Chapter Two
“Wow. Okay. I guess you have your reasons for wanting to stay put.”
“Yeah. He and my mom married just out of high school, and he finished college and enlisted as an officer. Mom worked as a caregiver in a nursing home. For basic training and his first assignment, they were apart. But she joined him a little while later, and after that, they lived in base housing. I was born a year after they married. I don’t remember the early years, but I remember the times I was in school. ”
Cliff glanced at Dade as they crossed the street. He walked like he had been in the military, straight, tall, and looking ahead. He supposed that was because of his father. “Can I take a guess? He ran the house like it was one of his units.”
“You got it,” Dade confirmed. “He issued orders and expected us to jump to it.” He smiled.
“I must have been thirteen when I first told him to stuff it, that I wasn’t in his unit and to stop treating me like I was.
I remember shaking in my sneakers as I put my hands on my hips and told him I was his kid, not a soldier, and that I was never going to be one.
Dad always planned for me to follow in his footsteps.
His face went eight shades of red, and I just turned and walked away. ”
“What did your mom say?” Cliff asked. There were men he worked with that he could see being exactly like this, and he often wondered about their families.
“She told Dad that I wasn’t a carbon copy of him and that he needed to get used to having a son who didn’t need others to do his thinking for him. In the military, you follow orders and hope that the people issuing them have done their homework. That isn’t me. Or it wasn’t.”
Cliff refused to take offense at anything Dade was saying.
He had spent fifteen years in the army, and unlike almost all of his colleagues, he was still single.
“You know, I’ve been pressured on more than one occasion to find someone and settle down.
It actually came up around my last promotion.
I remember my colonel speaking to me about it. ”
“What did you tell him?” Dade asked, his eyes huge.
“That it made it easier for me to take new assignments because it was just me, and I could relocate whenever they needed me without it affecting my family.” Cliff understood how hard the military life could be, especially on families.
“And yet they look at you funny because you don’t have one.” They stopped at the square and waited for the light to change. “See, other people doing the thinking for you.”
That comment made Cliff curious. “How so?”
“Well, think about it. The colonel had probably been in the army for twenty or more years. He had a family that he towed around along with him all that time. And he probably felt bad about it on some level, so he had to make sure that someone who hadn’t done that was looked at differently.
Like, misery loves company.” Dade looked at him like he had it all figured out, then took a deep breath.
“How about we talk about something else?”
Cliff chuckled. “Good idea. But for the record, I like what I do, and I’m really good at it.”
“What exactly is it you do?” Dade asked.
“I’m the executive officer. It’s my job to make sure that everything my colonel needs is done right and on time. Basically, I make him look good.” He smirked because he couldn’t help it.
“No way.” Dade’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth hung open. Traffic stopped and it was safe to cross, so Cliff motioned them forward. “Holy shit. I think I should shut up now.”
“Why? You’re allowed to have an opinion. You were part of this system for a lot of your life. What I don’t understand is that a lot of overseas deployments are for two or three years, and it seems like your father had a number of them.” He really wasn’t changing the subject.
“The restaurant is right over there,” Dade said, and they continued down before pausing outside.
“Sorry. The answer to your question is pretty simple. My dad was given plenty of options through his career. Often he could have stayed where he was, but he always chose what he wanted to do. Hence the assignment in Spain that only lasted a month.” Dade cleared his throat.
“I see,” Cliff said. “So, have you been here before?”
“A few times. I met the chef’s partner at an art class at CALC last year.” He opened the door, and Billy hurried from behind the podium, hugging Dade like he was his long-lost brother.
“I heard about what happened. Are you okay?” Billy asked as he hugged Dade again. Cliff wanted to pull them apart as a zing of jealousy raced through him.
“I am. My place has been cleaned and everything needs to dry, but other than a ton of laundry waiting for me, I’m fine.” He stepped back. “This is Cliff. He was passing by and rescued me from all the smoke.”
Billy grinned and led them to a table. He presented them with menus, and Cliff wondered if Billy was going to sit and join them, but he patted Dade on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He stepped back from the table, watching them for a second, then smiled again before returning to his station.
“What was all that about?” Cliff asked. “He’s still watching us.”
“I think Billy is trying to figure out if this is a meet-cute,” Dade said with one of those smiles that could light up any room. “Unfortunately, it’s not.” He shrugged. “See, if you and I were to have a meet-cute, it would be you carrying me out of my apartment building, filled with smoke.”
“How is that cute?” Cliff asked. “I mean, it could have been life-threatening.” Maybe he didn’t quite get the concept.
“Okay. So, you rush into a smoke-filled building, putting yourself at risk, lift me into your strong, muscly arms, and carry me to safety. See, that’s the meet-cute.
” Dade held his gaze, and damned if Cliff didn’t look right back, because, damn.
He reached for his water to wet his suddenly dry mouth.
“But just so you know, you may be the big, strong hero in that story, but I am no damsel in distress.”
Cliff rolled eyes. “For the record, I don’t do damsels.” Did Dade actually shiver? Dammit, he liked that thought. “And just so you know, I learned how to be clear-headed and assess risks and danger in the army.” He had to get a point for that one.
“Fine. You’re the hero in this story. But don’t think I’m just going to fall at your feet when you show up all sexy-looking in your uniform that shows off your muscles and makes you look hot. Because it’s not going to work.”
Cliff leaned closer. “You think I’m hot?”
“Jesus. I teach eight-year-olds all day, and they can’t help saying the first thing that comes into their minds. Maybe it’s catching and I need to stop and think more clearly about what I’m saying.”
“Oh, please don’t. You can tell me I’m hot all you want.” Cliff sipped from his glass and did his best not to smirk as Dade sputtered from across the table. “And you can learn a lot from eight-year-olds.”
Dade leaned over the table. “Oh, do tell.”
“They’re unashamed and unself-conscious. They say what they mean and haven’t yet learned to censor themselves. Basically, they’re unabashedly themselves, and mostly they’re pretty happy. Right?”
Dade chuckled. “They are that. They like school, and they play like it’s the last day of the world. I’ve often thought that we’d all be happier if we could just be like them. Instead, we worry about what everyone else thinks of us, and we all try to be whatever we think we’re supposed to be.”
“So, do you like it? Being a teacher?” Cliff clarified. “Is that what you always wanted to do?”
“I love teaching. Second-graders are fun, but they have a ton of energy, so I have to remember that while I may have them in class for six hours, only about half that time is productive. So, we have story time right after lunch and recess, to settle them down. They’re learning while they’re entertained. ”
“Pretty clever,” Cliff told him.
“You have to be. I have a unit right now where we’re learning about wetlands.
We talk about various animals that live in wetlands, and I made them each a booklet.
They write down what the animal is on a page and then draw and color a picture of it.
I get English, penmanship, art, and spelling all in one activity that they like, because drawing things is something second-graders adore.
And once the unit is done, they get to take the book home and show their parents.
I do one of those kinds of units a month, and by the end of the year, I have them write a story about the animal rather than just writing down what they learned.
So, I’ve added original composition to the lesson, and they love it. ”
“During the holiday season, do they write holiday stories?” Cliff asked, and Dade grinned. “I bet you put a spin on it.” He looked like he was about to answer when the server approached.
“I’m David, and I’ll be your server this evening,” he said with a smile. “We have an amazing sole tonight, and Darryl has mussels in a curry broth that are amazing. Each dinner is thirty dollars. Can I start you with appetizers?” he asked.
Dade glanced at the menu and seemed to make up his mind.
“I’d like the milanaise with a salad and a glass of pinot grigio.
” He handed back the menu, and Cliff got the steak frites, medium, with the house-made mayo for the fries.
David thanked them and turned to the server station to put in the orders.
“This place has been here for quite a while, from what I understand. The Greek place in town as well as the fine Italian restaurant on Pomfret are all owned by them. Darryl is the head chef and owner of all of them. Billy told me that David has a twin. He’s training under Darryl to manage the Greek restaurant.
David is heading to college in the fall. ”
“How do you know all this stuff?” Cliff asked.