The Lady's Squad - Chapter 1 (revision 1)

“I'm prostituting myself? I'm prostituting myself? Have you looked in the mirror lately? How many children have you had?”

“14, as you know well.”

“By how many men?”

“14, you know that too, little madam.”

“And you say I'm prostituting myself for wanting to join the Army? How hypocritical are you? At least I'm trying to do something useful with my life, I'm not just being a baby factory.”

“You don't think that being a mother is doing something for society? I gave birth to 14 babies just to make sure I had a girl and now you're throwing away your life for a squad of men who only care about getting you into bed.”

“As if your fourteen husbands didn't just marry you for the same thing. Three months of exclusive access and then it's off to find another wife, that's hardly commitment.”

“It's necessary. If we are going to survive we have to keep the gene pool as wide as possible and make sure we have as many girls as possible. Has that school not taught you anything?”

“Repeat the dogma, nah nah nah, that's all that comes out of their mouths too, but I'm not having it. I'm not staying at home, marrying man after man until one of them gives me a girl, that's not life, that's punishment. I'm going to see the world and do something with my life, then if I feel like it I'll have a couple of children with a man I like for more than just his DNA.”

“You selfish little bitch.”

“And you're a small minded petty old hag.”

“Get out of my house! Get out right now!”

“I'm already packed.”

Replaying the conversation in her mind, Angela knew it could have gone a lot better. She had not expected her Mother to be happy about her choice but she had not expected it to go so disastrously wrong. If she had failed selection there would have been no going back, after that bust up she was not going home again, she could not face the smugness and the gloating of her self important Mother. Just because she had the good fortune to produce a daughter, something many women would never do no matter how many times they got pregnant, she thought she was above everyone else. It was just so, so small, so petty. The world was so much bigger but she was content to sit at home as the retired baby factory and lord it over the other similarly small women in the estate having never even travelled as far as the borders. That was not life, that was existence, and a poor existence at that. There had to be more to life and maybe in the Army Angela would find out what it was.

The selection process had surprisingly not been as difficult as Angela had expected. Perhaps because she had built it up in her head as a terrible and arduous process it had failed to live up to her imaginings. Of course, the initial application forms had been hidden from her Mother, placed under her bed amongst all her old toys. They had represented hours of work all themselves, a mountain of background information and psychometric tests to weed out the women who would never cope with the rigours of the armed forces.

It was almost two months of waiting before the letter arrived to tell her that her application had been reviewed and she was invited to selection. She was lucky, the letter arrived when her Mother had been out shopping or with it's bold Army logo it would have been confiscated and thrown in the fire. As it was her Mother was mystified as to why Angela suddenly became a gym bunny, working out every day and becoming fitter than she had ever been. All Angela would say was that she was had decided to make a late New Year's resolution to become healthy, she could hardly say what was really going on.

Three months later the time finally came and she packs some bags before admitting where she would be. Of course, that had prompted the argument, the final straw that broke the back of an already difficult relationship. After a three hour train journey spent dwelling on the final harsh words spoken to the woman who brought her into the world, she finally arrived outside the gates of the garrison and forgot all about her troubles. This was it.

First came the physical fitness tests, difficult but doable, running, jumping, climbing, crawling. Then team work and leadership, not something normally dwelt on for women who normally simply got a group of men to do the things they needed, so it was a novelty for all of them. Later on came the comprehension and logic tests, Angela needed to concentrate on them but they were by no means impossible even if she did see one of the applicants putting down her pen to sit with her head in her hands and sob quietly until she was removed by an invigilator.

The medical tests were intrusive but they had been warned about that and it was sensible under the circumstances. The tests signalled the end of the first day of selection.

An overnight stay in the cadet barracks for those women who had not already been sent home with a simple thanks for their time was followed by a simple breakfast and then a request for them to wait their turn for an interview with the Selection Panel.

This was the really crucial part of the process. The part that really decided whether you would succeed in your dream or not. You could pass the rest of the testing with perfect results but if the Selection Panel did not like you then there was no way of getting in. To make it worse, there was only a maximum of eight places in the next training intake and twelve of them had made it to the interview.

Angela sat in the small reception room and watched as the other candidates went in turn through the forbidding oak panelled door for their turn in front of the formidable women that were the Senior Ladies. It was frustrating and nerve wracking, the shortest interview was half an hour and they were all going in before her and then being sent into another room to wait for the results when everyone had been seen.

Supposedly the interview order was random but Angela could not help feel a certain inevitability when she was left waiting until there was no one but her to be seen.

After a wait that was most of the day, Angela was finally called in. She had been a bundle of nerves since getting up first thing in the morning but now the moment had come it was more of a relief to be getting the interview over with.

The Selection Panel was made up of three Senior Ladies with an impartial senior male Officer sat silently to one side. They had all started sitting in front of the panel just as Angela now was and they had all since spent at least ten years in the Army, rising through the ranks and earning the privileges and status few women would ever manage in the post scourge world.

“Thank you for your patience, candidate, please could you confirm your name.”

“Angela Grace Haynes, ma'am.”

“Very good. Please sit.”

Her heart was thumping but Angela was much calmer than she had expected to be.

“Let's get straight into it, you know why you're here and the commitment and sacrifice involved.” the Lady in the centre of the three spoke in a commanding tone. “What made you come here for selection rhather than doing what I am sure you were told was your duty and finding your first husband?”

That was a very blunt and forthright start to the interview, but at east it was not an unexpected question. Angela had prepared an answer for it. “I think I was inspired to come here when I read an article in my local newspaper that was about women's power in society. It talked about how women control our world by making men do what they want to carry their child, but it seems to me that says less about power and more about self preservation. I decided after reading that, I don't just want to survive, I want to make a real contribution and if I really am a powerful woman surely I have to be worth more than just my womb. The only real choice for a woman who wants to contribute to society as more than a baby factory is to become one of the Army's Ladies, so here I am.”

There was a short period of silence as the ladies wrote their notes.

“You're not particularly maternally inclined then?”

“I have no objection to children, it's not that I don't want them one day, I'm just not ready to jump in and have any right now. I'd like the chance to live first.”

“You must be aware that Ladies can face prejudice for their choice of having a career. Have you considered how to cope with this should it occur to you?”

Angela wondered for a moment how to answer but it was easy enough for her to know her reaction in the face of prejudice, she had already been there. “My Mother told me that if I came here she'd disown me and I'd be letting down my ancestors. I still came because I believe it's important. People are allowed their own opinions but mine is that I should be here. The only way to cope is to trust my convictions and ignore the objectors.”

“Do you see a reconcilliation with your Mother in the future?”

“Honestly, I don't know. We've never gotten on too well, I think it was pretty inevitable.” If Angela was surprised by the question she did not show it.

Questioning then turned to Angela's education, testing her knowledge both purely academic and current affairs, before turning back to more intimate topics.

“At this point we have to get personal and ask you some questions that you may find uncomfortable but are never the less extremely important.” This was from one of the other women, who had so far barely spoken a word. “We need you to answer everything as honestly as you can. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“You'll be turning eighteen next month.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Are you a virgin?”

“No, ma'am.” Angela had been waiting for this part of the interview and she had spent a long time preparing herself to answer these questions. It was not as intimidating as she thought it would be though, there did not seem to be much of a good reason for women not talking about a subject they all knew was going on behind any woman's door.

“How many sexual partners have you had?”

“Three.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

That question was not so expected, it was very blunt and somehow did not seem relevant, but fortunately it was easy enough to answer. “Yes, ma'am.”

“That was a very certain answer. Have you ever had a bad experience?”

“Not exactly bad, just maybe sometimes not great, I suppose.”

“You've never had unwanted attention?”

“I think every woman has, but never anything that's got out of hand. Maybe having six older brothers has helped there.” Angela offered. When men outnumbered women by so much it was natural for any woman to get all the attention and generally accepted that brothers would act as chaperones to prevent undesirables from getting too close.

“Six? Your Mother was very productive.”

“Yes, ma'am, she had fourteen births in all. She wouldn't give up until she had a girl.”

“You said you enjoy relations with men but you've only had three partners,” the central Lady spoke again. “At your age most girls have already had twice that number if they are already active. Could there be a reason for that?”

“I-” Angela fought off a blush, at last embarrassed by the intimate question. “My friends say I'm too picky. I have been regularly seeing two of the men for a while. They've really looked after me so I've not really needed to look for anyone else.”

“Do they know about each other? Or about you being here?”

“They're actually friends. They know they're sharing me, they've each tried to convince me to marry them but I already knew I wanted to ocme here so I've been putting them off. They think I'm seeing a friend right now.”

“How will you tell them if you've selected.”

“I'm not sure. I'll just have to let them it's over. I know they'll be upset but they'll get over it.”

“Just to confirm, you've never had a pregnancy?”

“No, ma'am, I take the preventative.”

“Good, good. You don't experience any side-effects then?”

“No,” Angela shook her head. “I've never had any problems with it.”

“And how do you feel about going from dividing your time between two men to doing the same for a full squad? Please be honest.”

“Well,” Angela was hesitant. Women were supposed to have as many partners as possible but there were still taboos. A lot of women would condemn her for two timing of her current lovers, all be it with their full knowledge. It was no surprise therefore that Army Ladies were often heckled so badly. “Excited, nervous, it's a big step into the unknown. I'm sure they won't be perfect, but no one is. I just hope I don't disappoint them.”

There was more scribbling. When that stopped the women shared a brief look.

“Thank you, Miss Haynes, we don't have any more questions for you. If you'd like to wait outside, we'll make our decision shortly.”

“Thank you, ma'ams.”

As the door closed behind her, Angela realised she had no idea how that had gone. The Ladies were poker faced and gave no clues as to whether they liked her or not. The clock on the reception wall showed that she had only been in with the Panel for twenty-five minutes. That was the shortest interview of the day. Was that a good sign or a very bad one? She had no idea.

A male assistant led her to the room where the other candidates had been waiting. It was a meeting room, all of the women were sitting around a table with cups of tea and half empty plates of biscuits.

“Were you the last one?

Angela nodded as a cup and saucer were passed her way along with the jug of milk.

It was an odd atmosphere in the room. They were all in competition and they were all rooting for each other. From a very young age girls were taught to stick together and always support each other, yet this time they were competing against each other and it felt wrong somehow.

“How long do you think they'll keep us waiting?”

“Even if they've made their minds up they'll wait for a while to make us sweat.”

“That's just silly.”

“They'll be talking it over to make sure they all agree. We've all passed all of the tests, they're just deciding who they like best now. It's our personalities they're comparing.”

The conversation went back and forth without conclusion. Angela added a few comments of her own but mostly she was just relieved to have finally completed the testing. She would wait until she had finished her tea before letting herself get nervous about the result.

When the door opened almost an hour later everyone was ready to jump to their feet but it was not the Panel, it was one of the male assistants carrying a dozen envelopes which he placed wordlessly on the table.

After all the waiting and preparing Angela could barely believe this was it. It all came down to the contents of this envelope and she was scared to open it.

That was a stupid reaction, she berated herself for being a coward and carefully broke the seal and unfolded the plain paper inside.

The first paragraph was a generic thanks for attending the selection days. Then came the results of the tests.

Physical Training – Pass, 95^th percentile

Teamwork – Pass, 85^th percentile

Leadership – Pass, 70^th percentile

Comprehension – Pass, 90^th percentile

Logic – Pass, 90^th percentile

Medical – Pass

Selection Interview – Pass

Overall Result – Pass

Then was the information that training would begin in two weeks and she was to report to the Supplies Building before leaving to collect her boots so she could break them in before training commenced.

That was it.

The letter was signed by the Chair of the review Panel and there was a watermark to prove the letter was genuine.

Angela was going to be a soldier.

She barely noticed as the women who failed selection left, their tears muted as they commiserated with each other. The successful candidates shared smiles with her and the excitement in their eyes was clear for all to see. They would share their training and could soon expect to get to know each other very well.

That was four months earlier. Four hard months when the cadets had been pushed to their limits and occasionally beyond. Two had dropped out during the training, one through injury and one had simply decided she could not do it, so the graduation ceremony had been tiny with only six of them sharing the satisfaction of their new status.

The new soldiers had been pushed incredibly hard to learn a huge amount in such a short time. Only the best squads were afforded a Lady, not just any men earned the honour of a female in their number and the Lady had to be able to serve a long side them where ever they went. She would not always be in the thick of it, but she had to be able to fight when the need arose and could expect to be at the front line at least some of the time, it was not a commission that came without danger.

Only the most small minded and uninformed could believe the Ladies of the Army were not real soldiers in their own right, that they had not each truly earned their commission. Their duties were of course much different to the men's, it was a fact of the Post-Scourge world that much had changed since the golden years, but it was still a day of pride for the women to have earned their place in an exclusive club of working women.

Now the graduation ceremony was complete, the dress uniforms were carefully put away and the ball gowns were brought out.

Angela was on a high of celebration as she chatted and laughed with the women who were now her best friends, five women who had gone through so much with her and knew her better than anyone ever had. There was mutual grooming to be done, hair to curl, hair to straighten, false eyelashes to glue, nail varnish to apply, make up colours to be matched to the gowns and under garments to be checked to make sure they would not rise up, fall down or show where they should not.

It was a great time. Possibly the last time the women would all be together, but they would certainly keep in contact as much as they could. Even their instructors had been impressed by how well the women gelled during their training, it had done nothing but help them to become some of the best cadets in the last five years of intakes and although they were not aware of it the small group of giggling women were being watched with great anticipation.

They were of course excited to being celebrating their success, but underneath it was a nervousness they could not hide. There were only six of them, but they were going to be walking into a very large party with some hopeful soldiers attending. It was their first appearance and they were certainly going to be wooed by the eligible squads present who were hoping for a Lady.

Once upon a time the Ladies had been assigned to squads in just the way the male soldiers were, but it had proved to be a very difficult process with huge numbers of transfer requests and even suicides attributed to badly matched groups. After a lengthy review it was decided the best way to do it was, at least in the first instance, to give the Ladies and men the choice.

Angela and her new friends were getting ready, making sure they looked their best, to walk into a mass blind date and primed ready to impress them were eleven hopeful squads, officers and men, who had managed through their skill to earn the right to keep a Lady in their number.

The venue for the ball was one of the old country hotels, with a great hall immaculately decorated for the occasion. The men were all under the strictest of instructions to be on their best behaviour and there were senior Officers and military police, present in subtle corners, to ensure fair play was maintained and nothing got out of hand. There was always a great deal of emotion on these nights and often fights when disappointed squads had drunk a little too much to maintain their composure.

The new Ladies were aware of the security arrangements and under strict orders themselves to report any unwanted behaviour straight away. The laws protecting women were strict both for the military and civilians, with them so outnumbered the punishments for their ill treatment had to be severe to prevent them coming to harm. It did not always work, but for the most part it made a man think twice before forcing himself on an unwilling woman. Of course, once the Ladies were part of a squad it became that squad's duty to protect her and it was a rare squad who did not guard their Lady jealously from any other man.

It was not their safety the Ladies were concerned about tonight though, it was making themselves irresistible and their lengthy preparations ensured their success. When the door to their shared room was knocked, they were still fussing over the tiny details of their outfits, the last application of lip gloss, the final crystal pin in their hair, but they were ready to head out to their chaperones.

Such was the pomp and circumstance surrounding the evening the Ladies were given the arm of a senior officer to enter the hall on. It was as much of a treat for the officers as it was for the new Ladies, getting to share a little of the excitement of the night.

As the top graduate, Angela had the special honour of being chaperoned by the Garrison Commander, a Brigadier tipped to soon be promoted to General. He was an awesome figure in his dress uniform, who had seen a lot in his life and had a huge amount of influence, the last thing Angela wanted was to do something wrong and insult or upset him. She did not know that for all his power he still felt a knot of nervousness when doing this pleasant duty and walking beside a beautiful young Lady. It would have made her feel better if she had known, but the Brigadier would never admit it. He did, however, smile as he bowed to her and offered his hand, complimenting her on looking so beautiful and telling her he expected his men to be stunned by her appearance.

Angela accepted his hand graciously. This awesome man would never bow to her again, in the future she would be expected to salute him, but just for this glorious moment she was the one in the spotlight and even with her nerves she was determined to enjoy every moment.

“If I can offer but one piece of advice for you tonight, it's this. No matter what an Officer promises you or how much you like him, be sure to spend a little time with his squad before you make any decision,” the Brigadier all gave the same advise to the Ladies he escorted just before the door to the hall was opened, and he hoped they listen to him. “And I implore you not to commit yourself to a squad tonight. There is no harm in making them wait at least until the morning or most preferably until next week. You will spend a lot of time with these men, so this is not a moment for rash decisions.”

They had already been told that they had a week to make their decision and to not let anyone push them into a rapid choice, but the words from the Brigadier sounded so genuine and full of concern they left Angela with a new resolve to take great care. “Thank you, sir, I'll remember that.”

The doors opened to a sea of perfect dress uniforms and freshly cropped hair.

All stood to attention in a tastefully decorated hall of silver and white, it made Angela think of a scene reminiscent of a military wedding. Perhaps it was something akin to that, the occasion was certainly a form of engagement party at least, all be it the couples had not met yet. She wondered for a moment what their ancestors would have thought, how they would have reacted to the current way society ran when she knew for a fact her great-grandmother had only one husband and they were married for over sixty years. Perhaps she would have been horrified, Angela hoped she would be understanding.

The Officers were lined up so the Chaperoned Ladies could walk passed them as they bowed. It may not have been an old tradition, only started a generation earlier, but it was an important tradition nonetheless for the people involved.

Being the Lady escorted by the Brigadier meant there was a lot of attention on Angela, she was the best of the Ladies and for the savy officer it was more important that she was a good soldier than merely a pretty face. Vain enough to think she was also pretty, Angela felt the pressure as all eyes turned to her before her classmates.

One of those bowing men would soon be calling her his Lady, which one would it be? There was quite a mix, from the greenest of newly graduated Lieutenants to a Major with the confidence of a well travelled man. They looked so similar with only the patches on their uniforms to differentiate them, how in the world could anyone make a decision based on so little?

They had been given lessons in how to interact with their men, as she was sure they too had been given lessons, but their instructor had told them that in the end they would have to rely on instinct, that everyone was different and there was no perfect formula.

When the presenting was done and Angela had reached the other side of the dance floor, the Brigadier inclined his head to her.

“Good Luck, young Lady, I will take my leave now. If you need anything, I will be at the top table.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The Ladies exchanged looks as they wondered what to do next, but they did not have to wait for very long.

“Ladies,” the Major came forward before anyone else had the chance. He had been here before and was determined not to miss out. “May I introduce myself, I am Major Dominic Lethario and I'm sure I speak for all the men here when I say you each look beautiful.” he addressed all the Ladies but looked only at Angela as he spoke. “Alas, I am only one man and I cannot dance with you all at the same time so, my Lady, may I have the honour of the first dance?”

Angela could not help but feel her heart beat hard in her chest. He was certainly older than she would have normally wanted in a man but he knew all the right words and she raised a hand to take his before slowly drawing it back as it occurred to her that once he had her he was unlikely to let her go to find anyone else in the room. She smiled sweetly. “Actually, sir, I'm worried that if I dance with you first then no one else will stand a chance. Politeness dictates that I at least allow the other Officers a dance before you sweep me off my feet.” she continued to smile as she looked deep into his eyes. “But as soon as I've danced with the rest, feel free to impress me.”

Major Lethario narrowed his eyes slightly but there was nothing more than sweetness radiating from the lithe young Lady, so he smiled in return and bowed. “That's exceedingly sporting of you. Would you be offended if I too had other dances?”

“I may get a little jealous, but I'll not be too offended.”

Placated, the Major offered his hand to one of Angela's classmates who was very quick to take him up on the offer being dazzled by the chance to jump straight into a ranking officer's bed.

Angela let out a long breath. She did not know why, but it felt as though she had just had a close call, maybe the Major had just been a little too charming for his own good. Now she had to make good on her word and make use of the two hours of dance lessons she and her classmates had been given only days earlier in a small attempt to prepare them for tonight. She cocked her head to one side and fixed her eyes on the youngest Officer who had been at the end of the line up with the freshest looking braid on his arm, silently prompting him to come forward.

He looked more nervous than her as he walked over and bowed. “Would you care to dance?” he managed, holding out a hand.

Angela took his hand. “I'd love to.”

The first few dances did feel awkward, but after that it good easier. The men realised what was expected of them and they each took their turn to dance with the Ladies while their squads watched from the sidelines, hardly even breathing as they watched the Ladies every move.

Angela did her best to remember which of the Officers she had danced with and what her impressions of each of them were. It was hard but she knew any career aspirations she had would be inexorably entwined with that of her chosen Officer so she had to find a good officer as much as a palatable man. Of course, she had to wonder why he was in need of a new Lady. It could well be nothing that was the fault of the Major, Ladies did have accidents it was a fact of Army life, but Ladies were not stopped from transferring if they had good reason or leaving altogether if they came to the end of their term and did not want to stay on with their chosen Officer. She was yet to dance with him, she would have to ask him when the opportunity arose, she liked to know where she stood.

After the other dances were done, Angela took the time to have a rest and talk with a few of her classmates.

“He's so fine.” Christy, had already danced with the Major and was completely taken with his charm. “You're so lucky, he's perfect.”

“Who says I'm lucky? I haven't even danced with him yet.”

“Don't be silly, he hasn't stopped watching you all night.”

“Just because he's a Major doesn't mean I like him.”

“You are so picky.” Christy rolled her eyes.

“You're not picky enough.” Angela countered. “Anyway, I'm giving them all a fair chance to impress.”

“Don't you dare touch Michaels.” Lucy jumped in rapidly. “I want him.”

“Which one's he?”

“The blond one over by the door. No, don't look!” Lucy hissed. “He's lovely.”

“Of course, blond. You've got a real thing for blonds.” Christy teased.

“So? Please, leave him alone.”

Angela smiled. “Done, I won't touch him.” She had thought he was sweet but he did not make a big impression.

“Alright,” Christy responded to the look from Lucy. “He's yours. It's not as if there aren't other fish in the sea.”

“Can you, you know, pass it around?” Lucy pleaded.

“We made a deal, didn't we? No poaching.”

“Thanks.”

“So when are you going to dance with dreamy Major?”

Angela shrugged. “I'll give it a little while. I want to see what the other men are up to first.”

“Why?” Christy's brow furrowed.

“Because they're all sweetness and light to us but what are they really like? You've got to think of your career, not just your bed.”

“Speak for yourself, I only joined up because I hate kids.”

Angela sighed. “Okay, I'll go and dance with the Major.”

“And if you're not interested in him make sure you tell us right away.”

“Yes, Christy, I'll let you know so you can pounce.”

It was strange, even as she was walking across the room to the Major, Angela knew she did not want him. She did not know who she did want, but she was certain this man was not for her. She had promised she would dance with everyone though so she would have to see it through.

He said all the right things and was even a very good dancer. He made her smile with his compliments and his wit, he even made her blush unexpectedly and yet he still made her uncomfortable. Why? She could not tell.

After the dance he insisted on accompanying her to the bar and getting her a cocktail. He made it very hard to refuse and even harder to get away, clearly he had played this game before.

While she was trying the brightly coloured cocktail it suddenly occurred to Angela what she had been looking for and how strange it was that so few of the Officer had been doing it. All evening, only two of the men had gone near their squad. The patient men waiting away from the action on the other side of the hall, they would become as close to the Ladies as the Officers but here they were being encouraged to ignore the men and concentrate only on the Officers. It was an odd state of affairs.

The Brigadier had known it, he had warned her to make sure she got to meet the squad before she made up her mind.

“What about your men?” Angela asked acting at her most innocent. “Do they like me too?”

“How could they not? You're beautiful.”

“But you haven't even asked them.”

The Major was dismissive. “I don't need to, they're my men. I know what's best for us and that's you good Lady.”

There was the nail in the coffin for his chances. “You're so sweet, but you know what, I made a promise with my classmates that I wouldn't make any decisions until we've all talked it through in the morning.”

“I wouldn't worry about that. You're the top graduate, tradition dictates you get the first pick of whomever you choose.”

“I know, but I did promise. Thank you for the cocktail, it's lovely.” Before he could stop her, Angela had picked up her drink and walked back to her friends.

“That was quick, I thought you were enjoying yourself. You looked like you were.” Ava had come back from her own dancing in time to see Angela smiling with the Major.

“He's nice enough, but he's not for me.”

“Seriously?” Christy could hardly believe it.

“Seriously. There's something about him, I don't know, I'd steer clear of him, but it's your choice.”

“Yes it is.”

“Have you got a favourite?” Angela directed the question at Ava.

“Not really. They're the same, aren't they.”

“If that's the case, how about we cause some panic in the ranks?”

“What do you mean?” Ava was a little slow on the uptake even as Christy grinned.

“If the officers are all the same, maybe someone in the squads can help make up your mind.”

“Are you sure we should do that?”

“Yes, actually I am sure. You think men are all the same, I don't.”

“What about the others?”

“They can catch up.” Angela said breezily as she sauntered in the direction of the nearest table with enlisted men around it.

The men at the table could not jump up fast enough, and had looks of shock on their faces. Evidently they had not expected to be approached.

Angela smiled in her sweet way. “Oh don't mind us, sit down and drink your beers. We just thought we should introduce ourselves and maybe you can introduce yourselves to us, after all we might be getting to know each other very well soon.” she sat down in a spare seat and turned to the Sergeant in the group. “So, hello handsome, I'm Lieutenant Angela Haynes, what's your name?”

There was laughter and a little jeering, the response Angela had been looking for when she picked on the Sergeant who rose well to the occasion with a calm reply.

After the initial shock of the Ladies abandoning the Officers for their men, and the audacity of Angela inviting the Sergeant to dance, things relaxed considerably.

Soon the music changed from classic to contemporary and it all became a light hearted free for all with the Ladies happily dancing with anyone brave enough to ask. It was exhausting but fun.

At one point Angela excused herself to use the restroom and get another drink and found herself at the bar beside the Brigadier.

“Well done, Haynes, they'll be talking about tonight for some time. No one's ever taken quite such an obvious interest in the enlisted men before. Good show.” he nodded briefly and then took his leave before Angela to think of a response.

Perhaps it was a good show, but the downside was still having no idea who she would choose. She only knew that she had already promised to steer clear of four of the Officers for friends. She let out a heavy sigh and sipped the cocktail. At least she had found a new drink she liked, the Major had done something for her.

“Is something wrong, ma'am?”

She looked up and realised it was one of the Lieutenants addressing her. “No, thank you, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. Lots more dancing than I'm used to.”

“Only, I couldn't help noticing one of the other Ladies is spending a lot of time with Major Lethario. I thought you and he were destined for each other.”

Angela frowned. “Who said that?”

“He did. He told us in no uncertain terms that you were off limits.”

Angela's jaw dropped. “The arrogance! Well, he's the one off limits. Thank you for telling me, Lieutenant -” she hesitated. “Barns?”

“Yes, and you're welcome.”

“Barns,” the name sparked an earlier conversation. “Your Liamson's OC.”

That got a laugh. “Yes. He makes an impression, I know.”

Angela nodded, a smile on her face. Liamson was a Private who could guarantee to stand out of the crowd simply by standing head and shoulders above it. “I'm wearing three inch heels but I swear I was dancing with his belly button.”

“I can always requisition a step ladder if it'll help.” Barns smiled. Then his expression abruptly changed. “Oh, I'm sorry, that was really presumptive, forget I said anything.”

“No,” Angela laughed. “It was funny, and about right. How do you cope? He's a one man watch tower.”

“You get used to it, I order him to sit down most of the time so I can look him in the eye, but he's a good guy.”

Angela put down her drink and treated Barns to a long look. She barely remembered dancing with him the first time around, but she had not been paying as much as attention as she should have been, she had spent most of the time thinking about the Major and wondering whether or not he was a good catch. Now she knew he was not and this man deserved another chance. “I think I'd like another dance.”

Barns was quick on the uptake, a good sign. “My Lady, may I ask for your hand in a dance?”

“Yes, you may.”

“Ahh, turn it off.”

“It's the sun, it doesn't come with a switch.”

Angela rolled over. “Then close the curtains at least.”

“No chance, it's 0800. You need to get up or we'll be late.”

“Late? For what? We're off duty.”

“For the football tournament.” Lucy spoke slowly. “Remember? The one you organised.”

That got a frown of incomprehension. “What?”

“Last night, before we all turned in, you made the men promise that each squad would front a five man team for a footie tournament on the PT field. Today. This morning.”

“I did?” Braincells began firing as wakefulness reluctantly established itself. “I don't even like football. Why would I- Oh, I did, didn't I.” she sighed and dragged herself up. “Alright, we better get to the field.”

“After a shower.” Lucy laughed.

“What?”

A mirror was held up.

Angela groaned. She had been so tired when they finally got back to the barracks that she had committed the nearly unforgivable sin and fallen straight into bed without first removing her make up. At least she had remembered to take the pins out of her hair, even if she had apparently used so much hair spray the pins had been superfluous.

“Don't worry about it.” Lucy indicated across the room.

Christy had apparently been even more tired than Angela. There was a blanket over her but she was unmistakeably still wearing her dress and the foot hanging out from the bed still had a shoe on.

Angela laughed. “Where's a bucket of cold water when you need it?”

As unpopular as it made her, Lucy woke everyone else up while Angela dealt with the wreckage that was formally her best made up face.

It was only fair of them to turn up to an event they had asked for and Angela was more than a little curious of how many men would be there.

“Oh.”

“Wow.”

“That's impressive.”

The field was full of men and footballs.

“They actually took me seriously.” Angela could hardly believe it.

“They are trying to impress us. It's not like we've actually chosen our squads yet.” Ava pointed out.

“Yes, but we have really,” Lucy corrected. “I mean, I know I have. Have you?”

“I have.” Christy admitted.

“Lisa, do you know who you want?”

The quietest of the classmates simply shook her head.

“No? You must have some idea.”

She shrugged.

“A soliloquy of indecision as always.” Angela smiled.

“You're being posh again, girl, you're far too educated.” Christy hated it when Angela showed off the fact she had actually paid attention in English classes. Most girls did not bother too hard with their education, they saw very little point, after all the vast majority would never get a job or be expected to to intelligent. “Anyway, have you chosen?”

“I think so. I'll see how he does today.”

“So it's down to performance on the field. I like it.”

Movement in the field ceased abruptly as the men saw who was approaching. Seconds later there was a new flurry of action and the Ladies found themselves installed on folding chairs in prime viewing position on the sidelines for the rapidly arranged tournament to come.

At a discreet distance, the proceedings were being observed.

“It's a very interesting development, certainly.”

“The men do their best to impress, they always have. I remember us failing over ourselves to impress the Ladies when we were much younger.”

“Not that much younger, James, we're hardly in our dotage yet.”

“I suppose. It feels like a lifetime ago, though doesn't it.”

“Absolutely, but perhaps you have a point, my wife does tease me for the way I used to behave and sometimes for the way I still do behave. I love her of course but I must admit the young Lady Haynes is quite the head turner.”

“Did you warn her about Lethario? She certainly dealt with him very well last night.”

“I only gave a few subtle hints, I couldn't do any more. If I said anything obvious and it came out it would cause a scandal. Still, it seems to have done the trick, the Ladies look to be avoiding him.”

“Bravo, Brigadier.”

“Less of that, I'm still your commanding officer, and I didn't do anything, I just gave a little fatherly advice.”

“Yes, sir. Are we watching Haynes then?”

“Yes we are. I hope she makes the right choice, if not we may have to arrange matters, she's got just what we need and she can't be left languishing in a dead end.”

From the very start the football was intense. At the best of times these were very competitive men, they were

the elite of the Army so naturally they were determined to be the best, but when they were being watched by some very eligible young Ladies there was no room for second place. There were moments when only the presence of the football distinguished the on pitch action from a brawl and the noise from the on lookers was akin to the masses baying for blood at a gladiatorial match. It did not stop the Ladies enjoying it, something Angela found amazing was how much she did enjoy the tournament when she had never enjoyed football in the past. Perhaps it was the stakes making it exciting, or maybe the teasing of the Officers who stayed close by as they vied for attention, either way she knew her mind was made up and she was only stalling to make it look as though she was taking time over the decision as she was supposed to.

All the while Major Lethario suck close by, determined not to let another Lady slip through his fingers. He was quite sure he had lost Haynes, which burned, and he could guess who to, but he was working on the others and he needed to get one of them somehow.

The eventual winners, much to Lucy's joy, were Lieutenant Michael's squad, defeating their rivals in the final by two goals and a bloody nose. Never known for being shy, Lucy made it very clear they were her favourites and the smiles could not have been removed from the squad's faces by a declaration of war.

In the mean time, Angela offered the briefest of winks to the runners up before turning away. They had had their fun and the men had been able to show off but it had been a long night and a little down time back at barracks sounded like a good idea.

Catching up on sleep sounded like such a good idea so why Angela instead turned back she did not know. “Actually, Lieutenant Barns, I wonder if I could ask a favour of you.”

“Ask away, I'm sure I can help.” the response was rapid.

“I'd rather like to go for a run outside today and I wonder if you can find me some chaperones.”

“Of course.”

“Thirty minutes at the Guard Room?”

“Done and done.”

Angela smiled disarmingly. “Thank you, sir.”

There was laughter and giggles from the Ladies as they headed back to the barracks. Very soon now they would be parted from each other but for the moment they got to enjoy the high life.

The down side of being one of the tenth of the population who were female was the constant danger of being attacked by desperate men. The laws to defend against such attacks were incredibly strict with draconian punishments for offenders but that did not stop everyone from taking their chances. The result of this problem was the insistence that any Ladies leaving the Garrison for any reason had to do so in the presence of at least one Chaperone, although most of the time it was considered preferable for them to travel with two. So when Angela arrived at the Guard Room dressed in her running gear she was met by Barns and his Sergeant all ready in running gear of their own.

“Have a good run, ma'am, I assume these two are your Chaps?” the guard on duty half-asked.

“That's right, we'll be back well in time for dinner.” Angela hardly looked up as she signed on the sheet.

“Good to know, ma'am. Sign the sheet please, sirs.”

Both men signed themselves out and then signed the second sheet as indicated. They were responsible for Angela now until she returned. If anything happened to her they were the ones who would be up on charges and they would have to prove they had done everything they could to defend her. It was sometimes an unwanted duty, but it was also time spent close to a Lady who, it was hoped, would be grateful for the duty done for her.

“Where do you want to go?” Barns asked as they walked out of the secure Garrison passed the armed guards and onto the public street.

“Along the river, I think. The weather's been nice so it shouldn't be too muddy. You don't have anything you need to be back early for do you?”

“No, we're all yours for as long as you want.” Nothing would stop Barns from doing everything he could to secure Haynes as his Lady. He did not know what she saw in him and his squad, she was the top graduate, she could snap her fingers and have any of the squads but she was looking at one of the most junior officers eligible for her attention. He knew he was good, he too was a top graduate and he was ambitious, but surely Haynes did not know that and for any Lady it was a gamble to accept an unproven squad when there were established ones on the cards.

“That's just what I wanted to hear.” Angela smiled as she began to run.

“So,” Barns began his own slow run to keep pace with her. “You obviously don't mind that we're not the best at football. How do we pass this test?”

“Don't worry, this one's easy. All you have to do is keep up.”

“You want us to pass then.” Barns was sure enough they could keep up with a teenage girl on a simple run on their own home turf.

“I'm giving you a sporting chance, you did dance well last night so I think you deserve it.”

“How many runs are you planning on going on this week?”

Angela laughed. “That would be telling. You'll hear my decision on Friday, not before.”

“Very well, ma'am.”

All too soon, Friday and arrived and Angela found herself back in front of the panel of senior Ladies. This time they were not acting as an interview panel and as awesome as they were this meeting was a far more pleasant duty. Angela now knew that the centre Lady, Colonel Myerson, was the Brigadier's wife and therefore a shining example of how it paid to catch the right man to advance your career. It was the perfect coupling, after a ten year tour together they had earned the right to a forever marriage and the Colonel would get a full pension whether she had children or not. That was something to aspire to and Angela hoped she had made the right decision to emulate that formidable Lady.

Another honour of being the top graduate was that in this hearing Angela got to step forward first. Along with the panel of Ladies, the room was filled by the Garrison's senior male officers and the eleven officers who hoped to get a Lady for their squad.

Whilst Angela and her classmates could have put forward their decisions to the panel at any time during the past week they had agreed amongst themselves to make nothing official until today and they each had agreed on their decisions while sitting on their bunks the night before. They thought it made for better suspense if they left the final say until the meeting and left the men hanging, and it gave them as much time as possible to make sure they had made the right choice and to talk things through with their friends when they got nervous about it.

“Have you made your decision, Haynes?” Colonel Myerson asked. Last night, she and her husband had laid in bed and talked about the latest class of Ladies, speculating on who they thought they would go to. There was the choice over where to spend a weekend away riding on Haynes' choice of officer, either a golfing resort or a romantic island getaway.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“To who's squad do you wish to be assigned?”

Angela resisted the urge to look round to the waiting men. “Squad 783, Lieutenant Barns commanding, ma'am.”

Colonel Myerson smiled. She had just gotten a romantic weekend away. “Thank you.” she looked across to the assembled men. “Lieutenant Barns,”

Barns leapt up from his seat. “Ma'am.”

“Will you accept Lieutenant Haynes into your squad?”

It was hard to keep his eyes on the Colonel when all he wanted to do was watch his new Lady. “Yes, ma'am.”

“Very good.” Myerson nodded to the squad leader before turning her attention back to the new Ladies. “You have your assignment. Please step back in line. Lieutenant Ashford, step forward.”

Lucy rapidly did as ordered.

Angela paid little attention to the rest of the proceedings. She knew who was going where and it took all of her concentration to keep eyes front and not let them stray to her new commanding officer.

It felt like the rest of the meeting took forever. After the Ladies got their assignments confirmed there was a speech from the Colonel all about the importance of their jobs and the bright new world they were entering with many wonderful experiences waiting for them. Then there was another speech from the Brigadier, aimed at the new commanding officers it was an exhortation to look after the Ladies and an acknowledgement that they were far more important than the officers could possibly yet recognise. Duties and responsibilities were talked about at length before closing words to respect and protect each other.

After this they were all, at long last, dismissed.

“I could kiss you.”

The voice from behind Angela made her smile broadly. She turned and looked up into Barns' eyes. “Wait until we're alone and you can do a lot more than just that.”

“Believe me, I will.” Barns replied. He shook his head. “Eleven squads and you chose mine. You graduated top of the class with some of the best scores ever.”

“First in a class of six isn't that hard.” Angela was dismissive. “Third in a class of thirty-two is harder.”

“How did you find that out?”

“I asked. You're very handsome but I wasn't going to make my choice just based on your looks.”

“You're ambitious.”

“So are you. That makes us a good match, don't you think?”

Barns nodded. “Yes, I do. The men are going to be over the moon when I walk in with you, I hope you're ready for them.”

“As ready as I'll ever be.”

Standing in front of the selection panel had been frightening enough, those Ladies had the power to decide her future, but now Angela was walking into a room to see the men she would be sharing her next few years with, the men she had chosen to be with rather than a series of short term husbands. For the first time she was wondering whether she had made the right decision in joining up, but the image of her bitter and domineering mother was enough to snap her out of it. For better or worse there was no way she was going to sit back and become that woman when there was another way.

“Ready?” Barns watched his new Lady hesitate as they reached building that was the shared barracks for him and his squad.

She smiled. “Of course.”

The men were all waiting in the immaculate lounge. They had put a huge amount of effort into making the whole house perfect, not a speck of dirt or dust was allowed, not the tiniest imperfection and they were each praying their efforts had not been in vain.

They all leapt to their feet as the door opened. As ordered, they had not watched for their Lieutenant's return and they desperately wanted to know if he had come back to them with a Lady.

The Sergeant was convinced that he would and had given his own orders that they were to act accordingly, hence the massive clean, but they all knew the Lady he was pinning his hopes on had been spending as much time with the other squads officers as she had with Barns. When this was pointed out to him, the worldly Sergeant smiled and told his squad they had a lot to learn about women.

But he had less faith in his knowledge of women than he had in the ability of his Commanding Officer to attract the Lady they all wanted. As confident was he appeared, the Sergeant knew there was a chance that his confidence was misplaced and he could be wrong, but he had not got where he was by never taking chances.

The squad's respect for their Sergeant was immeasurably increased on the instant as Barns walked into the Lounge with their new Lady.

“Lady Haynes,” Barns spoke formally. “May I introduce Squad 783.”

“Squad 783.” Angela looked from man to man. They were stern, battle ready and formidable, and yet they all looked at least a little nervous as she met their eyes. It was comforting to know the nerves went both ways. She hoped they also shared her flutter of excitement. “I hope we won't need to be so formal for long.” she turned to Barns. “May I?”

Barns smiled. “By all means.” he had no idea what she was going to do but Barns had faith in his Lady and after choosing him, he would forgive her almost anything.

Angela strode across the room to the bookcase. “Feel free to sit.” she said, not looking round as she selected one of the thick ring binders. Almost half of the folder was devoted to one specific section which she promptly removed and in one fluid motion turned and threw on the floor. “Army Rules and Regulations, Section 17, Parts a through r, governing relations and activities between Ladies and their squads. It's very long and complicated and any of you who've familiarised yourselves with it, as of course you all should, will have noticed it has far more 'Thou shall nots' than it has 'Thou shalls'. Now, as I'm sure we're all very keen to live our lives exactly by the book, that shouldn't be a problem, but it is rather dull, so I have attempted to distil that rainforest destroying behemoth of regulations to this,” she pulled two carefully folded sheets of paper from a pocket and smoothed them out. “I trust you'll be pleased to know my personal interpretation of the regulations contains far more Thou shalls and as few as possible Thou shall nots. The executive summary is this, when in my room I am second only to God and if you don't ask, you don't get. I may say no, in which case I really mean it, but I may say yes,” she paused and licked her lips. “And since I look far more innocent than I am, well,” there was a smile that was pure wickedness. “You can draw your own conclusions.” Angela sat gracefully in an empty chair, carefully and deliberately placing the two sheets of paper on the coffee table beside her. “Laying down the law isn't the most alluring way to introduce myself, but I think it's important that we all know where we stand and this gets it out of the way. Of course, once we know each other I'm sure we'll edit my regs to better suit us, but I think they're a good place to start for now.”

“Permission to speak, ma'am?” the Sergeant asked politely from his seat next to hers.

“Granted, of course.”

“On behalf of the whole squad I'd like to welcome you on board, and as someone who's had cause to read those regulations,” he pointed disdainfully at the pile of paper on the floor. “An executive summary is very much appreciated. We're all very happy that you opted to join us and I'm sure we all hope we can live up to your expectations.”

“Thank you.” Angela smiled. “I know you're all very good at what you do, you don't get elite status without earning it. By comparison I'm just very lucky. Instead of hopping from husband to husband every few months I'm actually going to be able to get to know the men I bed. It's a very selfish reason to become a Lady but not one you should have any reason to complain about. But now I am your Lady I'm sure you all want to know when it's your turn to play husband, which is a fair question and you'll get your answer as soon as I've cleared a rota with the Lieutenant. For now, I know that by rights as OC Lieutenant Barns should escort me up to my room and be the first to help me settle in, but he has graciously waved that automatic right and instead you're going to decide amongst yourselves who I'll get to know first.”

There were looks exchanged, the squad had not been expecting that. Access to see a Lady was normally decided on a strict ranking basis, any change to that order was an unexpected and welcome surprise.

“And while you begin your deliberations, I'll escort our Lady as far as her door.” Barns was magnanimous even as he was beginning to regret his generosity. It was something his men would appreciate and that ultimately meant little but in the heat of the moment it was so hard to step back.

He stamped down on his emotions to walk his Lady up the two flights of stairs to her large and comfortable room, but once there he could not just walk away. “I might have given up my right to sleep with you today but if I don't get to kiss you I don't know what I'll do.”

Angela stepped forward and raised her head. “Let's not find out.” she whispered softly.

He was strong and passionate. As he pulled her close, Angela knew they both wanted more. His hands moved down her body but even as she was willing him on he suddenly was stepping away.

“I'd better go.” his voice was full of regret. “Before they start to wonder where I am.”

As he walked out of sight, Angela let out a sigh and muttered a curse under her breath. She had not realised how much she wanted him until there was no one else around. Now she would have to wait and she was not used to having to wait for man, they normally fell over themselves to get to her.

Not only had Angela's new room been aired, but she saw fresh flowers on the dresser and a satin throw over the bed. The squad had clearly been hedging their bets. It was just as well she had chosen them or they would have been sorely upset to see all their efforts go to waste.

How long would it take for the squad to make their decision?

Idly wandering around the room, Angela pushed open the bathroom door and glanced in. Then she stopped and did a double take. She had been expecting a similar en-suite to the standard officers quarters she had been shown before but this was very different. There was a shower cubicle, a separate large, glorious, bath and most surprising of all the decadent addition of a bidet placed next to the gleaming white toilet bowl. The room was luxurious and fabulous. Where better to relax after a long and dirty exercise in the forest than a hot bubble filled soak in a tub? A shower was good for a utilitarian clean but a soak in a bath was heavenly and a very rare pleasure in the Army.

Tearing herself away from the lure of the bath, Angela lowered herself into the comfortable desk chair and unlaced her boots. After four months, she had got used to wearing them and they were suitably broken in, but years of soft shoes meant they still felt restrictive and they took so long to get on and off.

She pulled off her socks and spread her toes as she inspected the pale pink nail polish on them. There were a few small chips but nothing ruinous, nothing wrong that anyone would notice. Unless one of the squad a foot fetish of course, then she would have to make more of an effort with the pedicures. The thought made Angela smile as she remembered one of the lectures during her training and the strict, straight laced instructor who had spoken at length on how to deal with the deviants and fetishists they might encounter during their careers. He had focused on how to discourage such behaviour and how to report those distasteful practices if the soldier insisted on continuing. She had spent the three hours struggling to keep a straight face. The majority of the 'deviant' behaviours spoken about were no more than a bit of fun but somehow he had put silk blindfolds and furry handcuffs in the same category as bestiality. A later instructor had been far more pragmatic and sensible, allowing for different tastes while cautioning against the extremes. His analogy had made them giggle while at the same time being a good line to draw between fun and trouble. Using a feather is foreplay, using the chicken is deviant.

While she remembered the fun she and her classmates had laughing over it all, she released her hair from the regulation bun, shaking it out with her fingers and draping it over one shoulder.

Who was going to walk through that door?

She sighed and wandered across to the window, staring out at nothing.

Why had she broken with tradition? She should have done things properly, as was expected of her, then she would have been able to do more than just kiss Barns. She wished she had.

Angela reminded herself that she was Lady to the whole squad, not just Barns, and to be fair to them they were a good looking bunch. Perhaps not Chippendales but none of them would be considered ugly. There was no point in being disappointed when for all she knew the man about to walk into her room was going to blow her mind.

She was so deep in thought that when there was a knock at the door it took her a moment to realise what the sound was.

“Come in.”

The door opened to admit the bodybuilder. At least, that was what she had mentally labelled him, muscles like that did not appear without a lot of work. He was definitely an avid gym goer, and all that muscle made him intimidating as well as strong.

“Ma'am.” he acknowledged her formally as he closed the door behind him.

“What's your name, soldier?” Angela asked softly, doing her best to hide the sudden surge of nerves.

“Ben Fostern.”

“Ben.” It was a personal choice, but Angela preferred the idea of being informal in the bedroom, she could not understand how a Lady could get intimate with a man while still retaining military decorum. “Your squad mates must like you a lot, choosing you to come up here so quickly. How did you earn this honour?”

Fostern shrugged. “I look after my mates, ma'am.”

“And they certainly look after you.” Angela walked forward, stopping only when she was mere inches from him, close enough to smell his scent and feel his breath on her. “I'm only ma'am when there are other people around, when it's just us I'm Angela.”

Fostern raised a hand to touch her arm, hesitant and gentle he stopped. “I-” he cleared his throat. “I've never been in a squad with a Lady before.”

“That's alright, I've never been a squad's Lady before.” Angela smiled. “Let's learn together. I think I can guess what we do next.”

“Me too.” Fostern smiled back. He let his hand moved up the Lady's arm until it reached her shoulder and her long fair hair. His other arm found her waist and, when there was no objection, he pulled her in. She was beautiful, tiny, slim and he had always loved blonds. Any second now he was sure he would wake up and realise he was on deployment in some freezing muddy hole, but for now he was determined to make the most of his dream.

Angela had been so worried about this part, that it would be awkward, that she would not like the man or that he would not like her, but as he held her close it was all too obvious he like her and she could not help but find herself responding to that.

Feeling the Lady lean into him took away the fears he had been holding back since his walk up the stairs. There were so many stories about the squad Ladies, about how they were recruited and how they behaved. Some men told tales of Ladies who would simply lie on a bed legs open and wait for a soldier to do his business before sending them away, others told wildly different tales of drug crazed addicts who were press ganged into service and would do anything for another hit. Both sides were obvious rubbish to any rational thought, but while the truth had to lie somewhere in between there was a lot of ground to cover.

This young Lady was certainly not unwilling and there definitely no drugs involved. She was treating him as though she

genuinely wanted him, he knew the reverse to be true and he wanted her enough to be willing to believe her desire was real. Perhaps it was.

He easily lifted her up and felt her legs entwine around his waist as they kissed. It was only a few steps to the bed and then he would remove that uniform and find out exactly what she was hiding beneath it.