“Yes, an IED exploded a few more feet apart than you and I.”
“How terrifying.”
“It happened so fast I didn’t have time to feel anything except pain in the end.”
“What exactly is field operations?”she asked after a moment.
“Reconnaissance mostly.”
“Wow, that’s a big change to IT.”
“I was always good with computers, and we had to use tech on all our trainings and missions, so it was an easy transition.”
“Physically, but what about mentally?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m sure you would train all the time for worst case scenarios and in the harshest of environments, and now you’re working in an office; that must have been difficult.”
“It was, but I learned to adjust.”It was an even balance now.Planning and strategizing then implementing.“What about you?”
“What about me?”She looked wary about his question.
“Was bartending always in your future plans?”
“No.”
“If you could do anything in the world—education and schooling not a factor—what would you do?”
Andrea sat back in her chair and looked away thoughtfully.
“Is it that hard to come up with a career choice?”
“It’s something I’ve never thought about.I never had an aspiration growing up other than getting away.I went to college for a time, but I didn’t have a clear goal in mind what to do.”
She had gone to college?Well, this was news.“How long were you in college for?”
Andrea looked panicked, like she wasn’t supposed to let that information slip.“It was only a semester.Not very long, and I found it not for me.So instead of wasting money on a college education I didn’t know what in, I started bartending until I figured it out.”
Jack didn’t believe all of that to be true.The dropping out part, yes, but he didn’t think she had been bartending since she was eighteen.Legally, she couldn’t.
“You haven’t answered my question.What’s your career of choice?”
“I think I’d like to be a teacher.”
“A teacher?”He hadn’t seen that one coming, but he should have.
“Yeah, I’ve always liked kids and their thirst for knowledge.”Corrupt the children while they were young and turn them into villains.It made sense.Good thing that career path never took off.“What about you?Was Navy always in your plans?”
“Not necessarily Navy, but I wanted to be in the military.”
“What was the draw?The gadgets and guns?Or how a woman can’t resist a man in uniform?”
“You make me sound like James Bond.”If that was her fantasy, he’d be sure to fulfill it though.“Trust me, it was never so glamorous.We did have cool gear, but I didn’t get spy cars that shot missiles or anything.Half the time, we hoofed it miles to our target or parachuted in so we didn’t announce our presence.I was covered in war paint and dirt and grime more than anything.”
“So what made you choose that path?That sounds awful.”
“I wanted to change the world.Save it from war and tyranny.”
