Collide Into You: A Romantic Gender Swap Love Story Read Free Page B

didn’t really explain it to me when I asked, only to say that it was a new billet and that even he was mystified about the position.
    I can tell that there’s more to the story and maybe in time he’ll spill the beans, but for now, I let it go. There’s no reason to make my first day complicated, especially with a staff sergeant who is clearly unavailable.
    At one o’clock, Justin shows me into Colonel Benson’s office and then leaves.
    The colonel shakes my hand. “Welcome to the Pentagon, Sergeant Holtslander. The Puzzle Palace can be a little daunting at first, so the first week, we give you a bit of latitude in finding your way around. After that, however, I’ll expect you to be where you need to be ten minutes before the appointed time. First and foremost, you represent the U.S. Army, and secondly, you represent General MacWilliams at all times while you are in uniform.”
    “Yes, sir,” I say automatically. I fully expected this and am rather used to such speeches and welcomes. I’ve done a few of them myself when Army privates arrived at my unit while I was stationed at Fort Bragg.
    “How long have you been in the Army, Sergeant?”
    “Nine years, sir.”
    “When are you up for reenlistment?”
    “In three years.”
    The colonel doesn’t answer right away. He appears to be thinking something over, and I wonder if it has anything to do with the billet I’ve been assigned to. I start to bite on a fingernail. After another moment, he pulls out a folder and lays it on his desk.
    “I know your background, Sergeant,” he begins. He’s looking at my enlisted record brief, which is the report that details my entire Army career up to this point. “And I know that you are a 96B, an Intelligence Analyst, but that’s not why I asked for you to fill this billet. It isn’t an intel position. Well, I should clarify and say that the position isn’t inherently intelligence related. You’ll be reviewing documents for an internal review General MacWilliams is leading.  
    “Only four people know about the investigation, and you’re that fourth person. I spoke with several Army commanders, looking for recommendations, and you quickly surfaced to the top of the list. You have a reputation for steady, professional work. You are not prone to jumping to conclusions and, if I’ve heard correctly, you somehow find reading Army manuals enjoyable. I’m happy to report that you’ll be reading several more.
    “I personally called every supervisor you have reported to and each has consistently praised you, your body of work, and the high nature of their trust in you. General MacWilliams reviewed the findings with me and wanted you right away.
    “The next few weeks will be busy ones for you as you apprise yourself of the situation. You’ll have quite a bit of reading to do that can only be done inside the general’s secure office. In the initial stages of the investigation, all you’ll do is read the documents. In the subsequent weeks, you’ll have time to write up a formal report and brief it to General MacWilliams. At this point, the position isn’t permanent. Once the report is done, it is highly probable the Army will send you back to Fort Bragg. However, if you impress the general, well…” He smiles, suggesting it is possible I’ll stay on board. It isn’t something he can actually say out loud. He isn’t allowed to promise me anything. “Do you have any questions at this point?” Colonel Benson asks.
    It’s like he’s dropped a bomb on me. Internal Review. So someone’s done something wrong, and I have to read the raw material, analyze it, and present it in a coherent, unbiased manner. I do that every day. The material and subject matter might be different, but the methodology could cross over easily. Maybe Dillan’s title of Sergeant Prim and Proper wasn’t all that far off. Uh, I really don’t want to think about Dillan at the moment.
    Granted, if my job took me only a few weeks, then I’d