"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Damon quirked a brow.
"What happens if you don't check it off your list?"
Damon grimaced again and averted his gaze. "Nothing."
"Why put it on there with a date if there's no consequence?" She pressed as she shoved another chocolate in her mouth.
His gaze focused on the flames of the candle. "There is."
"What is it?" She folded her arms and continued to study him.
"I have to...streakacrossthequadduringmorningPT." He mumbled the words so fast, Grace had a hard time understanding him.
But then the words registered in her brain, and she burst out laughing. "You have to streak across the quad? Naked, I assume, and while everyone is lined up for PT?"
Damon looked so miserable, she continued to chuckle.
"It's not funny. I'll get an Article 15." His wide-eyed expression said that explained it all, but Grace needed more information.
"Which is what exactly?"
"I could be arrested for breaking a handful of regulations, including disorderly conduct and indecent exposure. I could be punished with anything from extra duty to loss of pay for a couple of months. I could even be demoted."
Grace sobered. "They wouldn't see it as a harmless prank?"
"Some Commanding Officers would, but mine definitely would not." His expression turned grim.
"I see you've weighed the consequences, so why haven't you kissed some woman already and gotten it over with? You're running out of time."
"I know, but I wouldn't feel right about going through with it."
"You'd rather streak across the quad?"
"Of course not." His scowl was even more pronounced than a moment ago.
"So why don't you feel right about kissing a stranger?"
He looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "I’d be forcing myself on someone. That’s sexual assault. I could be court martialed if my CO found out. And my mom would box my ears for being so disrespectful to a woman."
"Oh. That's definitely worse than streaking." Grace's heart melted a little when Damon mentioned his mom.
"You could always lie and tell Howie you kissed a stranger?"
"No." He shook his head vigorously. "Honesty is important to me. Besides, I have to send Howie a selfie of me and the woman I kiss after I've checked the box."
Grace had met her share of men who said the things they thought a woman wanted to hear, whether it was true or not. Knowing that honesty was important to Damon made him even more attractive in her eyes.
"I'm not going to do either." Damon twisted his chocolate wrapper into a tight line. "But Howie won't let this go. So, I've got to figure out a way to convince him to change the consequence. Knowing him, it will end up being something else equally undesirable."
Grace hated the idea of Damon, who had been nothing but kind and respectful, having to grovel to a supposed friend whose joke felt conniving and vengeful. There was nothing funny or entertaining about putting your buddy's career on the line.
"Have you learned your lesson?"
"What?" Damon's head jerked up.
"Have you learned your lesson about making stupid bets?"
"Hel— I mean, absolutely!"
