Chapter 2 #2
Twenty minutes later, Marta dumped her beach gear on the same patch of sand she’d been using for decades. She waved to some of her fellow surfers as she jogged to the water’s edge, the board under her arm. Perfect timing. The tide was about to peak.
She’d caught several waves and felt wonderful.
Free. Exhilarated in a way nothing else could give her.
She wasn’t as young as she used to be, so she rehydrated and rested a few minutes on the sand warmed by Southern California’s sun, enjoying a rare midweek day off.
Before the tide went out, Marta returned to the chilly water.
Even in the summertime, the water temperature rarely reached seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
Grabbing her board once again, she paddled out beyond the rollers. Her attention was on the swells behind her, judging which one would give her the best ride.
“Hey, Marta, you got a new man?” Zelle, an afternoon regular, shouted over the crashing waves beachside.
“What?” How could the thirtysomething girl know about Trevor? She couldn’t. She must be talking about something else.
Zelle pointed. “If not, some guy is camping too damn close to your gear.”
Marta squinted but couldn’t see that far. Yes, something shaped like a person was moving next to her stuff. It almost looked as though he was stretching out his legs and leaning back on his elbows, but at this distance she couldn’t make out much of anything else.
Damn these old eyes. Maybe I should get that LASIK surgery.
She had that debate with herself many times but always came to the same conclusion; she’d then have to wear glasses all day to be able to see her computer. Currently, her nearsightedness kept her from the torture of glasses.
Squinting again as the water gently picked her and her board up, whoever was there blended in with the sand. She needed to go ashore and face the intruder.
“Thanks, Zelle.” Marta caught the next wave.
Popping onto her board, she slid into the perfect unbroken wave. She tried to look over her shoulder to get a better view of the interloper. Bad idea. Her balance was off when the curl slammed the nose of her board.
She flew through the air.
Since it wasn’t her first airborne trip, she filled her lungs with air and tried to hit the water at an angle.
The wave shoved her to the sandy bottom.
When she surfaced, she quickly wiped the water from her face and looked for the next wave.
Quickly swimming to her board, she lay flat on the deck and let that wave push her to the shore.
When she could stand in waist deep water without getting doused, she hopped off and headed to the beach.
A man in tan board shorts and a yellow rash guard advertising a local oyster bar was running through the surf toward her. Aviator sunglasses and a white ball cap with the Sea ‘N Air logo of the base golf course, hid his face and hair.
She wasn’t sure who this man was, but he seemed to know her.
“Marta, are you okay?”
They met in knee-deep water.
She blinked, not just to clear away the salty water, but because she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Trevor? She shook her head as though to clear the vision in front of her. It couldn’t be Trevor Maddox. What the hell was he doing on her beach? It wasn’t really hers but since she’d been coming to that beach for nearly thirty years, she thought of it as hers.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Marta. Look at me. Are you all right? That was a hell of a spill you just took.”
“Admiral Maddox, what are you doing here?” After the way she’d acted earlier that day, he was the last person she wanted to see. She’d been rejected and humiliated enough for one day.
She jerked out of his grasp.
“I needed to talk to you,” He insisted.
She rolled her eyes and trudged through the water past him. She couldn’t bear to hear another of his apologies. Maybe he was right. Nothing could happen between the two of them because she worked for him.
He caught up to her in two strides. “I tried to call you several times but when you didn’t return my messages, you left me no choice but to come find you.”
She spiked her board into the sand and picked up a towel. “What’s so all fire important that you had to chase me down here at the beach?” She wiped up her face then stared at him. “And how did you know I’d be here?”
“I went to your house first and when you didn’t answer the door, I took the chance that you’d gone surfing.” His explanation sounded reasonable, but it still irked her.
“That still doesn’t explain how you knew I’d be here.” She planted her hands on her hips.
Trevor grinned. “Marta, I’ve been stationed at Coronado three different times during my career, and you’ve been here each time. Everyone knows you love to surf…right here.”
She huffed. “I guess that makes me damned predictable.” She wasn’t sure which irritated her more, the fact that everyone knew where she surfed or that he had come there to find her. “You still haven’t answered my question, why are you here?”
“I need to leave as soon as possible for Little Creek. I want to welcome the men back and congratulate them for such a successful mission.” He looked out to the water.
Her mind immediately started compiling a travel checklist. She needed to call the airstrip and find out if the flag jet was there.
It was used exclusively for the rank of bird and above.
It always surprised her how many Navy captains and admirals as well as Army, Air Force, and Marine colonels and generals were in the San Diego area.
She then had to notify their sister base in Virginia so they could prepare the visiting officers’ quarters for him.
She also had to check on the social calendar of Captain Don Arnold.
As commanding officer of Group 2, he would be obligated to meet the Vice Admiral and escort him to his quarters. Meals. Assembling the men.
“I want you to go with me.” His gaze returned to her.
“Pardon?” What the hell had he just said?
“I expect you to go with me.” He held her gaze.
She couldn’t say no. He was her boss and traveling with him was in her job description.
Marta drew in a slow deep breath. “Okay. What time would you like to leave?”
His gaze scanned down her body and she suddenly felt very exposed.
Her wetsuit left nothing to the imagination including the cellulite in her thighs.
Thank God hers had a built-in bra that kept her boobs from sagging halfway to her belly button, but nothing could be done about her drooping butt.
It didn’t matter how many hours she spent doing yoga, gravity was not kind to women of certain age, and she passed that number about a decade ago.
What the hell. He’s not interested in me or my body. All he wants is my brain and skills as an outstanding administrative assistant.
When his sapphire eyes met hers, he asked, “How much time do you need?”
Wow. She hadn’t expected a question to her question.
“I can meet you at the airport in two hours, but I first have to make some phone calls to see if the plane is available.” She reorganized her own personal list of travel preparation.
“I notified the office about this trip before I left. According to the texts that I’ve received, the plane is ready when we are. Since most of the fleet is still deployed between Korea and the Middle East, there’s only two others who need to head east today.” He smiled. “You run an excellent team.”
“Thank you.” She bent and started gathering her beach necessities then realized she’d stuck her butt out facing him. Quickly, she kneeled and finished. Back on her feet she headed to the parking lot.
“I’m sure my team copied me on all of your text messages.” Or at least they’d better have. She’d call into the office on the short drive home. “Is there something in particular you need me to bring?”
“I asked the staff to send a complete list of everyone on this mission from both Little Creek and Coronado. If you think of anything else, we’ll pick it up at the Group 2 office when we get to Little Creek.”
“Thank you.” They’d arrived at her car, and she unlocked the trunk, dropping the bag in before closing it. He waited by her car door. “Thank you, Admiral Maddox.” She opened the door and used it as a shield between them. “I’ll see you in two hours at the airstrip.”
She closed the door and drove away before he could say anything more.
Four hours in a confined space with Trevor Maddox to get there and four more to get back.
Being that close to him, knowing her feelings were not reciprocated, definitely placed her in a personal hell.
She’d endured the last NSWCO, Admiral Asshat as she privately called him.
Being an excellent assistant to Trevor Maddox had been easy so far. She could do her job in her sleep.
Who the hell was she kidding? She’d had a little crush on Trevor since the day he moved into the office behind her desk.
She had to interrupt him to sign several important documents as he was setting family pictures on his new desk.
He told her about each of his children and their recent successes as he carefully placed their pictures.
He was so proud of them. The next photograph in the box was of his wife.
He stared at it for a long time before he placed it back in the box.
He looked up at her and asked in a small voice, “when does it stop hurting?”
Marta knew in that moment that they shared something very precious and rare, the loss of a very loved spouse.
She admitted, “I’ll let you know when it finally happens.
I miss John every day, some days more than others.
” She walked over to the box and pulled out the picture of his beloved wife who he lost to cancer five years ago.
She handed it to him. “I kept his picture on my desk for over ten years. You’ll know when you’re ready to put it away. ”
His single nod was her cue to leave him alone with his family.