Fred was coming into town.
"Hey man, I got wind you're out there in Lemoore. Me and my team have to make a pit stop out there to train some folks in two weeks. Will you be around," he asked.
Fred and I had 30 years of friendship, as the former enlisted turned commissioned officer, a supply type, and I worked together when we were both very junior, with him being a Maryland native and us just clicking being east coast boys.
"I'm coming out there for a week. There's a major inspection my team and I will perform with NAVSUP, and they have us staying at a hotel in Fresno each night," he told me, as he pleaded to crash at my place instead.
"Fred, brother you don't have to ask. You hit me when you touch down and I got you. Not sure of your plans, but I could pull out the grill and get you some of my signature ribs," I told him.
The two weeks would pass and I was at the airport to greet him and five others as they flew in from D.C. Fred, who was six foot seven, of course appeared older with speckles of gray throughout his wavy haircut, and a little bit of gut compared to his former washboard stomach, but the ebony Adonis still looked good, as I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring on his finger.
"Yeah man, Trice and I are no more. She married some other officer and they're living happily ever after with our kids in Italy," he told me when I asked of family, as suddenly my antennae shot to the sky.
I'd drive him back to my place with his bags, while the rest of his crew grabbed a rental and stayed the night in Fresno, with me looking to entertain and catch up with my old friend. Fred, with his energetic personality and being so outspoken, was someone I was always drawn to, as when we worked together as E4s he always saw the positive when things looked bleak. He didn't take shit from anyone, and though he was a naval officer, I knew he never indulged in the politics as he was also a realist, and so he talked the entire 45 minute ride in my truck to confirm that.
"I'll be resigning my commission next year. Over two decades of service and these knees of mine are ready to call it quits," he joked. "Plus, I've been cursing out people more and more, so it's time I change my way of earning income and sit back."
I listened to his deep, masculine voice and was not only turned on, but hearing someone who basically had enough of everything that was going on, and just needed some sort of pace change. IA also figured maybe, just maybe, he needed a beefy white guy to wrap his lips around that big cock of his as it showed in his khaki uniform, the dick print very much on display when I saw him and his team walking through the concourse at the airport.
"I'm starting to overall reinvent myself I guess Joe, learning things about me at 55 that me adjusting, and to be frank, I love it," he said.
We made it back to my place and I showed him around the house, as well as the backyard.
"You've done well for yourself. Where's Jemma," he asked as he recalled my ex wife, someone who served with us early on.
"Living her best life in Florida," I told him as his mouth widened and teeth popped.
"You dirty dog, you're single out here? Damn, who would've thought that old Joe would be all alone out here. What's the matter, you out here tapping young airmen and seamen, tricking off your retirement," he asked.
I tapped him in his stomach as he joked, the both of us laughing for a lot of senior personnel tend to go that way. He'd put his things away in his room and took.a shower as I grabbed the ribs from my smoker, bringing it back into the house as we were about to have dinner.
"I got Bud, Sam Adams, Blue Moon, wine, Absolut, you name it. What you drinking on," I asked him once he showered and came into the kitchen.
I heard his footsteps and didn't look up, too busy making sure the sides to the ribs were good to go as I prepared macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and roasted corn.