Fighting for Arielle (21 page)

I can’t wait to get out of here.  

I’m getting ready to ready to head out in about 5 min.  See you soon.

She makes my phone light up again.

Alright.
 Hasta luego.

I place my phone in my pocket and hear some murmuring coming from Elkins’ office.  I didn’t realize he was still here; he’s not usually here so late on a Friday.  I make my way over to his office to see if he needs anything and tell him bye for the weekend, when I hear another male voice coming from his office.

“I know, man
.  I think I met her.  She’s hot and a damn good dancer.”  

 
I recognize Elkins’ voice.  My gut tells me I don’t want to hear any part of this conversation, or see who the other party is, but my curiosity gets the best of me, and my legs continue to move toward the sound, slowly and quietly.

“She’s been doing it forever.
 She’s got great tits and a nice ass, but man, is she a bitch.  You look at me like there’s no way, but I swear to you, you don’t want to have to deal with her any longer than five minutes.  She bitches and moans and whines about everything.  Nothing I do pleases her, and she doesn’t exactly keep up with her
wifely duties
, if ya know what I mean.”

“Really?
 You meet someone for five minutes and you think you know them.  I would think with her dancing and stuff that she would be ready to go twenty-four fucking seven.”  

Arielle has long since said that she has not had romantic or intimate feelings for her husband, which I completely understand, but I feel a massive wave of relief hearing it confirmed.
 I continue to inch closer to the office, despite my best efforts to convince myself otherwise.  I tell myself that not only am I at work, but I am currently sleeping with the woman who is technically this man’s wife.  The irony of being a person who is privy to court martial hearings and knows the UCMJ backward and forward, breaking one of the biggest rules, is not lost on me.

“Naw, man.
 She’s the opposite.  She works really early, so by the time I get home, she’s already in bed, passed the hell out.  If I hadn’t made her get a job, she’d probably just be sitting at home, being lazy and getting fat.  You know how I like my women, Elk, so I’ll be having none of that.”

“Yeah, I know how you like ‘em, dude.
 You like those skinny girls who are nothing but legs with a flat chest and no ass.  I don’t get it, but whatever.  My girl’s got to have some hips and tits that are at least a good handful.”  

I’m so pissed at this guy and this conversation
, that I’m seeing red and could punch both of them in their throats, but I continue on my mission; I just need to see what he looks like and talk to him face-to-face.

I make them aware of my eavesdropping by hitting my open palm against the doorframe as I round the corner.
 I take one step into Elkins’ office and find myself staring down an average sized, goofy-looking, guy.  He’s certainly not who I would picture Arielle with, but he is every ounce of the tool I expected him to be.  

Elkins is startled by the noise I make.
 I would explain that I wasn’t intentionally trying to menace, except that’s a lie.  

“Jesus Christ, Ashby!”
 Alarmed, Elkins extends his arm toward the interloper.  “This is Petty Officer Schroerlucke or ‘Lucky’ as we call him.  We went to boot camp together and then A-School when I was enlisted.”  

He looks up to me nervously.
 “Lucky, this is my supervisor and soon-to-be Commander Ashby.”

I keep my jaw clenched tight and ask, “What are you doing here so late?” I say between my teeth.

Elkins looks at his guest and back at me.  “He needed some legal advice.”

Satisfied that I have now seen him in person, I am about to tell Elkins good night and take my leave, but the dumbass opens his mouth and interrupts me
, with a shit-eating grin on his face.  

“Yeah...
  My old lady works at the gym over there, and I’ve gotten word that she seems to pay attention to some guys more than others- one in particular.  So, I came to see my buddy Elkins here and ask what I can do to make her life Hell, and make any motherfucker she may be stepping out on me with pay, if I find out that it’s true.”

I don’t even look over to Elkins.
 Instead, I focus on the fact that I want to knock the smug look this guy is wearing right off of his goddamned face.  How dare he say shit like about any woman, much less the woman I love, who has done nothing to deserve the shit he’s given her?  I can’t even think about the way he’s actually treated her, or he may leave here in a body bag.  He really is a piece of shit.  He thinks he oozes charisma, but he actually screams pathetic.  Even if I didn’t know who he was, I would be able see through him in an instant.  I wonder how in the hell he managed to convince Arielle to even give him the time of day.  Some people just need their asses kicked, and he tops the list.

Sensing the tension, Elkins stutters, “S-She...You…uh...We saw her dance at the burlesque show.
 She was the one who, uh, threw her bra, ummm, off the stage and it, uh, got stuck in your hat, and she came to us afterward to...er...get it back?”

I hear Arielle’s husband grumble, “Oh my fucking god,” under his breath.
 

Before I can demand he repeat what he said at a level everyone can hear, he shakes his head.
 

“How retarded.
 I’m sorry you had to deal with her, man.  I don’t know why she keeps doing that stuff.  She says something about it being empowering and expression or some shit.  I don’t know because I usually tune her out since all I ever hear from her is whine-”

“That’s enough,” I snap, getting both of their attention and taking command of the situation.
 “I’m sure you got the answers to your questions.  I do remember her from the show.  She was by far the best looking one of the group and the most talented.   I did meet her afterward, and she was a delight.  Frankly, after meeting you, I have to wonder what’s wrong with you that you don’t look at her and realize how lucky you are indeed.  She clearly got the short end of the stick in that deal.”

 
I snap my mouth closed before I say something revealing or detrimental to the relationship I have with Arielle.  I decide I need to take a less offensive approach.  I smile tightly and try to convey a humorous vibe, forcing a laugh.

Elkins laugh
s with me.  “Ouch!” Elkins says.  “The truth hurts, man.  But, don’t tell me everyone who has met your wife doesn’t ask you how you managed to score her.”

“Yeah they do, but dude, like I said, if you had to be around her for a long time, you’d think she’s a bitch too.
 She’s all looks and-”

I cut him off, yet again, and for the last time.
 

“It’s late
, and I have to get going.  I have a hot date tonight with a woman who is both looks and personality, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.  Elkins, you should be on my heels.”

Without so much as a goodbye, I turn sharply away from Elkins’ office and briskly exit the building.
 If only I wasn’t at work, in a white uniform, and late for dinner with Arielle, I would’ve considered kicking his ass in the worst way.  Although, for him, an ass beating would almost be too easy.  He deserves so much more torture.  He deserves to live through and feel every ounce of pain he has caused Arielle.  

I calm myself by finding solace in two things: One- that in a few minutes, I will be looking into to eyes of the woman of my dreams, showering her with love and adoration
, as well as conveying to her how undeserving I am of her, and Two- I have a sinking suspicion the opportunity will arise to deliver to him what he has coming, sooner rather than later.

McCrary

I
am still fuming over the waste of air that is Arielle’s husband, if you can call him that.  I wonder why he is back.  Surely Arielle would have said something if she had known that he’s back in port.  How did she expect to spend the weekend here if he’s home?  

Reality slaps me as I see
that she must not know he’s here.  I feel obligated to tell her he’s back, but I also don’t want to risk her safety or ruin what she and I have together.  I begin to curse this entire situation.  Damn that bastard, damn his being home, and damn life for allowing me to fall in love with a married woman.  I don’t know how I thought this would all play out, but I was in too deep from the beginning.  I didn’t stand a chance.  

I enter my house, and when I behold my favorite sight that is Ar
ielle, my curses and doubts soon go away.  She is dressed in a short sundress that is high enough to show off her soft thighs, low enough for me to see her cleavage, and tight enough that it hugs her in all the right places.  Her rich, brown hair is straight, smoothed down, and pushed back behind her ears.  She has some makeup on that makes her eyes a deep, olive green and her lips are a shiny, pale pink.  I narrow in on her lips.

“What’s shakin,’ baco-”

I interrupt her mid-sentence by taking command of those luscious lips, steering them to mine.  I have to show her how deeply seated my affection is for her.  I have to make her feel it both emotionally and physically.  My fingers graze the hem of her dress and all chivalry is thrown to the wind.  I pull up her dress, lifting her body with it, and feel the wetness that has soaked through to her panties.  For a few moments, I forget all sense of responsibility, all foreboding feelings, and all anxieties about the future, focusing solely on Arielle, appreciating our forever united souls.  She needs to know the depth of my love and hear the song in my heart, and I show her the best way I know how.

***
**

Arielle

M
cCrary completely took me by surprise.  I’ve never seen him so primal, but I definitely heard what he was conveying to me.  My worries and concerns about Macy talking to Ross vanish.

“That was….a pleasant surprise.”
 

These are the only words I can manage to put together as I lie on McCrary’s chest on his couch.
 My painstakingly straightened hair is now frizzy and tangled like a rat’s nest, but neither of us seem to care.

McCrary caresses my back with his hands, which keeps my pulse
elevated by his voltaic touch.  

“I admit, I was a little surprised myself, but when I saw you there
, looking so sinfully decadent, I couldn’t resist.” His chest rises and falls with mine, slowing with each breath.  “I don’t think I am going to go out tonight.”

“Oh poppycock.
 You’re going, and that’s final.”  I tweak his nipple to emphasize my point.

McCrary tweaks mine in retaliation.
 “You’re not the boss of me, you know.”  

“Uh huh, am too,” I say childishly.

McCrary laughs silently with my head along for the ride.  “I will acquiesce, on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Tell me that you know I love you.”

There’s an odd tinge to his voice.
  I lift my head to look at him.  We’ve never talked of love or exchanged the sentiment, but I know I love him.  Normally, I would doubt his intentions or question the validity of his statement, but something in his face tells me he needs me to know that every word is true.  

“Of course I do.”
 

I see his jaw is tense.
 “Tell me.”

I take a cleansing breath to prepare my response.
 

“McCrary, I am not absolutely, positively,
one hundred percent sure of anything in life, but I do know, without a doubt or any trepidation, that you love me.  I may not understand why you love me, but I know that you do.  I know that together our souls sing a song that beats in the same rhythm as our hearts.   I know that together, we can color in the grey and missing areas of our hearts and lives with our love.  I also know that together, we will draw our own path on our own map of this life.  I know you love me, McCrary, and I love you.  I love you more than my pitiful brain and mouth can tell you, so I will have to resort to showing you.  With my actions, I will express my love in hues that only your eyes can see, and together we will paint our world in a way that is beautiful and meaningful to us.”

McCrary’s rich, brown
eyes are widened and within them, I see peace.  He inspires me to take steps to make myself a better person and to become better equipped to experience everything he gives to me.  It’s time to share with him what I’ve been waiting to share all day.  

“I’ve decided to move out of my apartment.
 I talked to Macy about it, and she invited me to stay with her, when I’m not here, of course.”  I give McCrary a sheepish smile.

I feel relief pour from his body as he pulls me back down to his in a tight hug.
 

“I love you, Arielle.
 I love you and need you more than I need my next breath.  I’m so happy you’ve decided to take this step on your own.  You can do this.  You’re strong, and I believe in you.”  

We kiss lovingly and vigorously
, and I don’t want it to end, but the buzz from McCrary’s phone pulls us out of our passion.   

“Oh, fuck.
 I’m going to tell them I’m not coming.”

I place my flat palm on his chest and lift my head to look at him.
 “Yes you are.  I already told you.  Besides, I will be here when you get back, and we can pick up where we left off.”

He sighs in frustration, but sits up.
 I sneak a peek at his bare body and can’t believe that he’s mine.  We rise from the couch together and embrace.  

“My brother called to tell me I’m going to be an uncle for the first time.”

I look up at him, making sure I heard him correctly.  

“Really?!?
 That’s amazing news!  How exciting for you!  It’s exciting for your brother and your whole family, but still...it’s exciting for you!”

“Yeah, I’m glad he called to tell me.
 We haven’t spoken in a while, so it was nice to talk to him.  It was like nothing has changed.”  McCrary’s face looks restrained, but I know he’s excited.

“Perhaps it’s time to talk more often, then.”
 I pat him gently on his cute tush.  “Now, off with you, so you can get back to me.”

McCrary is adorable when he’s doing something reluctantly.
 He looks like a
Charlie Brown
character when they’re sad, with his head down and dragging his feet.  

I chatter on while he takes a shower and
continue to sit on the vanity, talking as he gets ready to go.  He throws on some loose-fitting, dark washed jeans that hang low on his hips, and a solid polo.  I am tempted to have him stay home just so I can peel the clothes that he just put on right back off of him, but I will just have to wait.  

As McCrary enters the door to the garage, he gives me a kiss.
 

“Where’s Swanks?”
 

“I kind of forgot him.
 I packed all of his things, but I think I was concentrating so hard on my hair and thinking about you, I got distracted.”  

I didn’t want to tell him I was worried
that Macy told Ross about us.  

“I’m a terrible parent, but I will go get him later.”

“Are you not going out with Macy?

“No, we decided to chill and will just gab on the phone all night instead.
”

McCrary looks at me and looks as if he’s having a mental tug-of-war.
 He pulls me into him.  

“Just wait until tomorrow, okay?
 I will help you go over and pack your things, and we can bring him here at the same time.  Until then, just sit back and relax here, alright?”

He’s very sweet to offer to help me.
 Of course, I have no furniture to my name, and no real belongings, so it’s not like I have many things to pack; however his house is so comfortable and inviting, I have no problem hanging out until he gets back home.  On top of that, things that belong to me are beginning to accumulate here anyway.  

“You say that as though
sitting here and relaxing is torturous.”  

I open his Jeep door for him to get inside.
 

“Now, I order you to have a helluva time.
 I love you.  See you when you get back home.”

He smiles at me and climbs into the Jeep.
 

“I l
ove you too, Arielle.”

I
turn on the faucet to allow the bathtub to fill with hot water, pour in a generous amount of flower scented bubble bath, and turn on some of my favorite classical music, when I hear my phone chime with a new text.

Are you wearing space panties?  Because your ass is out of this world.  What are you up to?

I laugh out loud with no one around.  I reply with a line of my own.

Was your dad a thief?  He must have stolen the stars from the sky and put them into your eyes.  Not much, about to take a bath and listening to some Rachmaninoff.  

Satisfied with my bad pick-up line reply, I sink into the warm, sudsy water and allow it to envelope me.  It feels wonderful, but not as wonderful as when I had McCrary in here.  I think about that time with him, until my phone chimes, bringing me back to the here and now.

If love and passion had a sound, that sound would be Rachmaninoff.  One of the best composers and pianists of all time...

I have no idea how he always says such beautifully poignant things, but I love them.  He is an amazing man, and I am so looking forward to moving my things out of my apartment.  

If love and passion had a sound, that sound would be my name coming from your lips.

My phone chimes again.

If I were a pirate, I would be very successful because I’ve just found an amazing chest and booty.  (Didn’t want you to think I could be outdone in the pick-up line department.)  ;)

I groan audibly at how terribly cute that line is, but I can’t let him get the last word.  I also notice that he changed the mood from serious to silly, which is unusual for him, but he always knows when to just let words linger and stay. 

Did you know you’re my favorite drink?  A hot tea?

I am more than just a little impressed with myself: a bad pick-up line AND pun all in one?  I think I deserve sort of award.

We exchange texts back and forth for the duration of my bath.
 Afterward, I get out to put on my jammies.  McCrary tells me what’s going on at the bar and how he would rather be with me.  He is very sweet to think of me while he’s out, although, who am I kidding?  He’s pretty much all I ever think about.

An epiphany com
es to me: one of surprising McCrary with a special outfit- a sexy pirate one, to be exact.  The problem is that most of my clothes and costumes are still at my apartment, which is only a couple of miles away from Ford Island.  I check to make sure McCrary isn’t on his way home, so that I can zip over to my house, collect some sexy clothes, as well as start to pack my things to make tomorrow go a little smoother.  Plus, I know I will feel better not leaving Swanks there alone all night.  

I send McCrary a text asking when he plans to come home.
 He tells me they’re just finishing some appetizers and they’re going to have a few drinks, which is perfect timing.

If you play your cards right, I might have a surprise for you when you get home.  ;)  

He chimes back immediately.

A winky face surprise?  Hmmm….  I would excuse myself to come find out what that’s all about, but if I stood up now, they would know exactly why I’m leaving.  Plus, they just ordered a round of shots.  Guess I will have to sit here in anticipation.  :(  

I drop my phone onto the bed, dry my hair with my towel, and put it back in the bathroom.  When I come back, I see it light up on the bed.

I love you, Arielle.  I cannot wait to get back home to you.  Moreover, I cannot wait to make a home with you.  And Swanks.

              I love him and love him so deeply.  I am beyond excited to move on in my life and evolve into a stronger person, with McCrary along for the ride. 

We text a few more times: