Page 17 of Salute, To Bravery

A fter lunch, I sat back down at my desk and logged into my desktop to find a list of registrations I had to complete.

I gathered up my clipboard and all my papers and started making my patient rounds.

My job was fairly easy: make sure all their information was correct and have them sign the paper verifying that it was good.

Occasionally, I’d have a patient that wanted to ask me twenty insurance questions that I usually didn’t have the answers for, but for the most part it was an in-and-out kind of deal.

I would pass Ian in the halls, and he’d try to smile at me and make a weird face, just to get me to laugh. But I kept my head down.

As the day wore on, I had to fight harder and harder not to snap at people I came in contact with. It wasn’t their fault after all, but my mood just got worse the more I thought about it.

My twelve-hour shift couldn’t end fast enough, and when seven rolled back around, I was more than happy to pack my belongings and head out.

Ian caught me at my locker as I dug out my bag. “Hey, I was afraid I’d miss you. You seem to be in a hurry today.” He smiled, even though he was trying to catch his breath.

“Did you run?” I smiled back.

“Yeah, I did. You walk fast when you’re pissed off.” He bent over and put his hands on his knees. “You’re gonna kill an old man like me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Old man? Good lord, you’re a drama queen. You’re only what, five or six years older than me?”

He straightened and crossed his arms. “Try ten, little lady.”

“You are not.” My jaw dropped.

“How old are you?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Twenty-four?”

Now it was Ian’s turn to laugh. “I’m thirty-five.”

“Shut up, you are not.” I couldn’t hide my surprise.

Ian laughed again. “Yeah, and the Army ages you, so I’m like sixty-two in Army years.”

I smiled and shook my head. “You were in the Army?”

“Yep, sure was.” Ian nodded. “Let’s go get a drink.”

I slammed my locker shut and decided to ignore his sudden subject change. “I don’t know, I’m not really good company right now, Ian.”

“That’s exactly why you need it. I said we were gonna talk about it later.

Well, now it’s later. Come on, it’s not like you have anything better to do.

” Ian didn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around the strap of my tote, his rough hands carefully avoiding the long red strands of hair that hung around my shoulders in loose curls.

He slipped my bag from my shoulder and proceeded to carry it as he made his way to the side door.

I smiled and shook my head. He was right; there was nothing else to do, and it might make me feel better. It was better than sulking in my apartment all night.

Ian walked me back to my apartment, where we’d get changed and head out for a drink.

This wasn’t the first time we’d gone out after work, and Ian had learned to always have what he called his “civies” in his backpack.

Our favorite bar was just a few blocks down from my apartment, in the opposite direction of the hospital.

It was small and cozy, and it wasn’t filled with a bunch of kids.

I unlocked the door, and Ian followed me in like he lived there. At first, I found it odd how he was so comfortable with a stranger, but honestly, it felt like he had always been here, and somehow, this was his home too.

He ditched his bag on what he jokingly called “his side” of the bed and grabbed his clothes. “Hey, I’m gonna grab a quick shower, I smell like the hospital.” He crinkled his nose as he pulled the collar of his shirt up to his nose.

Again, I couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh, is that what that smell is?”

“Yeah, sorry. I mistook it for whatever crap you brought for lunch.”

“Hey!” I threw a pillow at him.

He easily caught it as he laughed at me. I hadn’t thought of it before, but his crazy reflexes and quick thinking at work might be from his years in the Army. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

He grabbed his gear and made his way to the bathroom, pulling off his shirt as he went.

I had to admit, for a guy eleven years my senior, he was in amazing shape.

He wasn’t over-shredded, but his back was toned and so were his arms. If nothing else, he was nice to look at, but generally he was just a great guy.

I quickly swapped my clothes when I heard the bathroom door click.

I wasn’t as sweaty as him, so I was okay with just getting into something comfier.

My stomach growled as slipped on a soft t-shirt.

I stood, grabbed my stomach like I could somehow muffle the sound that had already escaped into the room.

If I didn’t grab something now, I knew Ian would make me eat later, and bar food didn’t sound appealing in the slightest.

I rifled through my fridge, annoyed that I’d been smart enough not to buy food when I planned on being gone for a month or two, but not smart enough to buy snacks to hold me over until I left.

“Find anything good?”

I screamed and dropped the questionable jar of mustard I’d been holding. I popped my head over the fridge door to see Ian laughing at me. “You scared the shit out of me!”

He laughed. “I’m sorry?”

“No, you’re not.” I scooped up the jar, thankful it was plastic and hadn’t busted and shoved it back into the door.

I closed the fridge and suddenly realized that I was face-to-face with a soaking wet Ian, who only had a towel draped around his waist. I tried, and failed, not to look him up-and-down.

“Hey now, my eyes are up here.” He jokingly pointed to his eyes while using his other hand to cover his very noticeable bulge.

I quickly averted my gaze. “I wasn’t looking.” I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks and just knew I was a very bright shade of red.

“Yeah, uh-huh.” He grinned and walked around to the other side of the counter that separated the living room and kitchen.

“Why are you running around naked in my apartment, Ian?” I was only slightly annoyed, but I put a little more irritation in my voice. I turned away from him so I wouldn’t start gawking.

“Eh, I forgot my panties,” I heard him call from the other side of the counter.

I couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing and turned to him to see if he was serious. “Your panties?”

He grinned at me, holding up his boxers. “These will have to do. I left my pretty pink thong at home.”

I just shook my head as he headed back to the bathroom to finish getting dressed.

The bar was thankfully close to my apartment, so the walk only took a few minutes.

It was busier than usual for this early in the morning, but it was filled with the usual night-shift crew that we both knew so well.

My mom always thought it was so weird going to a bar at eight in the morning, but she didn’t understand that it was the end of our day, and we wanted to unwind like everyone else.

Hell, this bar stayed open because of the various hospital workers who wanted to relax after a taxing shift.

We found a couple of empty seats in the corner that happened to have a table to set our drinks on.

I hopped up onto the tall chair while Ian ordered us some drinks at the bar.

When he returned, he had not only our drinks but a basket of fries.

He pushed them toward me after setting everything on the sticky table surface.

“What’s this?”

“Anne said you didn’t finish your salad at lunch, and I know how pathetic those salads are to start with.” Ian took a fresh fry out of the basket and gingerly popped it in his mouth. He did that weird chewing with your mouth open thing when something is too hot.

I laughed at his misfortune.

“You didn’t have to do that.” I smiled as I took a smaller bite. Internally, I was grateful for the snack, even if it was bar food.

“Can’t have you wilting away on us.” He grinned and took a long drink of his beer.

Ian and I did this often, and usually didn’t talk much.

We enjoyed watching the people or whatever sport happened to be on the TV.

We kept the conversation light, and he was always polite.

I couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness as I watched him mindlessly talk to the TV.

I could tell that he wasn’t really into sports, but MMA was something that always grabbed his attention, even if it was a replay of an old match.

He must have felt my gaze on him, because he turned and smiled at me. “What are you looking at? Do I have a booger?” He playfully started wiping his nose, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nah, I’m just a little bummed out today.”

“I could tell. You’re not usually that off at work.” He turned his seat so I had his undivided attention. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s nothing important, just life shit.” I forced a smile, but even I could tell how fake it looked.

Ian tilted his head. “You really gonna be like that?” He munched on a fresh basket of fries that sat between us. “You should be elated about your vacation coming up, but every time I’ve mentioned it today you get pissy, so what’s the deal?”

I sighed. “I don’t think I’m going on my trip after all.”

Ian frowned. “What the hell? You’ve been planning this for weeks.”

“My friends backed out, so I’m not sure how I’m going to pay for it all. I already booked the RV, and they canceled on me this morning.”

Ian took another drink of his beer. How he could make one beer last all night was beyond me. “They both canceled on you? Just this morning?”

“Yep, they called me together and said they couldn’t make it. They had prior obligations.” I ran my fingers through my hair.

“That’s kind of weird.” Ian shoved a couple fries in his mouth.

“What do you mean?”

“They both canceled at the same time? Did someone talk them out of it, or did they just not plan on going in the first place?”

I sat for a moment and contemplated the conversation, and wondered if I should tell Ian the entire story. I decided against it. “I’m not sure, but that leaves me in a bind.”

Ian nodded his head and stared into his glass. “Ya know, this trip seemed really important to you.”

“It was.”

“Mind me asking why?” Ian raised his eyebrow and studied me over the rim of his glass before downing the last of it.

I hesitated again. Telling Ian all the juicy details would make me seem absolutely insane.

Most of the people at work didn’t even know my last name.

I’d made sure to put distance between me and my rich family.

“I just really needed it to happen,” I mumbled.

I didn’t understand why, but I had to fight the tears that threatened to spill over.

I could feel Ian watching me, so I blinked away the tears quickly. I took a deep, shaky breath before meeting his bright green eyes. The way they stood out against his tan skin and sandy blond hair was always one of the things my coworkers commented on.

Ian averted his gaze first, looking down into his now empty glass. He nodded his head again like he understood.

If only he knew.

“I’m also a little bummed that this may be the last time we do this.” I gave him a small smile as I gestured to the room. “Your contract is up at the end of the week. Then you’ll be off on your next great adventure.”

Ian laughed, but it sounded hollow. “Yeah, about that.”

It was my turn to tilt her head to the side. “What?”

“My contract is up, I don’t have another one lined up, and the hospital won’t extend the contract I have.” He sighed before meeting my gaze again.

“What are you going to do? Just go home?”

Ian’s small smile faltered, and for an instant I saw pain flash across his face. “Uh, home isn’t really an option.” He chuckled lightly and did his best to put a smile on his face.

I frowned. “You know, you can stay at my place if I leave.”

Ian laughed.

“What’s so funny? I was serious.” I scowled before throwing a small fry at him.

Ian caught it in his deft hands and popped it into his mouth without hesitation. “What happens if you don’t go on your trip? We gonna get cozy in your studio apartment?” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I couldn’t help but blush. I hadn’t thought that through all the way.

“Hell, there’s probably more space on that RV you rented than there is in your studio.” Ian laughed again as he wiped off the table in front of him.

I laughed this time. “Yeah that’s probably true. The RV at least has a bed and a couch.”

“And no ridiculous neighbors that cook that awful food at two in the morning.” Ian rolled his eyes.

He’d come over a few times and had the unfortunate experience of meeting my neighbors.

“I mean, I’ve eaten some questionable things in my life, but whatever they cooked could not have been safe to eat. ”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of him using air fresheners to get the smell out. And when that hadn’t worked, he took us out to a diner down the street to avoid the smell.

Ian shook his head, probably thinking of the same memory. He chuckled and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then quickly shut it. He pursed his lips together before meeting my gaze again.

“Okay, what was that thought?” I cocked my head. He could read me, but I could read him too.

Ian shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

“Ian.” I tried to put on my best stern face.

He sighed and looked around, almost nervous. He opened his mouth and shut it again, shaking his head.

“Oh, come on, spit it out.” I playfully shoved him, barely moving him an inch.

“Okay, okay.” Ian put his hands up in defeat. “I’m not trying to be weird, just hear me out.”

I let out a nervous giggle. “Weird? Okay, this I gotta hear.”

Ian pursed his lips one more time. “What if I go with you on your trip?”