The X's Ex
"Boss!" Almost as soon as Kate enters the pub, she's greeted by the Hammersley crew, her own personal welcoming squad. There's a collection of empty glasses in the middle of the table already, despite it being barely past 2000 hours, and 2Dads in particular is smiling and waving as though it has been significantly more than four hours since she'd seen him last. Kate barely suppresses an eyeroll at the overly-enthusiastic greeting - after all, she's not going to begrudge her crew the chance to let of some steam after a month's hard patrol and five guaranteed days of leave.
So she returns the wave and makes her way towards them, wending her way between chairs and tables and taking a seat between Bird and her new XO. Annika Patel has settled well into the Hammersley over the last three months, especially for this being her first posting as an executive officer. Smart, quick-witted, funny and beautiful to boot - Kate's only complaint is that the woman is often quite sullen the first day of every patrol, although with two young boys at home, it's hardly a surprise she is a little upset to leave them behind.
"Ma'am." Annika greets respectfully, smiling kindly. Both her hands are clasped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate - she'd confided in the crew that she didn't drink, much to the crew's general bewilderment. It didn't seem to matter, because she rarely joined them at the pub, unless her family was out. Kate had met her sons at a BBQ last month, although she hadn't had much time to interact with the children as they had spent most of the day waging war against 2Dads with the ice from the esky. Smiling fondly at the memory, Kate smiles at her XO.
"Annika. Good to be home?"
"Oh yes." Annika agrees, dropping a marshmallow into her mug and stirring it slowly with a spoon. "The boys are both at karate at the moment so I thought I'd stop by before picking them up. Then we're headed to the park tomorrow with friends. How was your night?"
Kate opens her mouth to respond but is stopped as 2Dads chimes in. "Yeah!" He calls, leaning across Charge, his words a little slurred. "How was your date?"
Years ago, Kate would have simply silenced any sort of question like that with a glare, but her time with the Hammersley crew has softened her, and she simply raises an eyebrow. "And who says I was on a date?" She challenges, but 2Dads appears either too drunk or too curious to care.
"Well, you don't normally wear makeup just for a simple night at the pub with us. Or dress this nicely." He points out, grinning. Kate opens her mouth, not sure whether she's going to reprimand him or snap back, but he adds, "You do look lovely, by the way. It's a nice colour on you."
Kate rolls her eyes at the drunken compliment, deciding to let it slide. "Fine. The date was terrible. All he wanted to talk about was Game of Thrones." She's glad she's mentioned this little detail, as the crew dissolve into instant chatter as to whether the show is worth the hype or not, and Annika catches her gaze and smiles.
"There you go. They'll be too distracted to talk about you, now." She glances at her watch. "Anyway, I think I'll be off. Hubby will be home soon and I should pick up my boys from their activities. Thanks all for a lovely night." They all wave their farewells and return to their conversations, talking slightly louder as the band begins to play. Kate has just craned her neck to watch, the song oddly familiar, when Bird sighs whimsically.
"She is so nice." She muses, watching Annika's dark plait swishing from view. "And so are you, Boss." She grins cheerily, draining the last of her glass before resting her head on her arms. "Just lovely."
"So, can we talk about the fact that the guy singing is totally checking you out?" Bird squeals, widening her eyes in a pointed manner, before nodding her head in the direction of the stage, her gaze somewhat glassy from the three vodka and orange juices she's finished since Kate's been here. The alcohol seems to have done nothing to dull her enthusiasm. Kate, for her part, is seated at the end of the table, sipping her second glass of wine and watching with a detached sort of interest as the younger members of the crew debate whether the band's original songs are better than the covers. "He keeps looking at you all the time."
"You're being completely absurd." Kate shakes her head, the corners of her mouth twitching. Bird's words seem to have caught the interest of the rest of the crew though, because Charge trails off from his recount of a memorable fishing trip to chime in.
"I don't know." He tips his head slightly, draining the last of his drink before turning a critical eye back towards the lead singer. "Bird's right. Want us to close ranks, Boss? Warn him off? He's practically serenading you."
Dutchy twists around in his chair to investigate, the whole lot of them looking ridiculously un-subtle, Bird even rising into a half-standing position in order to get a better look. "They're right, you know." Dutchy observes. "Doesn't really look like your type though. Too many tattoos."
"How do you guys know what my type is?" Kate scoffs, unable to keep the laughter from her voice. "Actually, no. Don't answer that. You guys are already way too knowledgeable about my romantic life."
"Hey, just keen observation." 2Dads chimes in, turning back to the singer. "And for the record that last song he barely took his eyes off you."
Kate's saved the trouble of responding as the man in question finishes his song, speaking into the microphone. "You're a great audience! We're going to take a short break, folks, but don't go anywhere, because we'll be back in fifteen."
"He totally just winked at you!" Bird squeals, speaking slightly louder than normal, so that Kate has to physically restrain herself from clapping a hand over the woman's mouth. "You had to have seen that."
"Okay, okay!" Kate concedes, knowing it's only a matter of time before 2Dads approaches the man. "He's probably just looking at me because... I know him."
"You know him?!" Dutchy repeats incredulously. "I thought we knew all your friends. How?"
"That's... my business." Kate murmurs evasively, before flapping a hand about. "Seriously, haven't you got anything more interesting to talk about?"
"That means they slept together." 2Dads tries to whisper to Charge, even though Kate still catches every word. She clears her throat pointedly and 2Dads gulps. "I'm headed to the bar." He mutters quickly, despite the fact that his glass is still half-full.
"Another wine, thanks." Kate's eyes narrow as she holds up her empty glass. For a moment, 2Dads looks as though he's about to argue but seems to reconsider and nods solemnly.
"And another for me!" Bird calls, raising her glass too.
2Dads scoffs. "Buy your own, Birdie."
Kate turns her attention back to the stage, but the band members have already dispersed, no doubt to buy their own drinks. She finishes her wine, but only has to wait several minutes before 2Dads returns, balancing a tray of drinks with more concentration than she's ever seen him inject into his work before. He places his own drink in front of his chair before depositing Kate's wine and a vibrantly green shot in front of her. "Uh, Boss-" 2Dads hesitates for a moment, then taps the small glass. "Uh, the singer we're not talking about said to give you this." Kate eyes the drink, torn between irritation and amusement. 2Dads frowns as he seems to wrack his brain. "He said... anniversaries are meant to be celebrated, and to drink up."
Kate and 2Dads glance back at the bar in time to see the man raise his own matching drink and bring it to his lips. Rolling her eyes, Kate pushes herself to her feet. "Bastard." She mutters.
"Boss?" 2Dads gulps, looking taken aback and half-raising his hands as though preparing to defend himself from attack.
"Not you." Kate dismisses him with a wave of her hand. She makes to walk over to him and then, at the last moment, seems to think better of it and doubles back. Ignoring the curious looks of everyone at the table, she downs the shot in one and moves away once again. He doesn't look surprised to see her approaching him. On the contrary, he gives a cocky grin and taps the bar stool next to him with his foot.
"You're causing a scene." Kate grumbles as she slides onto the stool. "And that stuff is disgusting, Zac." She can feel it burning her throat, but the feeling is oddly comforting as well, giving her a strength she hadn't expected.
"It's good to see you too." Zac flashes a dimpled smile at her and she hates the way she can't help but smile back at his light and conversational tone. "What's it been? Two years?"
"Five at least." Kate scoffs, tapping her fingernail on the bar in front of her.
"Well..." He leans closer, so that his mouth is close to her ear, hot breath ticking her neck. "Happy Anniversary, Kate."
She shakes her head, fingering the chain of her dog-tags. "We got together in July." She points out. And she's not going to fall back into his life, not going to let his charm take over her senses. After all, where had charming men ever gotten her?
Zac shrugs in a nonchalant fashion. "Well, we broke up in May. Ten years ago today if you recall. What's that? Tin? Either way, significantly more successful than our relationship." He winks at her again, downing his own drink. "You going to introduce me to your friends?" He turns his gaze towards the table, and Kate mimics his actions just in time to see several heads ducking. "Wow." He chuckles. "They are all very unsubtle."
"Tell me about it." Kate agrees wearily, wondering vaguely how much alcohol she'll have to buy the rest of the crew so they forget everything about this night. "And I've got to go back to them." She makes to stand up but he reaches out and takes her hand. As she glances at his arms, she sees he's added a few more tattoos to his sleeves. "You turned me into a mermaid." Kate muses, brushing a thumb against the spot where her name had been etched. And, God, it seems like a lifetime ago that she'd watched the delicate letters inked into his flesh, had traced her fingers along them.
He smiles, and the mermaid's tail seems to ripple somewhat. "Was either that or a t-rex on a skateboard. But I figured this suited you better. Always in the water whenever you could be." He catches her gaze and grins. "Stay, Kit. Have a drink with me. My shout."
"And leave your adoring fans to their silence?" Kate quips, nodding to a group of women staring dreamily up at him. He's always been like that, surrounded by gaggles of lust-filled women. And years ago, she'd looked at him like that too.
"For you, anything." He grins, his eyes not wavering from hers. For a moment she's frozen, and she hates how he can still just look at her like that and her heart starts to flutter. But then she shakes her head softly.
"It was good to see you, Zac." She smiles sadly. "Go and sing."
It's been years. Years and years since they'd agreed it was over and gone their separate ways. And yet standing in front of him tonight had made her feel as though no time had passed at all.
But it had always been like that. His charisma and charm had always been dangerous. Had always dragged her in deeper than she'd ever intended to go. Hell, she'd never meant to fall for him in the first place, but that damned smile...
Well, it had drawn her in.
And as Kate stares at her reflection in the warped bathroom mirror she feels her heart flutter unexpectedly. Damn him, she thinks. Damn him for showing up and making me feel this way.
Peering critically at her reflection, she finds herself digging in her bag for a tube of lipstick. And she's not reapplying her makeup for him - no. It's for her.
But who is she kidding, really? Ten years. Ten years since they'd broken up and he can still make her feel like she's floating on clouds just by looking at her.
"Get a grip, Kate." She mutters to her own reflection, glaring. "Get a hold of yourself."
She's not looking for him. No. But her gaze does happen to pass over the bar and she can't help but notice that Zac is no longer there. For a moment she thinks he's left entirely, and she can't quite figure out how she feels about that. But one glance at the crew has her following their collective gazes and, of course, there he is, standing in a secluded corner of the bar chatting to a leggy brunette.
"So what's the story?" 2Dads presses without preamble as she drags her gaze away and takes a seat, sipping her wine more for something to do rather than any real thirst. "You obviously know the guy!"
"You guys looked so cute together!" Bird squeals in her usual My Little Pony level of enthusiasm.
"Yeah, definitely looked like more than an old friend." Charge muses, taking a gulp of his guava mojo.
"Oh my gosh." Kate drags a hand over her face, talking through her fingers. "We dated. Years ago. We were together for... four years, maybe? His name is Zac. And I haven't seen him in years. Does this answer all your questions?" She peels back her hands to attempt her best glare.
"So... he's your X." A wide grin splits 2Dads' face. "He's the X's ex!" He declares excitedly, slurring slightly on the words.
"She's not your X anymore, idiot. She's the boss!" Dutchy points out, slapping a hand over the back of his head.
2Dads shrugs. "Oops. I forgot. Either way. Is it weird, bumping into an ex-boyfriend?"
"Ah..." Kate begins, but she's interrupted by everyone's sudden interest in someone over her shoulder, and she knows even before she's turned around that Zac has taken the stage once more.
"Thank you everyone. I just wanted to do a quick shout out to a very special audience member here with us tonight." Kate feels her face flush and twists around to glare at him darkly, but Zac merely grins even brighter, waving merrily before continuing to talk through the microphone. "She may be my ex wife, but she's also one of my best friends. I've known Kate since she was a nine-year-old arguing with my mates because she wanted to play pirates with us too, and now she is a freaking lieutenant commander in the Navy! That deserves a clap!" Kate feels as though she'd like nothing better than to sink into the floor and disappear. Over the applause and stares of what feels like the entire pub, Kate buries her face in her hands. "Have a good night, everyone! This next song is one of our very own."
As the music starts up and Kate peeks out from behind her fingers, she spots many pairs of eyes on her.
"You were married?" Bird squeals, breaking the shocked silence of the Hammersley crew.