The Education of Sebastian & the Education of Caroline(308)

I mumbled something and stood up to get the beers, pulling my wallet out of my back pocket.

“Nah, man, your money’s no good tonight,” said Ches, pushing me down into my seat.

“Huh?” said Vince, looking annoyed.

“It’s my buddy’s birthday,” announced Ches loudly, as I stifled a groan. “Twenty-one and legal at last.”

A chorus of ‘congratulations’ and ‘happy birthday’ rolled around the table. I cocked an eyebrow at Ches, and he shrugged, a wide smile across his face. He signaled to the waitress and ordered beer for everyone. Then he pointed to me:

“It’s his birthday, so don’t let him pay for any drinks tonight, okay?”

The waitress winked at me.

“He’s so cute, I wouldn’t make him pay for anything anyway.”

“Whoa! You’re in there, man,” said Vince, as the waitress sashayed back to the bar.

Stupid fucker. I scowled at him and he leaned back in his seat, looking surprised. I hadn’t so much as looked at another woman in the three years I’d waited for Caro—I wasn’t going to blow it now.

Ches threw me a warning glance. I nodded once and looked away. I had gotten the message.

Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t Vince’s fault I was so on edge. But listening to a bunch of college kids talking about midterms and professors wasn’t really doing it for me. Technically, they were all older than me, but they just seemed really young. Ches was the only one who knew what it had been like for me since I enlisted. His dad was a Staff Sergeant, so he understood; the rest of them were civvies. And that created a distance. Besides, they were Ches’s friends, not mine.

But because they were Ches’s friends, I knew I just had to chill the fuck out.

“Hey, Seb,” Ches nudged me. “Look I hadn’t really planned on everyone being here tonight; I know you just wanted a quiet drink. But since they are here, would it be cool with you if I texted Amy to join us?”

“Sure, why not? It’d be good to meet your girl, man.”

Ches grinned. “You’re going to love her. You’ve never met anyone like her…” His words trailed off. “Sorry, man. I know you’re hoping Caroline’s gonna turn up, but come on...” He looked at me seriously. “Even if she was in town, she’s not going to know which bar you’re at, is she?”

I ran my hands over my hair in frustration. “I know she’ll be here; I just know it. I mean, fuck, I’ve left my cell number for her at your mom and dad’s old place, her old place and at the civvy entrance to the Base. She’s gonna go to one of them, isn’t she?”

Ches didn’t answer. Instead, he became very interested in staring at a hole in the toe of his sneaker.

“Sure, Seb,” he said, quietly.

He was my best friend, and he was a lousy fucking liar.

Picking up my beer, I chugged half the bottle.

“How’s it feel drinking legally?” said Stacey, jogging my elbow.

“Pretty much like any other time,” I snapped.

“Well, excuse me!” she snorted.

I was being an asshole.

“Sorry,” I said, grimacing at her. “I’m just…”

I didn’t know what to say to her.

She smiled. “Apology accepted. I guess this isn’t what you really wanted, is it? You know, a big crowd of strangers. We must seem pretty immature to you.”

I looked at her in surprise.

“Yeah, my big brother is in the Old Guard out at Fort Myer.”

I nodded slowly. “It’s just a bit … weird. I only flew in this morning. I’m still…”

She touched my arm. “It’s okay, I get it. You don’t have to explain.”

I smiled with relief, and she blinked a couple of times.

“Thanks. Stacey, right?”

“So you were paying attention!”

I grinned at her. “Must have been. Who knew?”

She clinked her beer against mine. “Here’s to paying attention.”

After my fifth beer, I started to loosen up a bit. Even so, I couldn’t help checking my cellphone for the fortieth fucking time.

“You waiting for someone … your girlfriend … or…?” asked Stacey.

“Yes. No. Kind of. I don’t know.”

She raised her eyebrows.

Truthfully, I was waiting. I knew Ches thought I was crazy. I mean, I hadn’t heard from her for three years but there was a reason for that: a really good fucking reason. And I knew, I just fucking knew that she’d be looking for me. She’d promised me—we’d promised each other.

It really bothered me that I didn’t even know her surname. I mean, I knew her married name, but I’d assumed she’d have changed it. And I was such a fucking idiot, I’d never thought to ask her what her maiden name was at the time.