1➥Brief Flirtations With Landings

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Thorpe Abbotts was buzzing with a mix of excitement and worry as the first batch of American pilots would be landing later that day

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Thorpe Abbotts was buzzing with a mix of excitement and worry as the first batch of American pilots would be landing later that day. The men and women of East Anglia had been anticipating this day for weeks, hoping that these men would help them to win the war. Sorcha's bunkmates were included in this group, more on the excited side, as they were eager to meet the new men.

"-and American men are just so handsome in a way that the Brits aren't. There's a reason they have all the movie stars you know." One of the girls, Aileen, spoke with great enthusiasm. She was a petite girl from Northern Ireland who had opted to work at Thorpe Abbotts to meet handsome American men, and also help the war effort.

"I understand that, but Brits have lovely accents that just make everything sound so much better than it is. The way they say darling is just so much more appealing than our boys." Anika, another bunkmate, was quick to defend her position in the argument that had been going on for at least 10 minutes.

Sorcha remained to herself during her friend's verbal sparring, instead re-reading the most recent letter from her brother. He detailed his most recent mission, as they had just been allowed to start flying a little over a month ago, and the thrill had not worn off yet. Cormack was stationed in Kings Cliffe as a fighter pilot for the 61st Fighter Squadron. His position in combat often worried Sorcha, as was her right as the eldest sibling and the closest thing he had to a mother overseas, but she was glad her brother was enjoying himself, as war tended to leave men more desolate than how they began. A knock against the bunk door caused Sorcha to raise her eyes, to be met with the presence of Major John "Bucky" Egan.

"Morning ladies," Egan said with an ever-present smirk in his voice.

Aileen, who may or may not have had a crush on the Major since he arrived, was fast to greet him, standing up from her seat, causing an unpleasant sound to emit from the wood scraping against the concrete. "Good morning Major!"

Bucky gave her a short glance over before addressing the rest of the girls, "Mind if I steal Miss Devlin from ya? The brass requested that she be my personal driver today."

"And why would they do that?" Sorcha questioned giving Bucky a slight glare.

"Because I requested it."

Bucky had a smug smile on his face after he spoke, enjoying the fact that he was making Sorcha annoyed. Ever since the two had met during Bucky's first day on base, they continuously engaged in playful banter, seeing how far they could push each other. He enjoyed the challenge and viewed the Devlin girl as a good friend. Sorcha could say the same for Bucky, as he brought out a side of her she had planned to put away during the war but was quickly cracked open again due to the Major's manner.

"You're the worst."

"I don't think you really mean that. How could you not love a face like this."

Sorcha just scoffed at the major's words, gathering her things for the seemingly long day ahead of her. "I'll see you later girls."

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