No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology

by Elizabeth Knox

  “I’m Madeline. Maddy for short. And you are?”

  He folded his hand over hers, slipping into the barstool next to hers. “Sterling.”

  “What a nice name. Can I buy you a drink?”

  He arched his eyebrows. Was she picking him up? A woman hadn’t flirted with him since . . . well . . . four years ago before he left Abby, Gunner, and his hometown for a hostile atmosphere and an unknown life. Still, he wouldn’t let her pay. Not when he had the ability to treat her, instead. He placed his palm out in front of him in a motion to stop. “No. I got this. Let me buy you a drink.”

  She puckered her lips in protest, at first, but then smiled. “Why sure. I’ll take a cosmopolitan. Thanks.”

  After placing their orders, he returned his focus on her. Maddy’s ears sported sparkly earrings to match her dress. Her stiletto spiked heels were ones he’d enjoy spotting on Abby but never would. Abby abhorred such shoes, kidding with Sterling that they were two sticks to walk on. She always spoke of herself as a real girl and picked out shoes with chunky heels and wedges, instead. For Sterling, it didn’t matter how Abby described herself as long as she didn’t put herself down. She tried, on several occasions, to slip something past him but he never let her get away with it. Abby was gorgeous in a way Maddy might never achieve.

  Abby’s sweet innocence reflected through her eyes and her gentle smile was a character trait Maddy tried to mimic, but failed. Sporting too much makeup and lipstick, Maddy tried too hard. Abby, on the other hand, was stellar with or without makeup.

  Yet, Abby was out with superstar Phil tonight. Hence the reason for Sterling’s visit to one of the town’s most popular nightclubs.

  For the next hour and a half, Sterling and Maddy chatted, drank, and danced to several songs. Sterling’s libido sprang to attention with Maddy’s scented perfume and the close proximity of her body. The muscle between his legs throbbed and lengthened picturing Maddy in his bed, underneath him, and delighting in their joining.

  Four years with little female contact was enough to make anyone go insane. Although he spoke with Abby two to three times per week and received countless cards and gifts from her, it wasn’t the same as having her right there beside him. She remained his sole female companion throughout his rotation, her photos and memories occupying his right hand to a satisfying completion when he had the opportunity to be alone. If Abby only knew how much he wanted her. How he craved more than friendship with her. Yet, Phil had claimed her heart and their possible, intertwined future.

  Abby’s familiar musical tone rang in his pocket. A painful pang struck his heart as he decided for the tenth time, not to pick up. He never ignored her. Yet, tonight, he didn’t want to talk to her and he didn’t want to hear how wonderful, magnanimous, and stellar Phil was. He only wanted to lose himself between a female’s thighs. The way things were going with Maddy, he might get his chance.

  Sending her an open invitation to play, his hands lowered down her back and sat atop the crest of her buttocks. He groaned as his fingers squeezed her round globes. Her breathy sigh indicated her acceptance of his gesture yet her hands on his own ass indicated her willingness to take things further.

  “You want to go somewhere?” he whispered in her ear while his groin strained against the front of his pants.

  “Yes,” she whispered, giving him a saucy smile in return. She caressed her right hand down his growing bulge and gasped. Her eyes widened and the curve of her lips tilted upward. “Oh my, you are big.”

  He grinned and then he pictured Abby . . . A pang hit his heart as a heavy disappointment cast over him. Abby . . . He wanted Abby. He slightly shook his head, attempting to cast out the senseless loyalty to her that restrained him from seeking another. She belonged to Phil. She was likely with him, tonight. He gritted his teeth, the idea of Phil’s nude body joining with the only woman Sterling truly craved, urging him to seek her out and take matters in his own hands.

  Maddy licked and then nibbled on the fleshy tip of his ear. “You want me?”

  Sterling smiled, the sensation of her tongue and then teeth knocking him back into the present. “Yeah,” he lied. Sterling only wanted release until he had the chance to figure out what to do about his unrequited feelings for Abby.

  “Let’s go then, lover.” Maddy’s warm breath swirled around the edge of his ear. She grabbed his hand and led him out the door. Sterling sported a goofy smile and possibly the largest hard-on he had in his entire life. The idea of sex with a stranger had always been a thrill and a fantasy. Tonight, he’d receive both.

  Chapter Three

  Sterling had just made it around the corner when Maddy suddenly dropped his hand and fled. He called out to her seconds before two pairs of hands grabbed at his arms and shoulders, preventing him from chasing her. Swiveling around to determine who stopped him, his jaw snapped back as a fist made contact. He fell toward the ground, his back jerking from the harsh contact with the concrete while his legs snapped into the air like a marionette worked by a master puppeteer. The two strangers surrounded him. One aimed his blows toward Sterling’s stomach and chest while the other battered his face.

  Sterling’s head snapped left then right, the repetitive motion reminding him of one of the punching bags he used to train with at the gym. He swung his arms, attempting to get some of his own blows in but the two were relentless. He moved toward his left, his legs curling into a fetal position when the blows lowered toward his back. He groaned, yelped, and shouted as his body weakened. One felt for his wallet when a familiar female’s voice pinged across his eardrums. A scurrying of tiny feet followed a large form. The men dispersed as something on all fours flew past him, grabbing ahold of one of the perpetrator’s legs. The guy yelled and then somehow got loose.

  The familiar female shouted, “Gunner!”

  Sterling rolled onto his back, groaning from the effort. His breathing strained, he attempted to open his right eye, apparently swollen from the pummeling he received.

  Abby fell to her knees and screamed over him. Her small hands surrounded his shoulders. Her hot tears streamed down her face, over her chin, and splashed across his raw, open flesh. He grimaced as she pulled out her phone. She spoke into the receiver with a shaky, trembling voice.

  Ending the call, she focused on Sterling. “The ambulance is on its way. My God, Sterling. Why did you come out here? You know this is not a good area. If it weren’t for your GPS tracker . . .” She swiped at her eyes and sniffled. “I need you, Sterling. I’m not leaving you. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” She grabbed at Gunner’s leash, wrapping the extra around the palm of her hand.

  Sterling closed his eyes while Abby spoke softly to him. He winced as Gunner swiped the length of his tongue over a deep red gash across his right cheek and then gave in to the welcoming darkness.

  Abby stayed with him overnight and into the next day, taking breaks only to go home to shower or change clothes. She’d left Gunner in the hands of her favorite dog sitter, a gal she’d become familiar with who enjoyed taking care of the lucky dog. He always received extra treats in her capable hands, an advantage Abby comically reminded Gunner he’d rarely receive in her care. Yet, Abby was wrong. She spoiled Gunner just as much, if not more, than the dog sitter did. Gunner never complained and Sterling only sat back and watched Abby with amusement. It didn’t matter what she did or said. She was cute in every way.

  The days that she spent in the hospital watching over Sterling solidified for him the fact that she was one of a kind. He found Abby taking call after call from Phil, reminding him that Sterling was in the hospital and that she wasn’t leaving his side. His father’s visit ended with Marvin crying and holding Sterling’s hand over his bed. The kind act swirled an array of emotions through Sterling that rendered him speechless. When the visit proved too much for Marvin, Abby embraced him, spoke soft, kind words to him, and then took him back home.

  On that final day, before he was released from the hospital, she smiled through her
tears as Sterling held her hand. Then she drove him home and stayed the night. He held her in his arms and kissed her cheek as he nuzzled her neck and whispered his thanks. When she was deeply immersed in slumberland, Sterling confessed his deep-seated feelings for her, snuggling her back into his chest and holding her more tightly than he had in his entire life.

  From that moment, things seemed to change in her relationship with Phil, yet not as he would’ve liked.

  Although they continued dating, Sterling couldn’t push aside the strange idea that Phil was somehow spending less time with Abby. Still, if his assumption was true, she didn’t seem to notice.

  Sterling, on the other hand, was thrilled. As before, Abby spent a large amount of her free time over at his place when he wasn’t working. Sterling always enjoyed her company but he was especially pleased with those nights she spent overnight in the room across from him. Only a few steps away, Abby served as a temptation he couldn’t stop thinking of. Her presence invaded his dreams turning his periodic nightmares into gluttonous, fantasy. When Gunner wasn’t keeping him up at night, pawing him awake from his disturbed sleep, images of Abby’s, delectable mouth and her sexy body kept him erect and alert most nights.

  More times than he preferred to admit, he found himself in the shower, muffling his shouts of ecstasy under the warm spray as he pictured Abby with him. If she heard him, she might knock frantically at the door, expecting him to open it to let her know everything was okay. It would cause an awkward situation between them and would likely change the nature of their relationship; therefore, he had to keep his desire for her a secret, for now.

  Watching her enjoyment of Phil’s company; however, turned a bittersweet knife within his heart. He wanted her happy. Still, Sterling wanted to be the cause of her joy, not some other man.

  When she was out with Phil or any of her friends, he spent his extra time with his dad, Gunner, or with the few friends he had made at his job. Tonight was one of those nights. Still, he missed her when she wasn’t around and he always looked forward to the next time she’d come over. Hopefully, that would be later tonight, after meeting up with her girlfriends.

  Abby was spending the night again, in the other room under the covers, nude. At least, that’s how he pictured her. He made a mental note to replace the empty bottle of conditioner he’d used up during her last visit. He’d need it, tonight.

  He exited his car and strolled toward the door, opening it to loud music throbbing against his ear drums. Walking through the opening he searched the dim lit room for his friends, his gaze extending toward the pool tables in the back of the room, searching for a familiar face. He recalled the one time he attempted to instruct Abby on how to play pool. Not that he was a master at the sport, but he enjoyed playing a game or two whenever the opportunity presented itself.

  A pleasant sensation rippled through Sterling and pulsed through his groin. It slowly swelled his lengthening member, rendering it active as he recalled the enjoyable warmth of Abby’s supple body as she sank into the cover provided by his strong arms. Intending to only instruct her, he instead, found himself at odds with his warring emotions, unable to focus solely on imparting to her the purpose and object of the game.

  Unaware of his marked attention, he breathed in Abby’s floral, perfumed scent, a heady mix that complimented her sensual femininity. Too many females wore strong mixes that masked their beauty, startled the recipient and then wafted strongly after they disappeared from a room. Abby’s, on the other hand, slowly lingered, enticing the audience with her sweet, welcoming perfume subtly marking her territory as she moved about.

  If her soft smile or her kind, compassionate personality didn’t grab you, first, her pleasant, captivating scent did. Of course, there was always her gorgeous, round ass, too.

  He growled as an image of her perky round bottom popped into his head. Damn. The woman was gorgeous. Yet, Abby never thought much of her looks. If only, she understood how attractive she was to him . . . Would it make a difference in her opinion of him?

  One of his friends called out and waved to him, breaking his concentration. He threw two fingers up into the air acknowledging Mario’s greeting as he stepped toward the bar.

  Sterling patted Mario’s back and then took the bar stool next to him. Raising his eyebrows, he smiled at his friend. “Hey, buddy. You got away.”

  Mario nodded. “Yeah, just barely. I didn’t have to stay late this time. Frederick clocked in. Though I don’t know how much longer he has. Might be fired soon. Making too many errors, from what I heard.”

  Sterling waved over the female bartender. “Yeah, can’t do that.” He caught her starry-eyed look as he ordered his drink. She lingered a bit, a flirtatious smile dotting the corner of her mouth before she finally stepped away.

  Mario took a swig from his glass. “Making friends with the ladies already, I see.” Sterling snorted in reply.

  “It’s the muscles and the tattoo. Girls love those.”

  Sterling waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It’s the muscles and the tattoo. Girls love those.”“Nah man. I’m not interested.”

  “Yeah, I know. What’s her name? Amy?”

  “Abby.” He grabbed ahold of the glass the waitress dropped in front of him. The waitress placed her arms across the counter and leaned forward. “You boys having fun?”

  “Yeah,” they replied, almost simultaneously.

  She cocked her head toward Sterling. “Where’d you get the ink?”

  Mario’s lips curled up into a grin. He gave Sterling a half nod and smacked the back of his hand across Sterling’s arm in an “I told you so” gesture.

  Sterling gazed at the liquor swirling in the bottom of his glass. “Before I went into the Army. It was kind of a reward for me, I guess.”

  The waitress tipped her chin up. “Oh, you were in the service? How long?”

  “Four years.”

  “Thank you. Your drink’s on me.”

  Sterling caught her gaze. “You’re welcome but you don’t have to. I can pay for it.”

  The flecks in her eyes sparkled a bit brighter as she spoke. “That’s okay. I admire veterans. Oh, and by the way, I like the ink.”

  Sterling caught Mario’s uplifted eyebrow and mischievous smirk with a direct nod in his direction in another I told you so gesture. The girl was cute—yeah—and if circumstances and his life were different, Sterling might’ve taken a chance and talked to her. Yet, he already had someone special in his life and the bartender wasn’t what he ultimately needed.

  She was no Abby.

  “There you two are.” A male decked out in blue jeans and a casual t-shirt took the barstool on the opposite side of Mario and greeted them. He turned his attention to the waitress and winked at her. “Gin on the rocks, beautiful.” Sterling exhaled a long sigh of relief when she sashayed away.

  Sterling knew he wasn’t a bad looking fellow but he had no interest in warding off female interest tonight. His main purpose for taking time out with the guys was to have fun and shoot some pool. If he was interested in pursuing female companionship, he would’ve waited back home for Abby.

  Abby. His best friend. He wondered what she was up to. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts list till he found her name.

  Mario glanced at his phone. “Who you calling there, buddy?”

  “Sending a quick text to Abs.”

  The new guy, Sean, piped up, “Oh you mean that girl you mentioned, Abby, right?”

  “Yeah.” He pressed the arrow key, receiving a whooshing sound in response, alerting him that his message was sent. Then he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

  “Did you tell her you want her?”

  Sterling snorted. “No. Just told her I’m looking forward to seeing her later.”

  They both uttered a long “Ohhh,” almost simultaneously.

  Mario pumped his arms toward him indicating a gesture of having sex. “Man, you seeing her later?”

  Sterli
ng’s tone of voice grew stern. “Not like that. And don’t talk about my girl in that way.”

  Mario raised his hands in the air, indicating surrender. “Alright, alright. I know when to back off. She’s your territory, man. It’s okay.”

  Sterling raised the glass to his lips and took another swig before dropping it back onto the counter. “Actually, she’s Phil’s but I don’t want to talk about him tonight.”

  “Why do you put up with that guy?” Mario asked.

  “I have no other choice. I have to support her decisions regardless of what my opinion is. I already told her what I think about him but the choice is ultimately hers. All I can do is be there for her.”

  Sean waggled his eyebrows. “Like tonight.”

  Sterling shook his head and guffawed. “Not like that.” He pulled his phone out after it chimed and raised it in the air in front of him. Scanning the words across the screen, his mouth curved up into a generous smile before he slid the phone back into his pocket.

  “Aah!” the guys kidded. Sean pointed at Sterling. “You got some good news, huh?”

  Sterling grabbed his drink. “Alright, cut it out. Let’s play some pool. Loser buys a round of drinks.”

  Mario whooped as he followed Sterling toward the back of the room. “You said it, bro. You’re going to end up paying.”

  They each grabbed a cue stick and edged around an empty table toward a far corner of the room. Abby’s text message lingered in his mind as he waited for his turn.

  Me too. I’ll be over as soon as I can. I’ll bring malted milk balls and ice cream.

  Malted milk balls and strawberry ice cream were a favorite memory from his childhood. His mother, rest her soul, introduced him to the delicious combination although his father, over the years, never acquired the taste for it. Instead, Marvin grabbed a pint of pistachio ice cream from the freezer section of the grocery store while the two of them indulged in their favorite concoction.