Chapter 7: Norfolk, Virginia - November 2013

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Teylor snapped his phone shut, leaning back against the bench in the training room. His eyes closed as he considered how he would spend the next few hours now that his plans for the evening, which mostly centered around a scheduled call with Caroline, were scuttled.

We don't have that kind of relationship.

Caro had used the words before, but Teylor hated them just as much now as he did then. The in-your-face reminder that, no matter how often Caroline Green showed up at his apartment or called him in the middle of the night or pestered him to tell her whether her behavior was really that bad, something which had now happened often enough for Teylor to realize that deep down Caro did care what people thought of her, it all meant nothing.

Because at the end of the day, he was still her dirty little secret. Her friend with benefits - assuming he qualified as a friend.

Teylor hadn't really expected her to say yes. He knew that he was going out on a limb asking her to join him at the Marines Corps Ball even if Green was currently in Africa on temporary assignment, meaning that their chances of running into him were zilch. Still, the rejections stung. As Teylor recalled telling Caroline days earlier, sometimes it wasn't what she said but rather the way she said it that was so off-putting.

"Why do you let her do that to you?"

Teylor's head snapped up to find Douglas Jones feet away, one towel around his waist and another slung around his neck. When had the other man arrived?

"Let who do what?" Teylor asked cautiously.

"Your girl," Doug paused. "Unless it's a guy. If it is, pretty sure I don't want to know given how many times you've seen my bare ass."

Teylor lifted an eyebrow. "Think you're confusing me with Bishop."

"Bishop?" Doug demanded. "Really?"

"Of course not, jackass. And you can't say that shit in public. Someone will get pissy and you'll get written up." Teylor chucked a towel at the guy.

"Damn, that would have made my day." At Teylor's hard stare, Jones took a few steps back, hands up to defend himself. "Kidding, kidding. But seriously, Tey. This girl is in your head, and not in a good way. Your phone goes off and suddenly you are in the mood from hell. It's like dealing with PMS which, by the way, is even less fun when there's no chance of getting a blow job out of it. Pretty sure that there are easier ways to get laid."

Teylor scowled, opening his mouth to tell Doug that he was nuts, but found that he couldn't. Because Doug wasn't wrong. Caro was in his head. Even when she wasn't around he couldn't relax, the fear of slipping and revealing more than he should keeping him on edge. The desire to tell Green everything warring with the fear that Caro would never speak to him again if he did. Hell, half the time Teylor felt like a damn girl, wondering where their relationship was headed. But as lame as that was, Teylor was tired of screwing around. He wanted to get married, have kids, settle down like his brother. He wanted to have someone to sleep with every night, someone to talk to while he was out to sea, someone to be there when the ship docked.

At the very least he didn't want to have to beg for a date to the damn Marine Ball.

"PMS, really?"

"Hey, man, it's your life. I just hope the chick is worth it." Doug shrugged, moving towards his locker as Teylor's phone beeped again. "Might as well check it. We both know you're like a moth flying too close to the sun."

Teylor paused with his phone in hand. "You realize that made no sense. It's a moth to the flame or Icarus flying too close to the sun."

Doug shrugged, pulling on his pants. "Eh. You knew what I meant."

Deciding that Doug's inability to speak a single language fluently was the least of his problems, Teylor checked his messages, a smile creeping across his face.

On second thought, I do enjoy a man in uniform. But if Jones pukes on me, you are a dead man.

"Do I want to know?" Doug asked, sliding his dog tags over his head. "And, just in case there's any doubt, if it's a naked selfie, I definitely want to know."

"Not a chance in hell." Teylor snorted. He paused, standing and gathering his gear before adding. "But you'll get a chance to see her in person next Saturday."

"The ball?" Doug replied, eyebrows raising. "Guess this is serious."

Laughing, Teylor swung his bag over a shoulder, hesitating at the door. Turning back to where Doug was throwing gear into his bag, Teylor spoke. "She is."

"She's what?" Doug asked.

"Worth it."