“Err, no, Mom, I can do that. Lana, here, allow me.” He somewhat awkwardly helped his lady friend with her jacket, revealing her long but striking black dress underneath. It was quite conservative, in its way, coming up all the way to her neck as it did, and flowing all the way to her ankles without ne’er an inch of skin showing between. But somehow it managed to also say, ‘I have nothing on under here,’ a factor that was not lost on Chris’s mother as she started to realize why her son was so besotted with the girl.

Oh dear, she thought, he is clearly hopelessly outclassed here. I’ll just have to make my own judgment of whether she is suitable and … help him see things my way if I don’t think she is worthwhile.

“Come, my dear, come,” she said, beckoning to Lana, wafting her into the sitting room, “I’ll introduce you to the admiral.”

Lana smiled beatifically and followed Mrs. Hamilton into the house proper, Chris rushing with the jackets so that he could be there when his poor unsuspecting girlfriend met the formidable Admiral Hamilton.

Bless him his efforts to protect her, of all people.

“Tim, come and meet Chris’s guest, Lana …” said Laura, then turning back to Lana, she confirmed, “Lieutenant, isn’t it?” Lana nodded, and Laura continued to her husband, “Lieutenant Lana Wilson.”

Lana resisted the urge to salute; being an informal guest of Chris’s in his parents’ home, it was considered proper not to treat the admiral as a senior officer for the length of the dinner. But her studies of how to best ingratiate herself made her wait for the admiral to proffer his hand before making a move of her own.

He did, and she meekly leaned forward to grasp it, but then, locking eyes with him, she said, “Admiral, sir, I must confess it goes against my grain not to salute. But I hope you’ll not mind me saying thank you to you and Mrs. Hamilton for inviting me. And I hope you’ll not be offended if I say it is an honor to meet you.”

The admiral smiled, his eyes briefly flashing to his wife, who was smiling ironically, her eyebrows raised. Oh dear, he also thought, Chris is indeed hopelessly outclassed here.

“Dad,” said Chris, hurrying into the room, “oh, I see you already met Lana.” He saw the end of their handshake, stepping up to her side, and continued, “Isn’t she great?”

“A pleasure, Lieutenant,” said the senior admiral, keeping his eyes on their guest, “you are right not to salute, you are our guest for the evening. But thank you for asking, nonetheless. Chris, why don’t you get us some drinks?”