Chapter 13 #3
“But assuming a girl wants to wear pink instead of blue, or when a teacher spends extra time with the boys on math and science, and encourages the girls to draw or write, that’s discrimination.
A man getting promoted over a woman, when the woman is more qualified, is discrimination.
A dad only telling his little girl she’s pretty when she’s wearing a dress or skirt, and not when she has on a pair of pants… that could be discrimination.”
“I wanted to sign up for shop at school, so I could learn how to fix a car engine, and my teacher, Mr. Smithy, told me it wasn’t appropriate and I should take home ec instead,” Annie said.
Aspen nodded. “That’s discrimination. If you want to learn how to repair cars, go for it.
If you want to go into construction, do it.
But on the flip side, you shouldn’t assume all boys want to do that kind of stuff either.
Some would probably be more than happy learning how to sew, dance, and how to cook, and don’t want to play football and other sports. Discrimination goes both ways.”
Annie nodded. “That guy was a poophole. Can you show me how to be better on the obstacle course now?”
Aspen heard chuckles all around her. She’d almost forgotten that she had an audience. Before she could get embarrassed, she felt Kane’s hand on her waist.
“Thanks for having our backs,” Kane told his friends.
“You’re welcome at my table anytime,” Fletch told her. “And for what it’s worth, we all think you’re a hell of a medic. And if the Deltas used them, and if we were still doing missions, we’d personally request you be attached to our team.”
Aspen blinked in surprise. “Thanks.”
The seven men nodded and turned to head back to their families, who were standing nearby, watching. Fletch stopped to tell Annie that she had fifteen minutes before they’d be heading home. She wrinkled her nose, but nodded before he headed for a woman standing next to a little boy.
“No way,” Oz said grumpily. “They aren’t allowed to steal you away. Our team would request you.”
Aspen couldn’t help it, she laughed. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.” She looked over at Annie, who was obviously more than impatient to get some obstacle course time in.
“Give me fifteen minutes?” she asked Kane.
“You can have as much time as you want, du?o.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Kane leaned in, kissed her lips, then whispered, “Bosnian.”
“Are you ever just going to call me darling in English?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Kane shifted so his lips were by her ear and said quietly, “When I’m so far inside you that neither of us can tell where we start and where we end…I’ll call you darling.” Then he pulled away with a grin and stepped back.
“That was mean,” Aspen said, shifting where she stood, feeling how damp she’d gotten between her thighs.
“So was turning me on by looking like you were ready to pound Spence into the ground,” Kane retorted. Then he gave her a chin lift and turned to walk back to where he’d been standing with his team before Derek had appeared out of nowhere.
“Kane?” Aspen called.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for standing next to me and not in front of me.”
He nodded, and Aspen could see the respect shining in his eyes even with the distance between them.
“Ready?” Annie asked.
Aspen nodded and turned to face her. “Sorry you had to see and hear all that,” she told the little girl as they began walking toward the start of the course.
Annie shrugged. “I understand more about what you were saying earlier now. That guy didn’t like that you were on his team.”
“Nope,” Aspen agreed.
“Even though you did all the same work he did to be there,” Annie continued.
“Correct,” Aspen said.
“Are you really quitting?” Annie asked.
“I don’t see it as quitting,” Aspen said.
“Am I getting out of the Army? Yeah, I think I am. I’ve worked my butt off to give women and girls like you the chance to make a difference.
I hope that by helping to pave the way, it’ll make things easier on you when you grow up.
But I’m tired. I want a team like your dad has.
Like my friends have. I want to know I can one hundred percent count on someone to have my back. ”
“Like they did today,” Annie said confidently.
“Yup. They didn’t care that I was a woman. They had my back anyway.”
“My boyfriend’s that way,” Annie said proudly.
“You have a boyfriend?” Aspen asked in surprise.
“Yeah. His name is Frankie and he lives in California. But when we get older, we’re gonna get married.
I know I can count on him to have my back no matter what, just as I’ll have his.
He’s deaf and gets picked on a lot, but he doesn’t care because he knows the other kids are the poopholes, not him. ”
Aspen couldn’t help but smile every time she heard the word poophole. It wasn’t exactly nice, but the little girl wasn’t swearing, so she couldn’t reprimand her. “It’s good to have a boyfriend like that.”
Annie nodded. “So when you get out, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to use my paramedic license and help people around here. I’d like to get hired on an ambulance and go to people when they need help.”
“Ooooh, like when people call 9-1-1?”
“Exactly.”
“Cool. We had to do that when our house blew up. Come on! I want you to show me how to be faster and better at the pole thing!”
Aspen shook her head. When her house blew up? She’d ask Kane later about that. For now, she wanted to forget about Derek, discrimination, and just enjoy Annie’s enthusiasm.