The sound of the shower running finally got through to me, and I sat straight up in bed. Oh, my God, it wasn't a dream. Grinning like an idiot, I climbed out of bed, delighting in the slight soreness of muscles that hadn't been used in way too long, and grabbed my robe. I only stubbed my toe once in my hurry to get to the kitchen and get the coffee started. I was staring into the refrigerator, debating fixing some eggs when I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind.
"Good morning."
I turned around in his arms to return his embrace. He was already dressed, darn it. "A very good morning. Do you have time for some breakfast?"
He shook his head. "Sorry, I've got to get in to the office."
"So tell me, do you always carry a clean uniform with you, or did you have some kind of hopes for last night that I didn't know about?"
He grinned and my stomach flip flopped in a most enjoyable way. "A good officer is like a boy scout."
"You mean a boy scout can...?" I got up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear and remind him of something he'd done the night before.
He laughed. "If I tell you yes, you'll start cruising the high schools. I meant that we're supposed to be prepared."
Remembering a few moments from the night before, I had to add, "Well, then you must be one hell of an officer, Admiral Chegwidden."
"So they tell me." He gave me a tender kiss, then pulled back from my arms. "I've got to get to work before I decide to call in and stay here all day."
"And that would be a bad thing why?"
"Definitely not a bad thing, but not very responsible. We're still short staffed."
"Well, if you must, you must. How do you take your coffee?"
"Black please."
I poured some coffee into one of those car cups and put the lid on it for him. "Here. I don't want you to spill this all over you in the car."
"Thanks." He picked up his duffle bag and headed toward the door.
I followed him and managed to sneak in one more kiss before he left. I stood at the door and watched him drive away until I couldn't see him anymore, then closed the door. I leaned up against it, then blushed as I remembered what had happened there last night. Even without a mirror, I knew that my face got even redder as I glanced at the couch. No way could I walk through the bedroom to take a shower before I had a cup of coffee.
Two hours later I had my thoughts and my complexion pretty much under control. Showered and dressed, I grabbed my makeup bag and took off for the bar, figuring I'd catch up on some paperwork before opening time. It was time to get my head back into reality. It wasn't an easy job, but I forced myself to concentrate on my bookkeeping. At least things were looking up there, so it wasn't as depressing as I'd been afraid it would be. The Hilltop seemed to be catching on with the local college kids this year, so receipts were up. I dreaded the influx in a way, because college kids always seem to act like college kids for some reason, but money was money. Sighing, I closed the ledger and walked into the office restroom to get ready for the night. I'd just finished putting on my makeup when I heard a voice from out front.
"Where the hell are you, and when do I get the scoop on last night?"
"Hello to you too, Rachel, and I have no idea what you're talking about."
She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, blocking me in the restroom. "Yeah, right. Come on, give it up."
"I'm not talking, so get out of my way."
Her face fell as she moved aside. "Don't tell me he didn't follow you home."
"Yes, he did, but you're not getting any details."
"Dottie, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Let's get set up for tonight."
"Screw tonight! What happened last night?" Her eyes narrowed. "And don't tell me nothing happened. You're blushing."
"I am not." The heat of my face told me I was lying. "Last night was great, ok? But it's not going to happen again, so I'm not going to rehash it for your entertainment."
"What the hell are you talking about? Did he turn out to be some kind of wierdo or something? Why isn't it going to happen again?"
I took a deep breath to steady myself. "He's not a wierdo. It was fantastic, ok? It was one of the best nights of my life, but that's it, ok?"
"No, damn it, that's not ok. If it was so great, why are you so upset?"
"Because," I sat down hard in the desk chair, "he comes from a different world, Rachel. He's a lawyer, and an admiral. He dates women who are judges, or doctors, or college professors, not high school dropouts. He loves Shakespeare and fancy Italian food, not Willie Nelson and chili."
"So what? Obviously you two have something in common."
"Yeah, a strong libido. That's not exactly enough to build a relationship on." She didn't say anything this time, just stood there and stared at me until I continued, "And I've been sitting here today realizing that what I want from him isn't what I thought I wanted."
"Which is?"
"I thought we could just have a good time together, mess around, no strings, the whole bit. But I want more. I can't be with him without having a relationship, a real relationship."
"Wow, either you have it really bad, or he's really good."
I smiled a little even though I felt tears sting my eyes. "Both."
"How do you know that he doesn't like Shakespeare and Willie Nelson, or italian food and chili? He might surprise you."
"Yeah, right, and pigs fly. So, have you heard from Clay lately?"
"Nice change of subject. Matter of fact, he called me last night after I got home. We're supposed to go out to dinner tomorrow night."
"Great. You realize that you'll be getting the same interrogation that you gave me the next day, right?"
"Yeah, but I'll tell you all the details."
"That's what I'm afraid of. Now let's go get this place ready for tonight."