The Bodyguard

Chapter 5: The Tipsy Cow

I walk in the kitchen to find him already drinking coffee. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” He’s leaning against the counter and offers me a cup. The memory of him last night moaning my name again and again brings a smile to my lips.

“You seem cheerful today.”

“It’s because I had an amazing dream. But I’m sure you know all about those, right?”

“What?” “You’ve got to remember.”

“Remember what?”

“Last night? You repeated my name a few times.”

His face turns beet red.

“Must’ve had one hell of a dream. I’m so curious, what exactly was I doing to you?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

“Don’t apologize. I’d love to hear you moan my name again.”

He sighs. “You know our relationship is becoming anything but professional. We should stay clear of doing that again. I’ve already made breakfast so help yourself when you’re ready. I’ll be outside if you need me.”

“Wait!” He looks at me, his face blank. “I’d love to go out today. Do you think that’s possible? I know I’m technically a missing person… But I feel so trapped.”

“You may be recognized.”

“Is there anything we can do to change that?”

“There’s a pair of scissors hair-dye on the top shelf in the linen closet. There’s also some outfits. Make yourself unrecognizable and we can.”

“Really?!”

“Yes, I had the feeling you’d want to explore at some point.”

“Warren!” I wrap my arms around him but it isn’t long before he gently pushes me away. I smile up at him, not letting his actions bother me.

“Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Meet me outside when you’re done, we’re taking my motorcycle into town. You’ve ridden on one before right?”

Before I can answer, his phone rings. He glances down as soon as he pulls it out of his pocket. “It’s Adam.” He turns his phone so I can see the messages, too.

Adam: What seems to be the problem? Unless there is an emergency, please stop leaving me more than one voicemail in the future. Your job is to keep my wife safe and not bother me with unnecessary details. Understood?

I glance up at him to find his eyes narrowed in annoyance. He types a one-word reply and pockets the phone. “Well, at least I’m sure now you didn’t kidnap me.” He fights back a smile before leaving the room.

I walk into the bedroom and look at the options he bought for me. I guess it’s time to change my appearance. What shall I do with my hair? After going back and forth, I chose to go with strawberry blonde. Once I’m done with my hair, I turn my attention to the several outfits laid on the bed. What shall I wear?

After several minutes going back and forth between outfits, I chose a branded pair of orange shorts, wedges and a silky tank top and a necklace to top it off. Perfect. I hear the sound of the motorcycle revving up outside so I head for the exit. Time to see what this town has to offer! The minute I walk outside, I see him standing besides his motorcycle. My eyes are immediately drawn to the motorcycle.

“Can I drive?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

He chuckles and gives me a wide smile. “Maybe next time. You can’t use the GPS without a phone.”

“Whose fault is that?” He smiled and as I took the helmet he handed me, he stopped me.

“What?” He leaned down and kissed me.

“What was that for?”

He shrugged. “You’re far too beautiful to resist.” I sure as hell can say the same Warren. “Just hold on tight, okay?”

“Got it.”

He sits on the bike then turns back to me with an outstretched hand. “You ready?”

“Absolutely!”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do. With my life.”

His lips part, and he searches my eyes. “Hold on tight.”

3 hours later, we’re walking through a local park. “I can’t believe a town this small has so many hidden treasures.”

“Surprising, isn’t it? I’ve always liked it here.”

“I can see why. There’s something so peaceful about being away from all the city life. You can actually hear the birds chirping without the loudness of traffic in the background.” He smiles.

“You’re too cute. That’s what I love about you.” Whoa! Did he really just say that??

“How long have you lived here?”

“Most of my life. My mom and I moved to California when I was 5. The cabin we’re staying in was our first and only home here.”

Just as I opened my mouth to ask him what happened to his mom, he pointed at a nearby building. “One of my friends owns this bar. Do you want to get something to eat?”

“Food sounds nice.” As we come closer to it, it isn’t long before I notice the sign carrying its name. “Tipsy Cow?”

He laughed. “Don’t ask.”

I grin as he holds the door open for me. The first thing I notice is the emptiness-aside from one other couple seated at the bar. The walls look like they could use a new paint job, and the stools seem a bit wobbly, but it is otherwise a very welcoming place. “It’s cozy.”

“It’s the best bar within a 100 mile radius.” Just as he says that, a large, imposing man walks over to us with a huge smile painted across his face and claps Warren on the back.

“Don’t listen to this guy here. It’s the best bar in the whole damn state, I’m tellin’ ya.”

Warren laughs. “Now you’re just exaggerating.”

“Am not! What other bar would give you free welcome drinks as soon as you enter?” He pours us both beer on tap, slides it along the bar and winks at me. “It’s on the house, darlin’. And I can keep ’em coming for as long as you want.”

“We can pay for our own drinks, Jack.”

Jack shakes his head. “Nonsense. My best friend ain’t paying for a damn thing here. And neither is any company he keeps.”

Warren sighs and takes a sip of his beer. “I don’t know how you’re keeping this place afloat man. You do the same thing with half the customers.”

Jack shrugs. “The regulars are loyal. They’d never let me go under. Besides, the women practically line up when they see me running the place.” He flexes and Warren chuckles.

“Speaking of women…” He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.

Warren immediately stiffens by my side. “Hello, beautiful. My name is Jack Wayne.”

“And I’m…”

“Ashley Carter.” Warren cuts in.

Right. Not even Jack can know my real name. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“A pleasure?”

“Jack…”

“Sweetheart, I can show you the true meaning of pleasure.” Though the words sound flirtatious, I can see a teasing glint in his eye, and it’s obvious he’s only trying to spite Warren.

He winks at me again. “Back off, Jack.”

“Hey, hey, I was only introducing myself.”

“She’s taken.”

“Don’t worry, Warren. I saw the rings.” I followed his gaze down to my left hand and frown at the wedding rings sitting on my finger. I guess I should probably stop wearing these? It’s becoming such a habit that I hadn’t even thought about what they represent.

“Looks like you finally found yourself a good one, Garcia! I’m happy for you, man.” Jack thinks that Warren and I are…

“We’re just friends.”

“Just friends, huh?”

“Just. Friends.”

“Ah, so I’m free to try with her, right?” Warren begins to object, but Jack throws his arm around my shoulders and starts walking me towards the bar again. Warren trails behind us, and I can practically feel the glare he’s shooting at the back of Jack’s head.

“Just take a seat there, little lady, and I’ll get you something else to drink.” He points to the full glass I’m still holding in my hands. “Not a fan of beer?”

“Not really, I’m sorry. Can I get some water?”

“One water coming up.” Jack turns around and grabs a glass from across the bar. After I take a careful sip, I ask him a question. “So, how do you guys know each other?”

“Me and Garcia? Oh, we go way back.”

“We grew up together.”

“He’s always been jealous of me, you know.”

“The only thing I’ve ever been jealous of was how quickly you scared off women.”

“Women love me.”

“Sure, sure.”

“They do! Just the other night, I had 2 of them begging me to take them to bed.” “He’s also an elaborate storyteller Ashley.” God, I hate not being able to not have someone say my actual name. Jack pouts.

“He’s so mean to me, Ashley.”

“Warren, stop being so mean to Jack.”

“Thank you!”

“Hey!”

“Did he tell you he’s the reason I lost my leg?”

I look at Warren in shock. He simply shakes his head. “Don’t be so dramatic, Wayne.”

“I’m not being dramatic!”

“So, you’re not the reason he lost his leg?”

“Not in the way that he’s implying.”

“I don’t understand.” I turn to Jack and he grins at me.

“It happened when we were in the SEALS together. I’d just taken on a round of gunfire and thought that was the end for me.”

“You were shot?!”

“Oh, hell yeah. We’ve both been shot many times.”

My head whips towards Warren, who shrugs. “It’s part of the job.”

“That day, I was hit in the leg and shoulder with nowhere to run. No one was there to help me, and I was bleeding out pretty quickly.” He scratched the back of his head and looked away. “I really thought I was a goner, but this i***t over here…” Jack throws a thumb in Warren’s direction. “He just couldn’t let me die.”

“See what I mean about dramatic?”

“What did he do, Jack?”

“When he couldn’t find me, he came running back out into the line of fire. I don’t remember much other than seeing pretty little angel wings sprouting out of his back when he hoisted me up and dragged me to safety.” Jack bats his eyelashes at Warren. “My beautiful guardian angel.”

I laugh at the expression on Warren’s face, and Jack joins in. “Now, I’ve got this sexy prosthetic leg.” He lifts up his pant leg and shows it to me. “Total uniform chaser magnet, right here. Women love this thing.” He looks at me hopefully, as if asking for my approval.

“It’s a very nice-looking leg.”

Jack smiles smugly at Warren. “See, I told you. Chicks dig this thing.”

“She’s just being polite.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, big guy.”

“Is it hard to walk around with it?”

“Nah, I’m used to it by now. Hasn’t stopped me from doing what I want in life.”

“Still, I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Hey, it wasn’t that bad. I might’ve lost a leg, but poor Garcia over here lost his heart.” Jack chuckles but Warren stays quiet.

“Your heart, Warren?” Warren refuses to meet my gaze. Instead, he stands up and storms out of the bar. I watch, stunned, as he slams the door behind him.

“What happened?” I asked Jack in shock. Turning back to him, I notice that his smile is gone.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t realize it was still a sore spot for him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sorry doll, it’s not my story to tell.” I frown and turn back toward the door.

“I’ll be right back.” Jack smiles knowingly and goes to tend to other customers. I walk towards the door and cautiously peek my head outside. “Warren?” I see him sitting on a bench. He doesn’t move, but I know he’s heard me. I walk over and carefully sit next to him. “Are you okay?”

After a few moments of silence, he finally answers me. “I guess I just needed some fresh air.”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that. I just haven’t really let myself think about her for a long time.”

“Did she hurt you?”

“Something like that.” I wait patiently, not wanting to pressure him into talking.

“I guess I should start from the beginning. You see, when we were over in Afghanistan, we lost a lot of good people. Our numbers were down, and we were basically cut off from everyone back home.” I look over at him, and he’s staring straight ahead, lost in thought. “Our ship was small, and our crew was even smaller. We’d been broken off into groups and spread out across the ocean to increase our perimeter.”

“How many people were on your ship?”

“15 of us, all men. They didn’t allow women to be SEALS back then.”

“15 men? That doesn’t seem so small.”

“Trust me...When you’re on a ship for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it’s small. Imagine living in tight quarters with 14 other people. We ate every meal together, played hours of card games together and there really wasn’t much privacy. We were bored out of our minds sometimes.”

“So how did you meet her?”

“She was some girl we met at a local pub. We would get a few days off here and there depending on our shift, so we would take every opportunity for something different. A couple of us got drunk, and Jack suggested we play some type of stupid game with a few local women. I can’t even remember what the game was. Truth or Dare, maybe?” He shakes his head and sighs.

“Lea and I were dared to make out with each other, as childish as that sounds. I remember turning to tell her we didn’t have to do it, but she threw her arms around me and kissed me before I even got a word out. We kept seeing each other a little after that.” He shrugged.

“I wasn’t off the ship often, but she wrote me letters. We planned to start a family in the States once my service was over. I even bought her a ring. At the time, I thought i was ready for that-now i see myself as just a stupid 23 year old. The day I decided to propose, I found her in bed with another guy. Instead of explaining herself, she told me to leave and never come back.”

“Why would she do that? Didn’t she love you?”

Warren shrugs. “Maybe at some point she did, but I’ll never really know. I found out some time later that she was seeing that guy on the side. Whenever I left to board the ship, she’d run back to him. Some women just love the idea of being with a soldier...and don’t realize the actual commitment that comes with it. It’s a lot of waiting around, being alone, wondering if they’re ever going to come back home. I can’t blame her for wanting more.”

“Don’t say that. She shouldn’t have cheated on you. You stayed loyal to her, right?”

“Of course.” He looks at me. “I just wanted to give her the world, she just couldn’t wait for it.”

“She’s an i***t, then.”

Warren chuckles. “Well, I wish her all the best, wherever she is. I’m happy it turned out like this after all. I wouldn't be here if i didn’t.”

I watch him carefully. “You’re very forgiving for a person who got cheated on.”

“Aren’t you the same?” We looked at each other and burst out laughing. The air instantly feels lighter. Warren stands up and holds a hand out for me to take. “Thank you for coming out for me, Charlotte. We should head back inside now. Jack’s probably wondering what happened to us.”

“Okay.” I take his hand and we walk back into the Tipsy Cow together, side by side.

“Hey, before you guys take off, we’re hosting an event tomorrow night. It’s a speed-dating event.”

“Jack, why would we want to go to that?”

“Actually, it kind of sounds like fun.”

“No, it really doesn’t.”

I pulled him aside, out of Jack’s hearing range. “Hey, as someone who’s about to become newly single, I think it would be nice to get myself back out there. Besides, since you’ve decided we’re keeping things “professional”...don’t I deserve a chance to go meet and flirt with some sexy, single bachelors?”

“No.”

“Excuse me? Why not?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“It’s not safe.”

“What do you mean it’s not safe?”

He shrugged. “It’s just not.”

“That doesn’t even make sense. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and we’ve been out in public all day. No one has even glanced at me.”

“Charlotte…” He groans and drags a hand through his hair. “You really want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, we can go then.”

“We?”

“Obviously I’m coming, too.”

“Great!” I smile at him brightly. This should be fun.

“I can’t wait to see how you react when you get a look at all the “sexy, single bachelors” here Charlotte.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? And why are you smirking?”

“Come on, let’s go home.” Warren walks out of the bar and waves to Jack when he calls out goodbye. What could he have meant by that?