Paul Gillebaard - USSR Hoax

Tom wasn’t so sure. With a slight smile, he turned to walk out.

Dick gave Tom’s back a solid pat. “I just need to know orders will be followed.”

Tom trudged down the hallway as he called out, “Duly noted, boss.”

DRESSED IN HIS spiffy black tuxedo, Tom held Anne’s hand as they maneuvered through the maze of elegantly decorated tables in the large hall. The room was primed for the star-studded event, adorned with hanging chandeliers and large, impressive, replica Roman columns. The VIP guests were given the opportunity to enter early to get desirable seats. Tom had attended a few Governors’ Balls in the past and always enjoyed the special attention he received for being an astronaut. But this time around, he wanted to sit somewhere in the back and out of the limelight. He already had his fill of the celebrity life. His hope was to enjoy a nice evening with Anne. As he scanned the large auditorium, he noticed the round tables were numbered. Curious if that meant he was supposed to sit at a particular one, he checked out a table they passed. Other than the meticulously placed dinnerware and wine glasses, there was no indication a specific VIP should be seated there. Since no one had informed him he was assigned a table, he continued his search for a secluded spot way in the back.

Arriving at a nice, isolated table, Tom picked out two of the best seats facing the front of the hall. Being a gentleman, he pulled out one of the chairs for his wife. Anne adjusted her long, formal black dress before taking a seat. Inhaling her sensually scented perfume, Tom bent down and proudly gave her a romantic kiss on the neck. He let his lips travel up to her ear before whispering, “You look beautiful.”

She looked up with love in her eyes. She straightened his bow tie. “Aw, thanks. You look mighty handsome yourself.”

He lifted his hands and flashed a brash grin. “That’s all that matters.” His mouth suddenly felt dry. He was ready for a drink. He looked around for the nearest bar and found one behind them. “I’m going to get us a couple of drinks. What would you like?”

Anne curled in her lower lip. “Mmm, how about a glass of champagne?”

Tom stood up. “Got it. I’ll be right back.”

After getting the drinks, Tom turned to see that the hall was filling up with guests. As he returned to the table he saw that another couple had already positioned themselves next to Anne. Approaching from behind, Tom was unable to determine who they were. The man next to Anne was leaning dangerously close to her, apparently chatting away. The lady on his other side was looking off in another direction, smoking a cigarette, not a part of the conversation. Once Tom was close he heard the man’s voice and instantly recognized the cocky tone; Chris Riddick, who appeared to be flirting with Anne. Though Tom trusted his wife one hundred percent, he still hated seeing any man, particularly Riddick, hitting on her. Damn, I don’t want this guy next to her.

Feeling it was his prerogative to be rude, Tom aggressively extended the hand holding Anne’s drink right in front of Chris’s face, cutting him off midsentence. “Here’s your drink, honey.” Tom purposely pushed Chris’s arm aside.

Looking up, the brash grin on Chris’s face grew wider. “Oh, hey, Tom. Is this your beautiful wife?”

Setting his free hand on Anne’s shoulder, Tom steadied himself, his voice growing stronger. “She is.” Looking down at the rookie, Tom’s eyes flashed a silent threat. So back off!

The vaguely pretty lady next to Chris looked over with a shy smile. Chris gave no indication he was going to introduce her. After Anne took her drink, Tom politely extended his hand in the direction of the woman. “Hello, I’m Tom Novak.”

Setting her cigarette down in an ashtray, she timidly took his hand. She said in a soft voice, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tom. I’m Sandy Riddick.”

Chris looked back at his wife as he pointed toward Tom. “This is the veteran astronaut I told you about, the one I flew to New Orleans.”

The arrogance flowing from the man made Tom cringe. Yeah, the one you almost killed. He took a deep breath as he simply smiled.

The friendly gesture would be to sit next to Sandy so the couples could get to know each other, but Tom wasn’t interested. Besides, he wasn’t comfortable leaving Anne alone with Chris. The rookie came across as a shark circling in for the kill. Instead, Tom sat down in his original chair. He was pleased when Anne turned and put a reassuring hand on his leg. With her head blocking Chris, Tom rolled his eyes. Before he could get her reaction, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. A waiter was standing next to him.

“Excuse me, Mr. Novak, but you’re supposed to be seated at the governor’s table up front.”

Tom turned to his wife, lifting both hands in a gesture of helplessness. He looked back at the waiter. “Thank you, we’ll be there in a minute.”

“Yes, sir.”

Though Tom wasn’t too excited about being seated at the head table, it was the perfect excuse to get away from Chris. He gave the signal to Anne it was time to go. As they got up, Tom turned to Chris and gave the rookie a parting dig. “I guess I have to go sit with the governor.”

Chris stood up and smiled. “The advantages of being a space hero.”

Before Tom could hustle his wife along, Chris leaned over and gave Anne a hug. The embrace seemed more than platonic. When Chris pulled back, his eyes were trained directly on Anne’s. “It was wonderful meeting you.”

Tom reached for Anne’s hand, breaking the trance. As he pulled Anne away, he noticed a glow about her face. After a few strides away from the table, Anne said in a chipper voice, “Chris is kind of cute.”

Late on the Monday afternoon, Tom hustled down the narrow corridor toward the small conference room in Building 4 at the Manned Spacecraft Center. This was a meeting he didn’t want to be late for. As part of the management team, he knew that a big announcement was going to be made. He just didn’t know what it was or why his presence was requested. With only a select few astronauts invited, he wondered if he would be there as a manager or as an astronaut.

Approaching the conference door that was left cracked open, Tom heard a soft hum of chatter leaking out. He was able to tell through the small opening that the room was fairly packed. He first paused at the entrance to gather himself, then barged through the door wearing a confident smirk. A few astronauts looked over immediately and gave him a slight wave. Tom acknowledged the men as he strutted in. He made a quick assessment of who was present. All the astronauts were dressed in casual sport shirts and slacks as they intermingled in small groups around the conference table. There appeared to be about twenty of them, and all the top veterans were in attendance, including his former commander, Sam Cunningham. David Grant stood alone on the side of the room, leaning against a wall. Tom walked over to his friend.

“Hey, David.”

David unfolded his arms. “What’s up, buddy? Any idea what this is all about?”

Tom whispered as he angled in close to his friend, “All I know is there’ll be some big announcement.”

David looked over the crowd. “It looks like all the top pilots are here.”

With a cocky grin Tom said, “Meaning you and me?”

David smiled. “Yeah.”

The top pilots were there, and Tom considered himself one of them. It baffled him why Chris Riddick was also present. The rookie definitely wasn’t in the same class as the other men in the room.

Dick approached the end of the conference table and said forcefully, “Gentleman, there is no reason to take a seat. This’ll be brief.”