Page 35 of Forever Flustered

“Woohoo!” Maureen cheered in approval. “It is on. You aren’t sitting here with some lightweight – I can ‘throw down’ some chips and queso.” And Eli cracked a faint smile at the bragging she was doing, mixed with that sense of bravado he’d seen in other pilots before getting their butts handed to them in the air.

“Same,” he tossed back, testing the waters. “It’s been a while since I’ve had real Mexican food, so I’m warning you now – it’s not going to be pretty.”

“Don’t judge me and I won’t judge you,” she challenged with a smirk. “But do keep this up. It looks good on you, Eli – and I like it.”

That tiny spark of happiness within him was quickly fanning into something much larger and brighter than anything he’d ever imagined. The corner of his lips turned upward into the beginnings of a smile, because for the first time in forever, he was starting to feel like himself… and it was being welcomed openly.

The waitress chose that moment to arrive beside their table, and Maureen spoke, leaning forward and giving him a sideways glance as if measuring to see what he would say or do. “We’ll have the ‘dirty queso’ with all the good stuff mixed in – and a bowl of guacamole with extra limes on the side, please.”

“And the empanadas,” Eli added, holding her gaze as he spoke up, once more testing the waters – but that insecure part of him braced for the rejection, despite everything. Yeah, he had some hurdles to cross, but the last hour had been a revelation already, giving him strength to keep going. “Unsweet tea for me, please…”

“I’ll have the same,” Maureen finished before tearing his eyes away from him to look at the waitress once more. “We’ll start with that and order in just a bit – thank you.”

The moment the woman walked away, Maureen looked back at him without any hesitation – and that smile was brilliant. “Now, I want to know everything about you… and don’t hold back. I want the good, the bad, and the ugly so I know what I’m getting into in our relationship – which is off to a wonderful start, if I do say so myself.”

He let out his breath in a soft chuckle of amazement and shook his head, almost like he couldn’t believe someone like her existed in this world. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded.

“Same. I want to know everything about you – and don’t hold back.”

CHAPTER 12

MAUREEN

Maureen and Eli took their time eating – and spoke in hushed voices to each other, trying to keep it all between them. She listened without judgment and hoped her expression hid her disbelief and horror as Eli slowly began to open up. He told her about his relationship with his brother - and how it fell apart. She had no idea at the wedding that all of this was happening in the background, which made her realize why he’d been so distracted and closed off. As he spoke, she was also recognizing that there had been issues at home growing up. That was sad, beyond heartbreaking to realize that someone had a home and a family – but it wasn’t the loving one she’d imagined or yearned for her entire existence. It was a hard discussion, but necessary – and not one she wanted to have again, she thought silently as his voice cracked.

Quickly, she changed the subject, telling him about her own childhood, or lack of. He seemed so shaken to learn that she grew up in an orphanage, drawing in a breath as he listened to her own past… and then the conversation evolved almost naturally.

“Wow…” he breathed and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table as he clasped his hands under his chin, looking at her with something akin to admiration. “I had no idea and would have never guessed. You seem to be so… ah, put together?” he paused, his eyes creasing at the corners as he gave her a faint smile. “I think I underestimated how strong you are deep down inside.”

She leaned forward, mimicking his stance and smiled at him. “I know you did, flyboy. You think everyone is out to get you, but some of us are just out to get to know you better.”

“And that’s what this is?”

“Isn’t that why you flew halfway around the world?”

“Maybe…”

“Uh, huh,” she replied, chuckling easily as he tried to be standoffish again, always trying to play a neutral position, but she understood him better now. He was afraid to upset someone, and it was safer in his mind. He was doing it with everything – including the appetizers. He asked for both, because he didn’t want to be the decision-maker, which struck her as odd because he oversaw his squadron.

A leader… who didn’t want to lead.

Fascinating, she mused.

“What do you like to do for fun?” she murmured, trying to get to know him a little better, picking away at all the locks in his mind so she could get to the ‘real’ part of him. “What makes you tick?”

“I don’t understand,” he hesitated – but his expression tightened. “Why are you asking?”

“Well,” she began, leaning back slightly so her stance wasn’t so aggressive. “I love to listen to soft music when I have downtime. I close my eyes and simply exist in a cushy place on my sofa and think, or I will read.”

“I don’t have time for that,” he replied, and his voice was getting tense – which meant she was hitting a nerve. “I’ve got more work than I can handle. I have to keep in shape. I eat – and I sleep. That’s about it.”

“But what do you do away from work?”

“Eat,” he stressed, giving her a hard look. “And sleep. That’s it.”

“Eli,” she protested in a hushed voice, realizing it was probably true. “You have to find a way to unwind. You need it – your body and soul need downtime. People snap when they are pushed too far.”

“You’re a masseuse – not a shrink,” he shot back, and she flinched at the vehemence in his tone, right before she felt something warm clamp onto her hand on the table. “I’m sorry,” he croaked out, his eyes looking horrified and scared. “I’m sorry, Maureen. I didn’t mean to be cruel or hurt your feelings, but I really don’t have time to do stuff like that when I have to hold it all together – and you’re right.”