Climb (Club Kitten Dancers 3)

“I had a feeling. Even before the lights came on, I just knew. Same old Sassy.”

“I might be different now.”

“Oh, you’re different all right. We both are. Not in the ways that matter, though,” he says.

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” he says. “I’m a little bit scarred. You’re a little bit tougher. Ain’t that right, Sassy McMittens? Isn’t that what you make your students call you?”

I nod. It’s a silly, silly nickname, but everyone likes it, including me.

“Yeah,” I tell him. “They all call me Professor McMittens.”

“Well, I know your real name, Sassy McMiller. I know your real name, Serenity.”

“It’s Sassy now.”

“You’ll always be Serenity to me,” he says.

Something in the air changes. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Something about the way he says I’ll always be Serenity sounds less like an observation and more like a promise.

Elliott is in the middle of the room and I’m by the wall, but he closes the space between us quickly and he wraps me up in a hug.

“I missed you, Serenity.”

“I missed you, too, airman.”

He holds me for a long time and for just a moment, I allow myself to forget about the day. I allow myself to forget about the time we were apart, about the way our reunion didn’t go as planned, about the guy who harassed me and my girls.

For just a moment, I allow myself to feel safe.

For just a moment, everything else floats away.

Then Elliott kisses me on the forehead and pulls back.

“I know I was early,” he says. “Why don’t you go take your shower, sweetie? I know you like to take one after work. I’ll make us some drinks.”

“Drinks? Like tea?”

“If you like.”

“Maybe…maybe something stronger?” I suggest.

“What did you have in mind?”

“There’s whiskey on top of the fridge,” I say, then I quickly hurry out of the living room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

Something tells me the night is going to go a lot differently than I expected it to.

Something tells me everything is about to get real.

Chapter 4

Elliott

Whiskey.

Fucking whiskey.