#breadsprinkles

[msmercury84]

"Viva Las Vegas! Is Stardom in the Cards for Leigh?" "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"

*Author's Note: Bill Guarnere enjoyed trips to Las Vegas where he had fun in the casinos. This information came from podcasts and interviews with his granddaughter.*

In February, 1946, Leigh got a call at the CBS radio station from Maxine Andrews. She was surprised when Andrews asked her to join them in for a few shows in the up and coming gambling mecca of Las Vegas.

Andrews explained that the sisters were performing at the Flamingo casino and resort on the same bill as Louis Prima. She told Leigh that all expenses would be paid by the manager of the popular trio.

Leigh happily accepted the offer of a two week vacation, providing that her and Bill's bosses would agree to their taking time off from work.

Since Bill had never taken his vacation time from his government job, he was cleared to go. Leigh's boss gave his approval quickly, knowing that the CBS affiliate would get publicity.

After leaving work one afternoon, Leigh decided to do a little shopping for the Las Vegas trip. She bought a light gray , long sleeved wiggle dress with pleats at the bottom of the back of the garment. It fastened in the back with a row of small scarlet buttons. The buttons began after a sharp 'v' in the upper back of the dress.

Then, she purchased some scarlet pumps and some long scarlet gloves to accent her dress. Bill had bought a brooch that looked like a red rose on a slender gold stem and Leigh planned to wear it on the dress.

Leigh found an excellent bargain in the same downtown Philadelphia department store where Bill bought the red wiggle dress and the red satin bra, panty and garter belt set for their first Christmas as a married couple.

She bought a coat in the same shade of scarlet as the buttons on her dress. It had faux black and gray fur trim on the cuffs, the top and the bottom of the coat. It had been reduced to 50% off the ticket price and Leigh was delighted to pay $20 for the well made garment.

Later that day, after the supper dishes were washed, Leigh told Bill,

"Honey, I bought a dress and some new items for our trip. Will you let me know if you like them? I'll model them for you." Guarnere agreed to give his opinion on the dress and whatever else she bought.

Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took the dress out of the bag from the department store. Then, she took off her day dress and put on the new dress and the new red pumps.

It was a little difficult for Leigh to button the dress, but she was able to get it fastened. She walked downstairs.

"Here's what it looks like from the front." Leigh then turned around to let Bill see the back of the dress.

"That dress is really doin' somethin' to me, Baby. It's almost as sexy as the black lace set ya bought in Paris" He walked over to stand behind Leigh and he embraced her, pulling her close to him as he kissed her neck.

Leigh could feel that Bill was becoming aroused and she moved her behind against him, prompting a faint groan from Guarnere. He nibbled her right earlobe, whispering,

"Baby, ya know what that does to me. You're beautiful all over an' that dress shows your sweet, sexy ass off to perfection. Do ya have a coat to go wit' this dress? I can't go through the train station like this."

She moved forward slightly, giving herself enough room to reach back and gently stroke Bill's hard cock through his trousers.

"You would certainly attract attention this way. Let me go upstairs and get the coat I bought and see if that helps. I bought this on sale with money from my check. Honey, I don't want you to think I'm spending your money foolishly." Guarnere kissed her neck,

"You don't have to explain, Baby. I know you wouldn't do anythin' like that. You're always very careful wit' money. If you want somethin' or if ya really need it, like a new coat, let me know. I'd like to spoil ya once in awhile."

"You're so sweet and understanding, Honey. Stay nice and hard for me until I get back."

"All I have to do is think o' you in that dress, Baby. I'll be ready for ya." Leigh went upstairs to their bedroom. She took her coat and her red gloves out of the bag from the department store and put on both items.

Before leaving the bedroom, Leigh quickly unfastened her garter belt, removed her panties and fastened the garter belt again. She placed her panties in the hamper.

Next, she went into the bathroom, removed her red gloves, inserted her diaphragm, washed her hands and put the gloves on. Leigh walked downstairs to find Bill in the same spot, patiently waiting for her.

She turned in a small circle, modeling the coat and gloves.

"You look like a movie star in that coat an' those gloves. Baby, you're a beautiful, classy lookin' woman. You're gonna turn some heads in that outfit."

"Thanks, Honey. The only head I want to turn is yours. Does the coat help your...condition?"

"It will at least let me walk through the train station wit'out drawin' attention to myself. You really look like a million bucks in that outfit." Leigh carefully took off the coat and gloves, placing both items on the coffee table.

"I have a little surprise for you. If you're still in the mood, do you want to find out what it is? You'll have to unbutton those buttons in the back to see it." She winked at him.

Guarnere had a slightly wicked grin as he replied,

"I'm always in the mood where you're concerned, ya little fireball. If you turn around, I can get to work on those buttons." Bill kissed Leigh's neck again before he started to unbutton the top three buttons on the dress.

He saw that she was still wearing her bra, so he unbuttoned a few more buttons. Leigh ground her bottom against his hard cock, prompting a slightly louder groan from him.

Guarnere unbuttoned a few more of the scarlet buttons to reveal the top of her garter belt. He grinned, knowing that Leigh probably wasn't wearing panties. Bill unfastened two more buttons and slid the dress down slowly to reveal her bare ass beneath the garter belt.

He slid the dress down her legs, asking her to step out of it. Leigh complied and Bill gathered up the dress, carefully folding it and placing it on the coffee table.

Guarnere cupped her ass in his hands. He nibbled her ear and whispered,

"You look so goddamned hot, Baby. I wish you'd go wit' out panties all the time. Let's take this upstairs. We don't want anybody payin' a surprise visit, catchin' us gettin' busy." He picked Leigh up and carried her to their bedroom.

He placed her on the bed and quickly disrobed. Leigh removed the bedspread, the top sheet and the pillows. Bill removed her bra and began gently sucking on her nipples.

Leigh ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his lips. A few minutes later, she was on the verge of coming. Bill abandoned her breasts for a moment as he traced kisses down her torso, pausing to look at her.

"You wanna watch me, don't ya."

"Oh, yes, Honey. It makes everything more intense when I watch you licking and loving my...pussy."

Bill groaned softly,

"Goddamn! I love it when ya say that. Let me show ya how much I love it." He maintained eye contact with her as he gently sucked her clit between his lips. He alternated licking and sucking until her hips rose involuntarily.

"Oh God, Baby that's so good!"

Guarnere continued to look into her eyes as he worked two fingers into her warm interior.

"You're soakin' wet. That's my sweet angel." He broke eye contact for a moment to devote his attention once again to her clit. Leigh watched him and that quickly sent her over the edge. She called out his name as a glorious climax swept over her.

Bill never stopped, he helped Leigh ride out her orgasm. He was proud and happy to know how much he pleased her. Once she recovered, Leigh was trying to pull him up, wanting to continue their lovemaking. Guarnere grinned,

"My baby's ready, ain't no doubt about it. Tell me what ya want, Sweetheart." He stayed still despite his need to get relief for his nearly aching cock.

Leigh arched her back, trying to get him inside her. She knew what Bill was doing and it further inflamed her desire.

"I want you to fuck me!"

"Oh, hell, yes!" He moved up as Leigh slightly closed her legs, making it easier for him to enter her. Bill easily slid his cock into her.

He thrust into her, saying,

I'm fuckin' the hottest...(he thrust into her again) the most beautiful...(he thrust into Leigh again) an' the sexiest woman in town." Leigh tried a technique that Julia told her about. She tightened her grip on him with her vagina, being sure to meet his every stroke.

Bill quickly picked up the pace as Leigh grasped his ass, pulling him into her. They kissed passionately until Leigh broke the kiss, calling his name.

Guarnere loved to hear her saying his name.

"You're so good at fuckin'! Bill circled his hips and they continued, going at a frantic pace. Leigh felt another orgasm building. When she contracted around Bill's cock as she came, his thrusting lost rhythm and he groaned as he came.

In the afterglow, Leigh lay in his arms. Guarnere ran his fingers through her hair.

"Baby, I don't know what ya were doin' inside, but it was hotter than the fires of hell."

"A woman I know told me how to do that. She said it drives her husband crazy."

"I'd like to thank her, 'cause I loved it. Not that I haven't enjoyed the way ya make love, you're perfect, Sweetheart." Leigh giggled.

"You can call and tell her any time. You already have her telephone number." Bill stopped running his fingers through Leigh's hair.

"Baby, please tell me it wasn't Ma who told ya how to do that." (He pronounced the word as 'dat') Bill was greatly relieved when Leigh assured him,

"It wasn't Mama, Honey."

"I don't have that many phone numbers for people except Maria an' Julia."

"It wasn't Maria."

"Holy God! It's Julia. Oh, hell, that's more than I ever wanted to know about her an' Sal. I'm glad she told ya, but, Jesus! Knowin' what my sister does in the bedroom, I could do wit'out that part." Leigh couldn't suppress her urge to laugh.

"Does this mean that you never want me to do this again?" Guarnere quickly answered,

"Oh, hell, no! I loved it. I'll just enjoy it an' try to not think about how ya learned it."

Bill and Leigh departed Philadelphia on a cold, snowy day for Las Vegas. The trip would take several days on the train. Leigh wore the new gray dress, the scarlet shoes, scarlet gloves and her new coat.

She and Bill were treated to a private sleeper room on the train, courtesy of the Andrews Sisters' manager. The room had a bed that could also serve as seats, should they decide to stay in the room.

They enjoyed the accommodations and discovered the experience of making love while traveling at about 60 miles per hour on the new diesel engine train.

Bill and Leigh enjoyed their suite at The Flamingo hotel and casino. This trip began their love of casinos and Las Vegas. While the temperature was cool, it was warmer than the weather in Philadelphia.

Leigh met with the woman in charge of the Andrews Sisters' costumes. She eagerly accepted the sisters' generous offer of a custom made dress for the show. The dress would be a sleeveless wiggle style dress made of red silk. Patty, Maxine and Laverne now wore cocktail type dresses for their concerts.

The night of the show, Bill had a corsage of a white rose edged in a thin gold colored stripe and tied with a thin gold metallic bow sent to Leigh by a courier.

Midway through the show, Leigh did a solo as the sisters took a break. She told the audience,

"My next song, " Ooh, Papa, Do," is dedicated to my husband, Bill Guarnere. Honey, would you please stand up?" A stage hand directed a small spotlight from the stage to illuminate the area where Guarnere was standing.He smiled as the audience applauded.

She walked to a concert sized grand piano, sat down and started to play the introduction to the uptempo song. The band joined in and Leigh started to sing.

"I've got a man who loves me, I swear by the stars above. And every night, we dim the lights, he tells me of his love. When he kisses my cheek, all I can speak is 'Ooh, Papa do, Papa do.

He lets me know he needs me. This I do declare. This much I know, I love him so, I'll take him anywhere. When he says goodbye, all I can cry is 'Ooh, Papa, do, Papa do.'

"Ooh, Papa do, do the things you do. It sets my soul on fire. Ooh, Papa, do I really go for you. You're my heart's desire.

When time comes for him to leave me, I stand with tears in my eyes. This much I know, I love him so, he's the man I idolize. And when he holds me near, all you can hear is, 'Ooh, Papa, do. Papa, do. Ooh, Papa, do. Papa do. Ooh, Papa do. Papa, do."

Bill enjoyed the slightly suggestive lyrics of the song. He thought,

"My baby is outdoin' the singin' she did in Paris. She's lookin' an' soundin' super hot."

The following day, Maxine called Leigh. Louis Prima's wife, Keeley Smith, had to have an emergency appendectomy. Prima wondered if Leigh would be interested in filling in for her. This would be his last show since he was taking time off to help Keeley after she got home from the hospital.

Andrews didn't have to wait for an answer. Leigh happily accepted the offer. Bill was delighted with the news and he promptly called Augusta to tell her the good news.

Since Leigh was a fan of Prima's music, she was familiar with the way he and his wife performed the songs on their record albums. She needed no coaching on how to perform. Keeley was known for being the 'straight man' to Louis' humorous interpretations of some of the songs.

Of course, Prima and Leigh rehearsed, but she effortlessly stepped into the new style of performing and singing. Lacey Davis and one of her friends decided to attend the Prima show.

Both women moved to Las Vegas in hopes of finding work as singers or chorus girls. Davis had yet another job as a receptionist. Her friend was still looking for work and they shared a small apartment on the outskirts of town.

Lacey wore a wiggle dress in emerald green with matching shoes. Her roommate Angie Shane, a tall blonde, wore a cocktail dress made of blue taffeta. She wore matching blue shoes.

Before the show began, a man in a tuxedo walked onstage to tell the audience,

"Keeley Smith is in the hospital. She had to have her appendix removed. Fortunately, an extremely talented woman performing with the Andrews Sisters here at The Flamingo will fill in for her."

"Leigh Guarnere, who is also known as The Songbird of the 506th, will appear with Louis Prima." Angie noticed the sour expression on Davis' face. Lacey felt her stomach clench as she heard the name of her perceived rival being announced. She cursed under her breath.

Then, she briefly filled Angie in on the backstory of how Leigh got everything she ever wanted, from their days as USO performers to the present time. Shane reserved judgment of Leigh since she was also a fan of her singing.

Leigh had the audience alternately applauding and laughing throughout the show. Bill had a beaming smile as he proudly watched her perform. In the middle of the show, Prima told the audience that Leigh was "married to a paisano from South Philly who fought in the 101st Airborne. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for this paratrooper who served our country." A spotlight shone on Guarnere as the audience applauded.

Lacey told her friend,

"I will never understand what the hell a good looking guy like that sees in her." Angie correctly thought that Davis was jealous, bitter and petty, especially after Lacey told her,

"He lost most of his right leg in the war. Crippled men do nothing for me, they're disgusting, but I'd overlook the lost leg for a roll in the hay with him." At the end of the show,after Leigh had a standing ovation with two encores, she started to walk to her dressing room. Louis Prima approached her.

"Kid, there's someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting in my dressing room. Looks like you just made a big break in show business." Leigh thanked Prima, who walked with her to his dressing room. After she entered the room, Louis went to a pay phone to call the hospital to find out how his wife was faring after surgery.

A tall, thin man with gray hair, wearing a tuxedo shook hands with Leigh, telling her,

"Mrs. Guarnere, my name is Martin Beckley. I'm a talent scout for Decca Records. Please, have a seat. I need to discuss some business with you that could change your life in a big way.

After hearing you with the Andrews Sisters in Paris, I wanted to sign you to the Decca label as a recording artist. Then, the Andrews Sisters told me about your husband's injury in the war and I wanted to wait to offer you this opportunity until he was well again.

Louis Prima, the Andrews Sisters and I all agree that you have the talent to become a major singing star. I realize that this is very sudden, but I need you to think about signing a contract with Decca to be our next big recording star. You can think about this for a few days and we can meet here."

Leigh was stunned for a moment by the news. This was the realization of a dream she had for many years. She saw no sense in making Beckley wait for an answer, so she told him,

"Mr. Beckley, I appreciate this offer and I'm both honored and flattered by the fact that you and four professional vocalists think that I have the potential to become a star." He smiled, waiting for Leigh to continue speaking. A look of bewilderment replaced the smile on his face as she added,

My husband and I are planning on starting a family. There's no way I could be a devoted and nurturing mother if I toured the country doing concerts and promoting my records.

Sir, my husband fully supports any decision I make regarding a singing career. It would be highly unfair to make him the sole parent of our child or children.

I love my husband very much and I intend to be a devoted wife, too. It might not make sense to you, and I know you don't make an offer like this without great consideration but I'm very content to keep my life as it is right now. Thank you, Sir, but I need to turn down this offer. Just knowing I'm good enough to be a star is completely satisfying."

Beckley could tell that Leigh was serious about refusing the recording contract.

"I respect your decision, Mrs. Guarnere, but I can't help but feel that you're throwing away the opportunity to live a financially comfortable life. If you ever change your mind, please call the telephone number on this card." He paused to get one of his business cards from an inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket, handing it to her. Leigh thanked him for the card. Beckley added,

"If I'm not available, please let one of the Andrews Sisters know if you change your mind. Their manager could then contact me. I would be happy to help you book shows here in Los Vegas whenever you would like to perform. A voice like yours will never go out of style, no matter what type of music is popular. " He shook hands with her.

"I appreciate your offer to book me for concerts here in Las Vegas. That sounds like something I'd enjoy doing." Before she left to go to her dressing room, Beckley told her,

"If that's the case, I will keep in contact with the Andrews Sisters and Louis Prima. I'm certain that they would enjoy sharing a stage with you again ." Leigh then exited the room and walked down the hall to her dressing room.

Bill was sitting on a chair in her dressing room, patiently waiting. He noticed a strange expression on her face as she entered the room. By his estimation, Leigh appeared to be stunned.

"Baby, is everythin' OK? What goin' on?" She hugged him and pulled a chair close to where he was sitting and sat down.

"Bill, Louis Prima told me that someone was waiting to meet me in his dressing room. A producer from Decca Records, Mr. Beckley, was waiting for me. He's wanted me to sign a contract since the time of the Paris concert. All this time, he kept in touch with the Andrews Sisters and he wanted to wait until you were healed from your injury before he made me an offer." She paused, wondering how to phrase the rest of the news.

"Go ahead, Sweetheart, this sounds like somethin' big."

"Mr. Beckley said that he, Louis Prima and the Andrews Sisters all agree that I could be a recording star." Bill excitedly and loudly told her,

"Holy God! I knew ya were gonna make it big! Baby, this is amazin' news! I gotta call Ma an' tell her ya signed a recordin' contract. My baby's gonna be a star!" Leigh took Bill's hands in hers,

"Wait a minute, Honey. Please listen to me before you call Mama. I didn't sign the contract." Guarnere looked puzzled,

"Leigh, what's goin' on? Your dream finally came true."

"That was my dream before we met. Remember when we discussed this in Paris? I haven't changed my mind. As I told Mr. Beckley, we're getting ready to start a family. I can't be a devoted mother if I'm on the road constantly doing concerts. I want to be there for the baby's first words, the first time he or she crawls, the first steps..." Bill cut in,

"Sweetheart, think about this. You're throwin' away a chance only a few singers get. Ya know I'm behind ya 100 percent. I'm willin' to do whatever it takes for ya."

"Honey, I know that and I appreciate your devotion. Babies need their mother, too. How can I bond with him or her if I'm not there? Chances are excellent that we would have to move, too.

I love our life in South Philadelphia. Everything we need is at home. Being a devoted wife and mother is more important to me than any recording contract. Not going to sleep and waking up beside you would be unbearable. My mind is made up, Bill.

Mr. Beckley told me that I could do concerts here anytime and I like that idea." Guarnere realized that he couldn't change her mind. He put his arms around Leigh, pulling her close to him, giving her a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, he tenderly cupped Leigh's face in his hands.

"Baby, you mean the world an' everythin' to me. Knowin' you gave up bein' a star to be my wife an' the ma of our kids makes me love ya to the moon an' back. How 'bout we start a family after our first anniversary?"

"I'm glad you understand, Bill, and you mean the world and everything to me, too. That's fine with me. I'm honored to be the future mother of your children. You're somethin' else." They kissed again and departed the room.

Midway down the hall, Leigh realized she left her purse in her dressing room. Bill needed to use the men's restroom, so they agreed to meet further down the hall.

After Guarnere exited the men's room, he waited for Leigh to return. Lacey Davis lied to a security guard about being a friend of Leigh's since their time as USO singers to gain access to the dressing room area behind the stage. She hoped to run into Bill. Lacey's eyes brightened and she smiled as she saw him standing in the hallway. He was surprised by her saying,

"Hello, Handsome. Remember me?" Bill slightly frowned.

"I remember ya."

"How about we slip off and have a drink together. We can get caught up on everything that's happened since the last time I saw you."

"No thanks. I'm waitin' for my wife. She forgot her purse." Lacey moved closer to him,

"Oh, come on. One little drink with an old friend won't hurt anything."

"No offense, but you ain't exactly what I'd call a friend." Lacey noticed Leigh coming out of her dressing room. She waited until Leigh was close enough to see her, then she put her arms around Bill as she gave him a passionate kiss.

Guarnere was angered by her behavior. He pushed Lacey away from him, taking care not to hurt her. He glared at her as he said,

"What the hell do ya think you're doin'? Like I told ya before,I love Leigh an' I'm a happily married man." Leigh heard Bill's statement and told Lacey,

"As my husband said, what the hell are you doing? You're really pathetic, Lacey, to throw yourself at a man who obviously isn't interested in you." Davis sneered,

"Little Miss Perfect, God's gift to showbiz.Your hubby is too much of a gentleman to do anything in your presence. I bet I could change his mind if you weren't with him." Bill angrily asked,

"Who the hell do you think you are? You don't know me! My baby is a beautiful angel. Beautiful on the inside an' outside. She has my heart for eternity." Leigh added,

"As you can plainly see, my husband can think for himself. If you ever touch him again, you'll be wearing one of my stiletto heels up your ass." Bill couldn't help but grin when he heard her reply to Lacey. Davis ignored Leigh as she concentrated on another way to manipulate Guarnere. She thought,

"He's fiery and passionate. I like that." She couldn't understand why Bill wasn't receptive to her. Other men were, for the most part, easy to convince and seduce. Davis honed in on what she thought would appeal to Guarnere.

"You need an experienced woman who knows how to please a man. I can do things your little wifey doesn't know how to do. No doubt you were goody two shoes' first lover." Bill turned away from her, putting his arm around Leigh's shoulders. Before walking away, he gave Davis a verbal parting shot.

"My baby is perfect at makin' love. Nobody could please me more than Leigh. The Army had trainin' movies about broads like you. They said stay away from 'em 'cause those broads had so many men, a guy could get the clap." Davis's face flushed due to anger and she stalked away, cursing as she walked.

"That's telling her, Honey." She and Bill laughed as they headed for their suite in the hotel. Two days later, they started their trip home.

While Bill and Leigh were on the train to Philadelphia, they were unaware of an article in the top entertainment publication, Variety. Beckley immediately contacted a reporter and told him about a woman who turned down a chance to be a recording star in favor of being a devoted wife and mother.

Lacey Davis spotted the story as she read the publication. She angrily threw it in the trash, thinking to herself,

"What's wrong with that stupid bitch? She threw away the chance of a lifetime! I would literally kill to have a recording contract. It makes me sick that a big time guy like Beckley thinks she's star material. If I could get an audition with Louis Prima, he would see that I'm just as good as she is."

Lacey forced herself to snap out of her musing about Leigh as she boarded a city transit bus to get to her audition.

The elder Guarneres and the Spencers were happily surprised to learn about the offer of a recording contract to Leigh. They weren't surprised at her decision and both couples were looking forward to becoming grandparents.

[aemonded]

best of luck with your exams!!! 💖💖

Thanks sweetheart! Our Law Society is infamous for inconsistent marking, so that's the only thing I'm worried about. Otherwise, I'm just hoping to get through the week without much baggage. We have to do oral submissions too and interviews, so there's also third party components. And we don't know the subject matter until quite possibly the day of the exam, but it's open book. So I've got four days, 8:30-5pm, and then I can fling their stupid arbitrary marking rubric booklet off my twelfth story balcony. 💖

[almightyfungalore]

hey i think i’m finally gonna change my url after a decade of breadsprinkles

[multifandomlover01]

I’ll Wait For You

2022 HBOWARDAILY Secret Santa

For @imaginesbymk

Surprise! I’m your secret Santa!

I intended to do both of your prompts but was only able to do one by the deadline, but I would be more than happy to still write the other one if you’d like

I went with the Pavuvu prompt and chose Snafu

“The reader is a Navy nurse at Pavuvu and she falls in love with Snafu. Snafu and Reader constantly flirt with each other until they're sent off to fight again. Snafu promises that if he makes it back, he'll take her out on a date back in America, and he does when it’s 1945.”

Word count: ~ 3,401

Taglist for the homies: @almost-a-class-act @cody-helix02 @georgelust @mash-the-buttons @latibvles @thoughpoppiesblow @bobparkhurst @breadsprinkles @vibing-away @emmythespacecowgirl @honey-im-hotdog

November 1944, Pavuvu

When you and the other Navy nurses first heard you’d be getting time off of the hospital ship you were stationed on, you were very happy. You were less happy about your destination, however, once you were told what it was. You’d be going to Pavuvu to offer some reprieve and help to the Marines fresh from the fight on Peleliu, which had been nothing less than absolutely awful.

You were happy to do something, anything for the morale of someone of the armed forces, Marines in this particular case. Goodness knows they needed their spirits lifted.

As you and your fellow nurses offloaded from the ship, you were greeted by a Lieutenant who directed you to his Battalion medical tent.

From there you were told that the first thing you were there to do was boost the morale of the Marines by serving them cold lemonade.

You didn’t know what to expect when you started to hand out the lemonade to the Marines. But somehow it was much worse. They looked much worse than you ever could’ve imagined they would have.

They looked at you and the other nurses. But they weren’t really looking at you. You had thought maybe one or two of them would ogle one or two of you. But none of them did. They seemed to be more occupied by their shock to your presence. They seemed to look right through you as they looked at you. It’s like you weren’t really there. They certainly couldn’t believe that you were.

You all tried to be as friendly as possible. You smiled at them but it soon faded as they stared blankly at you as they took their lemonade sullenly and passed you. They continued to stare at you and at the lemonade like they couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

One blonde Marine (his hair was so dirty and mostly hidden under his helmet that he could’ve been a redhead, you couldn’t quite tell) asked what you nurses were doing here.

“Just offering you gents something nice.” Your friend said as she offered him some lemonade.

“It’s the least we could do.” You said as you handed a cup to his friend beside him. He smiled as you and scanned your face as he took the cup from you, your hands skimming over each other for a second. He was checking you out. You were probably the first women he’d seen in a long time, so you tried not to let it bother you. And maybe he wasn’t even checking you out. Maybe he was still trying to determine that what he was seeing was really there.

“Okay, Marines. You’ve had your look-see. Now move along.”

It was the Lt. that had been supervising you. You noticed he was much cleaner and fresher than the Marines you were handing out lemonade to. He had not been on Peleliu. He was a new officer in this unit. He’d mentioned he when he met the nurses and was explaining what you’d be doing.

The two Marines in front of you and your friend looked at him like they’d been looking at you. Like he was a stranger, something alien, almost. And that was understandable from their perspective. They’d just been fighting months. And they’d finally be getting a reprieve again here in Pavuvu. And one of the first things that happens is they get razzed by their Lt. for looking too long at the nurses, something they hadn’t really even been doing. They were exhausted. They deserved a little slack anyway.

The Lt. soon realized his mistake and his smirk disappeared from his face. The two Marines drank their lemonade quickly and moved on from the line. You and the nurses continued to hand lemonade out to the marines, but that incident stuck with you for the rest of the day.

The next day, you got the next assignment for Pavuvu. You’d be assisting the corpsman in reevaluating the medical situation. They’d lost a few medical personnel on Pavuvu and there were still soldiers with injuries not major enough to get them evacuated to a field hospital, but bad enough to have to be looked after by the corpsmen. You were to assist with that as well.

And it’s not like Pavuvu didn’t present a completely safe environment for the marines. There were two or three in everyday about minor injuries sustained from crab pinches as well as other things not related to combat but inescapable as long as they were in the South Pacific.

A little while after you had settled into working with the medical staff on Pavuvu, the Marine you’d given lemonade to on your first day wondered into the tent. He scanned the tent until his eyes landed on you. He scrunched his nose in confusion for a second before recognition seemed to dawn on him. He made his way towards you.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Is it medically related?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes.”

“Are my eyes yellow?” He took a step closer to you, too close for your comfort, so you took a step back.

“Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll take a look?”

“Thank you.” He smiled as he sat on a raised cot.

You smiled back before you gathered some supplies and stood before him. You shined a flashlight in his eyes, which made him wince and look away from you.

“You’re going to have to let me look at your eyes if I am to determine whether or not you have jaundice.”

“Why you gotta shine that light in my eye?”

“Because it’s dark in here and it allows me to see better.”

“What if I can’t see?”

“You’re not the one trying to determine if someone has jaundice.”

“That light’s gonna blind me, doll.”

“Not if it’s just for a few seconds.”

You grabbed his jaw and moved his face so he was looking at you. You shined the light in his eyes briefly before putting the flashlight away, all the while still holding his head still. He took notice of this.

“Your eyes aren’t yellow. Your skin doesn’t appear yellow either. I don’t think you have jaundice.”

“Are you sure?”

“Quite.”

He remained seated as you began to put away your supplies.

“Will that be all? Or was there something else?”

The marine looked at you again, more purposefully than before. His eyes scanned your face and the length of your body. He was shamelessly checking you out. And this time you were sure of it because he should’ve had enough time to get over the shock of seeing nurses.

“If there isn’t anything else…” you were getting a bit impatient with him at this point.

“You’re really pretty, you know that?” A smirk adorned his face. You didn’t know whether to kiss or smack it off. You said nothing in reply. You continued to put your supplies away and walked away from him to put them up. His eyes followed you.

“If there isn’t anything else, why’re you sticking around?”

“Cause you’re pretty.”

You rolled your eyes as you turned to face him, the smirk still on his face. No one had ever told you that you were pretty. So you didn’t really know how to respond to it.

“I’d go if I were you, before a corpsman comes in here and kicks you out.”

“I ain’t afraid of no corpsman. I’d like to see him try to kick me out.”

This statement worried you a bit. How were you going to get him out of here, then?

“Would you go if I asked you to go?”

“I’d be a shame, but I’d do anything you asked me to, boo.”

The smirk turned into a goofy smile. He was being serious. As you looked at him looking at you, you had second thoughts about asking him to leave. You wondered why that was. You hardly knew this man. You didn’t even know his name.

“I don’t even know your name. Y-you don’t even know mine. I don’t know you and you don’t know me.”

“My name’s Merriell Shelton. And I’d like to get to know you. Why don’t we start with your name.”

“Y/N L/N.”

“Pretty name for a pretty gal.”

You avoided his gaze as he continued to smile at you.

“You don’t have anything else you could be doing right now?”

“Ain’t got nothing better to do than sit right here and talk with ya, doll.”

“Great,” you muttered under your breath. He didn’t seem to catch it. He just continued smiling at you.

You continued putting supplies away. If he had nothing better to do than be here and talk to you, why shouldn’t you talk to him.

You sighed and sat beside him.

“Where are you from?”

“Louisiana. I’m Cajun.”

“I could tell.”

“How come?”

“Your accent.”

“What about you?”

“[Your hometown].”

“Is it nice there?”

“Nicer than it is here. Although I suppose anything is nicer than here.”

That got a laugh from him.

“You’re funny, too.”

“Not very.”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart.”

“May I ask you why you’re so intent on complimenting me as well as getting to know me?”

Shelton shrugged.

“You’ve caught my attention, is all. I can’t really explain it. You’re sweet. You’re pretty.”

You smiled.

“Thank you. You’re pretty sweet yourself.”

“How about handsome?” He asked hopefully.

“It’s a little hard to tell. But if you had a nice shower and fresh clothes…that might be a different story.”

“I know what you mean. Looks aren’t everything, though.”

“No. They’re not.” You agreed.

“Although I can tell you’ve got looks as well as a personality.”

“As far as I know, you do too.”

“So you do think I’m handsome?” That goofy smile of his was back.

“Might as well give you the benefit of the doubt until I’m proven otherwise.”

“That’s fair enough.”

You smiled at him as he smiled at you.

Maybe Merriell Shelton wasn’t as bad as you initially thought he was.

You ended up having an extended conversation with him, actually growing to like him very much.

He would “bump” into you on as many occasions as possible while you were on Pavuvu together and you’d just talk and talk and laugh and smile. This ended up being several months. And you two had a nice back and forth going, much to the annoyance of Merriell’s friends. But he didn’t seem to care all that much about them. He cared more about you. And this surprised him. You felt different than any girl he’d ever flirted with. Were you the one for him? Baby steps. Baby steps. He hadn’t even taken you out on a date yet. And Pavuvu was no place for that. He’d have to do it when he got home…if he got home. If you’d still have him.

It was only a matter of time before he’d be sent off to storm some beach somewhere. And he was right. They would be off again very soon.

He came to see you in the medical tent before he left.

“I’m gonna be leavin’. Dunno if they’re gonna send us back here afterwards or if I’m even gonna-“

“Stop that. Don’t say that.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t wanna think about it either.”

“If I don’t see you again, look me up when you get back, ok? I’ll wait for you.”

You hurriedly grabbed a pencil and paper and wrote down your address and phone number. You folded it and put it in his pocket. You stayed close to him and kissed his cheek.

“I expect to see you again, Shelton. You still haven’t taken me out on a date. So don’t get yourself killed, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted you. You saluted him back.

You both stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, not quite sure what to do. You suddenly rushed forward and threw your arms around him. His arms went around your waist and he held you tightly to him. He wanted to remember everything about you while you were apart. He wanted to remember what you smelled like, what you looked like, what you sounded like.

You two just stayed like that, holding each other for the longest time before you finally pulled away. Merriell looked sadly at you until you leaned in to kiss him on the lips. He reciprocated it immediately, arms still holding you tightly to him.

“That’s to remember me by.” You said as you pulled away from him again.

The Lt. (Mac) came by and told Shelton to get his butt ready to leave. You looked at each other one more time before he finally left the tent. And you remained.

The powers that be decided that the nurses were no longer needed on Pavuvu because there were no Marines there. So they sent you back to your previous assignment when possible. You went back to your hospital ship that ended up being pulled back stateside. It became an ever increasing possibility that you’d never seen Snafu again.

You weren’t even told where he’d gone. You did later learn his division was at Okinawa, but you’d received that information far later than you’d have liked.

You wrote a couple of letters to him but you weren’t sure they ever got to him. You received nothing in reply. But Okinawa wasn’t pleasant, from what you’d read so you didn’t blame him for not having time or not being in the mood to return a letter if he got one. And you could see him not even knowing what to say in a letter to you.

Many agonizing months sitting in a ship off the coast of the US, nowhere near the South Pacific, the war was ended in The Pacific. Japan had surrendered and soldiers were being sent home.

You got discharged and were home long before any of the men from your town. There were lots of men who’d served in Europe who were already home, but those from The Pacific were slowly trickling in.

Many of these men tried to flirt with you whenever you were out and about where they could see you. But you always turned them down. Even though deep down you feared you’d never see him again, you were still holding onto that tiny sliver of hope that Merriell would come home and he’d give you a call or send you a letter letting you know he was ok and that he’d like to take you out on a date.

As the months go by, your hopes diminish. Your family and friends try to reassure you that when he’s back, he’ll come through. And you certainly hope that’s true but you can’t help having doubts.

So you hoped and hoped and hoped until finally one day you receive a letter from Snafu that was addressed to you telling you that he’s back in the States, is good to get a job and very willing to visit if you’ll still have him and take you out on a date. You actually squealed in delight. You couldn’t have run faster to grab a pencil and paper to write back if you had tried to.

You excitedly write that you’re elated that he’s home, good to get a job and especially that he’s willing to make do on his date offer. You obviously accept his offer to visit and take you out. You post the letter immediately and eagerly waited for a response, or better yet him.

A couple of weeks went by and you received no letter from Merriell. Your hopes began to deflate again. He seemed so happy in his letter. What was it about yours that would give him pause? Was your reply not enthusiastic enough? You doubted it. Was it too enthusiastic? Had you scared him off? You didn’t know if that was even possible to do.

While you continued to anxiously wait for anything from him, there was an unexpected knock on the door one day. Nobody was home except you, so you answered it. And you almost fainted.

There stood Merriell Shelton, in the flesh. The clean flesh, you might add. You were right. He was very handsome when he was bathed, had clean, brushed hair, and clean clothes. He wasn’t in uniform, having been officially discharged from the Marines. Instead, he wore jeans and a t-shirt. It was nothing fancy, but you thought it suited him and wouldn’t expect him to be wearing anything else.

“Long time no see, chérie.”

You threw your arms around him.

“Oh! I’m so happy to see you! I thought I’d never see you again!”

“I did promise you a date, didn’t I?”

You smiled.

“You did.”

“And I intend to follow through on that. Here. These are for you.”

You hadn’t even noticed the flowers he was holding. You took them from him.

“Thank you. Would you like to come inside while I find a vase for these and put them in water?”

“I would love to. Thank you, ma’am.”

Snafu followed you and stood in the living room while you went into the kitchen to look for something to put the flowers in.

“Nice place you got here.” Merriell called out to you.

“It’s not really mine. It’s my father’s house.”

You came back into the living room with a vase full of water and the flowers. You set it on your dining room table as the centerpiece. You smiled, greatly satisfied with the vase, the flowers, and the placement.

“He home?”

“No. He’s at work.”

“Oh. So you’re just home all by yourself.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you lonely?”

“A little, I guess.”

“Where’s your ma at?”

“She’s out shopping with her friends.”

“You didn’t go with them?”

You shrugged.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t really feel like it.”

“If you don’t feel like going out today, we can go out another time, or just stay in.”

Your heart melted. You hadn’t seen Merriell in such a long time and yet here he was being as sweet as he ever could be. You crossed the floor to stand in front of him. You took his hands into yours.

“If I’m with you, I’m sure I won’t mind being around people as much. I didn’t want to go out before because my mom’s friends always talk to me about things like marriage and kids. And I don’t want to talk about those things.”

“We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to talk about. I just wanna be with you, chérie. I don’t care what we talk about.”

“Where’d you have in mind to go?”

“I noticed you got a nice park here. And it’s a nice day. Would you wanna go take a walk?”

“I would love to.”

You hadn’t gone to the park since you’d been home, even at the insistence of family and friends to get out and do something. You loved that park. You’d gone there with your parents and friends many times as a kid. And also as a teen. But it reminded you of an innocence you no longer had. It reminded you of a time you could not go back to, no matter how much you wished you could.

But with Merriell, maybe you could make new memories in this park. Memories that would replace the old ones. Maybe you could start a new chapter of your life now with him.

Not that you thought you needed a man. Especially not to heal your wounds. But Merriell was here. And you were already endeared to him. You couldn’t not pursue whatever this thing was that you two had.

As you walked out of the house and to the park a few blocks away, you walked into a new life. A life that was full of joy and wonder. He only hung around for a few days before heading back to Louisiana. But the two of you wrote often.

He made it to you a few more times before telling you the repair company he was with was willing to send him nearer to you to work. He ended up only an hour away from you and you got to see him much more often.

He eventually proposed and moved into an apartment in your town so he commuted an hour for work. When you two finally married, you moved into his apartment with him.

And you both lived happily ever after.

The End

[siamesefeverrdreams]

i was tagged by @cellphonehippie (tyyy <3) to post the first 9 images of my pinterest home page

i tag @neorkidea @stosslueften @prettyhatmachine @ireallyneedthatgifinmylife @howlw @breadsprinkles @khlur @7pmest @farisdilton

if u dont use pinterest u can use ur for you section here on tumblr :3

[latibvles]

I posted 1,019 times in 2022

That's 1,019 more posts than 2021!

400 posts created (39%)

619 posts reblogged (61%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@softguarnere

@mercurygray

@breadsprinkles

@liebgotts-lovergirl

@heystovepipeboys

I tagged 642 of my posts in 2022

Only 37% of my posts had no tags

#poet’s think thoughts - 135 posts

#band of brothers - 117 posts

#poet’s mail box - 105 posts

#poet’s secret friends - 63 posts

#ronald speirs - 63 posts

#fic // sad beautiful tragic - 42 posts

#band of brothers fic - 41 posts

#poet’s notepad - 41 posts

#poe’s pals - 40 posts

#ron speirs - 39 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and the worst part is being on authortok and watching people talk about how the only way they can promote their books now is through tiktok

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

WITH YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER.

PAIRING: Dick Winters x Reader

GENRE: Tooth-rotting fluff. Cavity-inducing even.

SUMMARY: Aimless Austria sweetness featuring shirtless Dick Winters because I am a simple woman with simple needs. Yes I was in fact listening to Older by 5SOS when writing this.

DEDICATIONS: @liebgotts-lovergirl because you can bet your ass this is me projecting all of the love I have for Major Winters into a ficlet after that cute prompt you sent me

he is literally so fine fr okay um moving right along ( and no this isn’t proofread )—

See the full post

60 notes - Posted October 19, 2022

#4

Ive found it, the best part of fierce valor.

Im literally sitting here laughing at the visual of Ronald Speirs beet-red from embarrassment

61 notes - Posted October 6, 2022

#3

In light of everything I just cranked out in a five hour period

66 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

#2

that scene where Nixon almost smacks Speirs with a jeep , turns around, glares at him, and all the while Speirs is deadass standing in the street with his loot like “🧍🏽” will never NOT proceed to take me out

72 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I think about pretty buzzed Ronald Charles Speirs and Lewis Nixon III at least once a day thanks for asking

sliding down the wall … screaming … crying … 2/3 of my husbands in the same frame … real facts true …

90 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[onlyyouexisthere]

I posted 2,518 times in 2022

That's 1,155 more posts than 2021!

148 posts created (6%)

2,370 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@tvserie-s-world

@breadsprinkles

@scarecrowmax

@stolemyspoons

@good-night-space-kid

I tagged 878 of my posts in 2022

#band of brothers - 400 posts

#ask - 94 posts

#💕 - 58 posts

#shameless self reblog - 52 posts

#ron speirs - 44 posts

#dick winters - 44 posts

#uquiz - 41 posts

#❤️ - 31 posts

#stranger things - 30 posts

#david webster - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#that's not something people usually say about me so i'd like to know what have i done that makes you think i'm hypocritical and judgemental

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

248 notes - Posted January 29, 2022

#4

See the full post

265 notes - Posted May 5, 2022

#3

See the full post

367 notes - Posted June 19, 2022

#2

See the full post

557 notes - Posted October 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

3,520 notes - Posted October 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[stewystew]

I posted 11,559 times in 2022

That's 546 more posts than 2021!

528 posts created (5%)

11,031 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@tinymacaroni

@m-e-w-666

@matthewpond

@xxfanenbyanonymousxx

@breadsprinkles

I tagged 4,333 of my posts in 2022

#succession - 1,057 posts

#ofmd - 436 posts

#<3 - 199 posts

#animals - 140 posts

#sadeq!! - 121 posts

#goncharov - 96 posts

#blorbos - 86 posts

#out of touch thursday - 85 posts

#unreality - 78 posts

#. - 74 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#but that doesn’t matter because to jupe if they’d just given him a chance gordy would’ve been alright and they would’ve stayed ‘friends’

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Song titles that are just some girl’s name <3

100 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#4

Every time I think I’m about to be normal about Tom I remember that he almost started crying when Greg said he didn’t want to wrestle him to the ground “neither do I Greg it was a joke you idiot” what the fuck man hey what the fuck

111 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

#3

Nate and Sophie is like if a divorced couple still lived together and had sex and loved each other a lot and hung out every day and also never got a divorce.

114 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

#2

Voting is over for round one of Succ Murder Fest! There were 623 votes

142 notes - Posted October 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

It’s time to kill some rich people

398 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mercurygray]

amethyst, emerald, and ruby for the ask game!

For you and my Kind Anonymous friend who also sent Emerald and Ruby!

Amethyst: Who is the Comfort Character™ of your wip

Answered here!

Emerald: Which of your characters is hardest to write?

This is going to sound like an odd answer, but it's the ones that I know mean a lot to some of the people who are reading. I know that @basilone has a strong affinity for Billie, and frankly writes her better than I do, and @pomprincesse has high hopes for Ruth, and my Kind Anonymous Connie Anon has a lot hanging on how she enters into the story. It's easier writing Joan - the only person I'm letting down is myself.

Ruby: Is there any symbolism used in your wip?

Answered here!

[easeupkid]

playlist title: cowboy floating in the ocean 0.0

(is he lost? is his next mission to wrangle sea cows? only you can say)

bestie i am so obsessed with this concept!!!! i think he's going to wrangle some sea cows but also he's on vacation and just chilling!!!!

loner - dehd

jesse james symphony - prefab sprout

hot burrito #1 - the flying burrito brothers

all the way to reno - r.e.m.

i wanna be your mantra - tino drima

[msmercury84]

"I Double Dare You" "The Guarneres Reminisce About the Peeping Tom of Aldebourne"

*Author's note: This story came from my imagination. Warning: Small scene with smut.*

***********************************************************************

One autumn evening in 1945, as Bill and Leigh were seated on the couch listening to the radio, lyrics from one song made Leigh laugh. She told him,

"That reminds me of Aldebourne. Honey, do you remember the peeping tom that had the village in a bit of an uproar?" Guarnere chuckled,

"I sure do, Baby. That's (he pronounced the word as "dats") when I thought he was spyin' on us the day we had the picnic."

*****************************************************************

Training was over for the day on a Friday in May, 1943. The men of Easy Company were looking forward to having a much needed break the following day.

Since the men knew in advance about their day off, Leigh planned a picnic for herself and Bill. She made sandwiches from homemade Italian sausage and homemade bread. Spencer found some onions and garlic in the farmers' market in the village that would be cooked with the sausage.

Bill bought a good, relatively inexpensive bottle of red wine from Andrew Herriott, the owner and bartender of The Blue Boar. Leigh improvised a primitive type of antipasto from vegetables and some ham that was sold in the farmers' market. She also had a few apples and some freshly baked pizzelles.

*****************************************************************

One month before the picnic, American servicemen stationed in the Aldebourne area, the girls they dated and a few residents of the village became concerned about a peeping tom.

A soldier from Dog Company and his date thought that someone was spying on them. One week later, the same thing happened to a soldier from Charlie Company and his date. Both couples had been enjoying each other's company in a secluded pasture on a country lane.

On both occasions, when the men looked around the pasture, there was no sign of a peeping tom. The young women refused to go out with the soldiers again until the peeping tom was apprehended. The servicemen who had to wait until the suspect was nabbed by the village constable were extremely eager for this person to be caught.

Two local sisters, the Taylors, sold their parents' farm after the deaths of their mother and father. They moved into a stone cottage not far from Leigh's and Melissa's house in the village. Both women were in their early 30s and were attractive and shapely with brown hair and blue eyes.

One evening, as the eldest sister, Jean, was locking the front door, getting ready to go to bed, her younger sister, Ava, was in her downstairs bedroom. Ava preferred to sleep with the window open for fresh air. She kept the blind pulled halfway down the window for privacy.

Standing with her back to the window, Ava removed her clothing and put on a nightgown. She was planning to put her clothes into a hamper that was close to her bed when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her window.

Ava thought that someone was walking home from one of the pubs and thought nothing of the incident. She placed the clothes in the hamper and was on her way to turning off the light in her room when she froze in her tracks.

The sound of heavy breathing was unmistakable and it seemed to be outside her window. Ava went to a closet and got out her father's shotgun, sticking the barrel out of the open window. She startled Jean by shouting,

"Get away from here, you pervert or I'll shoot your bollocks (balls) off!" The sound of heavy footsteps walking away relieved Ava. Jean came into her room, asking,

"Did you see who it was? Are you OK?" Jean learned that Ava didn't see the heavy breather and that she was unharmed.She told her younger sister,

"Good job you have Father's gun and you know how to use it. I don't think we need to worry about being bothered again. Even if this peeping tom isn't in his right mind, he isn't mad (crazy) enough to risk losing his bollocks." Jean went to her bedroom and both women were soon asleep.

Early the next evening when Bill arrived for supper, Jean introduced herself and said that she was coming to speak to Leigh. Guarnere opened the door for her, telling Spencer,

"Sweetheart, Miss Taylor, the lady from next door want to talk wit'ya." Leigh welcomed Jean into the house and asked her to have a seat in the living room. Spencer offered her visitor a cup of tea and Jean accepted it. After Leigh made the tea and brought in a tray with cups, milk, the tea pot, and napkins, she served her guest, herself and Bill some tea. She told her neighbor,

"I'm sorry that I don't have lemon slices and sugar. Lemons are hard to find and sugar rationing is taking its toll." Taylor smiled, commenting,

"It's fine. We've the same situation at our house and we're all doing our bit for the war effort." She took her tea with a small amount of milk. Guarnere and Spencer preferred their tea without milk.

Jean told Bill and Leigh about her sister's experience with the peeping tom and asked the couple if they had heard or seen anything the previous evening.

Both Guarnere and Spencer said that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Leigh told Jean,

"We were listening to the radio. Sorry, the wireless, and the blinds were down, so we didn't see anything." Then, Jean laughed, telling them what her sister said to the stranger outside her window. Leigh laughed and Bill asked,

"No disrespect intended, but what are ya callin' 'bollocks'" Jean slightly blushed,

"It's male anatomy, two, erm...items." Bill laughed as he realized what Jean meant.

"I'm not laughin' at ya, Miss Taylor, I never heard 'em called that name before. You ladies ain't got nothin' to worry about. A man doesn't wanna lose important parts like that."

"That's what I told my sister."

"I'll keep an eye on your place. If you ladies ever need help, just call Leigh an' I'll be glad to help ya." Spencer wrote down the telephone number and handed it to Jean. She thanked Bill and Leigh, then left while she could still have enough light to feel safe walking outside. Guarnere offered to walk her home if she was scared, but Jean assured him that she was fine.

The following day, news of the heavy breathing outside the neighbor's window made its way through the village. Colonel Sink decided to send a few servicemen to help patrol the village with the constable. The soldiers who were denied recreation with their girlfriends until the peeping tom was caught eagerly volunteered.

One month later, the colonel decided to discontinue the servicemen's patrolling of the village. The constable and Sink thought that the peeping tom was discouraged from his activities due to the inclusion of soldiers who were being trained to fight in the war.

The following weekend, one soldier and his girlfriend were sitting under a tree near a rural property lined by a fence and some trees. While the couple began to remove a few items of each other's clothing, the young woman heard someone walking near the fence line that was obscured by trees.

She looked up and was startled to see a shock of red hair. Then, she noticed brown eyes gazing back at her. She screamed and her boyfriend immediately put on his uniform shirt. He told her,

"Stay here, I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson he won't forget." As the young woman buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt, the soldier walked toward the fence, loudly saying,

"Clear out of here, buddy, or you're asking for trouble." He heard the sound of someone walking away from the fence line. By the time the soldier climbed over the fence, there was no sign of the peeping tom, only cattle standing in the field.

His girlfriend was in no mood to return to their previous activities and she insisted upon going home. As they walked to the village she said,

"He must have been very short because his eyes looked to be at the level of a child." Her boyfriend replied,

"He was probably bending over to peer through the leaves." Word soon spread throughout the area that the mysterious "peeper," the name given by the residents of the village, was a "ginger" (red hair), having unkempt, long hair and brown eyes.

******************************************************************""

On the day of the picnic, Leigh packed the food into a large basket along with cloth napkins, two plates, two wine glasses and a medium sized blanket. She wore a red day dress, along with the usual undergarments, stockings and a pair of low heeled black pumps commonly called 'flats.'

Spencer brushed her hair, touched up her make up and reapplied her red lipstick. Bill soon arrived with the bottle of red wine. He insisted on carrying the large picnic basket. They left the cottage and held hands as they walked on a road leading from the village to a secluded country lane.

Neither Guarnere nor Spencer had been in this area before. Leigh told Bill that the lane reminded her of home.

"If this is where ya wanna have the picnic, Sweetheart, it's fine wit' me. Let's look for a nice, quiet spot in case we wanna get up to somethin' later."

"In case we want to get up to somethin'? Are you falling out of love with me already, Sergeant Guarnere?" Bill noticed the impish twinkle in her eyes and he grinned.

"Ain't no danger o' that happenin', Baby. You got my heart for eternity. I love seein' ya in red. You look good enough to eat."

"Is that a promise? " she slightly blushed before adding, "I mean the part about 'eating.'" Guarnere had a wicked grin as he said,

"Oh, I guarantee it. You ain't the only one enjoyin' it. You taste so damn good!"

"Bill, not so loud, a farmer might be working close by."

"I'm tellin' the truth. 'course I don't wanna encourage somebody to watch us. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to keep it down so everybody don't know our business."

"Thanks, Honey. You're very good at that...you know what I mean."

"You bet I know!" Spencer laughed,

"Smart ass." They walked past a small house with a gate surrounding it. After passing the house, they went around a curve in the lane and found an ideal spot for the picnic and privacy.

An isolated pasture with three large trees was a short walk from the road. The pasture was lined on three sides of its perimeter by trees instead of fences.

Someone must have owned the pasture because the grass wasn't tall and choked with weeds. Bill looked around to see if there was a farm house tucked away within sight of the pasture.

He didn't see a house close by and he decided that this area had enough privacy for a picnic and some erotic activity. Bill and Leigh walked toward the trees in the center of the pasture.

They decided to sit under a large oak tree that was flanked by two other oak trees. A gentle breeze was blowing and they sat in the shade after they spread the blanket on the ground.

Leigh unpacked the picnic basket, setting out the food, plates, silverware, napkins and two wine glasses. Bill got the bottle opener and the bottle of red wine out of the basket. He opened the wine bottle and poured some wine in each glass.

Guarnere grinned as he noticed the sandwiches.

"Homemade bread an' homemade Italian sausage. It smells great! You're one hell of a good cook." He stopped himself from saying what he thought, "You'll be a perfect wife, Sweetheart" Bill didn't think it was the right time to propose to Leigh. Although he was fairly sure that she would agree to marry him, he thought it best to wait and find out how she really felt about marriage.

Leigh got out a dish with a small lid and opened it,

"I made a kind of makeshift antipasto from your mom's recipe. I hope it turned out OK."

Guarnere got a fork and put some of the antipasto on his plate. He sampled it.

"This reminds me o' Ma's cookin'. You done a good job wit' this, Baby." Leigh was pleased that he liked the side dish. They enjoyed the sandwiches and they casually talked while they ate their lunch.

Leigh got out a small box and opened it.

"How about a few pizzelles, Honey? If you don't feel like having cookies I brought apples, too." Bill got two cookies out of the box,

"You're spoilin' me, Sweetheart. Ya shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. I like to make your favorite dishes." Spencer laughed at Guarnere sneaking another cookie out of the box.

"Eat as much as you want. I won't slap your hand if you want another cookie. I saved the sugar rations to make them."

"I gotta keep my cookie swipin' in good shape for when we get back home. It's kind of a joke wit' me an' Ma. When I was a kid, she wanted to make sure everybody got equal amounts o' food.

Pizzelles have always been my favorite. I'd eat two of 'em real fast. When Ma wasn't lookin', I'd swipe a few more. One time, when I was real little, Maria an' Teresa were watchin' me so I wouldn't get into the cookies.

I started cryin' 'cause I wanted another cookie. They felt sorry for me, an' they said,

'Oh, the poor baby! He must be hungry.' Then they each gave me half a pizzelle. I made out like a bandit an' I showed those dirty (he pronounced the word as 'doity') rats. I was smart, like a fox." Leigh giggled at the story,

"How many times did that work for you?"

"Just a couple o'times. Ma got a real kick out o'it, so I didn't get in trouble." He noticed that Spencer's glass was empty.

"Would ya like a little more o' the wine?"

"Yes, just a little bit. It's really good."

"The guy at The Blue Boar said this was a nice red wine. It ain't bad. I think I'll have a little more, too." Guarnere poured the wine. He leaned back against the tree. Leigh moved back to sit with him and Bill put his arm around her shoulders.

They sipped the wine and relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful pasture. When they finished the wine, Bill decided to recline on the blanket. He rested his head on Leigh's lap.

She stroked his hair and had her arms around him. Guarnere reached up and gently pulled her close for a kiss. The kiss quickly deepened and he sucked the tip of her tongue into his mouth.

Bill reluctantly broke off the kiss,

"Stretch out beside me, Baby. It'll be easier than bendin' down to kiss me. He moved aside and Leigh lay beside him. Guarnere put his arms around her and the kissing resumed.

They enjoyed the slow, sensual kisses. Leigh sighed into Bill's mouth as his tongue explored her mouth.

Guarnere moved his hands down to Spencer's hips, pulling her as close to him as possible. He paused to kiss her eyelids, then he gently nipped at her ear before kissing her neck.

Bill loved the little gasp from Leigh when his lips touched the soft skin on her neck. He unbuttoned the top button of her day dress, kissing every inch of exposed skin as he unbuttoned the next button on her dress.

Leigh was caressing Bill's back, loving the feeling of his lips on her skin.

"If you keep this up, I'll be tempted to strip off everything and ask you to make love to me. We've never done it outdoors." Guarnere found the idea extremely arousing.

"I love the way you're kinda wild. Sweetheart, I don't wanna disappoint ya, but I didn't bring anything' wit' me for protection, 'cause I wasn't sure if ya would wanna make love outdoors."

"You're not disappointing me, Bill. I'm sure we can think of something. How about I do what you promised to do for me? I enjoy it, and I need to practice so I can be good at pleasing you that way."

"Only if ya really wanna do it, Baby. I don't want ya to think ya have to do that."

"I love all of you, and you taste pretty damned good, too."

"Then, I'm all yours. Do whatever ya want wit' me. Seems like I was gettin' ready to do somethin'..." He moved down and started to slowly trail kisses up Leigh's leg, moving her dress up a little.

Bill repeated the same actions on her other leg and Leigh felt herself becoming wet. She moved her dress up above her knees.

"Looks like my angel is tellin' me to move a little faster." He chuckled before kissing his way to her thigh. Leigh opened her legs slightly to accommodate him. Bill lowered his voice for only Leigh to hear,

"I think my beautiful baby is already nice an' wet. I'm gonna enjoy takin' those panties off so I can taste you." He moved her dress up further and licked the silk fabric between her legs.

" Baby, you taste good!" Bill sucked her silk covered clit.

"Oh, my God! That feels wonderful." Guarnere continued sucking her clit. A few minutes later, Leigh came. Bill enjoyed her sounds of passion. He began to remove her panties.

Suddenly, she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps near the line of trees in front of them. Keeping her voice down, she told Guarnere,

"Somebody is on the other side of those trees." Bill turned away, to rearrange himself in his trousers to hide the sign of his arousal and swore under his breath. Spencer quickly pulled her dress down to cover herself.

"Where did ya hear the noise, Baby?" She pointed to the trees closest to them. Bill looked in the direction Leigh was pointing, keeping his voice low as he told her,

"I don't wanna scare ya, but I see some brown eyes an' red hair. That guy almost has hair in his eyes. He must be a nut. No wonder he's watchin', no girl would go out wit' somebody lookin' that bad. I know one thing, his peepin' days are over!"

Guarnere got up and quietly approached the area where the peeping tom stood. Leigh followed behind him, not feeling afraid since Bill was with her. She was angry that the peeper spied on them and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind.

Bill used a type of hand signal that was becoming second nature to him. He had his right hand, palm down, pushing in a downward motion.

"What does that mean?"

"It means stand down, stay back. Sorry, Baby, we've been learnin' all sorts o' hand signals lately." All at once, a large tongue appeared from behind a branch. Guarnere replied,

"What the hell...?" Leigh started laughing,

"It's a cow!"

She moved a small branch and revealed the face of a bovine absorbed in eating a few leaves. Leigh quickly looked down, wanting to see the underside of the animal so she would know if it was a cow or a bull. Bill told her,

"I see horns on that thing. It's a bull. I may be from the city, but I know bulls are dangerous. We gotta get movin'!"

"Cows can have horns, too. I looked at its undercarriage, so to speak, and I saw udders. You're right, bulls aren't something to mess with. If I'd seen something else, I would've kicked off these shoes so I could run faster and told you to run like hell." She looked at the cow, still munching on leaves,

"I wonder if this is the local peeper. Think about it, the cow has shaggy red hair and brown eyes. It walks with a sort of heavy step and sometimes cows sound as if they're doing some heavy breathing."

"You might be on to somethin', Sweetheart. It makes sense. No wonder nobody saw the guy when they went lookin' for him. A cow standin' in a field ain't an unusual sight around here. How can we prove what you said?" Leigh thought about a solution and carefully went through the branches to get closer to the cow.

"This always worked when one of my grandpa's cows got out of the fenced in pasture or if he was trying to get the cows into the barn to milk them." She gently swatted the cow's rump, telling it,

"Go home!" The cow turned around and started walking away. Leigh followed it,

"Don't worry about the basket and the blanket, we can get it later. Let's follow the cow home and we can talk to the farmer. Once you're in this pasture, remember to look down frequently or you could have fresh cow pie on your boots.

Cows 'go' whenever and wherever the notion strikes them, and there might be several smelly 'land mines' scattered around." Bill chuckled, thanking Leigh for her tip.

"I learned somethin' new today. Too bad we never had the chance to get Sobel in this field an' not tell him about those land mines. It would have been funny as hell to see his boots covered in cow shit." He took Leigh's hand as they walked across the pasture.

As they strolled toward the barn, Bill noticed a man who appeared to be in his late 60s walking toward the cow. The tall, slightly heavy set man was bald with a fringe of white hair and blue eyes. He wore sturdy boots, well worn brown trousers, suspenders and a light brown shirt rolled up to expose his sun tanned arms. Both Bill and Leigh heard the man say,

"So there you are, Delilah. I see you broke out of the barnyard again. I've half a mind to sell you next market day." He noticed the American soldier and presumably his girlfriend approaching him, asking,

"Young man, are you and your young lady lost?" Guarnere smiled,

"Sir, my name is Bill Guarnere, Sergeant Guarnere, an' this is my girl, Leigh Spencer. No, Sir, we ain't lost." The man introduced himself to the couple,

"My name is James Alderson and this is my farm. If you don't mind my asking, why are you following my cow?" Leigh grinned,

"This will sound as if I'm crazy. Have you heard about the local peeping tom? I have reason to believe that your cow could be the 'peeper'." Alderson looked a bit puzzled,

'Yes, I know about the peeper. Why do you think Delilah is the perpetrator?"

"Mr. Alderson, as you know, the peeper is supposed to have unruly red hair and brown eyes. Delilah wasn't in your pasture when she made her presence known during the picnic we were having.

The peeping tom is supposed to have a heavy footed walk and is also known for heavy breathing. I grew up in a rural area of Ohio and I'm familiar with cattle. I'm guessing the heavy breathing is Delilah sort of snorting, for lack of a better word.

Does she have a habit of getting out of your pasture?" Alderson considered what Spencer told him, then he started to chuckle. The chuckle grew into loud laughter as he said,

"I never dreamed that my cow would cause havoc in the village." He laughed again, "She flummoxed the constable. He couldn't find a man and even got some of you Yank soldiers to help find the elusive peeper." He opened a gate to the barnyard and Delilah walked in, heading for some food in the barn. Before the cow got past him, Alderson patted her back and chuckled,

"You made quite a stir." Then, he answered Leigh's question, "Yes, Delilah has a bad habit of getting out of the fenced in area near the barn. She likes an occasional stroll in the village, too." Spencer asked,

"There were no peeping tom reports for a month, did you find a way to keep her at home?"

"I kept Delilah in the barn during that time. It seemed the perfect solution to her escaping, but she was unhappy. She didn't eat as much as she normally did. I rang (called) a veterinarian, thinking she was ill.

He said that she was depressed, not physically ill. I never realized that cows could feel depressed. The doctor also told me that she's getting out because she's looking for companionship. Delilah should be very happy next week, I'm getting her bred with a bull who lives down the road." Bill made Leigh blush a bit when he asked Alderson,

"In other words, Sir, are ya sayin' that she's lookin' for some action? I know I'm happier..." he noticed that Leigh was blushing and decided to leave well enough alone, adding, "Never mind, Sir, I'm talkin' too much." Alderson tried to suppress a grin as he figured out why Spencer was embarrassed.

"Yes, that's another way of saying the same thing. No harm done, Sergeant Guarnere. If you or your young lady see Delilah again, just send her home. I'm going into the village to speak with the constable and clear up this peeper situation.

Would you and your young lady like a lift into town? My vehicle isn't working at the moment, so I'm taking my horse and wagon." Both Guarnere and Spencer thanked Alderson, declining the ride back to the village. Bill replied,

"We appreciate ya offerin' to take us into town, but we need to get the picnic basket an' some other stuff. It ain't that much of a walk." Alderson excused himself in order to go to the barn and get the wagon and horses ready for the trip into the village.

Bill and Leigh left the farm and went back to retrieve their items from the picnic before they walked back to the house Leigh shared with Melissa. Residents of the village were relieved to learn that the peeper situation was over and they were amused to learn that a cow straying from her pasture was their suspect. Leigh was jokingly called "Sherlock Holmes" and "Cowgirl" by George Luz since she figured out the identity of the peeping tom.

***********************************************************************

After Bill and Leigh finished reminiscing about the peeper, Bill told Leigh,

"I had another run in wit' a cow in Normandy. The krauts shot a cow on some guy's farm. We were hungry an' a guy from C Company was fightin' wit' us. He got separated from his unit an' he tagged along until he caught up wit' 'em again.

This kid grew up on a farm an' he said we could eat some fresh beef instead o' those lousy rations. He told us that he would dress the cow an' then we could start cookin' the meat.

I didn't know he was talking' about cuttin' up the carcass for meat. I thought he was nuts an' he was gonna try to put a dress on the cow." Leigh laughed,

"Was the meat good?"

"It was real good, but we had to be careful eatin' because there was a lot o' shrapnel in it. We cooked it over a fire we built. I wonder if that guy got back home?"

"I hope he got back. I'm glad you got home, you're somethin' else, Honey. Even if you did tell Mr. Alderson that we were sleeping together." Guarnere smirked,

"Are ya telling' me you don't feel happier after gettin' up to somethin'?"

"Of course I feel happier, you adorable smart ass!" Bill winked at her,

"That's my baby!"

*Author's note: The story of the cow in Normandy came from Bill's and Babe's book. I paraphrased the story. The story about Bill's older brother and sisters giving him extra cookies is true. I changed it from doughnuts to cookies. The quotes about "Oh, the poor baby" and "Smart like a fox also came from his book.*

@marycorleone @billguarnereimagine @hbowar @william-guarnere @billguarneresmut @bellewintersroe @wildbillguarnere @footprintsinthesxnd @alluringmoonlightbabe @cielie-voss @breadsprinkles @belladonnange @wexbandxofxbrothers @f-1-and-shiz @brassknucklespeirs @leksi-rae @cagzzz107 @lenabob @lizziebitch33 @vibing-away

[daughterofsarenrae]

6 and 53 for spotify :)

6- Run For Your Life // K.Flay

53- High // Lokki

Send me a number 1-100 for my spotify wrapped!

[luobingmeis]

I completely relate to the Mario kart buyers remorse like its good for fun with friends but I’ve only played it a handful of times and it has not been worth the money yet

tbh i’ve played it a lot before on the wii/one my friend’s switches, so i’m not too worried about the use overall

what i’m worried about is the fact that most popular nintendo switch games cost fucking $60 like trust me i get the hype and i get that they’re gonna be pricey but oh my god

[seanstricklands]

Post your 8 favourite albums by 8 artists you like and your favourite song from the album

tagged by @nomilkinmyteaplease (Thanks so much! 💕)

It's hard to narrow it down to 8 but I'll try, in no particular order:

JACKSON BROWNE, Late for the Sky (fave song: For A Dancer)

TERRY REID, Seed of Memory (fave song: Brave Awakening)

PARAMORE, After Laughter (fave song: Caught in the Middle)

AMITY AFFLICTION, Misery (fave song: Black Cloud)

CONCRETE BLONDE, Bloodletting (fave song: Caroline)

PINK FLOYD, The Final Cut (fave song: The Final Cut)

CAL SCRUBY, While You Were Sleeping (fave song: Not That Deep)

THE USED, The Used (fave song: Choke Me)

I'm sure these will change as soon as I post them but these are pretty much the staples.

I'm tagging:

@maximummads @kitschydoll @breadsprinkles @britannia-hospital @onlyyouexisthere @checkyourhead1992 @mega-wad @goodlookingforagirl @steponremix91 @medazzatemplar @kate2o

And whoever else wants to do it!! 💕

[lewis-winters]

thank you for the tag @bringmefoxgloves!!

Three ships: okie since this is an hbo war blog the first to come to mind uuuuhhhhhh john/lena; winnix; bradray (oh god don't come for me but i like bradray more than bradnate idk idk it's the height difference)

First ever ship: ella of frell/prince charmont no not from the movie, but from Gail Carson Levine's book (that the movie was based on), Ella Enchanted. god, that book is why I'm such an ornery bitch today, and also why I find love confessions through letters and (excuse the term) identity porn so romantic

Last song: Light On by Maggie Rogers

Last film: was rewatching the Sense8 movie bc I miss my dumb sensate babies

Currently reading: Haunted House Stories, a Gothic Horror Short Stories Anthology. one I really loved was called Drydown, 1973 and it was such a beautiful take on a traditional gothic haunting and the themes of mourning and grief! god, give it a read when you can. aside from that... uh I'm trying to start the Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon but I keep getting intimidated by the length

Currently watching: the RSC production of Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. my comfort movie.

Currently craving: god I'm craving dinuguan so bad, ya'll. literally I nearly cried eating my dinner because I wanted dinuguan so bad. that and a mango float and a strawberry parfait.

Tagging (and more than 9! but only if you want!): @breadsprinkles @hellofanidea @onlyyouexisthere @thoughpoppiesblow @lupoteodoro @hanisaway @aloraundomiel @onefineginger @dropyourammo and anybody else who wants to do it!

[northirish]

orange blue turquoise <|:’)

The only crime I want to be a part of involves a certain blond haired individual and a length of piano wire