“Marry me.”
Her eyes go huge, and then she starts to laugh. I swear it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. “You’re insane.”
“Come on, Julie shortcake. You’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve got four weeks left before I ship out. Marry me.”
She shakes her head, and then gives me the sweetest smile and leans in close to my face. With me down on one knee, we are about eye to eye.
“You’re crazy and hot. But I’m a firm ‘no’ on the proposal.”
“Fine then. If you won’t marry me, at least go on a date with me. In fact, come to a pool party with me today,” I say, and look at her with my most hopeful face. I just need to get her to agree to see me again, I’ll worry about the ‘marrying me’ thing later.
“No.”
“I didn’t want to have to do this, but I’m shipping out in a month. What if I die? Would you really do that to your country?”
She lets out an adorable snort. She looks at me and sighs deeply. “You won’t quit until I agree, will you?”
“I’m afraid I’m pretty stubborn. You can ask my sergeant if you like.”
“Fine, give me your number and I’ll call you.”
I get up off the ground and pull my cell out of my pocket. “Give me yours. I have a feeling I won’t hear from you if I’m not the one calling.”
She has the decency to look a little ashamed. It’s clear I’ve sized up her plan.
“All right.”
I get her number and text her while she’s standing in front of me, just to make sure she didn’t give me a fake one. Once I hear the ping on her phone, I feel a little better about not keeping an eye on her until later.
“I’ll text you directions to the party, and don’t forget to bring your suit. It should be fun.”
She nods her head in agreement, but as she tries to step past me I reach out and lightly grab her fingers. I feel it again when our hands touch, and I look up from them into her eyes. When her chocolate brown eyes meet mine, I can see she feels it too. She may have tried to shake me off, but I can see the look on her face. I didn’t imagine it and neither did she.
With just that touch and a smile, she’s walking away from me, and I’m left in a fog.
A few minutes later Lucias is snapping his fingers in my face, and I’m struggling to remember what the fuck just happened.
* * *
* * *
* * *
Later that day…
“Why are you all jacked up?”
“Just waiting for a friend to show up,” I say as I pace in front of the window. Everybody is out back at Scribe’s place, and Lucias and I are inside. He came in here a few minutes ago to check on me, and he won’t leave. I got a text from Julie twenty minutes ago saying she was on her way, but so far there’s no sign of her. I don’t know how far away she lives, so I’m trying not to worry about something happening to her.
“The only friends you have are here. Who is she?”
I look over at Lucias and see him take a drink of his beer. I could really use one, but I’m trying to hold off. I don’t want to smell like alcohol when Julie gets here. “Just some chick I met at the store. I invited her to the party. I think she’s bringing a friend.”
“Nice,” he says, and plops down on the loveseat.
After a torturous wait, I see a car pull up, and I see the driver has curly blonde hair. My heart starts beating out of my chest with excitement, and I go the front door and pull it wide open. I feel Lucias walk up behind me as I head out the door, and I hear him mumble something about “playing it cool.” I can’t be bothered to pretend. I’ve got a few short weeks to go, and this girl is something special. I don’t know why, or how, or what it is, but I aim to find out.
She steps out of her blue Civic, and her friend gets out of the passenger seat. We texted briefly after I sent her directions, and she asked if she could bring someone with her. I assumed it was for safety because she was meeting a strange guy at a strange place, so I couldn’t fault her for it. Plus I was going to do whatever it took to get her to show up. I wouldn’t have cared if she had to bring her whole goddamn family.
“What’s up, shortcake,” I say as I stride over and help her grab her bag out of the trunk. She looks so fucking hot that I’m trying to think of baseball stats to keep from pitching a tent in my swim trunks. I left my shirt off so she could get a good look at me, but now I’m wishing for some extra coverage in the crotch area. Julie is wearing a bathing suit cover up, but it’s white and see-through, and her neon pink bikini underneath is shouting at me. Those tits can’t possibly be suspended by that tiny string, and I’m praying to the textile gods that the thread doesn’t hold up. I need to see her nipples or I’ll die an unfulfilled man.