Free Little Girl Lost 6: The Return of Johnnie Wise by Keith Lee Johnson Page B

Cassandra?”
     
    “Soldier, did I tell you it was okay to call me by my first name?”
     
    “No.”
     
    “No . . . what?”
     
    “No, you didn’t tell me I could call you by your first name, Cassandra .”
     
    “That’s no, ma’am when addressing a female officer,” she said, smiling.
     
    Lucas smiled and said, “What do you expect from a newbie ?”
     
    “Well, I declare, Mr. Matthews,” she said with a pseudo-southern drawl. “I guess y’all do have a sense of humor inside y’all after all. I think I’ve taken a likening to you, sir.”
     
    “You have, have you?”
     
    “I have indeed. Finish your shit on a shingle. When you’ve finished every mouthwatering forkful, I’ll escort you to reception and they can get your paperwork started. Have you been sworn in yet?”
     
    “No.”
     
    “We’ll take of that, and then we’ll get you a bunk in the barracks before I go to work.”
     
    “Thanks a bunch. I was wondering where I was going to sleep. I’m a couple weeks early.”
     
    “Do you wanna get started, or do you wanna wait two whole weeks?”
     
    “Might as well start now. No point in waiting. The sooner I get done, the sooner I can get outta here.”
     
    “What’s the rush? You just met me, and you’re ready to run off already?”
     
    “I’ve got plans, Lieutenant.”
     
    “Oh?”
     
    “Yeah, girl. As soon as I’m done with basic combat training, I’m going over to Germany to play football for Colonel Strong. Ever heard of him?”
     
    “Can’t say I have.”
     
    “Yeah, well, he pulled some strings and got me outta that hellhole they called a prison in Angola.”
     
    “So, how did you get here? Please tell me you drove.”
     
    “I sure did. Drove all night long.”
     
    “In a hurry to leave, huh?”
     
    “Nothing left for me there now.”
     
    “So, you loved her, huh?”
     
    “Still do. Nothing I can do about it either. If I could, believe me I would.”
     
    “Thanks for being so honest with me, Mr. Matthews. That’s a rarity these days. I wish more men would just tell the truth no matter how bad it may be.”
     
    “I’ve got nothing to hide. I am who I am. I did what I did. I paid the price for selling heroin, and I paid the price for loving a girl who loved money more than she loved me. But I left all that behind me, and I’m looking forward to getting over to Germany and playin’ some football again.”
     
    “You’re a good man, Lucas Matthews from New Orleans. I can tell.”
     
    “Can you now?”
     
    “Yes, I can. What kind of movies do you like?”
     
    “Anything that has some action in it. I like to see some fightin’ and stuff. I love pirate movies and stuff like that, too. What do you like?”
     
    “Romance.”
     
    “Is that a sexual overture, Lieutenant?”
     
    She laughed. “No, Mr. Matthews, it isn’t.”
     
    “Oh, okay. I was just checking.”
     
    “So . . . can you drop me off at the hospital after we get you settled in?”
     
    “Sure, but I’m wondering if Columbia has a stock brokerage firm. I’ve got some money I need to invest. But a bank will do until I find one. Do you know of any in town?”
     
    “No brokerages that I know of, but I can take you to a bank when I get off work.”
     
    “No, I need to get to a bank right away.”
     
    “How much money do you have, Mr. Matthews?”
     
    “Don’t worry about that,” he said, smiling. “Just show me where the bank is, and I’ll handle the rest.”
     
    “No problem. If you pick me up from work, we can have a bite to eat at this nice little restaurant called, The Blue Diamond. They served the best catfish and collard greens and cornbread you’ve ever tasted.”
     
    “Hmph! Better than New Orleans?”
     
    “Uh-huh.”
     
    “Let me ask you something, Lieutenant Perry.”
     
    “Go ahead.”
     
    “Have you ever been to New Orleans?”
     
    “I can’t say I have, Lucas Matthews.”
     
    “Uh-huh. And uh, who’s supposed to pay for this