Chapter 6: Norfolk, Virginia - October 2013

x

x

Teylor slammed his phone down on the cafeteria table, cursing under his breath. The uncharacteristic display drew the attention of the remainder of the team.

"What's going on?" Frankie asked, shifting on the bench so he was facing Teylor. "Don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before. So what is it? Girl problems?"

Knowing that Frankie would continue to nag until answered, Teylor decided to go with the truth. "Caroline Green is a menace to the human race."

The table became very quiet as Danny's eyes swung towards Teylor. "What did my sister do now?"

"See for yourself." Swiping the screen of his cell, Teylor turned it so the entire team could read the message.

"She suggesting that you get checked for herpes?" Frankie asked, before doubling up with laughter. Between spurts, he managed to add, "You have no idea how happy I am that Caroline has found a new target. Can you believe I dealt with this bullshit for almost five years? It's hard, man, really hard."

Danny, however, didn't seem to be quite as amused as Frankie. Reading the message, he began scrolled up, causing Teylor to sweat slightly. Caro wasn't really one to text, preferring in-person communication, but there was the possibility that he or Caro might have said something that would clue Danny in on what was really going on. "Why is Caro texting you?"

Green's tone was neutral, and for the briefest of moments, Teylor considered confessing all. Cleaning the slate. After all, the guilt of knowing that he was sleeping with a teammate's sister - and lying about it by omission - weighed on him. But even as the thought occurred to him, Teylor knew that he wasn't going to say anything. Not because doing so would infuriate Caro, but because she would see it as a betrayal, as Teylor choosing to put his friendship with Danny over his relationship with her. Telling Danny would almost certainly end whatever was growing between them.

And that was a choice that Teylor wasn't ready to make it.

Teylor rolled his eyes. "As you can see, she seems to think it's the most efficient manner of insulting me."

Danny stopped scrolling, his face suddenly breaking into a smile as he passed the phone back. "I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon."

Benz, who was just starting to get himself under control, doubled over again and even Smith smiled. Berchem paused, fork halfway to his mouth. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Princess Bride," Danny responded. "And don't say you haven't seen it. Everyone has seen that movie."

"So what did you do this time?" Douglas Jones asked.

Teylor shrugged. "I made the mistake of suggesting that she try a new brand of scotch. Apparently she's very loyal to Macallen."

"Caroline mentioned that the two of you had become drinking buddies," Danny said, surprising Teylor. "Anyway, just ignore her when she gets in a mood. She doesn't care. Gives her time to cool down."

Losing interest in his sister's antics, Danny stood. "Anyone else headed to the gym?"

Frankie, Steven and Doug joined Danny, leaving Teylor with only Smith for company. Since the other man continued to quietly eat his cheeseburger, Teylor had plenty of time to consider Green's parting words. Caroline told her brother they were drinking buddies. The question was why? True, Caro hadn't told Danny the truth, instead suggesting that Teylor was nothing more than a person to occupy the bar stool next to her but, still, she said something. Was that a first step towards coming clean? Or merely a slip of the tongue?

Picking up his phone, Teylor considered Caro's snarky message before beginning to type out a response. Because he might not know how Caro felt about him or why she told her brother that they were drinking buddies, but he did know that Green was wrong about one thing. Caro wasn't okay with being ignored. Not at all. "What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard."

Less than a minute later his phone beeped. "Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it."

Smiling, Teylor replied. "May God have mercy on your soul."

"Good call."

Teylor's head snapped up, having forgotten that Smith was still at the table. "Huh?"

"On texting her back," Jason observed. "Green sucks at dating advise, by the way. Never ever ignore a woman. Makes them go all crazy."

Shit. Teylor carefully set down his phone, gazing at Jason evenly. "I don't need dating advice."

Jason didn't reply, simply returning his attention to his cheeseburger. As the silence stretched, Teylor tried to figure out what the guy might know - or might think that he knew. Smith was just so quiet. Half the time Teylor forgot that he was around. "Are you going to tell Green?"

Jason lifted an eyebrow. "Tell him what?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Teylor stood, collecting his tray. "Thanks. I owe you one."

Halfway across the cafeteria, Teylor barely heard the response. "You and everyone else."

x

x

A/N - in case you didn't recognize them, the quotes are from Princess Bride and Billy Madison.