Chapter 2

In the still night air, I heard the faint clankof metal on metal as we skirted around the flag pole that marked the center of the encampment. Then we passed the medical tent, the showers, the nurse’s station. The USO tents were on the outskirts of camp, close enough to the medical tent that they wouldn’t be hit in an attack. There was something almost magical about the red cross painted on the roof of the white cloth that kept the enemy at bay.

A handful of small tents were scattered along the camouflage netting that hemmed in the perimeter of our camp. “You don’t even know which one is hers,” I hissed as we crept closer to the netting. In our field jackets and combat fatigues, we wouldn’t be easily seen.

“Just look in the windows.” Bert peered into the dingy plastic window of the closest tent, but the lantern inside was off and the interior was dark.

“Maybe they’re all asleep,” I whispered. “Bert, you can’t dothis—”

He wasn’t listening. Hunched over, he shuffled to the next tent and raised his head just enough to see inside. Then he ducked down quickly. “Woo boy,” he sighed with a laugh. “You gotta check this one out.” He peered into the window again.

I came up behind him and pulled him down. “Bert!” I cried in a harsh whisper, glancing into the window. I saw smooth, naked flesh illuminated in the wash of golden light from a lantern, one of the girls getting dressed, and I turned away, pulling Bert with me before someone could spot us. “We’re going to be in deep shit if anyone sees us—”

“Hold up.” As we passed the next tent, he shrugged my hand off his arm and pressed his face to the plastic window. “That’s her.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Now what?”

Bert winked at me. “Now I turn on the charm.” Waving his hand at me, he said, “Stand back and let the legendary Masters do his stuff.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you going to do?”

He ran a hand over his hair in an ill attempt to smooth it down. “I’m gonna do the best I can. How do I look?”

Like all the other boys here.But I kept that thought to myself; instead, I just nodded. “You look fine. Go knock her socks off.”

“I’m hoping for more than just that,” Bert laughed. “You’ll wait?”

“Do I have to?” Then I saw the wounded look in his eyes and sighed. “Sure. Just don’t take all night.”

“You have other plans?” he teased, but before I could answer he turned away and knocked on the door to the tent. “Give me some room here, Carl. You’ll spook her.”

I stepped back into the shadows that clung to the camouflage netting behind the tents. The door opened, blocking my view of the girl Bert was here to see, but I could tell it was her from his disarming grin. Maybe it was the embarrassed way he scuffed his boot along the ground, or the shy way he didn’t quite look at her, but something about him made her open the door wider and invite him in. Leaning against the netting, I folded my arms, pulled my field jacket closer around my body to ward off the cold, and waited. Ten minutes, I told myself, even though I wasn’t wearing a watch. But I didn’t want to sit out in the chill, the coming winter already bitter in the air. Ten minutes and then I’d knock on the door myself, tell Bert to kiss her goodbye, and if we didn’t run into Sherman before we made it back to our own tent, we might be okay—

I heard the faint crunch of footsteps on gravel somewhere nearby and pressed back against the netting. Shit.I glanced at the door to the tent—inside I heard girlish laughter and Bert’s voice, talking low. Should’ve never let you talk me into this, Bert. Now my ass will be on the line and we’ll both get in trouble. Thank you very much.

The footsteps grew closer and then someone stepped out between two tents, heading for where I stood. Don’t notice me, I prayed. Keep walking, don’t stop, don’t see me…

I could tell it was a man from his build, and definitely one of the USO performers from the way his sequined outfit reflected the faint moonlight. As he neared, I noticed the curls and the bare arms and I knew it was the cute boy from the chorus line I had been watching during the show. He’s going to think I’m a creep, hiding out here by the girls’ tents. Great.