“Hmm?”
“Thank you.” She didn’t have to try and inject gratitude or sentiment into those two words.
“You’re very welcome. Would it be rude to ask for details at some point? You know, purely for research?”
Jazz laughed and the bruising ache in her soul eased. She would talk to them.
She would talk to them both tonight.
***
“Everything ready?” Logan stood in the doorway fumbling with his tie while Zach polished his shoes.
“Damon gave us the green light. He’s got the private room set up. We’ll be serving ourselves so we don’t have any interruptions, and I have the keys to his apartment if we decide to scoot out his secret back door.”
Logan nodded slowly. “James called. Lauren will drop her off at the restaurant in a couple of hours. They had to stop for shoes. He promised me that she swore she wasn’t shopping for herself.”
They’d debated setting up a hotel room, like their night in Vegas, but as much as they wanted to recapture that night—they wanted to set the stage for something bigger. Damon’s restaurant, Lagniappe’s, offered the best compromise. Private dining area, romantic setting, secret escape route, and a fully stocked bedroom for ménage shenanigans should they choose to indulge.
Zach planned a great deal of indulgence. They also had the restaurant to themselves. So if they got frisky in the private area, no one would be listening or looking. He was surprised the chef offered to shut the place down for them, but like the rest of their Marines, everyone was on board with helping Jazz—and them.
Good men. Every single one of them.
“You have your ring?” Zach checked his pocket for the service ring he’d stowed away in there.
Logan tapped his chest. “It’s with the dog tags. I got yours and attached one on there, too.”
“Good.” The plan would take some coordination. Good food, beer, although water for her since her meds didn’t allow for alcohol yet, music, dancing, and enough sex to put her fears to rest.
“She could say no.” Trust his best friend to bring up the only real downside to the plan. If she really wanted out of this relationship, all she had to do was shut them down.
“She won’t.” He said it with a hell of a lot more confidence than he felt. “We’re not going to let her.”
“Power of positive thinking?” Tie secure, Logan walked over to borrow a brush and added a little polish to his own wingtips. They hated the suits, but they were perfect for the romantic atmosphere the two spent the day arranging. Dress blues would be better, but they were making a civilian proposal. So, civilian uniforms it was.
“Power of positive planning. She has objections. We take care of them. She has fears. We comfort them. She has needs. We meet them. She belongs to us. We have to remind her of that fact.”
“The next time I give you shit about being little Miss Mary Sunshine, remind me of this moment.” Logan held out his hand. “May the best men win.”
“We are the few and the proud. That definitely makes us the best.” Zach shook his hand. “And don’t worry, I will definitely remind your sourpuss about all the times I’ve been right.”
Chapter Nine
Instead of taking her back to Mike’s Place, Lauren pulled up in front of a restaurant called Lagniappes. A sign announcing ‘Closed for Business’ filled the upper half of the glass door. “I don’t think your stardom is going to be enough to get us through a line that doesn’t exist.”
The ninety-minute shoe odyssey to find a pair of black, peep-toe flats to show off her pedicure, and the insistence on a dress seemed based on an ulterior motive. So did the colorful scarf Lauren produced to replace her baseball cap. She enjoyed the woman’s direct-indirectness, however, so she didn’t argue. It was time to go home and she wanted to see the guys. Resolute to confront this issue head on, it made more sense to strike while the iron was hot.
“Alas, you are correct.” Lauren ruined her dramatic sigh and pause for effect by giggling. “It’s your stardom that matters here. Ah, here come your escorts now.”
The air whooshed out of her lungs as Zach and Logan stepped out of the restaurant. They were dressed identically in button down suits, ties, and slacks right down to the color. The dress blue shade matched their ties and created a stark contrast to the white shirts beneath.
“Have a great time tonight. I don’t expect to hear from you before the weekend, but I want all the details.” Lauren’s bubbling enthusiasm must be contagious, because excitement churned in Jazz’s stomach.