Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Pissed off because she’d been disturbed, she fumbled for the device, swiped at the call and growled, “What?”
There was a moment of silence and she almost looked down to see if she’d actually hit ignore on the call instead of accept.
“Is this Lieutenant Kirk?”
Oh shit.
It sank in, both the voice on the other end as well as how shrewish she’d sounded.
“Yes sir. Sorry sir. How can I help you, Commander?”
“Am I disturbing you, Lieutenant?”
There it was, the patronizing, and more than slightly condescending tone the men got to speaking to her.
“No sir.” Fuck, she even sat up straight as if he could see her and wouldn’t have something else to be disappointed in her about. Even if her hair was more akin to a rats nest than anything, she’d bet her eyes were blurry and hell, there she probably a serious squint going on.
His grunt told her, he knew she lied, was glad he had disturbed her and wasn’t going to make this a quick, painless call for her.
“We need you on the boat tonight.”
She was supposed to have two days off and had plans with her friends, but all she did was nod and reply, “Of course sir. Is there a specific time I should be there?”
“No complaints?”
“Of course not sir. I know I wouldn’t be called prematurely off down time if it wasn’t important. I’ll be there this afternoon. Have a good day sir.”
She ended the call because she didn’t know if she would be able to hold her tongue if she continued to deal with him on the line. Commander Stephen Lewis was the XO of the boat and had made it clear from day one she didn’t belong there. With him and his crew. Even so, as he lasered hatred in her direction when no one could see it but her, she wasn’t stupid enough to miss the lust there either.
A knock at the door pushed her surly mood further down and she stumbled from bed, muttering the entire time until she yanked open the door. Sugar stood there, nothing out of place on him and a tray with two coffees on it.
“Morning, Sparkles.”
“Can you not call me that, like ever?”
“You look like something an alley cat puked up. What the fuck, didn’t you wrap your hair when you went to bed?” He pushed in and kicked the door closed with his hot pink converse.
“Fuck you.”
He shoved her to the bathroom. “Shower because you reek. Come sit before me when you’re done and I’ll tame this beast. And while I do your hair I will give you your coffee. Hurry up, because if you’re not out when mine is done, I’m starting on yours.”
Bastard would too and she knew it. Slamming the door in his face, she whimpered at the pain in her skull. His laughter didn’t help because he knew she suffered.
Showering and wrapping herself in her fluffy dark purple robe, she padded out to where he sat on the couch and lowered to sit on the ottoman before him. Neha filled him in on not being able to go out tonight because she had to get to the boat.
They drove down to the Fernandina Beach Market Place. She loved farmer’s markets and art markets. Every Saturday if she could, she went there. It was a place to get lost in the crowd and be Neha. Not a woman who was serving on a Boomer with all men, not a question about how that went, how it was being a woman of color doing it, none of that. Just her and what she enjoyed.
They rode Sugar’s older motorcycle. The man loved his bikes and still used his 1996 Honda CBR 900RRT. Red and black, it was a finely tuned engine that could still put some of the newer ones down. Of course, that could be because Sugar also raced and knew how to handle a bike. He loved this one as it had been his first, so it held a special place in his heart.
Side by side, they walked and sampled until her hangover had left and she was in a good place. Then he took her back and pulled up to just outside the base. She swung off the idling bike and removed the helmet.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “For the day. It was just what I needed.”
“Always Sparkles and no, I’m not going to stop calling you that.” He straightened the hem of her jacket. “It fits you.” Sugar gestured to the main gate. “Go on, call me when you’re leaving, and I’ll be here to pick you up.”
She waved and headed off to the gate. Walking on the base, she lifted her head to the sky once more. The day had been beautiful, but she truly loved it here. Proud of what she’d accomplished and how far she’d come from the little girl who hadn’t been sure if there would be food on the table.