Chapter Three
"Only you would spend your week off cleaning up Boyle after a bar fight." Dad said as I walk into house sweaty.
Mom of course had to throw in her two-cents "Well what do you expect when too hardcore military commanders like us have a kid. I swear she was doing push-ups in the womb.
"Hey I still have four day's to do nothing and it was pull-ups not push-ups," I say heading to the shower. While they both laugh it was a little know fact that Taylor's had a great sense of humor most people just couldn't understand that. Turning the cold water on I gentle let in the hot water yes cold showers were what the hot body needed. Washing my long black hair I feel like I'm washing all the sawdust and imagery bugs out of my hair. Mom always said that everything bad about your day could be washed out of your hair.
It did take three days but Boylan's was more of a wreck then ruin. Alex had been at my side the whole time. We had joked, talked, and laughed the whole time like we were on hammock or talking in the square. Josh was true to his word free meals and ten tarros for all five of us. A bar fight with twenty people and only five people, two who weren't even there. Still it was fun I had a weird idea of fun but I was a product of my environment.
"Bug?" Mom knocks at the bathroom door as I turn the water off.
"Yeah," I say wrapping a tile around my body.
She opens the door her face serious "Would it be so bad if Dad and I left for a couple of days."
"Were to an outpost," I ask still dripping.
Her face turns a shade of red that could be me in twenty years "To Outpost B."
I knew about Outpost B the bunker that would hold the colony in a natural disaster before Josh added onto the Boylan's that were people went to honeymoon. "Anniversary right?"
Mom smiles "Yep, Its a surprise so don't tell him."
"I think its perfect." And it is three day of them out of the house.
"But," She said as if reading my mind. "If you do you have to behave."
"I will Mom." Its true the only person who'll come over are the boy's for poker and Alex.
"Good," She said leaving the shutting door sends chilly air to my wet body as a warning I'm sure. I don't want to be left in the cold.
Two hours later they were gone their rover a dot on the horizon. Most people would be thinking about what to now. But, too many people would call my parents and I would have night patrol for the rest of my life. It was nice to have party's I've gone to plenty of them seen parents yell at their kids. My favorite party was when I Kara Shannon's eighteenth birthday she had gotten Fruit-shine the illegal but tasty moonshine made in the remelts of secret eight, were the ghost homes were. I loved it when Josh's face got so red that it look like ripe tomatoes it was evil. Dad laughed when I told him that and Mom, she tried to hide it.
In the rare free time I had in my house looking at the empty house I realizes that it feels hollow with out people. "It good thing the guys from my unit are coming over for poker night. Dad wasn't a big fan of poker night's. He would always take Mom out that night or when I went he wouldn't give me the third degree about were I going and who I going with. Still it was the one thing that ever gave us problems. I thought he being a parent, he thought I was great at poker and made a few tarros at the games.
Someone knocks at the door it has to be Alex and the guy's "Ready to loose." Alex said bringing in take out boxes.
"Loose?" Leah said coming in with a bottle of something. "She never loose."
"Hey..." I think about it. "Yeah, I'm just a good liar."
"She the reason I never have cash," Charlie setting at our table.
)()(
Looking at my cards then to Leah "Two." I hand over my eight of hearts and two of clubs.
"Two for the caption," she hands over my new cards its good a seven and king both clubs. "Sam?"
"Two." He takes two cards from his sister could he be drawing for a full house or four of a kind.
"Lover Boy," Leah asked looking at Alex
He look at his cards "I'm out."
"Fine, go check on Charlie." She said a hint of concern, Charlie is passed out on my couch. "Gus?"
"One," He said smiling as Leah hands over the one card he's drawing for a straight.
"And the dealer is out." Leah throws her cards into the pile with Alex.
Its my turn to bet "Five tarro's"
"So, Taylor is it the full house?" Sam asked putting his coins in the pot but his left eye is gives a small twitch.
"Or four of kind?" Gus asked putting his money.
"Well if you have anything better then three of a kind you would've bet more." I say looking him in eye.
"So, what about you Bug." Gus said "You didn't open with anything better then five."
"You know we all have all tells. Sam has one I saw it, he got a pair at best but you your tell is that you puff-up. You'll only call me Bug when you have crap all you make me to think your a big bad stud, so that straight you wanted was out and you don't even a pair."
His face goes white "This why I hate girls."
"Show them," I say.
"Nine, Ten, Jack, Queen, and Two." Gus said rolling his eyes.
"Sam?"
He smiles "Two eights and Two Nine."
Now I smile "That's good but I have seven three's and a king." Taking the money I look at the clock its almost midnight.
"Gus, Sam please make sure Charlie gets home in one piece."
They look at Charlie then at me, I wouldn't let him stay in my house because he had duty in the morning with Reynolds. But, Charlie is twenty-seven, over six feet, 220 pounds most of it being muscle and is the color of creamy coffee. "Right," I go to the refrigerator "This is wake-up juice."
"I had Alex bring it over in case one of you passed out." My unit was young, still sowing wild seed so this happen it wasn't something to be proud of, passing out at my house. But, it would stay here we wouldn't tell. Charlies shame was his hangover and whatever I do to him on Wednesday when I get back.
"I CALL!" Charlie said shooting off the couch.
"Call it a night soldier," Leah said opening door.
"Be careful," I tell Gus and Sam,who are carry Charlie back to the barracks, which, is close to the house or else I would've gone with them. Serving my living room I see the pile on money and half empty food containers
Alex is still here looking at the room its messy "So Commander Taylor what's the battle plan?"
"The food first then bed." I rub my eye's "Save the rest for tomorrow." This was the longest game we'd played with Mom and Dad I had to be done by ten.
"'Kay," He take's the empty glass's. Guess he's not leaving, that's what most people didn't know Alex was like me. When we did something practice mediation or lead men, we did it whole heartily. I transfer the leftovers into plastic containers I'll likely have them for breakfast since it will just be me. We work together so well that we don't talk just do moving as one person knowing the others moves.
"Good job doctor," I say as we end up on the couch.
"Just following your orders Commander." He gets up and I swear I hear his feet yelling no don't make me walk.
"You can stay here for the night," I say before I think about it.
"Really?!"
"Yeah," I stand take his hand. We walk through the house the only light coming from the moon and stars.
"The couch is fine, Grace."
"No," I gently kiss his lips "Its not."
)()(
In all the talks I had with Mom and Aunt Elizabeth they never told me about the euphoric feeling of sex how it makes your sense go into hyper drive. I wake-up still feeling wonderful like a new emotion has awaken. My eyes open to Alex's face, his eye's on my face mine. I know what he's trying to see how my face changed but stayed the same. Its like we've just seen each other we stare for a perfect moment. Then he kiss me "Hi."
"Hi," I say back to him.
"Hungary?" He asked getting out of bed putting on his shorts only.
I wrap my blanket around me sitting up "Yeah, I starving."
He smile's "I'll start some food while you get dressed."
"That would be great," I say as he kiss the top of my head. He leaves putting on his shirt must to my disappointment. I stand in front of my mirror naked as the day I was born, I felt like I had been born again. My body is the same but not I'm different but still me each part of my body feels warm and right.
My Comm beeps "Taylor." I say still in my daze.
"Gracie?" Dad said a hint of worry in his voice.
"Dad," My voice hits a high point. "Is something wrong."
"No. I just seeing if your okay."
"I'm perfectly fine," I report.
"Good, finally sleeping in."
"Yeah-"
"Nathaniel come back to bed." Mom said in daze that could match my own.
"Love you Sweetie," He said quickly. I smile to myself like mother like daughter the old saying went. Taking my cloths form last night to the hamper I think about a shower but don't want to wash this blissful feeling away. So, put on my own shirt and shorts walking toward the smell of food.
"Eggs and leftover's," Alex said placing a plate of food on the table.
"Sound interesting," I say sitting down.
"I eat it all the time its really good," He said taking a rib from the spread.
Taking a bit of egg and noodles form the smorgasbord "Its great. Everything is great."
Alex smiles a wide smile "I was thinking the same. Grace last night was..."
"Amazing, wonderful, euphoric." I offer the worlds but they seem to fall short.
"It was the best night I've ever had." He confess "Was it...I mean did you."
I giggle "It was great."
"So, what now?" He's unsure, I am too now we're in uncharted waters.
"Now we finish then take a shower."
"I could use a shower," Alex said with a sly smile.
"Let's go," I say abandoning my fork.