Yakima Nights

Yakima Nights

By Archie Kennedy

Text Copyright
2014

All Rights
Reserved

Dedicated to the Men and
Women of the U.S. Military

The Setup

The Forbidden Fruit

Too Fast

Au de `but

The Firing Point

WonderWall

Reality

THE
SETUP

While standing in the motor pool, Andre
Stillwell was in a daze. Andre, a Specialist in the US Army, had a
thought. What if she was the one for me? His mind was on Taylor or
2nd Lt Cole, his platoon leader. Sitting there thinking about her
was a scary thought. Scary, because she was his boss, younger, more
mature and very relaxed. Taylor Cole was a fresh faced 2nd LT who
was just assigned to his section. Andre didn’t think too much about
it at first. She was just another person to him, nothing special or
surprising. Andre started to remember when he met her, during
summer training. Taylor was forced to jump into training
immediately after coming to base. She had just finish OCS a few
months earlier and was excited about coming into the army. When she
came to the FTX she met Andre first, probably because everyone else
was too afraid of saying two words to her. Around this time, the
military had a sexual assault problem. In if you was a male looking
or talking to a female soldier the wrong way, it meant the end of
your career and possibly your freedom. He did not care though,
because he had a lot of female friends. She would stand by herself
away from everyone else. For the first two mornings, she was alone
until Andre spoke to her. It seem like he had to break the ice
first as she was so shy and overly protected by the command group.
She was having a hard time putting her tent together and Andre
decided to speak to her “Good day, Ma’am need help with that”.
Taylor looking stunned that somebody was actually talking to her
replied “Yeah, I don’t know what I’m doing”. The next day she woke
up, Andre was outside taking in the scenery. Taylor decided to get
some coffee for the both of them. Taylor approached him with the
coffee before he could say anything to her. “Here, I got you some
coffee”. Andre looked around with a smile on his face “Is this a
set up”. They both laugh and talk while enjoying their coffee that
morning. They would talk for hours before anyone else awoke. After
that they were thick as thieves, and every morning for that week
they woke up to each other. After the field problem they talk, but
mostly about work and nothing personal. Now, Andre is starting to
realize that he has feelings for her. He knows that it will be
almost impossible to find out if the feeling is mutual.

While at the motor pool he is stopped by his
BC (Battery Commander) Capt. Shawn Meads. They never got along; as
Andre sees it he does not care for or like him. With a stern voice
he asks about his work relationship with Taylor, and how she is
doing in the section. Before he can say a word Meads turns away to
talk to Mason, a high-speed specialist who Meads has taking a
likening too. Mason was also a Specialist and the kind of soldier
Meads wanted. Mason was good at PT, smart and always took his order
to the heart. Most stayed away from him, because he was a
definition of a blue falcon. Andre and Mason never talked but he
never spoke about anything around Mason, fearful that he would make
up or tell Capt. Meads about his daily life. Andre’s daily life did
not consist of any wrong doing; he was just a private person. While
they had their side conversation, Andre hears Taylor calling him
from the other side of the motor pool. She wants him to come back
to the office with her to type up some plans for a future training
event. They decide to take one car and while riding Taylor started
to tell her back story. While Andre is listening he starts to
notice small things about her. Her shitty car that needs an overdue
cash wash and cleaning inside, but he likes it. It shows him that
she is human and down to earth. Andre can’t help but to notice a
faded neck tattoo and he ask her about it. Taylor says that its
nothing and she is getting it removed soon. Now, he is intrigue but
she will not budge from her previous response. Although Andre
tries, Taylor changes the subject back to work.

Arriving at the battery, Andre helps her
with her bags. He noticed that Taylor carries a lot of stuff and
assume she is some kind of neat freak. While they set up their
equipment, another LT walks in the room. Almost like he was spying
on them, he sits down and looks at Andre. Before, Andre could say
anything the LT asks Andre a question. “Stillwell, I heard you were
driving in rank in Afghanistan.” Hey, Cole watch out for him”.
There were rumors about Andre and girls from his last deployment.
The stare that Taylor gives Andre was one of shock. Andre pretty
much knew he could no longer expect to tell her how he felt. After
the room was cleared Taylor ask him were the rumors true. Andre
reluctantly too bring it up just gave a quick “No”. Before he could
say anything else Taylor said “if they are that’s pretty bad ass”.
While he chuckles with his head down, he sees Taylor looking at
him. He thinks to himself this is it, but once he looks around he
finds that Capt. Meads is standing there looking at the situation
unfold.

Meads calls Andre in his office, and starts
to explain the UCMJ laws covering Fraternization. Andre stands
there lost in his thoughts thinking about Taylor and also why his
BC is “giving him shit” about something that he does not evening
know is real yet. Taylor walks past him in the hall way in ask what
happen, “What did he want”? Andre playfully shrugs his shoulders,
and walks away with Taylor to go back to work. When he goes into
her office to get his patrol cap he finds a text on her phone from
Meads. The text says “Are you kidding me, him of all people”. It
surprised him because now he knows why Meads is always watching and
lurking. While driving back he ask Taylor smoothly about her and
BC, which she has no problem explaining. Meads and Taylor dated
before her arrival here and that’s pretty much it. He didn’t tell
her about the text or his conversation he had with Meads. A couple
hours went past in it was finally time to get off work. Andre
notice Taylor was nowhere in sight. While walking towards his car
Andre spotted B.C. Meads was walking to the Shoppette but he was
going behind the building. Andre loosely followed Meads and once he
saw him stop he took cover like a ninja. He saw Meads with a girl
who works in Battalions S1 shop. Andre was shock but not surprised,
this was not the first time this has happen. However, when he turns
around he saw Taylor stand directly behind him. Andre screams like
a Simpson’s character before Taylor covered his mouth. Meads look
back to once he heard the noise but by that time Taylor and Andre
had run away. Andre was freaked out by the situation but Taylor was
fine, she just kept laughing until Andre asks “Why were you
following me”? Taylor had seen him sneak away prancing like a ninja
so she couldn’t resist following him. Her laughter was trigger by
the fact Meads was sneaking around with enlisted females again. As
Taylor explains it, “he can’t get with commission females because
they know he is full of shit”. While they were talking he notice
that she was still holding his hands and he looked at her with a
faint smile in said “Are you going to let go”? She abruptly stops
laughing but didn’t let go and said “Why”? Before he can conjure up
a response, Taylor kisses him. No sparks, no fireworks it was just
a simple kiss and a long stare. Andre drain of all thought by this
time, didn’t know what to say. Taylor looked at him and said “so
this weekend I was thinking we could hang out”. He finally came
back to earth, while staring at her he said with a smile on his
face “didn’t we just do that backwards”. Taylor chuckle and they
finally let each other’s hands go. Andre finally making it to his
car thought to himself “how can I make this work”. He was happy,
but now concerned .Andre finally makes it home. Once the door open
he was greeted by a smiling Anne, his wife. She looks at him with a
twisted but playfully look in ask “What happen at work? You’re
never this happy”. Andre just replies with a frank statement, but
now realized that this will not be easy. On the other hand Taylor
is driving home and sees Tony Stuck, her boyfriend in the drive
way. Both Annie and Tony are oblivious. As Taylor talks to Tony she
thinks about Andre evening slipping up by almost calling Tony,
Andre. Although, she catches herself Taylor thinks about the long
term. However, she is still blinded by the fact that she and Andre
are now entwine in something they both wanted. They know that
things will be complicated for here out. Only thing is, how much
complication can they handle.

Taylor, who was sitting up 11 o clock at
night, started to have a flashback. Taylor starts thinking about
her life before the army. She lived in an area of Massachusetts
that was warm but leaves of autumn were abundance. She loves her
home and this is where she met Tony Stuck, her current boyfriend.
Tony was Taylor’s best friend for many years. Tony knew everything
about Taylor and vice versa. Moreover, both were outcast in high
school and college, never living up to the popular standards.
Growing up like this never affected them because at the end they
had each other. As time passed, both of them started to develop
feelings for each other. It was not love at first sight heaven
knows, but it was almost like a business merger. Both enjoyed the
pleasures of life, knew each other action, emotion, and thought
pattern. They never knew opposite love only that they felt safe
with each other. They came from a very small town. Although, the
town and the town’s people were far from racists; it was little
ethnic diversity there. No blacks no Hispanics or Asians just white
people and Native Americans. It wasn’t until Taylor decided to join
the Army that she ventures out of her zone. Taylor started to
change a lot. She would go out in try to find adventure, while Tony
wanted to stay status quote. Tony was totally against the idea of
her joining. Tony was selfish, not wanting to share her with the
world. Although, he was against the idea he knew he could not
contain her spirit. Andre was also thinking about his life before
the military.

Andre was different, while Taylor had zest
for life, Andre was a confused tornado. Andre lost a lot of people
in his life at an early age, but instead of living on the edge it
just made him aware of his situation. He wanted to get into the
entertainment business but after a couple years he decided he could
not. Year after year, tried different jobs and hobbies each failing
or leaving him with a dead end thought about that moment. In
between those years he met Anne Leigh, a bubbly girl with an equal
intelligence and nature to explore. Both were now facing a crisis.
While Andre ponders about his past Taylor was still in thought
also. Taylor thought about when she first went into the field.
Taylor felt lost but was eager to learn. Andre did not know that
Taylor saw him first, when he was arguing with Meads over rations.
She saw him as a comic relief, someone who could make her laugh.
She had no idea that they were going to meet up that day. When
Taylor first spoke to Andre, it was about the unit. She did not
like how he bashes the unit or her fellow officers. However she
never stops him from talking about them, because she enjoys his
company. Taylor saw him sleep that night in woke him up. At most,
he would have told her to leave him alone, but he did not. Andre
was more than happy to talk to her, and sit up with her that entire
night. It was the last night they spent together. Taylor fell for
him, so she wanted to pursue him. Both of them had their match so
when they first met each other the feeling of new love was
confusing. Andre loves his wife but can’t help to think what if
Taylor is his “one”. She is his totally opposite and is something
he avoided all his life. One word that could describe Andre is
“cautions” which Taylor is not. She is spontaneous and nothing like
she used to be back in Massachusetts. She loves mountain climbing,
country music, running, and partying with a select group of
friends. Taylor is what Andre never wanted, but here it is standing
in front of him; holding his heart in her hands. Meanwhile, Taylor
stops daydreaming and looks at Tony. She is afraid that he will ask
her about her smile and glow. Tony knows her and he knows what
makes her happy. He wonders if he is making her happy. As the day
go on, Andre and Taylor decided not to call each other. They don’t
text, or twit, they just let it be for now. Annie, who is not is
thrown as Tony, questions Andre about work. “If you hate it so much
why don’t you get out”? He is relieved that she doesn’t ask
anything about his secret, but he just deflects the question, “I
just can’t do that”. Anne, however ask another question “Is it
someone there you like”. Andre replies without hesitation “No” but
before he could say another word she burst into laughter, “Just
playing, sheesh”. Andre knows she has a feeling but Anne is the
type to let things play out to avoid confrontations.