talk, huh? So that's what we're calling it these days?" he said as his young date asked for her bra and top followed by a pair of thong panties and jeans.

"Bye-eee!" the ditzy blonde said as she zipped on by telling Duke he didn't need to pull so hard as he drug her along with him.

"Sorry about that," Mike said once they were alone. "I think you know he isn't much on sensitivity."

"I used to be married to a pilot, remember?" Cheri said, now laughing at the whole thing.

"I do," Mike quietly replied.