4. Nate
FOUR
nate
Sitting in the chow hall was the first chance I had to check my phone today. Pulling it out, scanning through the usual suspects, I found the name I was looking for.
Zoe Harrison.
Sure enough, a new text from her awaited.
New winery was a hit. Not sure if this will come through but a little taste of home.
Below it, there was a picture of wine-tasting glasses with a view of the lake behind them.
Home. It had been more than ten months since I’d been stationed here, and the thought of going home was a mixed bag. Getting used to normal life—everything from driving a car to the sleep schedule to the lack of alarms back home—would be an adjustment.
I told Zoe to text me anytime but wasn’t sure if I should do the same. It was after midnight back home, and if she didn’t turn her phone off, my text could wake her. Then again, most people at least put their phones on silent for the night.
Screw it. I had no idea what the day would bring or if there would be another chance to text her.
Looks great. Glad you had fun.
I put my phone down and finished eating. It was only a second later when my phone buzzed again.
Can’t go wrong at a Finger Lakes winery in the fall.
She was up late.
Still awake?
Yep…night owl
Same. Usually. Not here though.
Zoe immediately responded.
Up too early?
Exactly
Pause. So, I checked some of my other texts and fired one or two off before another of hers came in.
So, what does an army sniper, sorry, spotter, do on a fine morning in Africa?
She referenced my own question to her yesterday. Clever woman.
Sniper. Spotter. Either works.
I added a coffee emoji to show her what I was up to.
How’s the coffee there?
Okay by me. I’m not very discriminatory. You a coffee drinker?
Is the sky blue?
Smiling, I texted right back.
I take it that’s a yes?
An enthusiastic yes!
So. . . a wine- and coffee-drinking gym rat who manages a Finger Lakes resort, is obviously good with people, and is kind enough to send an encouraging note to a stranger. How am I doing so far?
LOL. Pretty good, actually. But you forgot slightly neurotic with big emotions, very likely functional anxiety and. . .
She stopped typing.
And?
And that’s it
She’d wanted to say more.
Send it
I’m good
You can’t scare me. That list is nothing compared to mine.
Oh yeah? Go ahead then.
Shit, if I were completely honest with every one of my negative qualities, she’d run for the hills. So, I started small.
I can be controlling.
Overly so? Like telling your girlfriend what to do or not to do?
Girlfriend. Was she fishing?
Not really. But I do like certain things a certain way.
What kinds of things?
I was thinking specifically about the bedroom. But I wouldn’t say that, of course. Better Zoe think I was a control freak than get inappropriate with her in our second exchange.
That’s all I can say. For now.
Hmmmm… so, that’s all you’ve got? You’re controlling?
I probably shouldn’t be so honest, but what the hell. What did I have to lose?
Not a lot of people know a lot about me.
So a man of mystery, huh?
Something like that.
Doesn’t sound too bad.
Time to steer the conversation in another direction. Should I pick up on the girlfriend comment? Probably should have done that already. It was the thing I wanted to know most. Before I could decide what to text, she sent another.
By the way, I was with Charlee today. She says hello.
So, Zoe talked about me to Charlee.
Hello back to her. How’s she doing?
Great. She and Lucas are amazing together.
Glad to hear it. He carried a torch for her as long as I knew him.
I probably shouldn’t have said that, but it was true. And likely not a big secret anymore.
He admitted that to her. She felt the same.
I’m glad they could work out their Mr. Donovan problem.
OMG you won’t believe it. They went fishing together last week.
STFU. He didn’t tell me. (Sorry about the cursing.)
Uh oh. If I can’t say fuck, we’re gonna have a problem.
Smiling, relieved, I was about to type something out when one of the guys called me out. “Hey, Collins. You going to come train with us today, or you gonna finger-fuck your phone?”
The last thing I needed was these nosy bastards getting wind of Zoe. I needed to wrap this up. I went back to my phone.
Glad we’re on the same page.
No apologizing for cursing.
Glad to fucking hear it.
I tested the waters.
Hell yeah!
She had a fun sense of humor, this Zoe girl.
I’ll have to ask Lucas about his fishing trip. Unless you don’t want him to know we talked.
Why would I care about that?
Why indeed.
Just making sure
You can tease him all you want. I love teasing him. Charlee does too. She loves punishing him for it.
I bet. Thanks for the green light. I’ll be sure to mention it to him.
When she didn’t respond, I reminded myself what time it was over there and sent a sleep emoji, asking if it was bedtime.
Not quite. Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep.
I couldn’t imagine having that problem. Usually by the end of the day, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.
Gotta get your sleep.
Okay, Dad
Point taken. No more lectures. I just don’t want to keep you up.
There was a longer pause than usual which meant Zoe was thinking of her response. Whatever came through next, I’d take seriously.
You’re not. I enjoy talking to you.
Damn. I still had no idea about a boyfriend. Who was the guy in the pictures? Lucas, the bastard, hadn’t responded.
Same. Why don’t you get some sleep and text me tomorrow. If you want.
Ugh. So, you’re forcing me to sleep?
Trying, anyway.
You do sound like my parents. That’s one of the nice things about being out of the house. Keeping my own hours.
Until now?
LOL. Until now.
I sent a winking emoji.
Fine. Bed. Have a good day over there. Don’t get killed.
I laughed out loud at that one. Which was a mistake. Ignoring the looks around me, I texted back.
Will try my best. Night.
G’night
I waited another second or two. Nothing.
And then looked up.
“What?” I asked no less than three guys all watching me. I wasn’t in the least bit surprised when one of them said, “Does the girl on the other side of that phone know you have the Irish curse,” he gestured toward his dick. “Or were you gonna tell her later?”
Time to pay the piper.