Chapter 21*
"Do you see my being on the road as a problem?"
"No, the last guy was in the Corps-so I saw him rarely. My feeling is that it matters not how far apart you are physically-what matters is how close you stay spiritually. You learn to make the most of the time you do have together."
"I like the way you think."
Mischief in mind, he smiled. "Thanks-I hear that all the time!"
Moni missed the sparkle of evil in his eye and laughing she explained that Kirsten said that to her a lot. "You know, I just realized, we're in the bathroom."
"So?"
"K and I always have our serious discussions in here. We need to pick a different spot for the next one."
"Oh I have a good one in mind."
"I'm sure you do!"
"I'm done here, you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
"To move this discussion into another room."
"I guess so."
With that he helped her clean up his mess and they tip toed down the hall to her room. In daylight Jeff looked around at all the things he missed last night in his haste. Her room was full of military memorabilia. Awards, certificates, combined with her red bed coverings it was all very patriotic. He made a mental note to ask her later to explain what they all were. He plopped on her bed and motioned for her to come sit beside him. Tensely she joined him. He laid back, his hand in hers. As soon as she relaxed he turned on his side and propped his head in his hand so he could look at her while they talked. Her hair just fell on the pillow and spread out like a fan. Her blue eyes held him for a moment-he was sure he'd see them tonight before he fell asleep. "I know you've probably heard this before, but you have incredible eyes."
"Thank you. I like yours too-you know what they say about green eyes?"
"Yeah, are you telling me you doubt it?"
"Oh no."
"Good. Don't underestimate me."
She couldn't help but laugh out loud at his using her threat from earlier. "I'll regret that I said that won't I?"
"Yes you will Sunshine."
"It's getting late Jeff, Matt will be calling soon."
"I know-I don't want to leave either."
"You don't know that you want to stay that bad either."
"Believe me I do. I feel like I'm being given an opportunity-but it's only going to come in small doses. It's going to take me forever to. " He trailed off. He couldn't find the words. "I think I understand. Let's think of something else. See that one right there?" she pointed to one of the frames on her wall holding a cherished piece of paper, "that I got for receiving an Outstanding on an IG inspection my first year at my first duty station."
He was amazed at her. She had the uncanny ability to sense his thoughts or read his expressions already and she always acted on it. He wasn't trying to be a pervert but he was looking forward to the day when she could sense what he wanted and he hoped she'd be the one making the first move.
"You have lived a whole other life-one with so many rules and boundaries that I don't think I'd survive in. I hope you'll explain it all to me, when we have the time."
"Sure, I'm proud of that life and I'd be happy to share it with you. Maybe I can get you onto the base one of these times when you have more time off."
"Do you miss it?"
"Yes, every day. I don't think it's something I'll ever get over-there's something I can't explain-it's a huge part of me. That was the only time in my life I ever wanted a tattoo. Almost like a rite of passage."
"You don't have any?" Jeff couldn't believe it. Most everyone he met had one or two. "None. I almost got one while I was in San Antonio. An Ooh Rahâ tattoo is what we called them. I wanted the outline of a bulldog with the letters USMC inside it on my shoulder blade."
"Why didn't you get it?"
"The other jarheads in my platoon never came back for me the night they went to get theirs-I was standing duty and they were supposed to come pick me up when I got relieved off of post."
Jeff's cell phone rang bringing them out of their conversation. "Hey Matt, yeah I am ready to go. Meet me at Monique's. Ok Bye." "Well we'll just have to fix that one of these days won't we?"
"Oh I don't know Jeff"
"Don't say no-just think about it."
"Ok."
For the time, they were content to just lay together in silence. Sometimes, no words are needed you can walk away from that and feel it was the best time you ever spent. Jeff broke the quiet first "Can I call you tonight when we check in?"
"Yes. If just to let me know you got there ok. I know you need your rest."
"Thank you for today."
"What did I do to deserve that?"
"You shared something of yourself with me and I feel good."
"Thank you too."
At the sound of someone knocking on the door, Jeff moved to get off the bed. As if he had a second thought, he swung back around and faced Moni. She was looking at him with those eyes and he couldn't leave without kissing her just once. He leaned over towards her, this time praying she was reading his mind and that she would meet him halfway. Monique knew what he was about to do and instantly froze. Where in the hell was that inner voice now, reminding her to be a hardass? Jeff sensed that there was conflict going on and used it to his advantage.
He put his hand behind her neck and gently pulled her face to his. In order to prevent losing this all together, he just simply showered her lips with small kisses hoping she would open up to his ultimate goal. Moni's body won out over her brain and she slowly gave in to Jeff's actions. Her arm had no sooner reached up to him, cradling his head when the mood was broken by the doorbell. "Damn, he's got bad timing." Jeff growled Instead of going around his side of the bed to exit the room, Jeff decided to leave her with the fleeting vision of him hovering above her as he effortlessly slid across her and off the other side. He stood up and extended a hand to help her up. They walked, hands intertwined, to the front door. Before bending to grab his bag, Jeff pulled her into his embrace and whispered in her ear, "Thank you." He kissed her hair and said he would call upon getting settled in his room. With that, he was out the door before Matt could hit the bell again.
Monique could hear Matt's exasperation "man, what took you so long-we've got to go get Amy too, remember?"
"Chill, Matt. It's not like it's out of the way-she's in town already."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Do you see my being on the road as a problem?"
"No, the last guy was in the Corps-so I saw him rarely. My feeling is that it matters not how far apart you are physically-what matters is how close you stay spiritually. You learn to make the most of the time you do have together."
"I like the way you think."
Mischief in mind, he smiled. "Thanks-I hear that all the time!"
Moni missed the sparkle of evil in his eye and laughing she explained that Kirsten said that to her a lot. "You know, I just realized, we're in the bathroom."
"So?"
"K and I always have our serious discussions in here. We need to pick a different spot for the next one."
"Oh I have a good one in mind."
"I'm sure you do!"
"I'm done here, you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
"To move this discussion into another room."
"I guess so."
With that he helped her clean up his mess and they tip toed down the hall to her room. In daylight Jeff looked around at all the things he missed last night in his haste. Her room was full of military memorabilia. Awards, certificates, combined with her red bed coverings it was all very patriotic. He made a mental note to ask her later to explain what they all were. He plopped on her bed and motioned for her to come sit beside him. Tensely she joined him. He laid back, his hand in hers. As soon as she relaxed he turned on his side and propped his head in his hand so he could look at her while they talked. Her hair just fell on the pillow and spread out like a fan. Her blue eyes held him for a moment-he was sure he'd see them tonight before he fell asleep. "I know you've probably heard this before, but you have incredible eyes."
"Thank you. I like yours too-you know what they say about green eyes?"
"Yeah, are you telling me you doubt it?"
"Oh no."
"Good. Don't underestimate me."
She couldn't help but laugh out loud at his using her threat from earlier. "I'll regret that I said that won't I?"
"Yes you will Sunshine."
"It's getting late Jeff, Matt will be calling soon."
"I know-I don't want to leave either."
"You don't know that you want to stay that bad either."
"Believe me I do. I feel like I'm being given an opportunity-but it's only going to come in small doses. It's going to take me forever to. " He trailed off. He couldn't find the words. "I think I understand. Let's think of something else. See that one right there?" she pointed to one of the frames on her wall holding a cherished piece of paper, "that I got for receiving an Outstanding on an IG inspection my first year at my first duty station."
He was amazed at her. She had the uncanny ability to sense his thoughts or read his expressions already and she always acted on it. He wasn't trying to be a pervert but he was looking forward to the day when she could sense what he wanted and he hoped she'd be the one making the first move.
"You have lived a whole other life-one with so many rules and boundaries that I don't think I'd survive in. I hope you'll explain it all to me, when we have the time."
"Sure, I'm proud of that life and I'd be happy to share it with you. Maybe I can get you onto the base one of these times when you have more time off."
"Do you miss it?"
"Yes, every day. I don't think it's something I'll ever get over-there's something I can't explain-it's a huge part of me. That was the only time in my life I ever wanted a tattoo. Almost like a rite of passage."
"You don't have any?" Jeff couldn't believe it. Most everyone he met had one or two. "None. I almost got one while I was in San Antonio. An Ooh Rahâ tattoo is what we called them. I wanted the outline of a bulldog with the letters USMC inside it on my shoulder blade."
"Why didn't you get it?"
"The other jarheads in my platoon never came back for me the night they went to get theirs-I was standing duty and they were supposed to come pick me up when I got relieved off of post."
Jeff's cell phone rang bringing them out of their conversation. "Hey Matt, yeah I am ready to go. Meet me at Monique's. Ok Bye." "Well we'll just have to fix that one of these days won't we?"
"Oh I don't know Jeff"
"Don't say no-just think about it."
"Ok."
For the time, they were content to just lay together in silence. Sometimes, no words are needed you can walk away from that and feel it was the best time you ever spent. Jeff broke the quiet first "Can I call you tonight when we check in?"
"Yes. If just to let me know you got there ok. I know you need your rest."
"Thank you for today."
"What did I do to deserve that?"
"You shared something of yourself with me and I feel good."
"Thank you too."
At the sound of someone knocking on the door, Jeff moved to get off the bed. As if he had a second thought, he swung back around and faced Moni. She was looking at him with those eyes and he couldn't leave without kissing her just once. He leaned over towards her, this time praying she was reading his mind and that she would meet him halfway. Monique knew what he was about to do and instantly froze. Where in the hell was that inner voice now, reminding her to be a hardass? Jeff sensed that there was conflict going on and used it to his advantage.
He put his hand behind her neck and gently pulled her face to his. In order to prevent losing this all together, he just simply showered her lips with small kisses hoping she would open up to his ultimate goal. Moni's body won out over her brain and she slowly gave in to Jeff's actions. Her arm had no sooner reached up to him, cradling his head when the mood was broken by the doorbell. "Damn, he's got bad timing." Jeff growled Instead of going around his side of the bed to exit the room, Jeff decided to leave her with the fleeting vision of him hovering above her as he effortlessly slid across her and off the other side. He stood up and extended a hand to help her up. They walked, hands intertwined, to the front door. Before bending to grab his bag, Jeff pulled her into his embrace and whispered in her ear, "Thank you." He kissed her hair and said he would call upon getting settled in his room. With that, he was out the door before Matt could hit the bell again.
Monique could hear Matt's exasperation "man, what took you so long-we've got to go get Amy too, remember?"
"Chill, Matt. It's not like it's out of the way-she's in town already."
"Yeah, yeah."