Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“In about an hour. Then it’s straight back to Virginia. I don’t know when I’ll be back here on official business, but are you able to apply for some leave coming up? I’m thinking that maybe because Brady missed out this time, we could go surprise him in New York when—”
“Yes,” Prescott says immediately. “But it has to be soon. We don’t know when our next deployment is, but rumors are it’ll be in the next two months.”
“I’ve heard … similar.”
“Let me guess, from top secret Pentagon people, so you can’t tell me even though it has everything to do with me.”
I touch my nose.
“I hate the military sometimes. It sucks that the higher-ups know our fate, but they don’t warn us or brief us until the very last minute. It’s like they make plans for our lives without so much as acknowledging we’re human beings. We’re just a number to them.”
“How dare they protect national security by not telling every single solider their plans!”
He gives me the stink eye, and I laugh.
“I do get what you’re saying, but it’s a developing situation, and we might not even be needed yet.”
“You forget you’re not part of that we anymore. Or you won’t be when you start your new job.” He shakes his head. “I still can’t believe you’re leaving the military. I might complain about it, but I can’t see myself doing anything else. Ever. We were supposed to be career, man.”
“Sometimes dreams change.”
“What’s your dream now?” It’s hard to miss the sarcasm in his emphasis of the word dream. “To find a man and settle down and …” Prescott screws up his face. “Have a real relationship for once?”
He mocks the idea, but it’s exactly what I want. “Is it so much to ask that I want to find someone who wants to be with me and share their life with me?” Who won’t let me move across the country because they can’t stand to live without me? “I want someone to love me so much they couldn’t walk away if they tried.”
“Why do you need to leave the navy for that?”
“You know how hard it is to keep people interested when you up and go for months at a time. You’re always away on training ops or real ops, you can’t talk about it with your partners, and it’s an all-round lonely life. The only people you have is your team, and I don’t even have that anymore.” I hold up my hand to stop him from cutting me off and saying I could have it back if I asked for my old post. “I’m ready to leave the navy, Pres. I’m ready to grow up.”
Prescott looks as heartbroken as I feel whenever I’m with him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
prescott
It’s only a short two weeks later, in the middle of Kit and me trying to work out when we can surprise Brady, that there’s a group text from him:
I know this is last-minute and most likely not plausible, but I’ve been sent on assignment to babysit an athlete who wants to hide from the media for a while after coming out, so I’m in the Catskills, at a semi-private resort, and I would really, really love it if you could join me here. Even if it’s only for a couple of nights. One night. I can’t stop thinking about those photos you sent me, and I need to see you both again.
Kit is the first to respond. You’re in a cabin in the woods with a queer athlete? Sounds to me like you could have your own fun.
I grin at the text, but only because I know Kit’s not being dismissive. He’s asking flat out if Brady is involved with this other guy.
Brady replies: He’s a client. My uncle might love me, but he’s not above firing me.
And then it’s followed by a stream of taunting messages from him.
Even if this guy is hot.
Bulky for a baseball player.
Accidentally walked in on him in the shower, and let me just say baseball pants, as tight as they are, still hide how sexy his ass is.
Oh, did I mention I also have a fellow intern here too? He’s your all-American type of blond-haired ex-athlete. Also gay. Two guys. Neither of who I can fuck unless I want to be fired. What’s a boy to do?
My phone starts ringing, and unsurprisingly, it’s Kit.
“Can you swing it?” he asks as soon as I answer.
“I probably can. Hold up.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and open the text chain and type: How long are you there for?
He answers immediately. Two weeks.
I put the phone back to my ear. “I should be able to get a couple of days off next week. Everyone knows deployment is coming sometime in a couple of months, so I’d have to figure out what days might be approved, seeing as everyone wants to go see their families and shit.”