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“Jeez…I look kinda plain Jane in that dress, but you look—”
“Is it all right?” Turning back and forth in front of the mirror, I’m suddenly wondering if I’ve put in too much effort. “Too short you think?”
“You look amazing. Seriously, this guy, whoever he is, is going to drop dead when he sees you.” We both start laughing. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good,” she says. “I mean that he’s going to lose his mind…In a good way.”
Slipping my feet into a pair of strappy sandals, I look down and admire my shiny red toenails. I even splurged for a pedicure after class today. “His name is Damien.”
She sits on my bed just as Reese comes in and joins her. “You look sexy, mama.”
Frannie lets out a dreamy sigh. “Damien is a hot guy’s name. I only got a quick look at him, but the name certainly fits.”
“I kind of hate you a little bit right now,” Reese says with a totally fake pout. “I tried to chat that guy up on Sunday night but he paid me no attention.”
“This whole thing is crazy.” I’m saying this to Frannie and Reese but I’m really talking to myself. “He’s leaving in less than six weeks. I’m wasting my time.”
“When is shagging a hot man ever a waste of time?” Reese points at me. “And notice I said man, not boy or guy or dude.” Flopping back on my bed and fanning herself, she adds, “Damien is aman.”
I think back to our lunch yesterday, to the way he held the door open for me and guided me inside with his hand on the small of my back, the way he pulled my chair out for me, and the way he carried my heavy bag. I noticed the muscled arms and torso underneath his fitted shirt, felt his rough stubble on my cheek when he kissed me goodbye, and took note of how small I felt in his arms when he gave me a quick hug. So he is a man, yes, but he’s also a gentleman.
I drag in a deep breath when the doorbell rings.
“Want me to get it?” Frannie asks as she’s jumping off the bed and making her way to the door.
I start to say that I’ll answer the door but the two of them have already beaten me to it.
“Hi, you must be Damien,” Frannie greets him.
“I am.” He steps inside and nods his head as the girls introduce themselves. “It’s nice to meet you both.” Fixing his eyes back on Reese he says, “You look familiar.”
She shrugs and smiles. “Oh, I’m the girl who tried to climb you like a tree the other night at the bar.” Damien’s eyes go wide and he coughs as Reese gestures to me and adds, “But you kept staring over at that one, so I gave up.”
The things I love about Reese, that she’s forward, outspoken and plays no games? Right now I’m wishing she’d take it down a notch. I’m nervous enough as it is.
“Sorry about that.” Damien manages to say this to Reese with a smile that’s both a comfort and a tease before turning his attention to me. “You look beautiful, Grace.”
I want to say it back to him because he looks so good, but there is no word in the English language that fits. Handsome is too formal, good is too generic, and to tell him he looks downright edible—while true—would be all sorts of weird. I just go with a barely audiblethank youinstead.
“Where are you two heading?” Frannie asks as if she’s just making casual conversation, but she’s the most sensible member of our trio. Damien doesn’t go to school here and I know next to nothing about him, so Frannie is being Frannie: careful and wise.
“Rudy’s for something to eat.” He looks to me and asks, “Do you like that place? Is that all right?” When I nod he looks back to the girls and says, “Then we’re seeing a band at Blue Note.”
“Sounds good.” Reese waves and winks as we’re heading out the door. “You two kids have fun tonight.”
“Yeah, have fun,” Frannie calls after us, “pickles.”
“Pickles?” Damien looks amused. “Is that your nickname?”
“No, that’s our safe word.” He looks to me with a raised eyebrow, and I full-on belly laugh when I realize I’ve just gone all Christian Grey on him. “Frannie likes to have a code word that we can text to one another if we’re like, in trouble or something.”
He nods. “That’s smart.”
Damien stops beside a motorcycle parked in the lot and then looks to me. “I’ll drive slow. I was going to suggest that you’d be more comfortable in jeans and regular shoes, but you look so good, Grace. I didn’t want you to change.”
It takes me a moment to digest the compliment “I’ve never ridden on a bike before.”
“I keep it at Eli’s parents’ house. You’re not allowed to have any sort of vehicle on base during your first tour of duty and it’s just not practical to have one now.” He hands me the spare helmet. “Sure you don’t mind?”
“No. It’s warm out tonight and I like trying new things.”
