My Special Forces Boyfriend Trilogy (5 page)

Dana then grabbed my hand and pulled me into the crowd of people that were surrounding the tables in the restaurant. Most everyone was still standing and making small talk, since dinner hadn’t been served yet.

I glanced around quickly, trying to identify the many familiar faces that I saw. Some people looked over and gave me a smile and a nod, but I wasn’t sure if they actually knew me or if their gestures were simply a formality.

But as we made our way deeper into the crowd, I started to notice more and more people smiling at me and I heard some of them say my name.

“Lindsey!” a guy said, excitedly.

I glanced over, but he didn’t look familiar. So, I simply responded with an enthusiastic, “Hi, good to see you!”

They were the only words I could get out before Dana dragged me away, leading me over to a table that had four gorgeous women sitting around it. As soon as we got there, my jaw hit the floor.

I knew each and every one of them. We were all best friends in high school and I hadn’t seen any of them since. All of their eyes lit up the moment they noticed me.

“Oh, my God!!!” they all yelled, practically in unison.

William chuckled as he stood behind me.

“I told you that you wouldn’t regret coming here tonight,” he whispered, right before Dana whisked me away to the table of women.

The girls all stood up and we exchanged hugs. Then we looked each other over with huge smiles on all of our faces.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here with all of you girls right now,” I said, tears of joy beginning to fill my eyes. “Oh, my God. This is amazing. I’m so glad that I came.”

“Ahem,” William cleared his throat, as he stood next to me.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” I said. “Everyone, this is my awesome husband, William.”

William shook hands with my friends, Shasta, Rachel, Emmy, and Natalie. They all gave me a similar look of shock, the moment they saw that I wasn’t there with Alex. I knew it was coming, though, and there was really nothing that needed to be said about it, so I decided to not mention anything and just enjoy the night.

“Come on, sit down with us,” Rachel said. “We’ll all drink some Saki and then start mingling with everybody.”

William and I sat down at the table with the girls and began sipping on the hot Saki that was placed in front of us. It only took a few seconds before they all started to gossip about some of our other classmates that were there.

“Oh, my God. Did you see Derek? He’s bald and fat now. He used to be so hot. And what about Greg? All I can say is...wow...”

I did my best not to blatantly roll my eyes. It felt like I was in high school all over again. It made me really wish that I could turn to Alex and rest my head on his shoulder, just like I used to. Forget the gossip and just be in the moment, not worrying about anyone or anything.

“You okay, hun?” William whispered.

I nodded and smiled, before taking another sip of Saki.

“I’m great,” I said, quietly. “I just thought there would be more to talk about besides who got fat and who didn’t.”

William chuckled and said, “Yeah, I guess I should have warned you on that one. That’s what happens at these things sometimes.”

It only took a few more minutes of hearing the girl’s badgering and then I needed a break. I wanted to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. So, I pushed my chair back and excused myself.

“I’ll be right back, ladies,” I said.

Then I placed my hand on William’s shoulder.

“I’ll be back, babe,” I whispered. “Good luck hanging out with these girls.”

William shook his head and smiled. I turned and began making my way through the crowd to the other side of the room. There was a door in the back that led out to a patio, where I figured I would go and get some air.

As I walked, several people stopped me, grabbing my shoulder and turning me to face them.

“Lindsey!” they’d say, with excitement in their voice. “It’s so good to see you...but where’s Alex?”

I would just smile politely and shrug my shoulders, responding with a stock answer like, “It’s good to see you also.”

Then I’d continue moving. I was getting so sick and tired of people asking about Alex. It was hard enough being at the high school reunion with out him, thinking that he may be dead somewhere overseas. The last thing that I needed was a reminder of his absence every two seconds.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I made it through the crowd and to the doors leading to the outside patio. I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the metal door handle, pushing it open. Immediately, the cool night air covered my skin, sending a chill through my body.

“Wow, it’s dark out here,” I commented to myself, noticing the lack of lighting on the outdoor patio.

Apparently, it was still too cold to allow seating outside, so I was left standing by myself and watching my breath as it crystalized in the air upon each exhale. It was mostly silent and I was alone. It was exactly what I needed. It was the perfect break from the monotonous gossip that filled the inside of the restaurant.

I delicately stepped across the patio to the railing that faced the quiet street near the back of the restaurant. I leaned forward, letting my elbows press against the cold metal.

As I watched a handful of cars drive by, my thoughts immediately turned to Alex. I had spent so long trying to get him out of my mind, but it was nearly impossible, especially with the constant reminders that I had been receiving all evening.

I closed my eyes, listening to the faint commotion coming from inside of the restaurant. Even from where I was standing, I could have sworn I heard Alex and I’s name mentioned from some of my classmates inside. For a brief moment, I also thought the volume of the conversation coming from inside got louder, as if someone had opened the patio door behind me. But I was too deep in thought and emotion to even fully recognize it.

My heart ached, just thinking about how things could have been different had Alex just never spoke to that recruiter that afternoon in high school. Maybe I would have been at the high school reunion with him instead of William. Maybe then, Alex would have been able to meet his son.

“Wherever you are, Alex, I hope you’re happy,” I whispered, as I slowly opened my eyes, watching the steam escape my lips into the crisp air. “I hope that, if you’re alive, then you’ve made it wherever you were trying to go and everything you’ve ever wanted was there waiting for you.”

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. I didn’t hear the sound of someone approaching, though. There was just a sudden feeling that someone was near me. But before I could turn around, I felt two powerful hands on top of my shoulders.

“I think it’s safe to say that I made it to the exact place that I wanted to be,” a man’s voice said from behind me, his hot breath covering the back of my neck. “And yes, everything that I wanted was here waiting for me.”

My jaw dropped immediately, the moment that I heard the voice.

“Alex...” I whispered.

I turned around as fast as I could, causing his hands to fly off of my shoulders. My eyes gazed immediately upon the man who I had spent eight years trying to figure out whether he was alive or dead. The father of my child was standing in front of me once again.

“Oh, my God,” I said, as tears began to fill my eyes.

Alex, whose muscles had grown significantly since our last encounter eight years before, stood in front of me, his large stature blocking the light that was coming from inside of the restaurant. He was wearing a black t-shirt, dark jeans and black boots. As soon as my eyes locked with his, he flashed his familiar smile.

“Hi, beautiful,” he said, in a deep, sexual voice. “It’s been a little while, huh?”

My mind was in shock and if it hadn’t been for the railing behind me, I think I would have fallen over or passed out.

Am I seeing a ghost? Is this for real or am I just dreaming right now?

I didn’t know what to think or what to say. The man who I had thought had been dead was standing right in front of me.

“Alex...” I said, as I felt my knees beginning to wobble. “You’re....”

“Alive?” Alex said, finishing my sentence. “I’m alive and I’m happy to say so. And I’m home, at least for now.”

My face went pale and my jaw was still on the ground, a look of obvious shock on my face. It took me a few seconds to come to my senses and then finally, I was able to speak more than just a few words.

“How is this happening?” I asked. “How are you standing here right now, Alex? I thought you were dead. You never called me. Your commanding officers wouldn’t tell me anything about you.”

Alex nodded his head understandingly, his bright blue eyes still somehow illuminated in the dim light of the patio. His beard was much thicker than the last time I had seen him, perfectly trimmed, but dark. He was a full-grown man now.

“Lindsey,” Alex said, stepping close to me and placing his hands on my hips. “I’m so sorry. I was captured overseas during a high stakes mission. I was there for years, barely hanging on. The only thing that keep me from finding a way to kill myself was knowing that you were here, waiting for me.”

I swallowed, as the last few words escaped his lips. I had broken my promise. I hadn’t waited for him like I had said that I would all of those years ago.

“Alex...” I whispered. “There’s something I have to tell you...”

A look of concern crossed his face. He had been through so much and I could tell. His eyes looked a bit older than I had remembered and the skin on his face rougher and more worn. I didn’t know if I had the heart to tell him that I had gotten married and broken my promise.

“What is it?” Alex asked, eager to hear what I had to say.

I put my hands behind my back and slipped my wedding ring into my back pocket. I felt guilty immediately, but I didn’t know what else to do. If Alex found out, he would have been broken.

“You and I...” I said, pacing my words, trying to kill the intense silence. “Have a child, Alex. We have a son. His name is Ryan.”

Alex’s eyes lit up and he immediately grabbed me by my waist, twirling me around on the patio. I glanced inside, hoping that nobody would see. Luckily, William and the girls were still seated around the table, gossiping and laughing, just like they had been when I had left to come outside.

“This is great news, Lindsey,” Alex said.

Suddenly, he stopped speaking and a look of sadness crossed his face.

“But I’ve missed so much of his life,” he said.

I placed my hands on his forearms, his massive muscles bulging underneath my fingertips. Then I slowly moved my hands up his bare skin, until they ran into his biceps.

“It’s okay, Alex,” I said. “It’s not your fault.”

I looked up at him and although he looked so much different, it felt like the first time I had ever laid eyes on him. It was then that I realized our connection had nothing to do with looks. We were meant for each other and life kept bringing us back together for a reason.

To this day, I have no idea why I spoke the words that I did. But as I stood in front of him, I felt something come over me that I hadn’t felt in my entire life and I just couldn’t control myself.

“Kiss me,” I said.

Alex didn’t hesitate even for a second. He leaned forward, bringing his lips to mine. Immediately, a tingle shot through my body as a long lost passion ignited inside of me.

Our tongues darted in and out of each other’s mouths and I moaned softly as my pussy began to dampen. Alex moved his hands up and down my sides, his touch against my body immediately satisfying everything that I had been missing for eight years.

I let my hands move up his arms, running my fingers over his large biceps as I made my way to his shoulders. I placed my hands on his shoulders and gently used them to pull myself up, bringing my face to the same level as his. We both moaned softly and I could tell that he was getting turned on.

Oh, God, Alex...why can’t I resist you?

As we kissed, I found myself slowly bucking my hips forward. The bulge of his large cock began to grind against my crotch as he became erect. That was when the logical side of my mind kicked in. I immediately pulled my face away from his and glanced over to the window, where my husband was still seated with my old girlfriends.

“We can’t do this, Alex,” I said. “At least not here.”

Alex flashed his boyish smile and then grabbed my hand. He began walking quickly toward the patio door that led back into the restaurant. A burst of anxiety washed over me.

Oh, my God. William is in there. What if he sees me?

I didn’t have time to say a word, though. Alex kept a firm grip on my hand and pushed open the door, the warm air of the restaurant covering my skin instantly.

“Come on,” he said. “Over here.”

We walked along the edge of the crowd. Luckily, William and the girls were seated on the other side of the room, so we were able to move undetected. Some of my classmates glanced over at me and cocked their heads, a confused look on their faces. I looked down at the ground, avoiding their gaze.
Why are they staring at us?

We stepped quickly past the crowd, but none of them said a word. I realized then, that they didn’t even recognize Alex, despite having been asking about him the entire night. I had imagined that they pictured him to be the same lanky and awkward kid that they remembered. The tall, muscular and handsome man that was leading me across the restaurant was nobody they recognized and the look of confusion on their faces must have stemmed from the fact that it wasn’t my husband whose hand I was holding.

“Alex, where are we going?” I asked.

I didn’t want to tell him that my husband was there, because as far as he knew, I wasn’t married. But that fact was definitely making me nervous.

“Right here,” Alex said, as we quickly turned down a hallway at the back of the restaurant.

A feeling of relief came over me, as we disappeared from view of the crowd. We came to the end of a hallway and there were three doors, one at the very end and two on either side.

Without any hesitation, Alex stepped forward and placed his hand on the door handle of the door at the very end, quietly pushing it open. He peeked his head inside and then looked back at me, smiling.