Chapter 20 #2
There was no choice. With a new wife and baby at home, he had to stay.
Frankly, it was a relief to know for certain he wouldn’t be heading back to Europe, and the pay raise would help him make up the savings he was going to spend on a house faster.
“Thank you for the warning, but I’d like to stay on.
I’ll put in my papers to resign my commission. ”
“Are you sure, O’Donnell? It isn’t going to be easy.” The Major leaned forward, face full of concern.
“I just got married a few days ago, sir. I have my wife to consider.” No one knew he got married yet. The Major wouldn’t have been his first choice to tell, but he had to provide some explanation.
The Major sat back and shrugged. “Well, I wish you luck. And congratulations on your marriage.” Like it was an afterthought.
That was hardly the reaction Bill was hoping for from the first person outside his family he told.
But it was silly to hope for more from the Major.
He’d always been a bit of a wet blanket.
“Thank you, sir.”
“That will be all. You’re dismissed.”
Bill wasn’t sure whether to be offended or grateful as he got up and headed to the locker room to change into his uniform. Pritchard was in there waiting. The moment of truth had arrived.
“You talked to the Major?” Pritchard asked.
“Yes.” Come on, Bill. Get the words out.
“And?”
“I’m staying. You?” He stripped off his shirt and pants and began putting on his uniform, trying to figure out the angle of approach to what he had to say.
“I’m staying. Wasn’t much of a choice really.” He came over to Bill and said quietly, “To be honest I wasn’t much of a fan of Major Willoughby. I’m relieved he’s moving on.”
“Between us, I agree. He was no Major Fleet. That’s for sure.” He started buttoning up his shirt.
“Come out and celebrate with me in DC?” Pritchard said with a wink.
God, no.
“Listen, Pritchard. There’s something I have to tell you.” He was dying to tell Ernie about Ann, but he was dreading the rest.
“You old dog. What is it now? Got some new girl out there?”
“No,” he said, finishing the last of his buttons. “Quite the opposite. You see, I just married Ann Prince.”
“You what?” Pritchard stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Now that was the reaction he’d been hoping for. He couldn’t help but grin. “The day before yesterday, right after Hank’s wedding, we went to City Hall.”
Pritchard blinked at him and stared. Then his face broke out in a huge smile.
“Congratulations, you crazy bastard! You and Hank in the same week. Must be something in the water. I’d better watch out or I’m going to find myself getting hitched too.
” He threw an arm around Bill’s shoulder.
“Bill O’Donnell is a married man. Imagine that!
I guess this is the end of your wild adventures with ladies up and down the eastern seaboard. ”
“About that…” Here it comes. Time to come clean.
“I may have exaggerated my exploits. The truth is a girl I was seeing had a pregnancy scare a few years back. We were going to tie the knot, but she lost the baby and left me. Since then, I’ve been going home after a few kisses and leaving it at that.
I said I did more because I thought it made a better story.
” He paused. Pritchard was looking at him in confusion. “Ann convinced me to come clean.”
“I don’t understand. Are you trying to erase your storied history because your wife doesn’t approve? I saw you go home with those girls, O’Donnell.”
This was exactly what he feared.
“And I swear to you all I did was replace a lot of lightbulbs, fix a lot of leaky faucets, and steal a smooch or two.”
Pritchard raised an eyebrow. “If you say so, O’Donnell. I know your new wife is putting you up to this, so I’ll go along with it when she’s around. But you know I know the truth.”
Bill sighed. “Well, I tried. I have no proof to offer. You either believe me, or you don’t.”
At that moment, Thompson walked in. “Did you hear O’Donnell’s news?” Pritchard asked.
“No. What?”
“He married Ann Prince. Went to City Hall the day after Hawley’s wedding, the sly bastard. Now he’s trying to convince me not to let his wife know about his past exploits.”
Thompson came over and thumped Bill on the back. “Congratulations, you gangly buffoon! I thought Myrtle and I would beat all of you down the aisle, but boy was I wrong.”
“Thanks, Thompson. And I wasn’t trying to convince Pritchard to hide things from my wife. I was trying to come clean about what actually did and didn’t happen with those girls I took home.”
This was going poorly.
“He says he”—Pritchard paused to make quotes with his fingers—“‘only changed the ladies’ lightbulbs.’”
Thompson burst out in loud, raucous laughter. “Like hell you did, O’Donnell.”
“I’m serious,” Bill objected without much hope.
“You’re full of shit, and you know it,” said Pritchard, guffawing along with Thompson.
“That is some serious phonus bolonus,” Thompson said.
Bill shrugged and shook his head. “I tried, Ann,” he said to the ceiling. “If you gentlemen don’t mind, I have a plane to fly.”
And with that, he excused himself and headed out to his airplane.