by Haley Nix
“I dabble,” he said, giving me small wink. The first signs of flirtation, or so it appeared.
“He’s being modest. The man is an absolute card shark. Time to finally take that Army pay and turn it into something substantial,” said Garrett.
I could see another customer flagging me down at the other end of the bar and another group of guys walking through the doorway. It was almost 10 P.M. now, so naturally the bar was starting to fill up.
“Will you boys excuse me, I’ve got another customer to attend to. Be back in a bit to pour another round?”
Garrett picked up his glass and looked at it, only about a quarter full at this point.
“I suspect we’ll be needing one shortly,” he said. “Don’t be long.”
“I’ll only be as long as I have to be,” I said, giving the group one last smile before walking away.
They were nice men. A bit rambunctious, maybe, but nice nonetheless and certainly entertaining. They had a nice little group dynamic going. Garrett was the talker, and Tyson was kind of his sidekick. But you could tell Colt was the foundation of the group. They all liked each other, and it truly seemed like a brotherhood born through soldiering together. I hoped the night would yield more chances to talk with them. It didn’t seem like they would be around for a while. Who knew if they even planned to come back here after going to Las Vegas, but it was nice letting the fantasy play out a bit longer, right?
***
A few hours later, they were headed out, each of them more than a bit drunk. Garrett was even more talkative than before, and just a slight bit more crass. I could tell from his comments he was interested in me. He kept asking what me and my girlfriends were up to that night and if we wanted to come out and party with a couple of soldiers. I told him that, regrettably, I was here past 1 P.M., but would certainly take a rain check. Tyson was practically falling over drunk. And so far as I could tell the only thing in the world he wanted was a pizza at this point.
“I could order one to the bar if you want,” I said, trying to help out. “You guys could eat, maybe sober up just a bit before driving home.”
“No, we’re good,” said Garrett. “My kid sister will be picking us up shortly.”
“That’s good to hear, wouldn’t want you boys doing any damage to yourselves before the Vegas trip.”
“Damn straight,” said Garrett. “C’mon Tyse, let’s get outside and grab a quick smoke before Kelly gets here.”
They walked off, arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Are they gonna be alright?” I asked Colt, who had remained at the bar to settle their tab.
“They’re fine. Just happy to be home and sleep in their own beds for the first time in a long time.”
“I can understand that,” I said. “What about you? How are you doin’?”
“I’m doing well. Not going to be sleeping in my own bed, but I’m happy to be back stateside. A couch at Garrett’s parent’s place is fine for me tonight.”
I laughed out loud, putting my hand over my mouth to try and hide it, but I couldn’t help myself.
“What’s so funny?” said Garrett with an inquisitive smile.
“Just the image of you squeezing that big body onto a couch,” I said.
“Well, no one’s offered me much else in the way of sleeping arrangements. I take what I can get.”
“I bet if you stuck around a bit you could find someone willing to share a bed,” I said, with a wink and a smile, slightly dirtier this time. Colt looked surprised, and hesitated slightly before speaking again.
“Is that an offer?” asked Colt, leaning down towards me.
“It’s whatever you want it to be,” I said, taking his credit card and walking back to the register to print his receipt.
Truthfully, I didn’t know what I had just done right there, or what sort of mischief I might have gotten myself into. I didn’t do one night stands, but what else could it be with an offer like this? I knew he was only here short term. Had he really cast that much of a spell on me? His quiet, restrained confidence pulling me in throughout the night, his silence making me want to get to know him more and more. And I couldn’t lie to myself, his looks were a big factor in the equation. That face, those lips so kissable. And such blue, blue eyes. Like a Wyoming sky.
I paused a moment at the register and glanced back at him, taking in his essence one last time before making up my mind. Damn, I thought to myself, that body, too. I could see his muscles practically bursting the button down he had on, the top two buttons undone, exposing just a slight wisp of chest hair – that look always did it for me. If he was interested, maybe I could make an exception to my one night stand policy. A man like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It would certainly be worth it.
I walked back over and handed him his receipt, credit card, and a pen to sign it with.
“Do you have a napkin?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said, grabbing him one from behind the bar.
He signed the receipt and took the napkin, writing down his name and number on it.
“You call me after you’re out of work and maybe we can have some fun.”
“But what about your friends?” I asked.
“Trust me they’re fine. They’ve had enough to drink. As soon as they get a pizza in them, they’ll be passed out on the floor.”
“But you won’t?” I asked.
“I can hold my liquor, miss.”
“I respect a man who can do that.”
“So I’ll be hearing from you shortly,” he said calmly. It was a statement, not a question.
I picked up the napkin and placed it in the back pocket of my jeans.
“Sure thing,” I said.
Colt put his credit card back in his wallet and threw on a brown leather jacket over his button down. I swear, he almost looked like he was in Top Gun or something. But he was silent again from here on out. I stood leaning on the bar counter as I watched him walk out the front door, my mind an absolute daze. I saw him join Tyson and Garrett who must have been on their second cigarette at this point. I noticed that Colt didn’t smoke.
A car pulled up with a young woman in it, Garrett’s sister I presumed. I watched intently as they all got in. Then the car backed up and pulled back out onto the road, the red taillights receding into the dark.
“Miss? Miss? Hello? Can I get a drink here?”
I snapped back to reality. I still had about an hour left of my shift and more than my fair share of customers to attend to.
“Sure, what can I get you sir?” I asked with a big smile, as if to offer an apology for my inattentiveness.
“Bud Light draft, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Chapter Four
Colton
I hopped in the back of the car with Tyson while Garrett took shotgun. Garrett’s sister, Kelly, was a nice kid, only about seventeen and over ten years younger than Garrett. I guess she’d been a surprise pregnancy or something. You could tell she meant the world to Garrett, which was interesting for me to see; it was a different side of him that I hadn’t expected after fighting with him in Afghanistan.
At the present moment, he was begging her to stop and pick up a pizza. Tyson already had his cell out, ready to phone in an order as soon as he got approval.
“Garrett, I have school tomorrow. Mom would freak if she even knew I was out this late,” said Kelly.
“Wait, they don’t know you’re picking us up?” asked Garrett, sounding slightly concerned.
“They’re asleep. I figured it was useless to wake them up, so I just left.”
“Ah, OK. Gotcha,” said Garrett. “But hey, as long as you’re risking your neck anyway, how about that pizza? C’mon, doesn’t a nice hot pizza sound good right now?”
Kelly laughed.
“Kind of,” she said. “Fine, I’ll take you to get pizza. But you need to get half of it plain cheese for me.”
“Half? Hell, I’ll buy you your own pizza,” s
aid Garrett.
“Where am I calling?” asked Tyson.
“Here, give me your phone. I know just the place,” said Garrett, reaching back to snatch the phone out of Tyson’s hand.
I laughed to myself. Tyson and Garrett were incredibly drunk tonight. By most accounts, they were just a bunch of useless, drunken idiots. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure: I’d die for either of these drunken idiots. They were my brother soldiers, and that’s a bond that I don’t take lightly. They deserved to blow off a little steam after what we’d just come back from.
Truth be told, I hadn’t quite gotten used to being back yet. And when I say it, I mean everything: civilian clothes, civilian cars, no drills, paved American streets, Oak trees and houses with perfectly-watered, green grass in their front lawns. It was strange being back in the U.S. If you spend too much time in the desert, it can be like that.
And the women, I wasn’t used to them either. I hadn’t been with one in a long time, or even looked at one really. Since coming back to America, I got that particular look from women a lot, the familiar smile and the quick checkout, a subtle hint that they were interested, if only on a totally primal level. I just sort of brushed it off. The idea of being with a woman was almost foreign to me, it’d been so long since I’d had time to even cultivate an interest in another person on that level.
But things changed when I saw her in the bar earlier. Cat. I liked that named, it sounded feisty and wild. I could only imagine what she was like in bed. When I first saw her, my heart damn near broke. “Curves that could kill” was the only way to describe her. Full, gorgeous breasts, just the right amount of cleavage; a round, voluptuous ass that melded into her beautiful thighs, her jeans tight against her skin. I imagined what it might be like having her bounce that ass in front of me as I stroked inside her, and I felt myself starting to get hard at the thought.
Her blouse had been tight, too, revealing those extra pounds around her midsection, those free-flowing, killer curves. I liked a girl with a body like that, a little chubby, but with tons of confidence. Women like Cat knew how to treat a man in bed, you could tell by the way they walked and the way they talked. With a little luck, I’d be finding this out for sure later tonight.
I kept checking my phone, waiting for her to call or text. Nothing yet. I put it back in my pocket and rejoined the conversation, coming back to the reality of my drunken brothers in arms cheering because we were pulling into the pizza place.
Garrett ran inside and came back five minutes later carrying five boxes of pizza.
“Damn, Garrett, you bought five boxes? Where’s your mind at, boy?” I asked.
“Do the math. It’s one per person,” said Garrett, sliding back into the front seat, all the boxes sitting on his lap.
“I did do the math. I can’t eat a whole damn pizza right now. You’re crazy,” I said, shaking my head with a laugh.
“Hey, buddy, that’s fine. More for me,” said Garrett, opening the top box and grabbing a slice.
I stared out the window for the rest of the car ride, which was pretty short, all things considered. Soon we were pulling into Garrett’s parent’s house.
“You guys be quiet going inside,” said Kelly.
“Got it,” said Tyson. “Hand me a slice though before we go in.”
We all snuck inside and went down into the basement, spreading out the pizza boxes, everyone grabbing slices as we turned on the TV. Garrett soon got bored and decided to throw in an old copy of Diehard. Not a bad choice, I thought to myself as I grabbed a slice of pizza. It was actually damn good and really hit the spot.
Not surprisingly, about an hour later everyone had passed out. Kelly had gone upstairs to her room, Garrett was stretched out on the couch, and Tyson lay on the floor with a piece of pizza balanced on his stomach as he snoozed. I had to laugh. What a bunch of characters. But there wasn’t any group of characters I’d rather have for best friends. Needless to say, Vegas was going to be a time to remember.
I was watching the end of the movie alone when my phone buzzed. I looked down to see an unrecognized number and a text: We still on for tonight?
Yes! I thought to myself. It was Cat, It had to be. I couldn’t believe my good luck. What a way to be welcomed back to the States, spending the night with a beautiful woman. There was really nothing more a man could ask for. So I texted her back, and let her know the address of Garrett’s parent’s house. She told me she knew where that was, and she would be there in ten minutes.
I threw on my leather jacket and walked outside. I knew she’d be a little while, but I didn’t mind the cold. I actually really liked it. It was a feeling that held a lot of memories for me and provided a striking contrast with the heat of the desert we’d just returned from. There was something about the cold that felt like home.
So there I waited, pacing back and forth, watching the heat of my breath escape into the cold night air under the moon. My heart rate was up, she was already on her way. What did the night have in store for us? I couldn’t know for sure at this point, I was simply excited to see Cat again, to see her outside of her role as a bartender, to talk with her, get to know her, and… well, I wasn’t going to jinx anything by speculating right now. But it was pretty obvious what I was after.
I waited there for a while. Ten minutes passed and no cars in sight. I checked my phone again and again. Why the hell was I so damn nervous? It was just a girl after all, I’d been through this before. I kept telling myself that over and over again, but I knew it wasn’t true. There was something about Cat that struck a chord with me. I felt it the minute I first laid eyes on her as I sat back at the car counter. I just had to have her tonight. Hell, I’d be willing to give up the whole Vegas trip to spend a night with this woman, I thought to myself.
And with that I saw a red Civic turn the corner onto the street I was standing by. That must be her, I thought.
Chapter Five
Catherine
I spent the rest of my shift in something like a dreamy haze. I continued serving customers of course, but my mind was elsewhere. Would I actually go through with this? What if I called and Colt didn’t answer? He’d had plenty of time to change his mind, and so had I. Was this really a good idea?
But while half of me was questioning whether it was a good idea, the other half went on fantasizing. The man looked like a complete sex machine, and I had to admit to myself that it had been quite a while since I’d been with anyone. With the stress of school and my job, the parking ticket, and now finals just around the corner, I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Maybe this was exactly the kind of stress release I needed. I just hoped that Colt was still game.
It was about fifteen minutes from the end of my shift when I headed to the backroom to send Colt a preliminary text. I didn’t want to sound too eager, so I sent something casual. Even though my body wanted him, it’s not like I was going to be heartbroken if this didn’t happen. Disappointed, of course, but not heartbroken. We still on for tonight?
A few minutes later he texted back. Yes. A minute later came a second text with the address. It hadn’t really dawned on me earlier that I’d need to pick him up, but it all sort of made sense to me now. He had literally just come back to the United States and since he’d decided to travel with Tyson and Garrett, didn’t have a chance to pick up his car or truck or whatever. The address was actually pretty close by. A friend of mine lived over near that part of town, so I was relatively familiar with it.
I walked out into the back parking lot to my car. The inside was absolutely freezing and it took a while for the heat to really come on full blast. But something about driving these roads late at night was invigorating. I was on my way off to meet a boy for the first time in a long time, and a very attractive one at that. It almost felt like being a teenager again, sneaking around like this for a hook-up, a little one-time fling. I wasn’t getting my hopes up for anything more than that. By the time I pulled onto the street that Colt had texted me, I had actual
ly kind of warmed up to the idea of no-strings-attached fun.
And then I saw him standing there, pacing the sidewalk out in front of what I guessed was Garrett’s parent’s house. I pulled the car over and smiled as soon as I made eye contact with him through the slightly frosted window of the passenger door. He opened it and slid inside, closing the door in one fluid motion.
“I could have texted you,” I said. “You didn’t have to wait outside in the cold.”
“I don’t mind,” said Colt. “I actually kind of like it. I miss it after being gone for so long.”
“So, what do you want to do?” I asked somewhat awkwardly.
Let’s face it, there’s no really smooth way to operate in this sort of situation between relative strangers.
“This might be strange to say, but I’m actually kind of hungry. Is there anywhere to eat around here late at night?” asked Colt.
It was kind of a surprising question, admittedly, but I was absolutely starving at this point. I hadn’t eaten a thing since before class and didn’t get a break my entire shift at the bar. I also assumed I’d be needing all my energy for what was about to happen next.
“Sure,” I laughed. “I could go for a bite. I know of a diner nearby. Pretty good food, all things considered.”
“Alright, sounds good to me,” said Colt.
I looked over at him and gave a small smile. This was nice. It would give me a chance to talk to him and get to know him a bit more. I was starting to feel better about my decision to follow through and meet with Colt tonight.
***
Inside the diner was warm and comforting, the scent of fried food and Southern living. Maybe it was the fact that I was absolutely ravenous with hunger, but there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be for the moment. We picked a booth, preferring a bit of privacy for our conversation – not that the bar was particularly crowded seeing as it was past 2 A.M. A waitress came over and took a drink order.
