Gracie and Jill both laughed, and the waitress returned to the serving bar, still chuckling over his remark.
“Are you going to play all the Motown selections now?” Jill asked, grasping Peace’s hand again.
“Sure, just so I don’t have to sing them all,” Peace replied, focusing on the juke box selector. “Can you give me change for a dollar.
I’m fresh out of quarters.”
“It’s on me this time,” Jill replied, opening her purse and taking out five quarters. “I’ll get the songs, and you get the tip and the meal.”
“Gee, what a bargain,” Peace laughed, punching in the selections.
“How do you know all these songs?” Jill asked.
“Photographic memory, remember?”
“That doesn’t explain how you hit all the right notes. You must have some music ability.”
“I play piano, trumpet and saxophone,” Peace admitted. “My folks made me take piano, and as in a lot of things parents force their children to do, I ended up liking it. I played in the orchestra at school, so I picked up trumpet and sax too.”
“Do you play much?”
“You probably didn’t notice the piano in Ed’s restaurant. That was my idea. I play over there all the time, and jam with some guys I know on Friday and Saturday nights. We play mostly rhythm and blues, with jazz mixed in. They all play in local bands, but don’t get to play the old stuff enough, so they play over at Ed’s.”
“I didn’t see the piano,” Jill replied. “Where the heck was it?”
“At the opposite end of the room. You can’t see it from where you were sitting at the bar. It’s sort of partitioned off from the bar a little, so the noise doesn’t upset our diners. Ed’s little dance place in the back is pretty popular now.”
“Is there anything you don’t know how to do?” Jill laughed.
“I can’t down a cheeseburger and fries in under two minutes,” Peace replied, ducking back from the halfhearted slap, Jill launched as she tried to act indignant. The deep beat of the Temptations’ Standing On Shaky Ground began reverberating into the room. “Now, how about you,
Princess? What talents do you have?”
“I’m tone deaf, so I don’t sing or play instruments,” Jill admitted. “I can enjoy music; but when I try to do anything close to reproducing what I hear, it comes out sounding like fingernails on a blackboard. I’m pretty good at sports, at least before I took off for Chili. I played soccer, softball, and I ski pretty well. I’ve studied dance, and my instructor thought I could have danced professionally.”
“So that’s where all the calories go,” Peace smiled. “How about your major in college?”
“I’m in my last semester of law school, and I wish I had your photographic memory.”
“Wow, law school,” Peace exclaimed, obviously impressed. “You must have a pretty good memory to make it through law school.”
“I minored in English. I figured if law didn’t work out, I could get my teaching credential.”
“What type of law were you going to practice?” Peace asked.
“Criminal law,” Jill answered. “My Father owns his own law firm in LA, but I’d hoped to get into the DA’s office after I graduated. I’d like to make it on my own first.”
“Rough place to start your career.”
“More opportunity though,” Jill pointed out. “Besides, I attended UCLA, and I really love it in Southern California.”
“I can’t fault you there. I never want to go back to the Midwest,” Peace agreed. “You’re not very far away. Maybe I can come up and see you during your last semester.”
Jill squeezed his hand as Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It started to play. “I’d like that a lot, Peace. Are you sure you won’t change your mind about staying with me tonight?”
Peace leaned back in his seat. “I don’t think so, Pet. I’m an idiot for not staying, but I just don’t want to move that fast. I want to savor all we’ve shared since I met you only hours ago.”
“I’ve never been rejected like this before,” Jill pouted. “You’re killing my self esteem.”
“Really,” Peace replied, leaning forward and grasping both of her hands. “Just how many times have you propositioned a stranger into going to bed with you?”
“Counting this one?”
“Yep.”
“Once,” Jill whispered.
“With all you went through in Chili, I think you’ll be okay.”
Chapter Seven
Warming Up
Jill’s face darkened, and Peace shook her hands gently. “Hey, I have a pretty good idea about forced captivity. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know,” Jill replied, taking a deep breath. “They mostly just slapped us around, and humiliated us. They were mostly interested in the ransom.”
“Dan told us the negotiations had broken down, and people in the State Department didn’t think your captors would bargain anymore. They thought your group would be made an example of, to show the paramilitaries meant business. The State Department wanted an example made of them instead.”
“The State Department was right,” Jill nodded. “They had no intention of letting us go. How did you guys ever find out where we were?”
“I can’t answer that, Jill. I don’t really even know most of the details. My guess would be we had some assets in the area they passed through with your group.”
“That makes sense, because they moved us constantly. The last time they moved us I broke my ankle, and they made me walk the rest of the way on it, or they would have killed me where I dropped. Our shoes were almost rotted away, and we all had trouble walking. They gave me a piece of cord to wrap my ankle with.”
“Sounds like you were really lucky to only have a cast,” Peace replied. “You could have lost the leg due to infection.”
“They told me I might never walk right again,” Jill explained simply.
“You do pretty well now, even with the cast. I don’t think they’ll have to shoot you, Nelly.”
Jill laughed, enjoying the easy way Peace took her news. “I won’t ever be able to dance again.”
“Maybe not professionally, but you’ll be able to dance around the courtroom pretty well.”
“Always the glass half full guy, huh?”
“I’d say I was served a full one tonight,” Peace replied. “For a guy with a mug like mine, I can’t complain.”
“So, you’ll take care of me if no one else wants me after the cast comes off?”
“You have my word on it.”
They held hands through the rest of the songs without speaking. Gracie filled their coffee cups once more before the end of Peace’s musical selections, and gave Peace the bill. He set down the appropriate amount of cash with a generous tip. After helping Jill up, Peace handed her the cane, and turned to give her his arm. Jill clung to his arm tightly, and stayed close as they walked out of the restaurant with a wave to Gracie as they passed.
At her motel room door, Jill held out her hand to shake goodnight. Peace grinned, and shook her hand eagerly.
“Goodnight, Jill, nice meeting you, I had a wonderful time,” Peace said, releasing her hand, and turning away.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me, PP,” Jill ordered.
Peace turned back to enfold Jill in his arms. He kissed her gently. “When shall I pick you up tomorrow? I usually go over to Dan’s at five, when he invites me over for dinner.”
“Come over at four,” Jill replied.
Their next kiss threatened the scheduled night apart, as Jill could feel the attraction Peace held for her right through her clothes. She gave him no respite, thrusting against him, until he forcefully held her at arms length.
“That will be enough of that, young lady,” Peace whispered.
“What, no kiss goodnight?” Jill asked, just a bit breathlessly.
Peace released her, laughing and shaking his head. “Goodnight,
Pet.”
“Don’t go, Peace,” Jill said softly.
Jill watched him tense, as he had already turned and stepped towards his Buick. After a moment, he continued towards his car with a wave over his shoulder.
“Look at me, you big chicken,” Jill called out, watching Peace’s shoulders shake as he controlled his laughter. “I have to leave the day after tomorrow, you big goof.”
This declaration stopped Peace in his tracks; but a moment later, he opened up the driver’s side door of the Buick, and slid behind the wheel. Peace waved at Jill without turning, no longer trusting his ability to drive out of the parking lot if he looked at her once more. Jill waved, but she could see he did not turn his head. Sighing, she stepped into her motel room, knowing she would not be the only one having a hard time sleeping tonight.
__
“Okay, partner,” Bull said, slightly winded after the last of their sprints along the Coronado beach. “Spill it. You’ve been grinnin’ like the hound dog who nailed the neighbor’s lab, and made it back over the fence without leaving a trace.”
The other Seals, including Dan, laughed as they walked off the end of their day’s training together. The beach on the Coronado base, where they trained, still had a few other teams running on it in the heat of an April afternoon. Bull put his arm around a still silent Peace.
“Don’t make me have to hurt you, boy.”
“I told you, Bull,” Peace replied patiently. “Jill and I had coffee at the restaurant next to her motel, and then I dropped her off at her door.”
“Crapola,” Bull pronounced, giving Peace a push into JT, who steadied him.
“Leave him alone, Bull,” JT admonished, dusting Peace off, and pretending to look him over. “Can’t you see Master Peace is in love?” This brought on an even louder laughing binge at Peace’s expense. Peace took the abuse good naturedly, as his teammates had been skewering him ever since he walked into the locker room at a quarter till five in the morning. He had known they would be giving it to him, and it had been one of many reasons he had not stayed with Jill the night before. Knowing himself to be one of the worst liars on the planet with friends, he had avoided being caught in their no win interrogation. If he told them he had stayed, they would have been all over him like a cheap suit. If he had told them a gentleman did not discuss his female companion, they would have been all over him like a cheap suit all the same. The truth had frustrated them, especially Bull, to no end.
“He ain’t leavin’ until he comes clean,” Nick Turner stated, pointing his finger at Peace. “I didn’t even get to see the lady, and now I don’t even get to rag him about her.”
“That’s right,” Nick’s best friend, Tony Chin agreed.
The two youngest members of the team, Nick Turner, a six footer from Omaha, Nebraska, and Tony Chin, a Chinese American, two inches taller than Turner, from LaJolla, California, had been complaining all day about missing out on meeting Jill. Chin, the leaner of the two men, with a shock of black hair, cut in a short buzz, ran over to grab Peace’s right arm. The brown haired and huskier Turner, picked up on his friend’s thoughts, moving in sync to Peace’s left arm. For his part, Peace just sighed, and stood motionless.
“We have to have the truth, Peace,” Turner said solemnly, looking closely into Peace’s smiling face. “I must know all about this situation. After all, if I had stayed, Jill would have latched onto me. Everyone knows that.”
This brought on another bout of laughter, as the team all gathered around. Even the usually taciturn Lieutenant Righter seemed to be enjoying the razzing.
“So, Nick,” Peace reasoned. “You’re saying I owe my going out with Jill to you, because you were not around, right?”
“Now you’re getting it, Bub,” Nick agreed, nodding.
“Did it ever occur to you I was saving you from the embarrassment of Jill finding out what a pinhead you are?” Peace asked, as he broke their grips by pulling his arms straight up, and throwing himself backwards.
“Why you little weasel,” Turner said, moving quickly after a fast retreating Peace, as Chin was howling in laughter with the rest of the team at Peace’s comeback.
“Hey, quit grab assin’ around, you pansies,” a gruff voice called out from behind where the Seals were holding their roast of Peace.
This brought the entire Seal Team around to search out the author of the voice. On the sand, Ed Polasky was standing with his arms folded over his massive chest. Next to him, stood a smiling Jill, dressed in white shorts, and a maroon halter-top, her long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. To say she was stunning would have been a disservice. The Seals gawked at her, until Dan broke the spell.
“Well, Nick,” Lieutenant Righter said quietly, “you and Tony wanted to meet Jill, right? Come on, Peace can introduce you both. It looks like you have a visitor, Peace.”
Jill watched the men approach, with Bull and Peace bringing up the rear. They all wore khaki pants, combat boots, and black t-shirts. Jill shook hands with Dan, as Bull propelled Peace to the front of the group. Peace looked questioningly at Jill, and then at a smiling Polasky, who shrugged.
“The resourceful Jill here did some more detective work and corralled me at home, Peace. She wanted to come over when you guys usually finished,” Polasky explained. “I told her we were going to be late because you flakes never made it past noon.”
The team laughed at Polasky’s slight of their training stamina. Peace took Jill’s hand and pointed at Nick Turner.
“This is Nick Turner, and the skinny guy next to him is Tony Chin,” Peace said. “Guys, this is my friend, Jill Gregory.”
Nick thrust out his hand, a bit taken aback, now that he was face to face with the young woman they had been ragging Peace about all morning. “Glad to meet you, Jill.”
“Likewise, Nick,” Jill said, first shaking Nick’s hand and then Tony’s, “and Tony, right?”
Chin smiled, shaking her outstretched hand gently. “Nice meeting you too, Jill. I hear we all met under less happy circumstances once before.”
Jill laughed, nodding amiably. “We sure did. I have to go back to LA tomorrow, and I wanted to say thanks again, and meet the two team members I missed last night.”
“A wise decision, Jill,” Nick agreed authoritatively. “I should make up for Peace’s less than adequate escorting abilities, and take you around town tonight.”
“Back off, Turner,” Polasky ordered, as the others laughed.
“I’m sorry, Nick,” Jill smiled politely, “but Peace asked to take me over to Dan’s house for dinner tonight.”
“He actually spoke to you last night?” Bull asked, pretending astonishment, before draping his arm around Peace. “Peace, you dog you. Hey, we’re off tomorrow. I’ll be over at your place at six, bright and early. You better be there.”
“Now Bull,” Polasky sighed. “I just cleaned my 44 Mag. Don’t make me have to do it again so soon. If I see your big butt over at the house at any time tomorrow, Seal Team Six will need a replacement.”
Bull laughed louder than his friends, nodding and shaking hands with Polasky, as Peace moved next to Jill. He took her arm and led her away from the group, towards the ocean. Nick started after him, but Bull grabbed his arm, bringing him to a halt instantly.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going, Turner?” Bull asked, getting in his face, much to the rest of the team’s and Polasky’s enjoyment. “Did the Lieutenant or I give you permission to break rank, Pinhead?”
“But Chief…” Turner protested, as the others laughed at Bull’s repeat of Peace’s insult.
“I think you need another dozen sprints, Petty Officer Turner,” Bull joked, clasping his hands behind his back, as the others watched Jill and Peace move away. “What do you think, Lieutenant?”
“I think Nick here gets the message,” Dan laughed. He looked up at Polasky, who was also watching the couple walk away. “She actually came and recruited you, Ed?”
“Hey,” Polasky said, not taking his eyes off the t
wo. “Jill came over, and sat down to coffee with Nancy and I. She asked about coming over here to the base. I changed the subject to avoid it, and ended up with a bruised ankle as Nancy kicked me like a mule under the table. Here we are.”
Polasky turned to look at Dan. “Kind of a strange couple, huh?”
Dan grinned at him, as Bull spoke up. “Ed, you are the master of understatement. Free lobster tonight for Team Six on you, right buddy?”
“In your dreams, Harold,” Polasky snorted, setting everyone off again, as he walked with them towards the locker room.
Jill glanced behind them again, and saw the team walking towards the locker room. “I think I know why you didn’t stay last night. You would have had to answer for it today. I’m impressed. You could have stayed with me last night, and came in and bragged about it.”
“What would I have had to brag about?” Peace needled her.
“You should have stayed, and then you would know the answer without asking,” Jill giggled.
“You look incredible, cane, cast, and all,” Peace whispered, leaning in close to her, and kissing her under the ear.
“Hmmmmmm…” Jill moaned a little, coming to a stop. “You… shouldn’t do that… I thought about you last night. Did you think about me?”
Peace straightened, pulling Jill along towards the beach. “Nope. I slept like a baby. Are you sure it wasn’t that cheeseburger and fries you inhaled, Pet?”
Jill gasped, turning towards her grinning companion. “Your obnoxious side is shooting through again, PP.”
“Sorry,” Peace said, taking her arm again. “You look so gorgeous,
I don’t know what to say.”
Jill laughed. “I really can’t let my guard down around you, can I? Where are we headed?”
“It’s only around three, so I thought we’d sit down by the ocean for a little bit, if it’s okay with you. I just wanted to get away from the guys.”
“Will Bull really be over to interrogate you tomorrow morning?”
“He knows Ed better than to do that. I will eventually have to just tell them to mind their own business. We usually don’t act like a bunch of high school boys. The unusual circumstances of your finding us last night, and pulling me aside, kind of set them off, especially Bull.”
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