He waits for the door to close behind Xavier before he sets his pack down and responds.“It is safer that way. If I wasn't looking out for you, you w...uld get yourself into far too much trouble.”“Horseshit!” Xavier snaps through tight teeth. “I could handle myself just fine, even before I met you!”“Xavier, please.” Stanley relents, pulling at the straps holding his armor to his body. “I do not want to quarrel with you.”“Then admit there is nothing to quarrel about.”“I won't lie to you.”Xavier. A lesbian? I had no idea. She never gave me the slightest hint. And Crystal ... trying to take advantage of her. I knew she wasn't all that she seemed to be, but Jesus, why would she go after Fran? Stupid question, of course she would when I spent more than ten seconds thinking about it. Fran was beautiful. Slim, elegant, tall, tawny, innocent; everything I found desirable, but everything Crystal would have wanted too."So, I said," entering the minefield, "You and Crystal became ... involved?". That was where the Army’s anal retentive nature kicked in. Once we were flagged, they had to follow through. Someone, somewhere would ask questions. So they kept Sheila’s work computer and gave us a nanny, but they threw us a bone. Sergeant Johnson was probably neither a Sergeant nor a Johnson, but he had a car. He took us to our room, which was likely for mid level VIPs. We were not allowed to touch our bags while they were in transit, but they were left with us when the door closed. I was. Even Jones’ pedantic lectures about the use of the semi-colon had value and Carl had heard other students say de Winter gave top quality critique. Carl laughed to himself about most of the feedback on his writing. He already had successful stories under a pseudonym on erotic writing websites and a substantial fanbase. What he wanted was Somers’ advice. How did you write something that hit the big money like Somers had done? Carl knew, of course, that a degenerative disease meant Somers now.