Page 24 of Decorated

Something was definitelyoff with him. Alfie felt it all through the rest of the day. He felt it the way he couldn’t stop grinning as he sat on his couch that night, scrolling through nonsense on his phone. He felt it in the sense of anticipation gripping him the next morning as he thought up excuses to head back over to Hawthorne House to see Blaine instead of going to work. He had definitely thought about it when he was in the shower, debating whether he should rub one out to satisfy the nearly constant throb of need inside him or whether he should save it for the next time he and Blaine could find some alone time.

The worst tell of all that something was shifting in Alfie’s life came when he caught himself whistling a Christmas tune as he headed down the hall toward Group Captain Parker’s office as soon as he got into work and saw the summons in his email.

Whistling Christmas songs. Alfie shook his head with a smile. He’d reached a new low.

But he still didn’t like Christmas.

“Ah. Spears. There you are,” Parker said as Alfie entered the man’s office. “Shut the door behind you.”

Alfie did as he was asked right away, but the sudden intensity of what he’d thought would be a casual, informative meeting had his pulse picking up.

“Have a seat,” Parker said once the door was closed. “You read through the information about the commission that I sent you?”

The hairs on the back of Alfie’s neck stood up, even though logically there was no reason for them to. It was just a job offer, and a stunning one at that.

“Yes, sir,” he said taking the offered seat.

Parker leaned back in his large, leather chair and crossed one ankle over his leg. “And?”

One word should not have inspired such conflict in him. It felt like the moment he’d been dreading had come, though. It was the moment he’d have to make a decision, the moment the trajectory of his entire life could change.

“And it’s a very generous offer,” he said.

Parker smiled. “You’re worth it, Spears. Your work here in the office has been exemplary, but your record in Afghanistan speaks for itself. You weren’t decorated by accident, you know, and people above me have noticed. The long and the short of it is that we don’t want to let you go, Spears. Bigger people than me believe you have a future in the RAF waiting for you.”

“Thank you, sir,” Alfie said. He managed a tight smile, but shifted uncomfortably. Praise from a superior was flattering, but it also came with a lot of pressure.

“So what do you say?” Parker asked. “Is it Cyprus and a few extra bars on your shoulder?”

Alfie opened his mouth, but no response came out. The commission was the obvious choice. It would bring purpose, respect, and money with it. His parents would have been proud.

But the memory of the Afghani girl, the way it had felt to carry her to safety, was stuck in his heart. More surprisingly,the image of Blaine’s grinning face, not to mention his gorgeous body and the way it had looked laid out under him, came to his mind.

Accepting the post in Cyprus would take him away from Blaine at the very moment when things were starting to go somewhere between the two of them.

But it had only been a week. Could he really pass up the offer of a lifetime for a guy he’d met a week ago, no matter how hot the chemistry was between them?

“I still haven’t decided, sir,” he said at last.

Parker looked surprised. “Really? I would have thought the choice was obvious.”

“It probably should be,” Alfie admitted, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. “It’s just that….”

He stopped. It really wasn’t any of Parker’s business what sort of emotions were pulling at him as he tried to make the decision.

“Do you have another, civilian offer?” Parker asked, genuine curiosity in his expression.

Alfie winced. “Not really, sir,” he said. Which was part of the problem.

“Then why not take the commission?” Parker asked with confusion, reflecting Alfie’s same thoughts.

Again, Alfie squirmed. “I need more time to think about it, sir, if that’s alright.”

Parker let out a breath and relaxed. “I can give you the weekend, but the wheels need to be set in motion to reverse your transition and to instigate this commission soon.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Good,” Parker said with a nod, sitting forward again. “Now tell me how the Christmas party for our toy drive is coming along.”

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