Roberta, Molly and Ed

As he pulled out of the pick-up lane, P. O. Martinez looked at the trio in his rearview mirror. 'Lucky sonavabitch!' he thought. 'This guy probably'll end up fucking both these bitches, while I have to drive them around this shitass town.' As he was watching, each woman placed a hand on Cromartie's thigh closest to them.

Cromartie didn't know how to respond to the hands. He was used to being hit on by women——the uniform, his pilot status, and his own good looks guaranteed it. And he knew how to fend them off. But these two had been assigned to him, one outranking him. He knew he couldn't antagonize them. So he just sat there, hoping that both of them being present would serve to deter the other.

Arriving at the Madison, Blisson directed Martinez to their reserved parking space in the attached parking garage. She waited until he had opened the trunk and taken out Cromartie's bag before she spoke to him again.

"Are those your bags, Martinez?"

Martinez looked at his duffel bags in the trunk. "Yes, ma'am."

"Take them out. You're staying here with us, compliments of the Navy——or rather the Admiral."

Martinez nearly dropped on the spot. He'd expected when he got this assignment that he would be billeted at some New York City naval facility. 'Hot damn! This assignment might not be that bad after all!' He said to himself. He took out his bags and followed the officers, a smile on his face from ear to ear.

Their rooms were at the end of the hallway on the Madison's 11th floor. Cromartie had the far suite on the even-numbered side and the women shared a two-bedroom suite next to Cromartie with an adjoining door. Martinez was opposite Cromartie on the odd-number side, not knowing that his was just a room, while theirs were suites. Still, it was a room at the Madison.

Blisson opened the smaller room and stepped inside, followed by Martinez. She handed him his key card with instructions. "Always have your cellphone on, and be ready to drive at anytime, day or night.