MILITARY ROMANCE: The War Within Himself (Alpha Bad Boy Marine Army Seal) (Contemporary Military Suspense & Thriller Romance)

by Claire Branson

  She assured her mother that she would be fine in her new apartment and that Snowball would protect her from intruders. Her mother laughed at the thought of the tiny kitten warding off criminals. Mindy hung up the phone and went into the kitchen to raid the fridge. She found a plastic container with a red lid and pulled it out. She knew that her mom probably made her dinner and hoped for meatloaf as she opened the lid.

  “Oh yeah!” she blurted out into the empty apartment as she got her first glimpse of her mother’s homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and fried okra. She placed the container in the microwave and poured herself a glass of milk while she waited impatiently for the beep. She took her food outside and sat down on the patio chair her mother had placed outside for her. She started shoveling the food in her mouth so fast she almost choked when she heard a female’s voice beside her.

  “You just move in?” the blonde woman asked from her patio next door.

  “Yes, sorry,” Mindy said as she quickly swallowed her bite of meatloaf without chewing. “I'm Mindy,” she added, and then extended her hand to greet the woman.

  “I'm Veronica,” she offered.

  The woman was tan with long blonde hair and green eyes. She had tattoos down her arms and one on her ankle. She looked like she was at least 35, but she dressed in low riding jeans and a handkerchief-styled shirt that the girls at her college wore.

  “You want a beer?” Veronica asked.

  “That would be great, thank you!” Mindy agreed. “You want some meatloaf?”

  “No, it smells damn good though,” she said with a laugh, then disappeared into her apartment for a few minutes before emerging with two new beers in her hands.

  “So, was that your mom and dad here setting up the apartment for you?” Veronica asked.

  “Yes, and they stocked my fridge with everything, except beer.” Mindy laughed as she accepted the beer handed to her. “I will get you back for this,” she added, shooting the blonde a wink as she sat down beside her.

  “Is this your first apartment?” Veronica asked.

  “Yes, fresh out of college, now I need to find a job.” Mindy frowned as she spoke.

  The blonde took a large swig of her beer and then smiled at Mindy. “You need a job…I need a bartender,” she announced as if it were already decided.

  “I have no idea how to bartend,” Mindy admitted.

  “Oh hell, most people just want beer and an occasional shot. If you need to make a mixed drink, just look it up on your phone,” she said with a laugh.

  “They would hire me without experience?” Mindy looked confused at the woman’s confidence.

  “Oh yeah, you're young and cute. As long as you show up and at least try to learn the drinks, they would hire you on the spot.” Veronica sounded very convincing.

  “That would be amazing,” Mindy blurted out.

  “I'll give you the address. Just go in tomorrow and ask for Paul, and tell him I said to hire you.” Veronica’s tone was almost cocky in a way. She then took a swig of her beer and asked, “So, what did you study in college?”

  Mindy told her how she received her degree in Arts Administration. Veronica seemed to be bored as she spoke about art history and her passion for the arts. Mindy decided to change the subject to something Veronica may be more interested in, like herself.

  “So, how long have you been a bartender?” Mindy asked.

  “Fifteen years,” Veronica admitted, putting her age to at least 36.

  “What kind of bar is it?” Mindy asked.

  “It’s a small place. Good people, decent tips,” she replied.

  Mindy was worried about working inside of a bar, especially if it was a rough place. From the looks of Veronica, she doubted it was a very classy place. Her tattooed skin made her think it was probably a biker bar.

  “Like a biker bar?” Mindy got up enough nerve to ask.

  “Not at all, but bikers do come in,” Veronica told her, which eased her worries.

  Mindy sat outside with her new neighbor and drank four more beers before she finally came inside. She had a little buzz as she locked everything up and scooped her kitten into her arms. She climbed into bed without changing into her pajamas and fell asleep with her little white kitten snuggled under her neck.

  Chapter Two

  Mindy woke up with Snowball still snuggled under her neck. She hated to move her, but she knew she had to start her day. She carried the kitten into the kitchen and placed her next to her food bowl. She sat down at the dining room table and opened up her laptop. She always started off excited as she opened her e-mail. She was still hoping that one of the galleries she sent her resume to would answer.

  As she checked for e-mails, she felt her heart sink into her chest. She felt like maybe she had set her reach too far. Possibly the only job that her art degree could snag her was a management position at the local theater. She decided to not let it get to her, not today. She decided to spend the day with her parents and then visit the bar Veronica told her about and possibly get a job instead.

  When she pulled into her parents' drive, she felt her eyes begin to well up with tears. She had missed her parents, even if she wasn’t like admitting it. As she walked into her childhood home she heard her mother wrestling with pans in the kitchen.

  “Seriously, a turkey mom?” Mindy joked as she smiled at the woman who never knew when to sit down and relax.

  “Oh Mindy!” Her mother squealed and wrapped her arms around her neck.

  “Ok, ok, let me breathe.” Mindy pulled her mother off her neck.

  “It’s cheaper to make the whole turkey baby,” her mother answered in regards to her smart remark.

  Mindy laughed and sat down in the chair to watch her mother finish dressing the turkey. Her parents were always very thrifty, but they by no means needed to save money by cooking an entire turkey in the middle of June.

  “So, what are your plans for the day?” her mother asked.

  “I'm going to get a job, but I just stopped by to say hello first,” Mindy said.

  “Wow, you don’t waste any time do you? Just like your father.” Her mother gazed at her daughter with a smile. “Where are you thinking about applying?”

  “My neighbor said she needs help where she works,” Mindy told her.

  She knew that the idea of working in a bar would upset her mother, so she tried her best to avoid the topic.

  “That’s nice. In an office?” her mother asked.

  Mindy knew that many more questions would lead to her mother finding out the truth, so she stood up and gave her a hug. “I gotta go, but I'll let you know,” she said as she kissed her mother on the cheek and walked towards the front door.

  Mindy followed the directions that Veronica had given her and ended up in a parking lot with a small brown building. The sign said “Top Gun”, so she must be in the right spot. She felt her throat tighten as she sat in her car watching the front door. She wanted to see what type of people were inside first and hoped someone would come in or out before she had to make her way inside. After several minutes a man finally emerged from the front door. He was tall, bald and covered in tattoos. He had a broom in his hands and started sweeping the walk way. Mindy felt stupid sitting in her car and wanted to just drive off. When the man turned towards her and caught her looking at him, she figured she better step outside or step on the gas.

  The man smiled as she walked towards the front door. “We are not open for another hour, sweetie.” He spoke in a gentle voice that didn’t match his appearance.

  “I am looking for Paul,” she explained, and then added, “Veronica sent me.”

  She felt herself becoming nervous as she spoke, and his silence was making it tough to hold it together. He stared at her intensely and with little expression until he finally spoke up again.

  “Bartender?” he asked.

  “Never have, but willing to learn.” Mindy spoke with false confidence, but hoped he couldn’t see through to her nervousness.

 
“My kind of girl!” He laughed and then patted her on the back. “Come on inside, I'm Paul.”

  Inside the bar was dark and dingy. One wall was painted bright red and the rest were black. There were no windows and the chairs and stools at the tables and bar didn’t match. Mindy immediately felt out of place and wanted to turn around and go home.

  “So, you want to be a bartender, eh?” Paul smiled as he walked behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of bar lemon.

  Mindy shrugged her shoulders.

  He placed a shot glass in front of her and stuck a pour spout on the bottle. He tilted the bottle so it would pour into the glass and counted out loud “One, two” as he stared directly at Mindy.

  “There, that is an ounce,” he said.

  “Ok,” Mindy agreed.

  “When you look up drinks, an ounce is generally what is in the recipe. If you just count to two slowly, you have an ounce,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

  Mindy was pretty sure it wasn’t that simple, but she needed a job and it was worth a try.

  Paul showed her where the beer was stored, gave her some basic tips on making the most commonly ordered drinks, and then explained what her duties would be at the bar.

  “So, you want to start tonight?” he asked.

  “You think I'm ready?” Mindy’s voice started to crack.

  “Relax, it’s a slow night and Veronica will be here to help you out,” Paul stated. “Just be here at 7 o’clock.”

  Mindy agreed reluctantly to start her first shift that evening. He really didn’t give her enough time to back out. That may have been for the best. If she went home and had a day or two to reconsider, she may have never showed up.

  “Wear something sexy…You get better tips,” he added.

  Mindy left the bar and sat in her car for a few minutes before exiting the parking lot. She stared at the shabby building and wondered what she had gotten herself into. She finally pulled out and drove back to her apartment, which was only a few minutes up the road. She tried to look at the bright side of things, like how much gas she would save on the commute to work.

  When she pulled up into her parking lot, she noticed Veronica walking towards a little blue car. She pulled in her spot in front of the door and got out as Veronica met her.

  “Did you check out the bar?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I start tonight,” Mindy announced.

  “Awesome, I'll show you everything you need to know. You’ll do great,” she said, smiling.

  “I have to do some running before work, but I'll meet you there,” Mindy said before the two parted ways.

  Mindy went inside and found her kitten curled up on the pillow on her bed. She scooped her up and cuddled her close while she stared in her closet at her clothes. She never went to bars, parties, or clubs. She didn’t have clothes that would be considered sexy. She always dressed more on the conservative side, partly to please her parents, but partly because she wasn’t comfortable showing so much skin.

  The only thing she noticed in her closet was a black mini skirt and pink tank top with rhinestones around the low cut collar. She didn’t have much cleavage to show, so it didn’t matter how low cut the top; it wasn’t going to be sexy.

  Chapter Three

  Mindy stood in front of her full length mirror. Her mini skirt felt too short and her tank top felt too low. She wasn’t sure if she looked “sexy”, but she was sure she looked a little slutty. She decided to change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt instead. Just because she was working at a bar, it didn’t mean she had to dress like a whore to get tips. If she didn’t make any money wearing what was comfortable, she would find another job.

  Inside the bar Veronica was already busy stocking beer inside the coolers full of ice. Mindy walked behind the bar and placed her purse underneath next to Veronicas.

  “Hey girl…You ready for this crazy life?” Veronica asked.

  Mindy wasn’t sure what she was ready for at this point. She was there. She was willing to try. “Sure,” she agreed.

  Veronica showed her the basics. A lot of it was the same stuff Paul had went over. “It’s simple. They come in, ask them what they want and then get it. Their drinks get close to empty, ask them if they want a refill and then refill it.” Veronica made it sound so simple.

  Two men sat at the bar next to one another drinking Miller Lite’s. The man on the left was large and sported a long grey beard. The man on the right was skinny and looked like he was at least 70 years old. He had long white hair and shook as he picked his beer bottle up and held it to his mouth.

  “Fellows, this is your new bartender Mindy. Be nice and tip her well so she will come back,” Veronica ordered the men.

  “Damn, you take credit, sweetie. I will pay whatever it takes to keep you here,” the large man blurted out.

  The skinny man smiled at his friend's comment and displayed his mouth full of missing teeth.

  “Does it get very busy in here?” Mindy asked as she tried to shake off the slimy feeling from the man’s comment.

  Veronica explained there were a lot of regulars who would come in throughout the day and the evening. On weekends they got larger crowds, especially when they had bands inside the bar playing. Mindy looked around the tiny building and couldn’t imagine where a band would play.

  “You can expect a few regulars tonight and possibly a couple walk-ins,” Veronica explained.

  As the evening went on more and more people started coming in. Most of them pulled up on motorcycles and wore black leather. Mindy was starting to get the hang of grabbing beers and running the register. She felt stumped a few times when someone had ordered a mixed drink, mainly because she didn’t know where everything was placed. Luckily, the mixed drinks that were ordered consisted of some type of whiskey and a soda or a red bull and Jägermeister or flavored vodka.

  “Babydoll, can I bother you for a shot of Jack?” a smooth, but deep voice requested from behind Mindy’s back.

  When she turned to acknowledge the man she must have looked like she had seen a ghost. “I didn’t mean to scare you sweetheart,” he said softly.

  Mindy wasn’t scared; she was just caught off guard. He was the sexiest man she'd ever seen. His chiseled chin and explicit cheekbones all accentuated his full lips. The goatee that hung from the point on his chin was attached to the perfectly trimmed mustache above his beautiful lips. His eyes were deep blue and felt as if they were windows into her own soul when he looked at her. She wanted to lean in and kiss him right then and there; she almost couldn’t control herself from acting on her impulses. She pulled herself out of the trance he had her captured in and spoke with a soft voice.

  “Of course.” She was flustered.

  Mindy turned to grab the bottle of Jack Daniels, but grabbed Wild Turkey instead. She poured it into a large rocks glass and handed it to the beautiful man. He had a grin on his face as he took the drink. Mindy realized she had given him the wrong whiskey and had used the wrong glass.

  “I'm so sorry. Here, let me fix that,” she offered.

  He pulled the glass away from her. “Baby, I will drink whatever you give me.” His voice oozed like syrup from his lips into her ears.

  “I really am sorry,” she muttered as her face turned bright red.

  Veronica stepped from behind Mindy. “Everything ok?” she asked.

  “Everything is just fine,” the man said.

  Veronica looked at the Wild Turkey in Mindy’s hand and the glass in his. She laughed and walked away. “She will get the hang of it soon enough,” she added.

  Mindy felt stupid for the mistake, but the man made her feel better as he told her he loved Wild Turkey and probably should have ordered it instead of the Jack. Mindy knew he was only being nice, but it felt good to have a man so beautiful be nice to her.

  Mindy walked over to Veronica and apologized for her stupid mistake.

  “It looks like he flustered you a little bit, sweetie,” she laughed.

  “His eyes jus
t pierced through me,” Mindy admitted.

  “That’s Vince. He’s harmless” Veronica added.

  He didn’t look harmless. Mindy could feel his eyes on her every time she moved. He made her nervous, but for some reason knowing he was staring at her made her excited. She wanted him to look at her. She wanted him to want her.

  A blonde came in and sat next to him at the end of the bar. Mindy walked over to her and asked her what she wanted to drink. She wore a tight tank top that was thin enough to show her erect nipples underneath. Her hair was long and pulled back away from her face. She looked rough, like she was once pretty but had lived a hard life. She raised her skinny arm and held a finger up at Mindy as if to tell her to hold on. Mindy wanted to grab her finger and pull it backwards. She watched the beautiful man as he listened to her ramble on about a bike run. His eyes returned to Mindy and noticed the finger held up by the girl sitting next to him. He reached up and pulled her hand down to the bar and winked at Mindy. “Apologize,” he said sternly to the blonde.

  The woman stopped talking and looked towards Mindy. She rolled her eyes. “Get me a Bud Light,” she snapped and then turned back to Vince.

  Mindy started to turn to get her the beer when Vince stood up. “No, apologize, and then ask her nicely to please get you a Bud Light.” He spoke in a deep confident voice.

  “It’s really ok,” Mindy argued.

  “No, it isn’t. You don’t deserve to be treated like that, especially not by her,” he stated.

  The woman seemed to realize that he wasn’t playing games. She turned to Mindy. “I am sorry. Can you please get me a Bud Light?” she asked a second time, but in a much nicer tone.

  “Of course.” Mindy turned and grabbed a beer from the cooler and placed it on the bar in front of the woman.

  Vince handed Mindy a $10 dollar bill and smiled. “Keep the change,” he told her.

  Mindy felt funny about taking such a large tip, but with the crowd inside the bar and the fact that most only tipped about 75 cents a beer, she could use the money. “Thank you.” she said to Vince, ignoring the woman who was already tugging on his sleeve to gain more of his attention.