A B-17 crew needs a pinup girl for their bomber's nose art. Morale is low, missions are brutal, and every plane on the airfield has a gorgeous dame painted on her side. They need theirs.
The problem? They're stuck in the middle of the Pacific with no women for hundreds of miles.
So they draw straws. The shortest straw poses. But then Eddie Coyle, the smallest man on the crew, volunteers.
I need to say thank you to patron Diana O'Neil for mentioning WW2 pinup girls and sparking this entire idea, and a HUGE thank you to my friend Tim for the incredible amount of research he did to make this historically grounded. The Last Straw was a real B-17 stationed at Port Moresby in 1943, though I've taken liberties with the story.
I know this is a day late, but this one really grabbed me by the throat, which is why it's 8000+ words and has 13 images - far outside the usual snapshot length.
Fair warning: since this takes place during wartime in the 1940s with a character who doesn't have the words or knowledge we do today, it can be a little rough in places. And remember - this is only Part 1.
I hope you enjoy it. 💕