Somehow I managed to stand on two wobbly legs. I removed his jacket, handed it back to him, then leaned forward until we were face to face again.
“This is for saving me tonight,” I said, and kissed him one last time.
The butterflies took off again, followed by sparks. Fireworks. Volcanic eruptions…
When I leaned back again, his eyes were half-closed.
“Goodnight my sexy soldier,” I said, raising my hand in salute. Kyle grinned broadly and saluted me back.
“Goodnight my ivory princess,” I heard him say as I walked away.
Four
SAMMARA
“So… how was your date?”
Melissa looked at me expectantly from across her mug of steaming coffee. She was excited for me. Eager.
I almost hated to disappoint her.
“It was… interesting.”
Her eyes flared, and I realized my mistake. I knew she immediately took the statement to mean that I’d slept with him.
“Well, not that interesting. But still, not what I’d expected.”
I launched into detail, telling her about how I’d been stood up — or rather, partially stood up — and then left the bar with a soldier named Kyle. I talked at length about the kiss. Hell, it got me excited all over again, even in the re-telling.
“And then you went to a park, you said?”
“Yes.”
“And what happened there? More kissing?”
“Yeah… sorta.” I stalled a little, trying to figure out what I should say and not say. I could show her the ad. I had it right on my phone. It would be easy. It would explain everything…
“And then we sorta just exchanged numbers and left,” I said.
Her entire expression changed. She was totally crestfallen.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.”
Melissa was my best friend. She was already married though, and living vicariously through me. I could spice up her day a little. Tell her all about Kyle’s stomach-churning idea of sharing a girlfriend, and how it would work, and how the three other soldiers living in this old lakehouse estate were probably as ripped and shredded and beautiful as Kyle was.
Instead I told her nothing.
What are you hiding Sammara?
That little voice again, nagging at me. Knowing exactly what I was thinking in the back of my mind, and dragging it all the way to the front.
You’re thinking of calling him, aren’t you?
I was. I definitely was. And that was probably a bad idea.
It is a bad idea, the voice admonished. You should delete that number right now.