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When her gaze shifts to the bathroom, a rush of heat burns through me. We’re so close to giving in and taking things further, but that will only complicate matters.
I take a deep breath, count to five, and calm myself before speaking.
“We should probably go.” Throaty and hoarse, I clear my throat and start making my way to the door. If we stay much longer, neither one of us will be leaving for the rest of the day.
She follows me out of her temporary quarters, then loops her arm through mine as we greet another one of California’s spectacular days. I guide her to one of the cafeterias on HQ grounds as a comfortable silence settles between us. We’re each lost to our own thoughts until Kaye speaks up softly.
“Where are we going?”
“The Mess Hall. You said you were hungry. I thought that meant food, but we can go back.”
“You said you were in no rush.” She shoves me playfully.
“I lied.” My wink turns her cheeks pink. Damn, but I love that. “But I’m content to wait, until you’re ready.”
We meander through the grounds and I point out various buildings along the way, showing her the medical facilities we visited last night as well as Mitzy’s fiefdom where the techies rule.
“And this is the cafeteria. Or Mess Hall. People use the two interchangeably.”
“Looks busy.”
“It is, and it’s bigger than it seems. Plenty of food and plenty of tables. Come on.”
We push through the cafeteria doors and are immediately greeted by the savory scents of breakfast sizzling away and the low background noise of people talking while sharing a meal.
“Oh my, this place smells amazing.” Kaye’s eyes brighten and she places her hand over her stomach. “What do they have?”
“Anything you can think of.”
“Waffles?”
“Yes.”
“With butter?”
“Yeah, I think we have butter.”
“And whipped cream?”
“Someone loves their waffles.” I love learning these little things about her along the way. It’s like stealing peeks into her innermost thoughts.
“I haven’t had waffles in forever. Too much mess to clean up at home, but if they have it, and I don’t have to do the dishes…” Her eyes light with excitement.
“Not only do we have waffles, there’s an entire station dedicated to them. Pancakes too; plain, blueberry, chocolate chips…”
My mouth waters thinking about chocolate chip pancakes. Those are my absolute favorite. Not something we ever had in the commune. We weren’t allowed frivolous things. I learned about chocolate chip pancakes only after joining the Navy.
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope.” I pull her over to the waffle station, where I leave her to make her selections. After she’s set, I get in the main line, grab a plate, and pile it high with eggs, bacon, and biscuits with gravy.
She loves waffles. I love biscuits with gravy.
I rejoin her just as her waffles finish and guide her to a private table, where we take our seats and enjoy our meal alone.
“So, how do we pay for this?” She twists in her seat, checking out the dining area. “I don’t see any registers.”
“We don’t.”
