Page 24 of A Very Grumpy Navy SEAL

“Are you going to tell them about the door?”Lula asks as we head down the stairs.

“Yeah, I’ll do it before we leave,” I say as we step into the lobby.

We stop by the front desk on the way out, and I brace myself.

“I need to report some damage,” I tell the clerk.

“Oh, no.Is something wrong with your room?”she asks.

“Yeah, I broke down her door last night.”

“You—oh!Okay, um, let me get the form.”

Lula giggles, and I give her a dirty look as the clerk passes me some papers to fill out.

“You’ll be charged for the repairs,” the clerk says.

I nod.“I know.”

“What happened?”the woman whispers, leaning over the counter with a conspiratorial smile.

“Uh...I thought someone was hurt.I couldn’t get an answer at the door, and I may have...forced entry.”

Lula coughs, hiding a laugh behind her hand.

I ignore her and sign the last form.I slide them back to the clerk and reach for Lula’s hand.

The woman sighs.“We’ll send someone to assess the damage and get it fixed.Just don’t break any more doors.”

“I’ll do my best,” I say, turning toward the exit before I have to explain anything else.

We head down the block to Masterbeater’s Bakery.

“What are you going to be doing for them?”I ask as we walk.

“It’s a project manager position.Three sisters run it, and they’re looking to hire someone to help.”

“Sounds like you’ll be busy.”

She shrugs.“I don’t mind.”

We enter the bakery, and Olive, the woman from yesterday, smiles at us.

“Back again?”

“Yeah.I’m here for an interview,” Lula says.

“And I’m here for a cinnamon roll and a cheese Danish,” I add.

Olive laughs and grabs my pastries.

“My sisters are on their way, but we can get started without them,” Olive tells Lula, leading her to a table in the back.

I take a seat up front and eat my breakfast while I watch my girl.

She’s radiant.Confident.Professional.Smart.I’ve never been so proud of anyone in my life.It’s crazy to think a girl like her is into me.

Two more women rush in a few minutes later and join Lula and Olive.They must be the other sisters.I split my time between watching Lula’s interview and scanning the street outside.

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