lingered in the closed confinement of her rack as four of the women who shared the bunkroom with her gathered by the TV to watch a reality show they were able to pick up.
“He really pisses me off,” Gail said. “He needs to have someone knock him off his high horse. I don’t know who he thinks he is, but he treated me that way because I’m a woman.”
The four women relaxing around the television stilled, then looked at each other in a wary sort of way, as if there were eyes and ears listening everywhere.
Petty Officer Jennifer Hampton was a pretty girl from Ohio with long dark hair, slender and curvy. She moved closer to Gail. “Would you keep your voice down?” She leaned against the bunk and reached out, swatting Gail’s leg. “I do agree with you, as most of us girls do on this ship. He’s a bastard when it comes to women, but you need to watch your step, girl. He’s the captain, and you need to be careful of what comes out of your mouth.”
Gail shrugged and rolled off the rack. “Not if we go together and file a discrimination suit against him.”
The silence was so sharp that if someone was listening, they’d most likely wonder what the hell was going on in there.
“You’re crazy, girl. What’s wrong with you, coming up with something stupid like that?” Petty Officer Mary-Jo Johnson murmured as she pushed herself out of a chair.
“No, really, please listen. I heard that there is a lady commander out there who is next in line to command a ship like this one. If we can get rid of this asshole, then we don’t have to worry about being passed over for promotion just because we’re the wrong sex.”
Two of the other enlisted women shared a glance and appeared to be considering the idea.
“We all know he’s made his position clear regarding women. He has never hesitated to spell it out. You all know I’m right. He believes we were born to stay at home and wait for our husbands, holding their slippers in our hands, bearing their kids, wiping snotty noses and waiting hand and foot on them like bloody slaves. It’s like something out of the dark ages!” Gail gestured with her hands as if leading this group of women. But dark-haired Mary-Jo continued to frown and stand as if on guard, arms crossed as if just waiting to take Gail down.
The three other women, who ranged from blond and pretty to tall, lanky, and dark, shared a look that would have caused some worry to anyone watching. Gail had to suppress a smile, wanting to high-five herself for the quick thinking. The captain’s one mistake was her advantage: He had voiced objections to the presence of women in the Navy, but even worse was his damming statement that they lowered the integrity of the service.
She jumped when Mary-Jo stepped in front of her, nose to nose with a hard take-no-shit look, as if she was considering pounding the crap out of her. “Okay, girl, you got a point about the captain. He does have a problem with us women, and he has said some stuff that has right pissed me off, too. But you don’t forget he’s the captain, and if he says jump, we ask how high. So I wonder whatcha think you’re gonna do about it?”
Swallowing, Gail cringed inside, wanting nothing more than to take a step back, but she was trapped with her back to the bunk as she stared into eyes so dark she wondered if the woman had ever had a happy thought. She stifled the urge to cower, her heart pounding, very aware of Mary-Jo’s strength and the fact that the woman would go down fighting to the death before ever backing down. She didn’t run and hide from anyone. Gail always could think herself out of a situation, and she counted on that, praying it wouldn’t fail her now with this woman who scared the crap out of her and was breathing down her neck. She had to find a way to win her over. Mary-Jo was the one person on this ship who was impossible to read, and Gail definitely did not ever want to piss her off.
“Ladies, I got a plan, and I’ll
“He really pisses me off,” Gail said. “He needs to have someone knock him off his high horse. I don’t know who he thinks he is, but he treated me that way because I’m a woman.”
The four women relaxing around the television stilled, then looked at each other in a wary sort of way, as if there were eyes and ears listening everywhere.
Petty Officer Jennifer Hampton was a pretty girl from Ohio with long dark hair, slender and curvy. She moved closer to Gail. “Would you keep your voice down?” She leaned against the bunk and reached out, swatting Gail’s leg. “I do agree with you, as most of us girls do on this ship. He’s a bastard when it comes to women, but you need to watch your step, girl. He’s the captain, and you need to be careful of what comes out of your mouth.”
Gail shrugged and rolled off the rack. “Not if we go together and file a discrimination suit against him.”
The silence was so sharp that if someone was listening, they’d most likely wonder what the hell was going on in there.
“You’re crazy, girl. What’s wrong with you, coming up with something stupid like that?” Petty Officer Mary-Jo Johnson murmured as she pushed herself out of a chair.
“No, really, please listen. I heard that there is a lady commander out there who is next in line to command a ship like this one. If we can get rid of this asshole, then we don’t have to worry about being passed over for promotion just because we’re the wrong sex.”
Two of the other enlisted women shared a glance and appeared to be considering the idea.
“We all know he’s made his position clear regarding women. He has never hesitated to spell it out. You all know I’m right. He believes we were born to stay at home and wait for our husbands, holding their slippers in our hands, bearing their kids, wiping snotty noses and waiting hand and foot on them like bloody slaves. It’s like something out of the dark ages!” Gail gestured with her hands as if leading this group of women. But dark-haired Mary-Jo continued to frown and stand as if on guard, arms crossed as if just waiting to take Gail down.
The three other women, who ranged from blond and pretty to tall, lanky, and dark, shared a look that would have caused some worry to anyone watching. Gail had to suppress a smile, wanting to high-five herself for the quick thinking. The captain’s one mistake was her advantage: He had voiced objections to the presence of women in the Navy, but even worse was his damming statement that they lowered the integrity of the service.
She jumped when Mary-Jo stepped in front of her, nose to nose with a hard take-no-shit look, as if she was considering pounding the crap out of her. “Okay, girl, you got a point about the captain. He does have a problem with us women, and he has said some stuff that has right pissed me off, too. But you don’t forget he’s the captain, and if he says jump, we ask how high. So I wonder whatcha think you’re gonna do about it?”
Swallowing, Gail cringed inside, wanting nothing more than to take a step back, but she was trapped with her back to the bunk as she stared into eyes so dark she wondered if the woman had ever had a happy thought. She stifled the urge to cower, her heart pounding, very aware of Mary-Jo’s strength and the fact that the woman would go down fighting to the death before ever backing down. She didn’t run and hide from anyone. Gail always could think herself out of a situation, and she counted on that, praying it wouldn’t fail her now with this woman who scared the crap out of her and was breathing down her neck. She had to find a way to win her over. Mary-Jo was the one person on this ship who was impossible to read, and Gail definitely did not ever want to piss her off.
“Ladies, I got a plan, and I’ll
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