“Really?” Cade asked. “You kinda struck me as a white bread and unseasoned noodles kinda guy.”
“Seriously? Now I’m insulted,” Luka said, wrinkling his nose. “I eat spicy food all the time, so I never have to be afraid of trying new things. And nothing kicks the shit out of a cold like a good spicy dish. Used to be that when I was congested, I would go down to this hole-in-the-wall Thai place around the corner from my apartment and let them pick something for me. After a few bites, you’re too busy sniffling to worry about being unable to breathe. And I mean, the stuff here is good, but there’s just something missing.”
I stared, distracted enough by the conversation to have forgotten what I’d seen. “They have food with kick here?”
“Wait,” Luka straightened and stared at me. “Have you been on the basic menu?”
“I haven’t detected anything other than basic seasoning.”
“Well, I’ll talk to Reggie,” he said.
Cade grunted. “What, you didn’t see what he was eating? Aren’t you his Guide?”
“I do not need my ‘Guide’ breathing down my neck while I’m eating,” I said stiffly. “I understand there is a certain level of co-dependency in this place, but I need my own time and not just to sleep.”
Cade glanced at Luka, giving him a grin. “What did you do to piss Reggie off?”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
Luka snorted. “Cade, be nice. Especially when I know you keep trying to lose Matt every chance you get.”
“If you ask me, I think he likes it,” Cade said with a grin. “Mostly ‘cause he knows I’m a lost cause, and when he loses me, he can do whatever he wants. It’s a win for everyone.”
“Yeah, I’m going with no on that one,” Luka said with a roll of his eyes. “And don’t mind him, Rowan. He’s charming. I swear, he says whatever pops into his head without thinking how it might be received.”
“Sometimes the world would be a better place if people did that more often,” I said.
“See?” Cade exclaimed, trying to snap his fingers again unsuccessfully. “He gets it!”
“Don’t encourage him,” Luka said with a heavy sigh.
“And don’t worry none,” Cade said, looking at me. “I didn’t mean nothin’ bad about you. But sometimes you can tell which folk are gonna be harder to get through to than others. I didn’t expect them to give someone like you to someone new, is all. That’s the kinda stuff we’d do in the service to make sure our boys are ready for the big time.”
“I...see,” I said, at a loss for words. I suppose I hadn’t been thinking about whether I was going to make the job easier or harder for Luka. When it came down to it, I thought the training he’d gone through would have been enough for him to handle any situation.
“Quit,” Luka told Cade, slapping his arm. “You’re not helping.”
Cade grinned, wrapped his arm around Luka’s neck, and yanked him closer with a laugh. “I’m always helpful, don’t you know that?”
“Ah! Cade, quit!” Luka barked, but his attempts at authority weren’t going far when he laughed, pushing against the man. “I don’t know what kind of crap you got up to in the Army, but this is flirting as far as the rest of the world is concerned!”
“Ah, yeah?” Cade asked. “And I bet you like it too, don’t you?”
I watched as the peace was shattered and they descended into childish wrestling, sending water everywhere. I was left wondering what to do or feel. On the one hand, I wasn’t mad thatthey were having fun; I realized that not everyone was as serious as I was. At the same time, it had been nice to be somewhere peaceful and relaxing.
And then there was the part I wouldn’t be admitting. The fact was, Cade wasn’t an ugly man, but his personality did a lot of work, and now he was naked, wet, and wrestling with a man I had admitted was distractingly attractive. Never would I say the words ‘real life softcore porn,’ but in the safety of my head...I was thinking it.
It was a little too much to handle. The irritation of having the peace suddenly erupt with noise, the frustrated understanding that it wasn’t fair to expect everyone around me to do what I did, the fact that I was attracted to someone I had no business being attracted to; now that person was doing something I knew damn well wasn’t suggestive or sexual but damn it all, my mind still saw it that way. The peaceful respite was shattered, and now I was aware of a rock digging into my back that I swore wasn’t there a few minutes ago, and the water had somehow grown hotter.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed out of the water with more force than necessary, making them stare in surprise. Which, of course, created a flash of guilt and self-consciousness, and increased my annoyance because, Christ, wasn’t I allowed to leave? It wasn’t my fault they decided to shatter the peace with their ridiculous?—
“Uh, Rowan?” Luka began, but I was already grabbing my towel.
“I’m feeling a little dizzy, I’ll be fine,” I snapped over my shoulder.
“Then maybe you should sit down in the cool air for a moment,” he said, and I knew there was no way I was going to turn around. I could hear him leaving the water, and the last thing I needed was another eyeful.
“I’mfine,” I snapped as I left, slamming the door behind me, hoping that was enough for him to understand that I didnotneed him following me.
