Chapter 3 #3
Aleck chuckled. “Of course. You can ask me anything. I might not always be able to answer your questions…operational security and all. But if I can’t, I’ll tell you why. Anyway, yeah, so my nickname is Aleck. My last name is Smart.”
Kenna laughed. “Smart Aleck, huh?”
“Yup. And I’ll warn you, it fits me pretty well.”
“Noted,” Kenna told him.
“Mustang’s name is kind of complicated, but it involves a prank when he first joined the Navy. Midas was an amazing swimmer in high school and won a bunch of gold medals. Pid’s first name is Stuart—or Stu, for short.”
“Oh, man, that’s harsh,” Kenna said.
“Yeah, nicknames often are. The more someone protests about it, the more it’ll stick,” Aleck told her. “Jag’s first name is Jagger, and Slate’s last name is Stone.”
“So most of your nicknames are because of your real names,” Kenna noted.
“Yeah. They usually come about because of our name or something stupid we did,” Aleck said.
“It’s a good thing I don’t have a nickname based on that,” Kenna quipped. “I’ve done a lot of stupid things.”
“Nope, I don’t believe it,” Aleck said.
Kenna laughed, and once again Aleck was struck by her beautiful smile.
It lit up her face. And he loved that she didn’t seem self-conscious about laughing either.
Some women he’d known had covered their mouths with their hands while laughing.
Or they’d just giggle. Or they’d complain about getting laugh lines on their face. But Kenna’s laugh was genuine.
They sat on the lounge chair for a while longer, talking about nothing important.
The amazing Hawaii weather, how impressive surfers were, the necessary evil of tourists in Hawaii, and Kenna told him that it was a personal mission of hers to find the best beaches on the island, even if they weren’t open to the public.
“The best beaches?” Aleck echoed.
“Yup. Some of the best places to body surf, or lie on the sand without having to deal with hundreds of tourists, or to snorkel, are privately owned. I’ve been able to find a lot of them, have been kicked off a few, but for the most part, as long as you aren’t being a jerk, no one cares if you’re there.
” She gave him a side-eye. “I bet the Navy base has some good beaches.”
Aleck chuckled. “Probably not as many as you’d think. Unfortunately, the top officers don’t really look kindly on sailors lounging around on a beach while at work.”
“Darn,” Kenna said.
“But I’m happy to get you on base and drive you around if you want to look for yourself.”
“Yes!” Kenna said enthusiastically. “And in return, I’ll be happy to show you some of my favorite private beaches. But you have to promise not to do anything to get us kicked out.”
“Promise,” Aleck said.
The beeping of an alarm sounded from inside Kenna’s pocket, and Aleck reluctantly let go of her hand so she could shift on a hip and pull out her phone.
“Shoot. My break is over,” Kenna said as she turned off the alarm.
Aleck was surprised at how fast the time had gone. But then again, he had a feeling he could’ve talked to Kenna all night and not gotten bored.
“I really would like to see you again. Maybe on one of your nights off,” Aleck said.
“I’d like that,” Kenna said.
Aleck let out the breath he’d been holding since his screwup. He was happy she was giving him a second chance after putting his foot in his mouth. “Can I get your number? Or I can give you mine,” he said, not wanting to be too pushy or get a set of fake digits.
“Give me yours,” Kenna told him.
Aleck rattled them off and she programmed them into her phone. He felt his cell vibrate in his pocket after a moment.
“I sent you a text so you’d have mine too,” Kenna told him.
Aleck beamed. “Awesome.” He stood and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you back. I don’t want your boss to be pissed.”
“Alani’s cool. She’d understand.”
“Still.”
Kenna put her hand in his and let him help her up. And instead of letting go immediately, she held on as they walked back toward Duke’s. The lights of the restaurant seemed extra bright after their time on the beach.
A loud burst of laughter came from the bar area, and Aleck couldn’t help but smile.
“Sounds like Elodie and Lexie are having fun,” Kenna noted.
“Yup.” Looking over at the bar, he saw the women were laughing it up with the two bartenders. Mustang, Midas, and Jag were sitting at a table near the bar.
“Should I be worried about how much they’re drinking?” Kenna asked tentatively as she looked over at Elodie and Lexie.
“No,” Aleck said. “Mustang said he was going to have a word with the bartender and ask that they go easy on the liquor in their drinks.”
Kenna stared at him. “That’s…kind of presumptuous, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Not really,” Aleck said easily. “Both Elodie and Lexie already knew, since Mustang and Midas discussed doing it in front of them.”
“Oh.”
“We’re a protective bunch,” Aleck told her.
He was somewhat warning her as well as trying to explain.
“It’s not like they mind their women getting drunk, but they don’t want them getting sick.
And both Elodie and Lexie are all right with it, since they’re not big drinkers.
They know they’re being looked after, even as they let loose a little.
” He shrugged. “It works for all of them.”
“And your other friend? Why’s he still here?”
“Carly,” Aleck said with a smile.
“Ah, of course,” Kenna said.
“He likes her, even though he’s not ready to admit it.”
“I think I told you earlier that Carly dated an older man? Well, it didn’t go well. Not at all. She’s definitely not ready for another boyfriend right now.”
“I can understand that. But that doesn’t mean Jag is gonna give up.”
“He’s got his work cut out for him,” Kenna warned.
“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. If it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for. If it’s worth attaining, it’s worth fighting for. And if it’s worth experiencing, it’s worth putting aside time for,” Aleck said.
Kenna stopped in the middle of the dining room and looked up at him. “Oscar Wilde said that.”
“Yup. I’ve always loved that quote. I’m paraphrasing a bit, but I memorized it in high school, and it’s amazing how many things it applies to. My job. Friendships. Relationships. Spending time with someone you want to get to know better.”
“Shit,” Kenna muttered. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Just for the record, you’ve more than made up for being snobby earlier.”
Aleck grinned. “Good.”
“Kenna!” Charlotte called when she saw her. “Good timing. Vera just sat someone in your section. You want me to grab their drink order for you?”
“I’ve got it!” Kenna told her. She looked back at Aleck. “Time to get back to work.”
Aleck dropped her hand and nodded.
They smiled at each other for a moment, before Kenna spun around and headed for the kitchen.
Aleck watched her go, feeling a pang of disappointment. He supposed he would’ve felt it no matter when they parted ways. Kenna was pretty different from the women he’d dated in the past…in a very good way.
He strolled toward the bar and overheard Elodie telling the bartenders the story about what they’d done in the restroom. They all burst out laughing again.
“I’m totally gonna keep that ruse up,” the female said. “Shouldn’t be hard. And if it makes people be nicer to the waitstaff, all the better.”
Aleck couldn’t agree more. He headed for the table where his friends were sitting. He saw that Mustang had a glass of water in front of him, and assumed Midas was drinking iced tea. Jag was nursing a beer.
He pulled out a chair and sat.
“You good?” Mustang asked.
“Yup,” Aleck told him.
“How good?” Midas pressed.
“We exchanged numbers, and even though I said some stupid shit, she still wants to see me again,” Aleck said with a smile.
“Awesome. Even though I don’t believe you said anything stupid,” Jag said.
Aleck grinned ruefully. “Kenna called me a snob. And she wasn’t wrong.”
“You aren’t a snob,” Midas said in surprise.
Aleck shrugged. “I try not to be, but obviously not having to worry about money has affected me in ways I hadn’t realized.”
“But you two are cool?” Jag asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Jag paused, then asked, “She talk about her friend at all?”
He smirked. “You mean the cute waitress you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of all night?”
Jag shrugged.
Aleck sobered. “Just that she’s not all that keen on dating right now. I guess she’s got an asshole ex.”
“Shit,” Jag swore softly, then straightened in his chair. “Well, the only easy day was yesterday.”
Aleck rolled his eyes at the same time as Midas and Mustang. The phrase was a fairly popular SEAL saying, but he wasn’t sure it really applied to dating a gun-shy woman. Though it wasn’t as if he was an expert in relationships.
Just then, the woman in question headed for their table, and Aleck smiled when Jag sat even straighter.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Carly asked Aleck.
“Iced tea, please,” he said.
Carly smiled. “Of course.”
They all watched as she glanced briefly at Jag, blushed, then hurried away after making sure everyone else was still good with their drinks.
“She might be gun-shy,” Mustang said softly. “But she isn’t un-interested.”
“I can be patient,” Jag said, sipping his beer.
His friend’s interest in the waitress was intriguing, but Aleck’s attention was already caught by Kenna. She was welcoming a couple sitting on the other side of the bar, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He hadn’t been this into a woman in a long while.
When she’d taken their order and headed back toward the kitchen, her gaze met his, and she smiled.
It felt good to know the attraction wasn’t one-sided.
Aleck sat back, happy to chill for as long as Elodie and Lexie wanted to stay. Even if he couldn’t talk to Kenna, it was nice to simply be in the same place as she was.