write more, but it gave Gabriel something he’d gone without for years: someone other than his family checking in on him. While he wasn’t lovesick by any stretch of the imagination, he felt he understood the goofy expressions some of his soldiers wore when they heard from their significant other. It wasn’t that there hadn’t been women in his life. He’d been lucky enough to meet some amazing ones. But somehow, he was always uninvolved when he deployed. There was no one pining away for him at home. Well, other than his dog, Trouble. And his affection could be bought by food and petting. Come to think of it, he was typical of a lot of males in that regard.
Gabe figured it was better not to subject someone to his long absences. It didn’t seem fair to ask them to wait for him. And if there’s one thing he’d witnessed over and over again, it was the strain that military life could put on a relationship. So many of the couples he knew with one person enlisted ended up either divorced or living separate lives. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be willing to try a committed relationship if the right person came along—but thus far, that hadn’t happened. He’d loved before, but he’d never been in love. Not the kind he dreamed of years ago, before he turned into the cynic he was now. Although if he was honest with himself, he knew he wasn’t a cynic at his core. He’d just never made finding love a priority, and at this point in his career, it still wasn’t in the cards.
It wasn’t as if he believed that Sara, this mythical creature who was interested in corresponding with him, had just happened upon his life to be his forever love. That would be foolish thinking, and if there was one thing Gabriel was not, it was foolish. Nor illogical. Contact with Sara would be brief and entertaining. He doubted her intention of writing had been anything other than an obligatory greeting to the overseas soldier she had been assigned. Should I nip this in the bud now? Although what’s the harm in writing back and forth for a bit? He could delete her e-mail and let it go. But—he just couldn’t do it.
Military mail was a pain in the ass at times. What if he changed his mind and it was not in the recycle bin? That thought alone made him feel a little queasy. So maybe he wouldn’t get rid of her e-mail yet. No harm in letting it sit there. The trick was not replying. Gabe grabbed a nearby folder with some information for the morning meeting and hurried from his office. He would stay busy until the urge had passed.
Two hours later, Gabe felt like a junky deprived of his fix. His knees were bouncing up and down, and he was chewing gum as if his life depended on it. It was mean not to send a quick message. A gentleman doesn’t ignore a lady. He knew that last one was a reach, but still, he’d take any justification at this point. It was almost alarming how much he craved hearing from this Sara again. And he knew for that to happen, he had to do his part. Before he could wage another inner battle, he opened her e-mail and hit the Reply button.
Sara:
Yes, I am single and my dog’s name is Trouble. After being surrounded by our uniforms for many years, I don’t think I share your views on them suiting everyone equally well. I would agree that touching your nose with your tongue isn’t necessarily a feature. And I’ve never given any thought as to what mine would be.
Thanks,
Gabe
Gabe shook his head in defeat. He hadn’t thought it could get much worse than his first written disaster, but this one was a strong contender. Why can’t I just talk to her like a friend? If he was this uptight with all women, that might explain why they weren’t exactly beating his door down. Again, he wondered why it suddenly mattered so much to him. As intrigued as he was with his new pen pal, a part of him resented her as well. He had more than enough shit to keep him awake at night. Now, thanks to her, he was actually giving thought to being liked? When had he ever given a damn about anyone’s approval? He’d moved up in the ranks of the military