daughters her age, with a grandchild on the way. He was a family man and tended to treat his team as if they were members of his extended household. She appreciated the concern regardless that she was an adult more than capable of taking care of herself. It was nice to know that she wasn’t just another crewmember to Chief Jackson. It wasn’t long before they had their meals and were sitting down at a table on the mess deck. She reviewed what had gone wrong with the net up in AirOps and they were walking back to the radio room in less than twenty minutes.
“Keep me apprised if you notice anything else out of place,” Chief Jackson ordered, stepping back for Ferrin to enter the radio room. She was surprised to see Tami, who rarely woke this early after working second shift. “Jerry, run me through the specifics on the time and regularity the hop set rollover happens on the TATC-1 net. It seems I have to go school the Flyboys on communications procedure again.”
“Tami, is everything okay?” Ferrin passed her clipboard to Jerry, knowing full well he’d need the information contained on it to answer the Chief’s question. She didn’t take her eyes off of her friend’s gloomy face. The petite blonde looked as if she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. Ferrin could relate since she hadn’t slept too well since this cruise had been put to sea either and when she did manage to fall into a light slumber, Daegan was waiting for her in her dreams. “I get off shift in a few minutes.”
“I’ll wait,” Tami replied, not her usual upbeat self. “I think I really messed up this time.”
Tami’s words had Ferrin intrigued and she quickly ran through the pass down with Roger, retrieving and passing on the clipboard from Jerry to Roger, even mentioning her discussion with Chief Jackson today. It wasn’t long until she signed out of the shift log and was officially off duty. She joined Tami out into the passageway. Ferrin removed her glasses and then started toward her cabin, wanting to change into her workout clothes.
“So what happened?” Ferrin asked, leading the way. She glanced back at Tami and noticed that there were slight blemishes underneath her eyes. “You look exhausted.”
“I think I’m in love,” Tami blurted out, running a hand through her short blonde hair. She acted like this was the end of the world. “I’m too young for this. It was just supposed to be a brief affair at sea, not turn into something like this.”
Ferrin was momentarily speechless, so not having expected something like that from her friend. She thought of what to say, but everything sounded too cliché. She started with the obvious and the most evident.
“Tami, are you talking about Chuck?” Ferrin didn’t want to appear as if she thought Tami was overreacting, but she and Chuck had technically just met. Tami was spontaneous, but falling in love with someone you didn’t really know? “We’ve only been aboard for a week. I’m sure it’s just because he’s the only one you’re seeing at the moment and you’re infatuated. Trust me, it happens.”
“He’s so…he’s everything that I truly want in my future husband.” Tami didn’t seem happy about that, and in fact, she seemed on the verge of tears. Ferrin tried not to think of Daegan as she continued to listen to Tami talk. “I’m not ready for this. Not yet. Ferrin, I’m young. I’m carefree and I am certainly not going to pick a man to spend the rest of my life with based on the fact that he’s the best sex I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve sampled that big of a selection. Not compared to some.”
Ferrin had to laugh at the horror on Tami’s face and as usual, realized that her friend was being a little overdramatic. They’d arrived at Ferrin’s cabin and she entered first, not surprised to find that Nina had already left and started her shift. The third bunk was empty so far. Nina and Ferrin were splitting the extra storage space and
“Keep me apprised if you notice anything else out of place,” Chief Jackson ordered, stepping back for Ferrin to enter the radio room. She was surprised to see Tami, who rarely woke this early after working second shift. “Jerry, run me through the specifics on the time and regularity the hop set rollover happens on the TATC-1 net. It seems I have to go school the Flyboys on communications procedure again.”
“Tami, is everything okay?” Ferrin passed her clipboard to Jerry, knowing full well he’d need the information contained on it to answer the Chief’s question. She didn’t take her eyes off of her friend’s gloomy face. The petite blonde looked as if she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. Ferrin could relate since she hadn’t slept too well since this cruise had been put to sea either and when she did manage to fall into a light slumber, Daegan was waiting for her in her dreams. “I get off shift in a few minutes.”
“I’ll wait,” Tami replied, not her usual upbeat self. “I think I really messed up this time.”
Tami’s words had Ferrin intrigued and she quickly ran through the pass down with Roger, retrieving and passing on the clipboard from Jerry to Roger, even mentioning her discussion with Chief Jackson today. It wasn’t long until she signed out of the shift log and was officially off duty. She joined Tami out into the passageway. Ferrin removed her glasses and then started toward her cabin, wanting to change into her workout clothes.
“So what happened?” Ferrin asked, leading the way. She glanced back at Tami and noticed that there were slight blemishes underneath her eyes. “You look exhausted.”
“I think I’m in love,” Tami blurted out, running a hand through her short blonde hair. She acted like this was the end of the world. “I’m too young for this. It was just supposed to be a brief affair at sea, not turn into something like this.”
Ferrin was momentarily speechless, so not having expected something like that from her friend. She thought of what to say, but everything sounded too cliché. She started with the obvious and the most evident.
“Tami, are you talking about Chuck?” Ferrin didn’t want to appear as if she thought Tami was overreacting, but she and Chuck had technically just met. Tami was spontaneous, but falling in love with someone you didn’t really know? “We’ve only been aboard for a week. I’m sure it’s just because he’s the only one you’re seeing at the moment and you’re infatuated. Trust me, it happens.”
“He’s so…he’s everything that I truly want in my future husband.” Tami didn’t seem happy about that, and in fact, she seemed on the verge of tears. Ferrin tried not to think of Daegan as she continued to listen to Tami talk. “I’m not ready for this. Not yet. Ferrin, I’m young. I’m carefree and I am certainly not going to pick a man to spend the rest of my life with based on the fact that he’s the best sex I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve sampled that big of a selection. Not compared to some.”
Ferrin had to laugh at the horror on Tami’s face and as usual, realized that her friend was being a little overdramatic. They’d arrived at Ferrin’s cabin and she entered first, not surprised to find that Nina had already left and started her shift. The third bunk was empty so far. Nina and Ferrin were splitting the extra storage space and
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