Page 49 of Operation: Sharp Angel

Tessman tentatively returned her embrace. “You’re welcome.”

She pulled away. “That was so inappropriate of me. I’m so sorry.”

He couldn’t help but grin, seeing her embarrassment. “Wow, if that’s what happens when I get you a bottle of wine, maybe I should try a margarita, or a Long Island Iced Tea.” He already missed her in his arms.

She laughed, looking more relaxed than she had all day. “If you really want to get a reaction, try a chocolate martini.”

“I will remember that,” he pledged.

She laughed again. “Or a mudslide, especially on a Caribbean cruise.”

“Chocolate martini, check, mudslide, check,” he said. “I’ve never taken a cruise, well not one on a cruise ship that is. While active duty we got plenty of transports on ships, but trust me, it was nothing like a cruise you’ve been on. I go diving in the Caribbean as often as possible though.”

“Scuba diving?”

“Yes,” he said. “I love being beneath the waves. It’s so peaceful.”

“I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“You should. It’s a great time,” he said.

She nodded. “Yes, hopefully sometime, maybe on my next vacation.”

“Most island resorts do a quick scuba certification, but I’d never advise doing that if you’re not going out with someone very experienced. If you’re serious about it, there are a few local places that do real dive training and certification.”

“Do you have a favorite place you go diving?”

“St. Thomas,” he replied remembering the last time he was there, just a few months ago with Wilson. That was before Wilson got together with Rae. He wondered if his buddy would go diving with him again or if all his leave time would now be dedicated to his new family. He figured the latter.

“I love St. Thomas,” she said, breaking in on his thoughts.

“How about we go down to the garage and get that wine from my car? I’d like a glass with you, if that’s okay.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “I was kind of hoping you’d want to watch a movie with me.”

Tessman loved that she asked. “Yes, that sounds good.”

November

The movie she chose was,This is 40, which he’d never heard of before. He didn’t watch many movies, though. Tessman began to sit in one of the chairs by the table after he’d poured them both a glass of white wine, per her request.

Becca went to the bed and propped up two pillows against the headboard beside each other. “I’m going to sit here where it’s more comfortable. You can join me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, quickly getting up from the chair.

She placed her hand on his chest as he came up beside her. “This is just watching a movie. I’m not inviting you for anything else. I just wanted to be clear about that.”

“I’m not thinking anything else,” he said.

She looked deeply into his eyes, looking for any hint of deceit on his part. She didn’t see any. “Okay, sorry if I’m blunt, I just find it leads to less confusion.”

“I respect it,” he said. “It’s always good to get expectations and boundaries out there.”

She handed him her glass and then she crawled over to the middle of the bed and sat with her back against one of the pillows. She took the two glasses from him as he settled in beside her. After she handed his glass to him, she turned the television on and signed into her Netflix account.

“You look tired. If you fall asleep, I won’t wake you until Briana gets in touch with us.”

She took a big sip of her wine. “This tastes so good. Thank you again for getting it.” She paused and then turned her head to view him. “I’m exhausted. To be honest, if we weren’t waiting for Briana to get back to us with the information, I’d probably go to sleep after this one glass. That’s why I picked the movie we’re going to watch. I’ve seen it a dozen times. It’s so funny it keeps me awake. It’s my go-to when I need my spirits lifted or I have to stay awake.”

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