Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Elle
THE SHITTY, WATERED-DOWN ATTEMPT at a latte coated my throat while I choked down a piece of toast from the continental breakfast bar. You’d think a hotel as busy as the one I found myself seated in would have decent breakfast options. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.
A strong dose of caffeine and a hearty meal would have been helpful ways to cushion the lingering side effects from yesterday’s flight, taxi ride, and evening check-in.
Instead, my enthusiastic nerves and rampant Jesse jitters had allowed me only four lousy hours of sleep and a side of anticipatory nausea.
Sitting alone at the table across from mine, a middle-aged man hid everything but his eyes behind his newspaper, glancing at me every time he flipped the page or slurped on his orange juice.
Creepy newspaper guy reminded me that I was a young woman, rooming alone at a hotel I’d never stayed at, in a town I’d never been to.
Another reason why I couldn’t wait for Jesse to stay with me tonight.
The lobby of the Waulumbee Lake Inn was full of characters. Men, women, children, and even the slurpy paper guy shared something with me—a yearning to witness their loved ones graduate boot camp.
Time ticked on as if it were an average day, the clock unaware of how far it was from average for so many. Only three hours remained to shower, get ready, set up our room, and catch the hotel’s shuttle to the base. My endless to-do list taunted me.
I pushed my plate aside and stared into space as if it were a painting, pausing to reflect on everything that had brought us to the moment before me …
How Jesse and I had met on the same day he signed his agreement to join the Navy.
The last two years we’d spent building our relationship.
The highs, the worries, and the reasons we had both found in our letters.
The realization that Jesse finally cared as much about my future as he did about his own. And that, together, we were ready to take things to the next level.
A renewed energy surged through my chest, and I smiled wide. Jesse’s growth in our time apart had shown me precisely what I needed to see.
The only thing left to do was see it in person.
I returned to my room, forgoing an extra cup of coffee.
On my walk back, palpable energy radiated from the people I encountered in the halls—a mutual respect for the time and distance we’d spent away from the people we would soon see.
Sure, we were strangers, but the solidarity silently threading us together united us in ways unseen.
The minutes that ticked on felt more like hours. A good thing, seeing as I needed every second to prepare myself and finish setting up the room for Jesse’s arrival before the shuttle to base was scheduled to leave.
Did the idea of seeing him for the first time in months excite me the most? Or was it the guarantee of the infamous post–boot camp sex with him that brought a surge of heat to the space between my thighs? Was that how the term sweatpants came to be?
The faux rose petals I’d brought from home, sprinkled upon the king-size bed, complemented the bedside table I’d topped with strawberry massage oil, a small vibrator, and the lingerie my boyfriend had requested. The room oozed sexuality.
I imagined Jesse’s inevitable protest when it was time for him to leave it, knowing the inviting space would be quite an upgrade from boot-camp living.
Candles would have been a nice touch, but the hotel’s strict no candles policy warned me against them.
Dreamily, I imagined setting off the smoke detectors and evacuating the room, wearing only skimpy lingerie and Jesse’s arms wrapped around my waist. A sexy fireman and his clumsy victim, who had accidentally lit their hotel room ablaze, wasn’t the vibe I was going for, although it would make an excellent romance novel.
“You and I” kicked off the Get Ready playlist I’d curated on my flight to Chicago, and, boy, did Lady Gaga know how to put a pep in my step.
Of course, Jewel, Dave Matthews Band, and the Twilight movie soundtrack appeared deeper in the list. The only songs that had made the cut were the ones that grounded me.
Familiar lyrics buzzed loudly around the bathroom for the entire forty-five minutes it took me to shower, shave, and moisturize every bit of hair and skin on my body from the neck down. If plucked chicken were a skin type, I’d be a damn plucked chicken.
There wasn’t much I enjoyed more than the feeling of a fluffy, freshly bleached towel to wrap up in after a long shower. Hotel linens were my weakness. I couldn’t fully enjoy the feeling of the fabric pressed against my skin though because I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Jesse.
Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, Jesse …
I wiped a path through the condensation that blanketed the bathroom mirror and stared back at the girl who had gotten me through the last twelve weeks.
That’s right, Little Miss Anxiety; we did it. You did it, I thought.
A chuckle filled the steamy air. I was truly proud of myself.
On another note, how the hell could I put my makeup on without looking like Mona from Cry-Baby if my hands wouldn’t stop shaking?
It was funny how the moment I needed my makeup to look its best came with a side of trembling hands and incoordination.
Several deep breaths and a two-minute meditation cut through the layers of nerves that smothered me.
Thirty minutes later, cool tones of brown and shimmery mauves caressed my eyelids while thin winged eyeliner and pink-nude lipstick completed my amped-up signature look.
My makeup also complemented the tight white sweater I’d spent fifty bucks on for the special occasion.
Splurging on clothes was not my norm, especially lately, but I needed to feel my best. The amount of cleavage peeking out of the neckline, coupled with the soft, figure-hugging material tucked into my skintight jeans, made me feel just that.
Slutty, which I assumed would be the unspoken uniform for many of the other girlfriends attending graduation, wasn’t one of my goals.
Mine consisted of stealing Jesse’s attention, staying true to my classy yet sexy style, and staying warm in the northern chill.
Would my getup be enough to accomplish all three?
The floor-length mirror fastened to the bathroom door practically screamed, Yessss, when I turned around for a second look.
My ass looked great, even better, accompanied by the black suede boots stopping just above my knees.
My dark jeans smoothly tucked into them like a dream, and the few extra inches of height their heels gifted to my five-and-change-foot frame were a nice touch.
They weren’t sky-high, but they were still alluring.
Jesse would undoubtedly agree. He’d never seen his Florida girl in a pair of winter boots.
The remainder of our time apart crept by. I used the final seconds to fluff my hair and apply one last spritz of floral perfume to my neck and chest.
“You did it, Elle. You made it, and you look smoking hot. Nothing can bring you down now. Just enjoy it, bitch!” Ruthie’s distant voice in my ear inflated my ego, giving me the confidence only she knew I needed.
I vowed to text her on the shuttle ride to base. No doubt she’d be obsessively awaiting an update.
I lifted my small crossbody bag over my shoulder, positioned the strap across my chest, and double-checked that my graduation ticket, wallet, phone, and room key were still there. The two months’ worth of overthinking my body refused to shake were also in there, always along for the ride.
One last glance around the room and the click of the auto-locking door behind me were the only things that separated me from the most anticipated moment of my life.
It was finally time.
A short elevator ride later, my fast-paced steps were forced to slow as the shuttle bus line appeared in the lobby.
The echoing room was packed full of people I assumed to be parents, siblings, and even young children, ready to be reunited with the Navy’s newest graduating class. Every single one had my respect.
The past twelve weeks had left me feeling like I was on an island that only I knew existed. The crowd surrounding me proved there were more islands. None of us had ever been alone.
I inched forward toward the hotel’s automatic glass entrance, knowing I was about to witness Jesse in a way I would never forget.
Centering myself, I stopped before boarding the shuttle, looked to the sky, and whispered my mantra one last time. Keep me calm, keep him safe, keep us together.