style="font-size:15px;"> She was too relaxed. In the eight years since he’d first enlisted, he’d come to realize that military life tended to make soldiers feel like they were stealing moments of fun or relaxation between deployments or missions or shifts, which was how he felt because it was indeed what he was doing. This woman looked like she had time, like she was where she wanted to be and enjoying it.
Maybe she was a local. She could be a yoga instructor, all smooth muscle and Zen contentment, the polar opposite of him and his career.
The guys around her talked over one another, laughing and gesturing. Chloe was laughing with them, but this didn’t look like a boyfriend introducing his girlfriend to his pals. This looked like a reunion of people who were surprised to find each other here. Long-lost college buddies, maybe. That kind of thing happened in an army town all the time. Paths crossed unexpectedly with so many people coming and going as assignments began and ended.
She glanced his way and did a subtle double take when she saw that he was walking directly toward her. She didn’t look away. Neither did he.
Another man came running up behind her, full speed. She started to turn with an elbow raised in a defensive move but the man plowed into her, wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and let his momentum carry them off the edge of the pool to plunge into the water.
Idiot.
Thane didn’t know a woman alive who appreciated getting thrown into a pool without warning. That fabulous smile of hers was going to be gone.
They popped up a couple of feet apart.
“Idiot,” Chloe said.
Exactly.
But then Chloe broke into laughter. “You are so, so lucky you still have all your teeth, Keith. I was about to clock you with my elbow when I realized it was you. You better be grateful I’ve got ninja-like mastery of my ninja-like reflexes.” They exchanged trash-talking banter until Chloe hoisted herself out of the pool.
Okay, she didn’t sound like a Zen yogini. She’d gotten in some good zingers, though. Now she sat on the edge, her hair a waterfall down her back, her feet still in the pool. “I don’t suppose any of you guys brought a towel? I don’t have one. I wasn’t planning on going in.”
“Me, neither,” said one of the dry guys. “Sorry.”
“The sun’s out,” said another dry guy. “You’ll be fine.”
“Hey, the keg’s been tapped.” The tackling guy hauled himself out of the pool and headed over to the keg, dripping wet.
College buddies, for sure. If any one of them wanted to try to become more, he’d best get his act together. Thane wasn’t going to hang back and wait for the pack of golden retrievers to grow up and man up.
Thane detoured a few steps to the chair where he’d thrown his things earlier and snagged his oversize towel with one hand. Then he walked up to the pool’s edge and crouched down beside Chloe. “I’ve got an untouched beer here and a clean towel. You’re welcome to one or the other or both.”
“I’ll take the towel, please.”
They were strangers, so her smile for him was polite, pleasant, still beautiful. Thane set down the beer so he could shake out the towel and let it fall around her shoulders, keeping the action quick and casual. “There you go.”
“Thanks.”
He picked up the beer and sat next to her, putting his feet in the water, too.
She beat him to the introductions, holding out her wet hand for a shake. “And hi, by the way. My name is Chloe.”
“My name is Thane. I wanted to meet you.”
They smiled at one another.
This feels like the start of a beautiful friendship.
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