Out of Time: A Military Romance Read online

Asha relented with a deep sigh. "I guess you have a point. You could have told me before we left."

  "Call your mom. Tell her you are going to sleep for the rest of the night. You'll check in later. Go on," Tiffany winked.

  "Tell me first about this friend. Who is this person? A girl you grew up with? A friend of the family?"

  Tiffany didn't respond.

  "It's a guy, isn't it?" Asha asked.

  "Is that okay?"

  "You’re asking me? Why ask me now?"

  Tiffany grinned. "Don't be mad. My friend's name is Bernard, but his men call him Thatch. He's a bit older. I've known him for a while."

  "How much older?" Asha asked.

  "Ah, twenty-eight, thirtyish. I don't remember."

  Asha sighed.

  "He's cool. I swear. He and his friends are throwing a Christmas Eve party. Many of them can't leave for the holiday. The few girls from town are no competition. The cuties will outnumber the girls 3 to 1. But they can't have it at the outpost. Not this kind of party. They're having it at this bar. Cool place."

  "Outpost. What does that mean?"

  "Coast Guard. They're all in the USCG. The auxiliary outpost is like their home base. Semper paratus!" she exclaimed.

  "And what does that mean?" Asha asked.

  "Always ready. A saying the men in the Coast Guard use. They spend time there when on-call. Thatch is a swimmer. He has a team of about four with him."

  "Are there women in the Coast Guard?"

  "I guess, but none out here, thank God!" Tiffany cut her another sideways look. "Too late to turn back, Asha. We are doing this. You said you were down."

  "I am. It's just... we can't get in a bar. We're not legal."

  "You can get in, silly. You just can't drink. I can because, um, I got special permission."

  "A fake ID. Really? I'm nineteen and you're twenty. It's illegal."

  "Oh good grief, Ms. Priss, show me a nineteen year old who hasn't tasted alcohol and I will show you a church girl with a stick in her ass."

  Asha laughed. She remembered arriving at her dorm on registration day and meeting Tiffany and her parents. Tiffany was her roommate, and Asha was worried about first impressions. She thought she and Tiffany had so much in common. Tiffany was all soft spoken, really studious in her speech, even wore wire-framed glasses and said she was the captain of her prayer team at her church back home. All lies. The moment their parents left she let Asha in on the joke. Apparently Tiffany had looked Asha up on Facebook and knew all about her pious life. Asha wasn’t insulted. She was kind of flattered that Tiffany had done so much research. And Tiffany’s parents never called her out on the little performance. They pretty much just rushed through the meeting of parents to leave. Asha fell in love with her wild friend—a wildness she never experienced back home in Fisher Creek. None of what she thought in her first impression was real. And she'd loved being her friend ever since.

  "Call your mom back so she can rest assured her baby is in safe hands. Don't worry, my mom will cover for us if she has to."

  Asha sighed. "The things I let you talk me into."

  15.

  Ice walked into Dante's Cavern. The Christmas music was on full-blast. The owners had done everything to celebrate the season. Too much, in his opinion. Lights were everywhere, even along the bar. A stage with a live band playing had Christmas trimming and a tree next to it. There was a dance floor to the back of the pub and a buffet table to the front. Port Smith was a small, close-knit community. Families of the USCG and fishermen mostly. And every year the crews out of rotation would come and hang out and drink spirits.

  This year Thatch convinced him to do the same. He shrugged off his coat and dropped it on the pile of others left at the door.

  Thatch and Richard were already seated. A girl, not his wife, who lived in some Southern state, was hugging Rick from behind while her friend leaned in, whispering in Thatch’s ear. His best friend spotted him and nodded. Ice smiled. He walked over to the bar.

  "Coors," he said.

  "Got more people this year. Check out the girls over in the booth. Said they drove in from Providence for the band. I should have hired a band sooner," Dexter said. Ice glanced back over his shoulder. He saw a good number of pretty ladies, which was different. Typically the pickings were slim. Still, it was always the same crowd. And not much to his taste to pick from, especially out this far in Maine. But he decided to keep his opinion to himself. Besides, he had hit a dry spell. He'd have to get moved out of the district to pick up his game.

  "Thanks man," he said and accepted the beer.

  "Hi Ice!" a woman said to his left. He looked over to a smiling blonde with boobs perky enough to give any man cause to lick his lips. She was the younger sister of Lt. Stern. And she had made it clear she was interested at several social events.

  Ice smiled. "How are you tonight, Candice?"

  "Good, now that you are here. Want to dance?" she asked.

  Ice took another swig of his beer. He looked down at her breasts. He wasn't a racist or anything. He didn't hate his own kind. He found all women beautiful. She was beautiful. But his interest wasn't piqued enough to settle for the offer of free pussy. He'd rather spend the night drinking and in a card game.

  "Maybe later," he said.

  "Aww, too cool to cut loose?" she asked.

  "Something like that."

  "My brother said you're going to be commander someday. A leader. Said you got that take-charge kind of thing going. I happen to like pilots myself..."

  "Ice! Ova here!" Thatch called him out.

  "Excuse me, Candice," he said and kissed her cheek. She blushed. That would probably keep her off his dick for a little while.

  "Sure thing, Ice. I'll be over here, if you want that dance." He smiled and walked over to his friend. By now Thatch and Rick had both dismissed the girls. They were at the table alone. Ice took a seat.

  "What took you so long?"

  "Paperwork. Shit has to be done," Ice said.

  Rick shuddered. "Glad you took the hit on that for us."

  "I did mine, you do yours." Ice rocked back on the legs of the chair and drank more of his beer from the bottle. The men chuckled.

  "Aye, Ice. I got a Christmas present coming for you." Thatch said.

  Ice frowned. "Present?"

  Thatch and Rick exchanged a look he could not read. Ice brought down the chair. "What are you two up to? You said poker tonight. At your house."

  "After the party, sure. But we need to have a little fun before. Right?"

  Ice chuckled. He knew Thatch's idea of fun. If he wanted that kind of fun he'd call Candice over. He shrugged. He glanced over at Candice once more. She was watching him. She grinned. Maybe a little company tonight was what he needed.

  "I'm going to take a piss. I'll be right back," Ice said. Thatch and Rick shared another conspiratorial laugh. He shook his head and headed to the back of the pub.

  16.

  Asha stepped into the pub behind her friend. The place was cool. She loved it. And even though they lived in New York and she'd been inside and out of the city, she never entered the doors of a real bar before.

  "There he is, right there!" Tiffany said. Asha looked up. All she saw were stranger faces, but no one in particular. Tiffany was on the move. Asha followed. She soon recognized she was the only person of color in the pub. Growing up in Fisher's Creek, she'd been used to being surrounded by people who didn't look like her. But their town was small and the people always made her feel at home. She ignored the few curious glances shot her way.

  "Aye, sweet stuff. What took you so long?" A tall, slender man stood. He had a red trimmed beard, and his hair was shaven low. His smile was what caught Asha. It was friendly. But he didn't look like a twenty-year-old. This guy had to be in his late thirties.

  "This is my friend Asha; Asha, this is Thatch and Rick."

  "Nice to meet you," Asha said. Rick stood. He was the opposite of Thatch. He had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. He was
a bit shorter but stocky in build, mostly muscle in his chest. He wore a baseball cap turned backward. He smiled. And Asha smiled. He wasn't necessarily her type. Asha didn't have one. But she always imagined that when she met her type she would know.

  "Let me help you," Rick offered. He removed her jacket and she shrugged it off her arms. He put it on the back of the chair and pulled it out for her to sit.

  "Thank you," she said.

  "You ladies want something to drink?" Thatch asked.

  "Coke for me," Asha said.

  "Rum and Coke for me," Tiffany said.

  Thatch chuckled. "I'll get you both a Coke."

  Tiffany rolled her eyes. Thatch got up and went to the bar.

  "Don't worry," Tiffany whispered. "This is the just the warm-up. When we get to Thatch's place, he won't be so formal."

  Asha smiled. She let her eyes scan the room. Tiffany said the men would outnumber the men. It looked like an even balance to her, except most of the men looked older. She would guess the average age to be late twenties to mid-forties. The band that played sang between country and rock songs she didn't know. She decided to focus on them.

  "So you go to college with Tiffany?" Rick asked.

  "Yes, I'm her roommate," Asha smiled.

  "Maybe I should have gone straight to college," Rick said and smiled.

  She didn't get his meaning but she smiled.

  Ice walked back to the bar from the back hall that led to the bathrooms. He stopped to speak with friends. When he decided to go in pursuit of another beer, his gaze swiveled to the table where Thatch and Rick were. There were two young women sitting with them. One in particular caught his eye. He could only see the side of her face, but even from his vantage point she was beautiful. And then her head turned and it was confirmed.

  "Ice, come here! I want you to meet someone!" Thatch said, having spotted his return. The women all focused on him. Ice focused only on her.

  Asha heard the men call for someone to come over. She glanced up to see a tall man in a dark turtleneck and jeans. He wore a rosary bead necklace and cross around his neck. On his head was one of those flat Irish grey-tweed touring caps that snapped to the front and was low against his brow. They were like golf caps, or cab driver caps. There was something about the way he wore it that caught Asha off guard. That, and his eyes—they were clear even from a distance. She always believed she'd know her type when she met him. One look at this man and she knew it. He was her type. And he was staring directly at her. Tiffany’s knee bumped Asha's.

  "He's hot, isn't he," she whispered.

  "I... I dunno," is all Asha could say.

  Thatch set down their Cokes he'd brought from the bar. He and the man with the gray eyes were the same height. Thatch grabbed him by the shoulder. "Tiffany and Asha, meet Lt. Commander Ice Quinn."

  "Hi," the girls said at once.

  Ice gave Asha a sly smile. He nodded. Up close she saw the cleft in his chin. It made his handsomeness even more rugged. Thatch grabbed a chair and brought it over to the table so it could sit five instead of four. Tiffany was less than discreet when she moved her chair so Ice could be seated next to Asha. It made Asha want to hit her. But her friend gave her a wink. And then she knew. This was a set-up. A good one.

  "Asha, that's a pretty name." Ice said.

  She glanced over at him and then back to her Coke. "My dad named me."

  "Is that right?"

  "Yeah, I have five sisters and one brother. We all have a name that begins with A."

  "Let me guess, your dad's name begins with A?" Ice asked.

  "Nope, my mom. Her name is Adelyn. So Dad wanted all his kids named after her."

  "Sounds like your parents are real love birds," Ice said.

  Asha glanced over at him. "Yeah, I guess so."

  He smiled. Rick said something and left the table. Asha couldn't remember what. She barely heard him. She was trying hard not to get lightheaded from the spice of Ices’ aftershave. It wasn't overwhelming, just really nice and strong.

  "So is Ice your real name?" she asked.

  "Real enough," he chuckled and turned up the bottle. "My birth name is Kevan. My crew calls me Ice."

  "Why?"

  "No clue. You have to ask them."

  Asha smiled. She reached over and touched his cross. "Are you Catholic?"

  "My grandmother is. Guess that makes me Catholic by default."

  "She gave you this?"

  "My first tour of duty was in Afghanistan. It gave me good luck."

  "Oh, I'm Baptist."

  Ice chuckled. She wasn't sure if he was laughing at her or with her. She shouldn't have brought up religion. She was acting her age. She tried to appear more sophisticated. The band announced a break. They turned up the music in the bar, while the band members left the stage. Ice and Thatch clapped. So did the rest of the bar.

  Mariah Carey's “All I want for Christmas” came on. "Let's dance," Ice said. Asha didn't have a chance to respond. She was led to the dance floor as others gathered. The upbeat tune had the bar alive with cheer. Ice, however, pulled her into his arms and swayed. She put her hands on his arms and felt the muscles beneath his sleeves. The man was made of pure muscle. He smiled and he lifted her arms to put them up around his neck so she would be forced to come closer. Her hands barely touched, he was so tall. But she liked it. He danced with her, staring at her eyes.

  "You like this song?" she asked.

  "I like you," he said.

  Asha grinned. She'd never met a man so direct. To be honest, she never been this close to a man who wasn't a friend or family member. She rocked and sang along lightly with Mariah. “All I want for Christmas is you...”

  The song ended far too soon. But Ice didn't let her go. So she stayed in his arms. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” came on next. The only ones left on the dance floor were couples. Thatch and Tiffany had joined them.

  Ice continued to look into her eyes. "How old are you? Please say twenty-one," he said.

  She blushed. "I'm nineteen. My birthday is in June."

  "Mmm," he said.

  "How old are you?" she asked.

  "Twenty-seven," he said.

  "And you're a Lt. Commander? In the Coast Guard?"

  "Very good," he smiled. "Where are you from?"

  "A small town in Wisconsin. You never heard of it."

  "Try me," he said.

  "Fisher Creek," she said. "Population eight hundred."

  He chuckled. "You made that up."

  "I did not! My dad was adopted by a white family when he was young. He met my mother in college and when they got married he moved back. We lived in a cabin he built for my mother."

  Ice shook his head smiling. "I'll look it up, just to be sure."

  "Go ahead," she grinned. "Where are you from?"

  "Mississippi," he said.

  "Wow. I've never been to the South."

  "Maybe I'll take you sometime."

  She smiled. The song switched to “Silent Night.” She felt the strain on her neck from looking up at him, so she rested her face on his chest. It felt natural, and he didn't seem to mind. They swayed a bit until the song ended.

  "Why don't we go for a ride?" Ice said.

  "Ah, no thanks. I don't want to leave Tiffany."

  He glanced over at Tiffany, who was already deep-throating Thatchs’ tongue. "You're safe with me. Promise. The party will move to Thatch's soon."

  "Ah, let me talk to her."

  Ice let her go. Asha could barely look Ice in the eye. That look of his, the way his stare pierced and held her—she'd never been with anyone so intensely focused. And his focus was on her. She smiled at him and walked over to the dancing couple.

  Ice watched her go. He got a good look at her. She wore a waist-long sweater, tight jeans and riding boots. He loved winter time. Women in jeans and riding boots were so sexy. Especially those who were thick in the thighs, hips and ass. Asha was curvy. He appreciated that as well.

  There was a
tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked down at Candice. "I thought you said you were saving that dance for me?"

  He smiled. "Some other time."

  Candice looked past him to Asha, who was talking to her friend and watching. "Your loss," she huffed and walked off.

  Thatch walked over. "Did I do good, or did I do good, bro?"

  "She's my Christmas gift?" Ice chuckled.

  "You know how hard it is to find black girls out here? I know what you like. Tiffany says she's shy. Be a gentleman, Lt. Commander."

  Ice smiled. Typically he was because of his affection for women, but ultimately he was as much of a hound dog as his men. However, with Asha, he sensed the need to put his playboy lust aside. She was giving him different vibes. She was sweet.

  "I don't know. He's cute, but he's twenty-seven. And look at him. He's got all the women in here staring. He probably wants sex."

  "Asha, everybody wants sex but you! Go on and have some fun. He's a cool guy. He'll take you around the outpost and we will meet up at Thatch's. Give me a little time to, you know, get my Christmas gift from Thatch."

  Asha rolled her eyes and smiled. "You have your cell phone?"

  "I do. And it's charged. Just call me if you need anything," Tiffany said.

  "And you're sure he's safe. I mean, I'm not going to have sex with a stranger."

  "He's a Lt. Commander. He's an officer and a gentlemen."

  "Lieutenants aren't officers," Asha said.

  "You know what I mean," she laughed.

  "Okay. Keep your phone on! Promise me!"

  "I will. Have some fun," Tiffany popped Asha on the butt and pushed her toward Ice. Asha walked back over. "Ready when you are."

  "I'm ready now." He took her hand. Now half the bar was staring at her. Ice didn't seem to care. She barely had a chance to say bye to her friend. Ice paused to put her coat on her and then plucked his up from by the door. And out they went.

  "It's snowing?"

  "Yeah, looks that way."

  "Perfect! I love the snow. A good sign for Christmas," Asha grinned.

  "You like Christmas?" he asked as they walked to his truck.