Behold Leviathan

A little circus played out that morning, in Nikki's swank hotel room. Both awoke about the same time. Kip, still curled up on the couch, pretended to keep his eyes closed while Nikki swept into the bathroom, trailing the white bed sheet behind. Actually, he really did keep his eyes closed, because she checked.

Then, while she was cleaning up behind a locked door (he checked that too) Kip got half dressed and had the room all tidied up by the time she was finished. No sooner had she left in a billow of steam, than Kip was in the bathroom, closing the door carefully.

"Tell me Kip," she said loudly through the - just slightly open - door a minute later. "Do you always get so efficient first thing in the morning," with a huff. "You didn't have to make the bed you know, we ARE in a hotel." Then to herself, I can handle it though.

"Thank the U.S. Navy for that little quirk," he said just as the shower started. "Hospital corners and all!" You got that right honey, she said after checking underneath the bed spread, not quite believing it when she saw them.

A few minutes later the shower turned off and Kip yelled out at her. "Old sailor's trick after a night on the high seas, Lassie." A mumble as he toweled off vigorously. "You make the bed up good, like tidy and new, and the little lady can't resist the temptation to muss it all up again!"

"Kip," Nikki responded with mock consternation, "You're hardly out of bed and your mind is already back there!"

Something like, 'bed, hell - I was on the god damn sofa all night,' reached Nikki's ears; 'warm bed right there too all full of pretty lady; shoot, coolie's mind never got OFF bed.' She blushed a little to hear it.

"Navy men, they got to be prepared to shove off at any time, you see." She could hear the smile behind his words. "Must make the most out of infrequent port calls, you know."

"A lady in every port, Admiral?" came the slightly distressed retort.

"Oh, oh," he said seriously, loud enough for Nikki to hear.

"No, ma'am, Nome. Too many distractions will get you shot in a moment. Then never make it home to sweet honey."

"Good grief, our little Navy man has an answer for everything." She offered a little up herself. 'We'll see just how sweet this here honey is,' she grumbled.

"Begging' your pardon, ma'am." Kip said gushing with courtesy, "But that one's from the United States Marines." Then when she seemed to be not impressed, "You know, the rough guys that always get us flamboyant sailors out of harms way." Making aaack noises, and choking his neck so as she could barely see in the mirror.

"Counselor, you best check your notes," said Nikki in her most officious tone. "It is the other way around: Navy pulling Marines off bad beach." He took a long while to consider that one, and she expected some smart macho remark about her beach home. She got it. 'We're going to need a full amphibious landing to rescue this here dumb sailor.'

"OK, so you beached my whale on that one," he said like a naughty kid, a long, drawn out moment later. As though he thought she would forget and forgive. "Had a rough night, didn't I."

"YOU had a rough night!" She really let herself fume now. "I invite some kind a hurting, peace loving man into my hotel room to nurse his poor frazzled nerves, and what do I get? Some raging, high minded, mental crusader hell bent on returning to Eden."

"Well, I got you there didn't I," said a fresh innocent little boy face around the corner of the door.

"Brother, to quote one of your heroes," she said, hoisting her chest out and up. "We have met the enemy and he is ours."

"OH, Oh; oh," he said after quickly backing around the door. "Best ring up the Army. We in heap of deep shit now." Steps running in place rattled the whole room.

"Truce!" and he held a towel outside the door as he slowly emerged, then swiftly picked up the hotel telephone.

"Room service," he yelled into the telephone, as if he was calling in a strike in the DMZ. "Get us two BIG coffees," breathing heavily as if he had just raced to the line. "A.S.A.P, soldier." Kip hung up with a bang.