The Vacation by k71

Chapter 3

The press conference was a complete success. Literally hundreds of pictures of
the couple surfaced over the next few days. The public had been fed such
depressing and tragic news for so long, everyone absolutely loved the almost
fairy tale story of the two war heroes who found love.

The press also loved to find a ‘feel good’ story for a change. It also didn’t
hurt that the story centered around two very attractive people. Rick and Lisa
photographed beautifully together. Not only were they both physically
attractive, their love seemed to show through on film, making every frame
glow.

The other officers in the RDF couldn’t argue with public opinion. Although
there was never any public approval of the relationship, no one gave Rick or
Lisa any problems about it either.

Rick was smiling happily, sitting behind his desk at the new base. He was so
caught up thinking about the dinner he planned to have with Lisa that night, he
was startled when Max knocked lightly and walked through his door.

“Hey boss,” said Max in his usual cheery tone. He was smiling mischievously
with a newspaper under his arm. “I just picked up the newest copy of the
Monument Gossip.”

The tabloid that had originally printed the story about Rick and Lisa’s
vacation had evidently had even more photos of the couple than they had
originally run. Every week they had printed even more photos of the couple on
the island.

“I didn’t know you enjoyed tabloid news, Max.” Rick said sarcastically.

“Well, when two of my best friends are a regular news item, I find time to pick
up a copy,” Max replied smartly.

Rick gave him a fake look of disgust and pretended to return to his reports.
Max, not willing to let Rick go long without teasing, forged on.

“Lisa looks REALLY good in that itty bitty bikini,” Max continued teasingly,
gesturing to a picture of Lisa walking on the beach, “ I mean, WOW.”

“Thanks Max. Is there anything I can do for you?” Rick asked with feigned
annoyance.

“Yeah, maybe you can explain what this picture is?” Max asked, pointing at a
picture in the tabloid, “Kinda looks like you two are…’embracing’…on the
ground. What’s that over you?”

Rick began to turn red and answered haltingly, “Uh…that’s…uh…we were
uh…’embracing’…under the hammock outside our room.”

“UNDER the hammock?” Max asked with a slight laugh.

“Uh…yeah…” Rick continued, embarrassed, “we…uh…kept falling out of the hammock
whenever we uh…tried to uh…’embrace’…in the hammock…” Rick finished and quickly
looked down at his notes.

“Oh, I see. Tricky, huh?” Max said with a hardy laugh. When Rick didn’t
answer, Max sensed he had gone far enough. “Well boss, I better go, I’ll talk
to you later.”

“Yeah, get back to work,” Rick said, throwing a wadded piece of paper at Max
back as he left the office.

---------------

On the other side of town, someone else was also looking at the newest pictures
of Rick and Lisa’s vacation. This person, however, did not find amusement in
the situation as Max had.

Minmei quickly hid the tabloid under the covers on her bed as her assistant,
Carol, came into her hotel suite. Carol saw Minmei hide the paper and noticed
her sad demeanor as she entered her room.

“I brought you today’s schedule, Miss Lynn,” the assistant began shyly, “Your
manager said to remind you to be on time, especially for the television
interview.”

“OK,” Minmei said with a sigh.

“Are you OK?” Carol asked quietly.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” Minmei replied. Realizing she must look down, Minmei
decided she better put on a happy act. She knew if Carol thought she was
depressed, she would tell her manager, and he would make a big deal out of it.
It was easier just to pretend to be happy, even when her heart was breaking.

So she smiled brightly and said to Carol, “I’m great, I just haven’t fully
woken up yet, that’s all,” she said cheerily.

Carol smiled at her and left the room. Minmei pulled out the tabloid again and
sighed. Wow, a Vice Admiral, she thought. Who would have thought the
impetuous boy she met on Macross Island all those years ago would turn out to
be the youngest Vice Admiral in military history?

Minmei shook her head. She hated to admit it, but one reason she had initially
rejected his advances for a serious relationship was because she never thought
he would be anything but a pilot. Not that there was anything wrong with that,
she knew it was what he loved. But she had always known she was destined for
greatness. She thought that with that her destiny would lie with another type
of man. A man of wealth or power or someone else in show business.

Now, there he was. The man she had truly cared for, the man who always given
her affection and protection and respect. The man who now was one of the top
officials in the military. He had also achieved greatness, but without her.

“Well, I’ve got to move on,” she thought, “He looks so happy with her. He’s
lost to me for good, I better get used to it.”

She let herself look at the pictures one last time, then threw the paper in the
trash and started getting ready for her day.

That afternoon, Lisa left her office and headed to her apartment with a big
smile on her face. She and Rick planned on meeting at her place and going out
to dinner. Also, it was Friday and she was actually going to take the weekend
off. On Monday, she was scheduled to go to the factory satellite for a week.
After that, she would be back on earth for two weeks, then she would
permanently transfer to the satellite. She had decided she would focus on
spending time with Rick this weekend and not dwell on her pending transfer.
She knew she would spend most of her time for the next few years away from
Rick.

She arrived at her house expecting Rick to be waiting for her, ready to go out
to dinner. Instead, she found the house dark. She first thought Rick had been
delayed, but when she walked to the dining room she found him there. He was
dressed in a thin black sweater and jeans and standing next to a beautiful
candlelit dinner. He smiled as he approached her, taking her in his arms and
kissing her gently. She returned his kisses sweetly, thrilled by his romantic
gesture.

“I thought we’d stay in tonight,” Rick told her sexily.

“Sounds perfect to me,” Lisa replied as she continued to plant gentle kisses on
his mouth.

They stood in the middle of the room embracing and kissing for several minutes
before Lisa asked, “Did you cook?”

“No, I didn’t have time. I picked up some things at that Italian place we
like.”

“Mm, it smells great,” Lisa said as she kissed him a last time before finally
taking off her jacket.

“Why don’t you go change and I’ll open the wine?”

“Wonderful, I’ll be right back.”

Lisa went to her bedroom and found the new top she had bought earlier in the
week. It was tight and low cut. She had bought it just for an occasion such
as this. Rick was wearing jeans, so she decided to follow suit, choosing a
black denim pair that went well with her tight red top. Under this she decided
to wear her sexiest black underwear. She also took out the matching bra, but
then smirked and put it back in the drawer. Rick had seen the matching bra and
underwear before, so she decided to try to excite him a different way. She
glanced at herself in the mirror and was pleased with the sexy look.

She walked back to the dining room where Rick was waiting for her.

He took a deep breath as he looked at her and smiled, “You look absolutely
gorgeous, baby. That’s new, huh?”

“Yeah, just bought it. I hoped you would like it.” She walked toward him and
they embraced, looking into each other’s eyes. Rick touched his nose to hers
and gave her a light kiss on the mouth. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold
beautiful lady.”

“Sounds great,” Lisa replied as he led her to the table. They ate a quiet
dinner, tasting food from one another’s plates and talking about the day’s
events. After they ate, they quickly cleared the table and washed the dishes.
When they were finished, Rick took Lisa’s hand and led her to the living
room.

He paused by the stereo. “Would you like to dance? I found some music I think
you’ll like.”

Lisa only nodded her head yes as Rick started the music and took her in his
embrace.

Lisa laughed lightly as the music started, “You remembered that I like the
Righteous Brothers.”

“Of course, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t know all my girl’s
favorites.”

Lisa smiled happily and put her head on Rick’s chest as she listened to the
first song.

First the tide rushes in
Plants a kiss on the shore
Then rolls out to sea
And the sea is very still once more

Rick smiled contently as he held her swaying in his arms. He put his face up
to her hair and breathed in the wonderful scent of her.

So I rush to your side
Like the oncoming tide
With one burning thought
Will your arms open wide

The feel of her, the smell of her- everything about her made him feel safe and
comfortable and…happy.

At last we're face to face
And as we kiss through an embrace
I can tell, I can feel
You are love, your are real

He felt so happy with her. Although he was a little nervous about what he
wanted to ask her, he was sure it was what he wanted to do. He lightly kissed
the side of her head before he spoke.

Really mine in the rain
In the dark, in the sun
Like the tide at its ebb
I'm at peace in the web of your arms*

As the song ended and the next began, Rick whispered into Lisa’s ear, “I am
going to miss you so much after you transfer to the satellite. I don’t know
what I’m going to do without you here every day.”

“I know,” Lisa answered sadly, “I’m going to miss you, too. More than I can
tell you. But we’ll keep in touch. We can email each other every day and call
every once in a while; and when I do get to come back on leave, we’ll arrange
to spend lots of time together.”

“I know we will,” Rick said confidently. They continued their dance in silence
for a few seconds before Rick decided to ask the question he had wanted to ask
her all evening. He began nervously, “Lisa, like you were saying when you do
get to visit, I want us to spend as much time together as possible.” He took a
deep breath and looked into her eyes, “You know, I…uh…was thinking, there’s
really no reason for you to keep up your place down here when you’re going to
spend most of your time off planet.”

Lisa stopped dancing and looked into his eyes, waiting for him to finish.

“So, I thought…uh… it would be easier if you keep your stuff at my place while
you’re away.”

Lisa looked at him with big eyes. She thought she knew was he was asking her,
but wanted him to ask out right.

She looked him in the eyes and said with fake innocence, “Oh…you mean like a
storage place for my stuff?”

Rick smiled, knowing that she was playing with him. “No, like we LIVE
together. I want you to MOVE IN with me. I know we’ll still have basically a
long distance relationship for a while, but when you’re here, I want you to
live at my place-only it will be OUR place. And when I’m on the satellite, I
thought… well I thought I could stay at your place and maybe that could be our
place, too.” He finished and looked at her hopefully.

Lisa was still smiling and looking at him with her big green eyes. She could
almost cry. She couldn’t believe he was asking her to share his home. They
had been growing closer and closer as a couple over the last few months, but
she honestly didn’t think she would get a commitment of this kind from him for
quiet a long time. She finally gathered herself and answered him the only way
she could.

“Of course I would love for us to live together, Rick. There’s nothing I want
more. I want to be with you as much as possible. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Lisa. This will be great!” He said as he lifted her up in a
bear hug and swung her around. His enthusiasm made Lisa even happier, although
she wouldn’t have thought that possible. He sat her back on her feet and they
kissed deeply, Rick’s arms behind her back and her arms around his neck.
Between the tight hug and the deep kiss, Rick finally realized that Lisa wasn’t
wearing a bra under her thin, snug blouse.

It absolutely thrilled him whenever she did things like this. Sexy things,
just for him. Things that not even a year ago he would have thought would be
completely out of character for her. But now he knew the passionate, wild side
of her; the amazingly sexy woman she really was. It was a side he knew she only
revealed to him and him alone. This made him want her more than he had ever
wanted another woman. He suddenly became very aware of her body next to his
and deepened the kiss even more until his tongue was sliding in and out of her
mouth.

“Why you little vixen,” he said teasingly between kisses.

“What?” Lisa said breathlessly. She had been so caught up in the kiss she
didn’t get his meaning at first.

“This,” Rick said. He kept one arm behind her back, but moved the other around
her waist to her front and cupped her breast through the thin material of her
blouse.

“Oh, that. I was wondering if you’d notice any time soon,” Lisa said sexily
into his mouth, “You see, I was planning on seducing you tonight.” As she
finished her sentence she put her mouth on his lower lip and sucked it slowly.

Rick let out a moan. He looked at her lustfully, his hand still on her breast.
Then an idea hit him. He decided he would tease her a little as well.

“You know, it’s a good thing you agreed to move in with me so easily.”

“Oh yeah?” Lisa said, raising an eyebrow to him.

“Yeah,” Rick continued with a glint in his eye, “I was afraid I would have to
blackmail you.”

“Oh, really, and how would you do that?” Lisa asked with interest.

“With this!” Rick exclaimed as he pulled the topless picture of Lisa out of his
back pocket.

“OH NO!” Lisa said, laughing and grabbing at the picture, “When did you get
that developed?”

“As soon as we got back,” Rick said, escaping her attempts to get the picture.
Then added, “Don’t worry, I had it developed at one of those fully automated
photo-mats.”

“Please tell me you haven’t been carrying that around in your pocket.”

“Well…in my wallet,” Rick said with a nervous laugh.

“Rick! What if someone sees that!” Lisa said.

“Ok, you’re right, I’ll put it somewhere safe.”

“I think you should destroy it.”

“No, no. I’ll put it somewhere safe, don’t worry,” Rick said soothingly,
“don’t make me destroy it, I love this picture.”

Lisa was nervous about the situation, but could not help being a little
flattered. “Ok, but please keep it somewhere safe?”

“I will, I promise.”

Lisa smiled and hugged him again. “Since we’re moving in together, maybe you
should tell me if you have any other pictures of naked girlfriends laying
around.”

Rick looked shocked, but shook his head no furiously as he laughed. “NOOOOO.
No, babe. Just you.”

Their laughter ended as the last song played out. Rick and Lisa stood in the
middle of the room looking at each other adoringly. Then Rick suddenly picked
Lisa up and carried her to the bedroom. As they kissed, Rick spoke into her
mouth, “I love you, Lisa.”

“I love you too, Rick.”

THE END

* “Ebb Tide” by The Righteous Brothers.

Hah, I bet ya’ll thought I was heading for another O18W chapter for a minute.
Not this time, I decided to keep the end a nice 018 rating.