I could relate. Since my forced retirement from the Navy around four months ago, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had picked up a few odd jobs here and there, but they were boring and nothing like being a SEAL.
So, when Mad Dog had invited me to Iowa, I’d booked my plane tickets for as soon as the orthopedic surgeon said I would be cleared for a vacation.
My phone buzzed as another text came in.
Mad Dog: I’ll probably be an hour late.
Eh. It was just an hour. That was what I got for getting into town late at night. I’d sat longer in the same position, waiting for a signal to take action. Sitting in an airport bar, drinking a nice beer, was like a holiday compared to being overseas and hiding from the enemy.
Me: Text me when you’re close. I’ll meet you at the curb for Arrivals.
I turned off my screen and slung my carry-on over my shoulder. I didn’t wait for Maddox to reply. I knew he had my back.
I headed for the nearest place that sold alcohol. Unfortunately, the Des Moines airport wasn’t very big, even with its international status, and I didn’t have a lot of options. The food court was out, so I headed upstairs, where I found a bar.
I took a seat, ordered a draft beer, and pulled out a book.
I was two chapters in and half a drink down when I felt someone approach me.
“Whatcha reading?”
One would think that a person holding a book would be a good signal to leave them alone. More often than not, it wasn’t.
I marked my page with my thumb and glanced up.
A woman stood before me in an outfit that looked way too uncomfortable for traveling. She wore a short dress with a plunging neckline that wasn’t exactly airport attire. Most people I knew dressed for comfort before getting on a plane.
“Do you really want to know what I’m reading?” I asked.
She put her hand on her hip and laughed. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
I shrugged. “Why? It’s just a waste of time.”
“I like you,” she said.
“Okay.” I didn’t care if she liked me or not.
With her platinum-blonde hair, fake nails, and heavy makeup, she wasn’t my type. Plus, the chances were high that I would never see her again.
She slinked toward me and ran a long fingernail down my arm. “You’re so big.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I was six feet three inches and heavily muscled, thanks to genetics and the military. Although I had retired, I kept up my daily workouts and tried to eat healthy. My knee might have taken a shit on me, but the rest of my body was still in its prime as far as I was concerned. Forty was the new thirty, and I was only thirty-eight.
“Are you big…everywhere?”
Sometimes, I liked when I got this question because I was big…everywhere. But tonight, I wasn’t in the mood, so I pretended to be confused. “I don’t follow, ma’am.”
She laughed and pulled out the chair next to me.
Great. I should have just told her I had a tiny dick.
She leaned close to me. “You know what I mean.” She leered down at my crotch so much that I wanted to cover up my lap. She looked back up at me. “Are you hung like a horse?”
Well, now, there was no way I could play dumb. “No, ma’am. Just average.”
She reached out to touch me, and I quickly wrapped my fingers around her wrist. If she had reached her goal before I could stop her, she’d know I was a liar, and then I’d never get rid of her.
“Please don’t touch me.”
She stuck out her bottom lip. “You’re no fun. I just wanted to play a little. It’s boring here, and I need something to do.” She licked her lips.
I put her hand on her lap and let go. “Sorry, but I’m meeting a buddy soon.”
“Franny, this guy bothering you?”
I groaned. I had heard the guy walk in, but I hadn’t paid him any attention, as I figured he was just another flyer.
Just my luck, she had a boyfriend. How cliché.
Franny looked up and stuck out her lip. “Yes, Frank. He tried to make me touch him”—she pointed to my lap—“there.”
I rolled my eyes. Now, she was playing innocent.
I turned around in my seat and looked up at the guy. He was about half a foot shorter than me, about seventy-five pounds lighter, and not the least bit intimidating. But I didn’t want to get into a pissing match with him, so I stayed seated.
The guy narrowed his eyes at me. “You touched my fucking sister?”
Well, look at that. I was wrong. She was his sister.
“Technically, yes, but only to remove—”
I ducked as the brother swung at me. At the same time, I rolled my body as I’d been trained, slipping out of my seat. The guy’s back was now to my front, the force of his missed swing spinning his body forty-five degrees.
“Look, I don’t want to fight you. I did nothing to disrespect your sister. She came on to me, and I politely turned her down.”
Frank jumped at hearing me behind him and spun to face me. “You calling my sister a slut?”
“What the fuck? No. I’m just stating facts. Jesus Christ.”
“He’s lying,” Franny yelled.
What a hypocrite.
Her brother’s lips thinned into a tight line. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
I heard a beep from my carry-on.
“Excuse me,” I said and walked over to open my bag.
The two siblings stared at me in shock, like they couldn’t believe I was going to check my phone when we were in the middle of a fight.
And while a part of me itched to brawl, too, in the end, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Mad Dog: I’ll be there in five minutes.
I threw my duffel over my shoulder and turned my screen black. “Franny, Frank, it was nice meeting you both, but my ride
