Page 107 of The Admiral's Daughter
The rest of my squad are introducing themselves to Cleo and her guests. I’ve not met most of them myself, so it’s nice to do the meet and greet with my buddies. Sort of takes the pressure off, although I do get a few overly enthusiastic comments about the surprise I pulled off.
Eventually I make my way back to Cleo, where I intend to stay for the rest of my shore leave. Three beautiful weeks with her. I can’t wait.
The guests filter back into the restaurant, but Cleo pulls me back. We wait until we’re alone and then she kisses me within an inch of my life. I’ve missed her soft lips and warm tongue. The feel of her skin ignites me, and I’m quiteready to throw her over my shoulder and whisk her to the nearest bed.
“Soon, darling,” she coos against my mouth. “You look so fucking good, River.”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.” I smirk.
“Won’t you get in trouble for all this?”
I shrug. “I’m not too worried. I’ve got friends in high places, don’t ya know. Plus, we changed in the van around the corner, so we’ve only broken the rules a little.”
The rules on wearing our military uniform in public have relaxed some since the days of IRA attacks, but not enough that I’d be allowed to swan around London in my number ones without there being an official parade or something.
“Well,” she purrs, “I’ll need to send a thank you note to those friends in high places.”
“It was your dad.”
She stills and bites her lip. “Really?”
“Yeah, Cleo. He made all of this possible. Maybe it’s something we can talk about tomorrow. Today is your birthday and I want you to unwrap your present soon.”
Her grin is back. “Are you my present, Leading Hand Dawson?”
Oh, yeah, I got my first promotion. It feels pretty good to have a direction. I’d be proud to get to Petty Officer by the time I serve out.
“I am indeed. So we need to get you back to your party, mingle for an hour, and then I’m kidnapping you for the next three weeks.”
She gasps and takes a step back. “You’re here for three weeks?”
“I—if that’s okay. I know you’ll have to work, but I don’t mind dossing in your apartment. I’ve never spent much time in London, so I can do all the shit tourist stuff while you’re out. Um, if that’s okay? Or I can get a hotel…that’s not a problem.”
Cleo puts her fingers to my lips. “You’re rambling, Dawson.”
“I know,” I reply, but it’s muffled.
“I want nothing more than to have you here. But…I can request holiday and come to Portsmouth with you if that would be easier?”
“Yes to the leave request, but no to the going to Portsmouth bit. It’s time for something new,” I say, pulling her back into my arms.
Cleo smiles, plucks the tub hat off my head and puts it on her own. It’s too big for her and falls to the side, making her look utterly adorable.
“Aye aye,” she whispers.
Epilogue
I swore I wouldn’tget emotional, but damn, I can’t help it. It’s the end of an era, and it’s hitting me hard. When I wake up tomorrow, I will no longer be a serving member of the Royal Navy.
I couldn’t have asked for a better last day, though. Standing on deck with my friends as the Queen Elizabeth sails into port amidst screams and shouts of Portsmouth’s finest as we celebrate the King’s birthday. We’re all dressed in our military’s finest uniform, and the ship is decked out with celebratory bunting.
This is possibly one of my proudest moments. Only second to the day I passed out as an officer. There are still times I can’t believe I surpassed my goal of reaching Petty Officer. Hell, I smashed it, and I really have Cleo to thank. Her unwavering support gave me the self-confidence to put it all on the line and shoot for a higher rank.If I’d decided to go for the thirty-year service I know I would’ve reached Commander, possibly Captain. Alas, it isn’t meant to be. Not when I’ve had to be away from Cleo eight months out of every year. I think there comes a point in everyone’s life when you know a change is needed. Plus, being a Lieutenant Commander has been a true honour. I’ve loved serving my entire career on HMS Queen Elizabeth alongside my best friends. It’s been a privilege to guide new sailors through the first months of their careers on board what I believe is the best warship of its time. I’ve seen Able Rates become Petty Officers and Warrant Officers. I’ve watched my best friends develop and rank up alongside me. Kit is the only one out of the group who outranks me, and that’s only by a matter of weeks. She got promoted a month before me and has never let me live it down.
Cheddar was the first of us to leave the military. She decided to train up as an IT specialist and now works for a company which pays her an obscene amount of money. We see each other as often as possible, which hasn’t been a great deal, but that will change. She’s only a train ride away in London.
Boot made Petty Officer and was happy to stay in the Navy forever until she met Alice. They met in the USon holiday and that was that for Bootman. She put in her papers six months later and toddled off to start her new life. She and Alice ended up moving to Portsmouth last year.
As for Cleo and I, we’ve had over fifteen years of living a relatively separate life, and for the most part we have both benefited. Our mutual support of each other’s careers is one of the things I treasure about our relationship. I know that I could come up with a new dream tomorrow and Cleo would do everything in her power to make it happen for me, with unconditional support.