Chapter 4

Sydney looks over to the baby grand near the bar, craning her neck to get a good look at Bradley as a crowd forms around him when he starts to sing. She gapes at him in awe as the music brings him out of his shell.

"Oh god," she says under her breath. "Are you telling me that that's Brad Bradshaw?"

Jake is watching her with a confused expression. "I thought you said you knew him."

Sydney shakes her head slowly. "Not for a long time," she says quietly.

She takes a step forward while Jake continues eyeing her wearily. Unhurriedly, she makes her way toward the piano, winding through the lively officers who have joined in song, until she's standing by Natasha right at the bench. Bradley looks over at her and cracks a smile as he sings.

Sydney is too shocked to return the gesture. Instead, she stares at him in wonder; at the ease with which his fingers travel along the keys; at his beaming face, at the aviators obscuring his eyes. His energy is catching and the entire bar is singing along with him. His confidence is sexy as hell and Sydney finds herself entranced by his performance.

When the song is over, he rises from the bench, grinning at her.

She doesn't find his unflappable attitude amusing. In fact, it irritates her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she says as the throng of people cheers around them.

"Tell you what?" he shouts over the crowd.

She watches him intently. "That you're Goose's son."

Bradley's grin falters and he immediately looks away. "Didn't come up," he responds.

She glances down at the Hawaiian shirt he's wearing over his white tee. "You should've said something."

Bradley's gaze flits back to her face. "Why?"

Natasha, who is standing right next to Sydney, eyes her with furrowed brows. Then, she glances questioningly at Bradley.

Sydney shrugs. "So, that's why you don't like my father."

"Trust me, your father has plenty of unlikeable qualities," he says tersely.

She tries to maintain a neutral expression while her stomach does a sickening flip. "Yeah," she finally agrees, searching his face for more, although his features are drawn and his eyes are blank.

He watches her levelly. "I've got an early morning," he says after several moments of silence. "You need a ride home?"

Sydney shakes her head, breaking eye contact. "I'm going to stick around for a bit," she says.

He nods, his jaw set. "Have a good time," he says.

"I intend to," she responds.

He lowers his gaze, still nodding. "I'll see you around," he says. Then he steps around the two girls, giving Natasha a quick nod before heading for the door.

...

"Either you're incredibly smart or we're incredibly boring," Jake says, sitting down at the desk beside Sydney's, eyeing the stacks of textbooks on the surrounding tables.

Sydney lifts her eyes with a small smile. Behind Jake's head, she can see two Super Hornets zoom over the airfield, one after another. "Can't it be both?" she asks.

He laughs and his voice echoes around the hangar. He tilts his head to read the spine of one of the books. "Advanced Experimental Design," he remarks. "Hot."

She chuckles. "Well, it's no dogfighting."

"So, you're a scientist."

"I will be."

He studies her face with a grin. "I had fun with you last night."

Sydney purses her lips. "Does that surprise you?"

"No," he replies. "But I thought I'd comment on it anyway."

She smiles at him just as Bradley enters near the back. Jake eyes him slyly as he makes his way through the hangar toward them.

"Is he bothering you?" Bradley asks Sydney impassively.

Jake rolls his eyes as Sydney glances up at Bradley. Their eyes meet briefly before Sydney lowers her gaze. "We're fine," she says.

Bradley nods, giving Jake a hostile look. "We're up, Hangman," he says, adjusting his chute bag.

Jake rises from his seat. "Perfect," he says, smirking down at Sydney. "You'll get to see me in action. The other kind of action," he adds, winking.

Bradley's flat gaze follows Jake as he makes his way outside. "How are you?" he asks once Jake is out of earshot.

Sydney looks back up at him. "Great," she responds sarcastically. "My father's made me join him on base today because apparently he's got some sort of activity planned for you guys that he thinks I might enjoy."

Bradley's mouth curls into a small, lopsided grin. "He is persistent, I'll give him that."

Sydney sighs. "Yeah," she replies tartly. "It's not always a good thing."

Bradley takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, watching her flip through her textbook. "For what it's worth," he says. "It was a pleasure to meet you – again," he adds.

Sydney lifts her eyes. "I think it was the mustache," she says thoughtfully. "Why I didn't recognize you."

He chuckles. "Well, I think a lot more than that has changed since I was ten."

She nods, trying to remember the last time she saw Bradley Bradshaw. She was four, so the memory is foggy at best.

He played a lot of video games, swore like a sailor, and kept a stash of chocolate bars under his bed. He'd never let her touch the controller because her parents had told him that she was too young to play, but on the day her parents had announced their split, he taught her anyway and, while she was trying her hand at Donkey Kong through the blurred vision of her teary eyes, he'd brought out all his chocolate and laid it on the bed beside her. That was the last time she'd seen him – until a few days ago when they met at the club.

"I heard about your mom," she says. "I'm sorry."

He pulls his lips into a tense frown. "Thanks."

Sydney looks over his shoulder at Jake who is watching their conversation from a distance. "I guess I'll get to see you fly today," she says.

Bradley's expression softens and he smirks. "Are you going to be watching?"

Sydney shrugs. "Nothing better to do."

Bradley eyes the textbooks spread out over several desks with raised brows. "In that case, you're in for a treat."

Sydney chuckles. "Looking forward to it, Brad Bradshaw."

He smiles. "Kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"

Sydney narrows her eyes. "Are you thinking about my tongue, Brad Bradshaw?"

Bradley laughs. "Now I am." Sydney brings her head down into her palm, unable to conceal her smile. She blinks up at him in amusement and he shakes his head, starting to walk away. "You're going to make me late for the hop and your father will be furious with me."

Sydney bites the side of her lip. "Now that would be a spectacle."

He laughs heartily and lifts his hand to indicate his departure.

Sydney waves at him with a couple of fingers, pressing her hand against her mouth to cover her persistent grin. "I'll see you around, Brad Bradshaw," she says under her breath.

...

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who is reading, following, and commenting on this fic! Hope you guys are enjoying it!