Frank sat down behind his big, wooden desk and yelled, “Boardman! Get your ass in here!”
Frank pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth.
A lanky sailor in dungarees with round spectacles walked through the doors and looked at Jim and Frank. “What?”
“That’s ‘What Sir’!” Yelled Frank pointing to his cigarette. Boardman rolled his eyes and walked over to Frank’s desk, letting out an audible sigh. He reached over to pick up the grenade-shaped lighter from the desk, sitting only an inch away from Frank’s tapping fingers.
Boardman held the lighter before Frank’s cigarette and said, “Frank, you want me to get your friend anything?”
Frank sputtered, and tore the cigarette out of his mouth, “That’s Commander or Sir!” He blew a lungful of smoke into the sailor’s face. “…Fuck off Boardman.” The sailor shuffled out of the room shaking his head.
“What was that about?” asked Jim with a wry smile on his face.
Frank sat back displaying growing amusement, “That fucking kid. His sweet Mama, the US Navy, spent a mint to send him to courses to make advanced weapons and explosives and then he receives a job offer from a manufacturer for almost twice what I make! He was one of the few the Navy chose to provide flexibility to deployed SEAL teams. He has a background in electronics, physics, math and machining. He was sent to Smith & Wesson for three months to learn how to design firearms from scratch, Ford Aerospace to learn how to machine metals like ti-fucking-tanium and then off to Fort Bragg to learn explosives and propellants.”
Jim broke in, “And so now he lights your cigarettes?”
Frank sat forward in his chair, “That prick blew up my new Quonset hut by testing a new type of tracer bullet! It was going to be my new officer’s lounge! He was fired by the time I arrived and by then he had his… attitude. He’s been letting everyone know that he’s getting out and stuck his shitty little offer letter in my face. Since then, I’ve made him my bitch.”
“Boardman!” screeched Frank almost shaking out of his chair. Boardman walked back in, his head at an angle and a face exuding impatience. “Yes …Sir?” That last sir was almost too late as Frank was just getting to launch out of his chair. Frank slowly reclined back, belched and said, “Go out to the the staff office and tell Petty Officer O’Neil that I want to see him.”
Boardman performed a Benny Hill salute (making Frank’s eyes bug out and face turn red) and said “Aye Aye!” He turned around and walked through the bar room doors just before one of Frank’s topless hula dancer paperweights flew past his head.
“I really love screwing with him!” said Frank straightening his desk and shaking his head.
