Meeting

It's midnight and suddenly the airport at Hendon London is seen bustling with activity. A line of cars with female drivers is waiting for their riders on the tarmac where a plane has just landed and now was parked there.

In this line is a young woman who recently transferred from ambulance duty. She's had enough of the moaning and wailing from the wounded. She had become companions to many of them; companionship which went too far on occasion. She was ready for a change.

This young female driver, Miss Emily Barham, heard a male voice bark out orders. As he began to walk towards the line of cars she observed him greeting one of her fellow drivers by patting her derrière. And this woman responded. 'Hi'ya Charlie."

Emily was appalled at his rudeness. She stood there with her mouth open like a fish and stared at the American Navy officer approaching her car. And he acted impatient when she didn't open his door quick enough.

The cars circled the plane as they headed for a hotel in downtown London. The car had barely stopped when Emily's passenger exited to greet a man he seemed to know. And then escorted him to the next car and introduced him to its passenger. And on his way back to Emily's car, she witnessed him again tapping a fellow driver on her derrière. And she responded. "Welcome back, Charlie."

Thoughts like, who is he and why do these girls allow him to be so rude, ran through her mind. She already knew how she will respond if he taps her derrière.

Emily opened the back door for him and slammed it shut in disgust before getting behind the wheel and following her passenger's order to drive around to the rear of the hotel.

There she saw crates and numerous footlockers being unloaded from trucks which had also come from the airplane. Emily hadn't been dismissed. She had to wait for him to return to sign her log. His words to her then were, "Get some sleep."

When she turned to get back into the car, she got that pat on her derrière. An angry faced Emily turned around quickly and slapped his face and then immediately got back into her car and drove away. She was thinking, that will teach him to keep his hands off me.

Charlie was shocked. He rubbed his face which also held a smile. He heard from an old dockhand. "You can't win them all, Commander."

Charlie had his own thought; that's what you think. He had been stunned by her quick hand. He knew she was feisty. But he didn't know the old line, opposites attract, would come true.

His thoughts about Emily vanished as he went inside the hotel. He made sure the Admiral was comfortable and went on to his bedroom.

Emily had entered the almost completely dark dormitory room for all the females who served in various capacities to support the war. She changed into her night clothes and slipped under her blanket.

She didn't fall asleep right away. Her mind continued to think about him; the man whose full name she now knew. He was Lieutenant Commander Charlie Madison. Who is he? Why does he know the other drivers? And why are all the other military brass with him?

She finally told herself. Stop thinking and get some sleep.

Charlie was almost the same way. He told himself. This is ridiculous. I know she's not my type. But he still hoped to see her again in the morning.