He smiled and shook his head in chagrin at himself as he walked down
the hall to her door. He'd done the unspeakable. He'd fallen for
her. He was totally in love with her.
He wasn't sure how she would take it if he told her, and for the time being, he decides to keep it to himself. Not that it would do much good, as half the base probably knew already. Short Fuze, Steeler, Flint, Falcon, Duke, Hawk and even Snake Eyes were already teasing him about his being "pussy-whipped" by the pint-sized beauty of a weaponsmith.
As she opens the door after his knock, he realizes something that he hadn't before. No matter how she managed to hide it, the petite weaponsmith was one totally gorgeous, stunning, one hundred percent woman. She was wearing the outfit that he had laid out for her and had added a few touches of her own. She wore very little make-up and her hair was styled into one of those classic, timeless updos. Never before had he seen her wear a pair of high-heeled shoes, like she was now. Stiletto heels, no less.
And the wrap that she wore around her shoulders was the perfect counterpart to the outfit. He didn't know that she had anything that expensive in her wardrobe.
He was flabbergasted! What miracle had happened to give him access to this exquisite beauty? What gods liked him enough to grant him his favorite dream?
When she giggled, he realized that he was standing there with his mouth wide open. Like a little boy who had just entered his fantasyland. He shut his mouth with a snap and handed her the rose with a flourish. He wondered just why her eyes filled with tears as she took it and put it into a vase that she had just washed out on the counter.
"Tonight, little lady, it's just James Barney and Cadence Tolliver- no Grand Slam and Spitfyre. Just James and Cadie. It's all pleasure and no business tonight."
"Whatever you say," she says, suspicious.
He looks down at his watch and offers her his arm as he notices what time it is. When they get downstairs to his truck, he picks her up and gently sets her down in the passenger seat. She buckles herself in as he strides around to the driver's side and swings himself in. He glances over at her as he buckles himself in and shifts gears, pulling out. He secretly keeps glancing over at her the whole time he is driving into town. She stares out the window at the scenery, wondering what is going on and why she is out and about on Valentine's Day. She doesn't understand why Grand Slam would do something like this. She wasn't good enough for him to take notice of her and do something like this for her.
They go out to a small café that he had found on one of his weekend passes. As they are seated, she begins to notice some little details about him that she hadn't noticed before.
For one thing, he was a lot more nervous now, than even when they'd first met. The clothes he was wearing were totally different from what she normally saw him wearing. His shirt was a dark midnight blue, and it brought out the dark sapphire of his eyes; the slacks he was wearing were dark. They were so dark that they looked almost black. With his long black trenchcoat, he looked like a dark sorcerer come to claim his mate. It hit her all of a sudden. The man was as handsome and sweetly romantic as she had ever dreamed that her prince charming would have been. Could he be the man of her childhood dreams? The one she knew she'd never find, but remembered just the same.
She allows him to order for her, because he'd been here before, but she hadn't. It turns out that he was friendly with the owner, and it helped him out sometimes. He ordered the Italian Combo for the both of them, and a bottle of wine that she knew was quite expensive. How did she rate such treatment, she wondered.
They were seated in a dim corner of the dining room, away from most of the noise and bustle. It was quiet where they were.
"Cadence, I have a major confession to make," he told her, looking at the table, after pouring a glass of the wine that he'd ordered.
She looks at him quizzically. "What? About the wounded VAMP being a excuse to get me off base?"
"You knew?"
"I figured it out after Eric ditched me just before we got to my door. It was the only explanation that would fit why both Steeler and Tollbooth went, when it would have been easier for just one of them to go. Not to mention less crowded in the cab of the tow rig."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm not mad. I can't believe that you guys went to all this trouble for little old me. You shouldn't have."
"We had to, little one. No one else has ever done anything like this for you, and I wanted to do something special for you for Valentines Day. You deserve to have something special done for you every now and then. Cadie, please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to say."
He gets extremely shy, swallowing hard, and before he can say anything, the waiter brings their orders. They eat in companionable silence, and when they are finished, he gets her wrap and holds it for her and offers her his arm as they leave for their next destination.
"What were you going to say, James," she asks him, shyly.
"I'll tell you later, Widget."
He wasn't sure how she would take it if he told her, and for the time being, he decides to keep it to himself. Not that it would do much good, as half the base probably knew already. Short Fuze, Steeler, Flint, Falcon, Duke, Hawk and even Snake Eyes were already teasing him about his being "pussy-whipped" by the pint-sized beauty of a weaponsmith.
As she opens the door after his knock, he realizes something that he hadn't before. No matter how she managed to hide it, the petite weaponsmith was one totally gorgeous, stunning, one hundred percent woman. She was wearing the outfit that he had laid out for her and had added a few touches of her own. She wore very little make-up and her hair was styled into one of those classic, timeless updos. Never before had he seen her wear a pair of high-heeled shoes, like she was now. Stiletto heels, no less.
And the wrap that she wore around her shoulders was the perfect counterpart to the outfit. He didn't know that she had anything that expensive in her wardrobe.
He was flabbergasted! What miracle had happened to give him access to this exquisite beauty? What gods liked him enough to grant him his favorite dream?
When she giggled, he realized that he was standing there with his mouth wide open. Like a little boy who had just entered his fantasyland. He shut his mouth with a snap and handed her the rose with a flourish. He wondered just why her eyes filled with tears as she took it and put it into a vase that she had just washed out on the counter.
"Tonight, little lady, it's just James Barney and Cadence Tolliver- no Grand Slam and Spitfyre. Just James and Cadie. It's all pleasure and no business tonight."
"Whatever you say," she says, suspicious.
He looks down at his watch and offers her his arm as he notices what time it is. When they get downstairs to his truck, he picks her up and gently sets her down in the passenger seat. She buckles herself in as he strides around to the driver's side and swings himself in. He glances over at her as he buckles himself in and shifts gears, pulling out. He secretly keeps glancing over at her the whole time he is driving into town. She stares out the window at the scenery, wondering what is going on and why she is out and about on Valentine's Day. She doesn't understand why Grand Slam would do something like this. She wasn't good enough for him to take notice of her and do something like this for her.
They go out to a small café that he had found on one of his weekend passes. As they are seated, she begins to notice some little details about him that she hadn't noticed before.
For one thing, he was a lot more nervous now, than even when they'd first met. The clothes he was wearing were totally different from what she normally saw him wearing. His shirt was a dark midnight blue, and it brought out the dark sapphire of his eyes; the slacks he was wearing were dark. They were so dark that they looked almost black. With his long black trenchcoat, he looked like a dark sorcerer come to claim his mate. It hit her all of a sudden. The man was as handsome and sweetly romantic as she had ever dreamed that her prince charming would have been. Could he be the man of her childhood dreams? The one she knew she'd never find, but remembered just the same.
She allows him to order for her, because he'd been here before, but she hadn't. It turns out that he was friendly with the owner, and it helped him out sometimes. He ordered the Italian Combo for the both of them, and a bottle of wine that she knew was quite expensive. How did she rate such treatment, she wondered.
They were seated in a dim corner of the dining room, away from most of the noise and bustle. It was quiet where they were.
"Cadence, I have a major confession to make," he told her, looking at the table, after pouring a glass of the wine that he'd ordered.
She looks at him quizzically. "What? About the wounded VAMP being a excuse to get me off base?"
"You knew?"
"I figured it out after Eric ditched me just before we got to my door. It was the only explanation that would fit why both Steeler and Tollbooth went, when it would have been easier for just one of them to go. Not to mention less crowded in the cab of the tow rig."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm not mad. I can't believe that you guys went to all this trouble for little old me. You shouldn't have."
"We had to, little one. No one else has ever done anything like this for you, and I wanted to do something special for you for Valentines Day. You deserve to have something special done for you every now and then. Cadie, please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to say."
He gets extremely shy, swallowing hard, and before he can say anything, the waiter brings their orders. They eat in companionable silence, and when they are finished, he gets her wrap and holds it for her and offers her his arm as they leave for their next destination.
"What were you going to say, James," she asks him, shyly.
"I'll tell you later, Widget."