Disclaimer : as in ch. 1
1900 EST
16 May 2027
Webb Residence
Alexandria, VA
It had been almost a year since the incident involving Trey. The conversation the Rabb's porch almost a year ago seemed null and void. Trey always thought they will be ok and quickly forgot about the incident. He moved on like a true aviator but Grace could never forget it. The vision of Trey on the hospital bed haunted her in her sleep. She quickly avoided him hoping the vision would subsided. Trey got the wrong message of her absent and he, too, used his carrier duty as an excuse to avoid her, while she used her studies as a way to avoid him. Since the incident nothing stayed the same, Trey friendship with Grace had become more strained than ever.
He'd actually tried to avoid the family event today, but with the Kennedy in port till next week, he had no real way to excuse himself. Today was the housewarming party for Clay's new home. He'd moved from a five-bedroom to a three-bedroom because, as all his children were grown up, he really didn't need all that space.
"Uncle Clay, do you know where Grace is? I haven't seen her around." Trey took a deep breath, having decided to try to get their friendship back to what it had once been.
"Ah...I don't know. I think she's giving her friend the dime tour. Oh, there she is!" Clay gestured toward the far side of the room.
Trey quickly made his way across the room. "Hey, Grace."
"Oh, hi, Trey." Grace looked almost surprised that he'd willingly come to talk to her. An uncomfortable silence quickly grew, until a handsome young man walked up to them, handing Grace a drink. "Alex, let me introduce you to my friend, Harmon David Rabb III. Trey, this is Alexander Phillip Arthur Russell. He's one of the foreign exchange students at Duke."
"Call me Trey."
"Alex."
The two men exchanged a firm handshake.
"I heard from Grace that you're a Naval Aviator."
"That's right. I'm currently serving onboard the USS Kennedy. That's some name you've got."
"Alex's father is Earl Russell IX of England." Grace supplied.
(A/N: I made up the title. If there is one, it is pure coincidence. If there is no possibility of the title, just pretend that it is possible for English noble to have this title. I got the idea from Princess Diana's brother who is the current Earl Spencer.)
"Ah...that'd explain it."
"Trey, would you please excuse us? I want to introduce Alex to Jeremy. I just saw him coming in."
"By all means." Trey answered with a tight smile, feeling a twinge of jealousy as Alex escorted Grace across the room, his hand on her lower back.
TBC…
