Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker - Cat Johnson Page 0,45
out.
Shelly flipped through the DVDs, organized inside the cases Alicia had purchased just for that purpose.
“You also might be the only person in the world who alphabetizes their DVD collection,” Shelly laughed.
“I doubt it. If they aren’t in any kind of order, how would you find what you want? It’s just more efficient.”
Shelly glanced back at her, brow cocked high. “Is that why your books and spices are also in alphabetical order?”
“Yes.” Alicia nodded matter-of-factly.
She was all about saving time and effort. The only question was, why wasn’t everyone equally efficient?
Shelly snorted. “You and Marie Kondo should hang out.”
“Who’s that?” Alicia asked.
“Never mind.” Shelly shook her head then pulled out one of the DVDs to read the back of the case. “My other question is, since you obviously have a ton of romance movies, how in the world can you be so against romance?”
“You know how.”
“You can’t write off all men because of one bad boyfriend.”
“Sure I can. All humans share basic traits. So it’s perfectly conceivable that the same thing could happen with a different man.”
“So you’re not going to even give dating your Navy man for real a chance?”
“Nope.”
“Then I choose this one.” Shelly turned and held out the movie she’d chosen.
Alicia sighed as she saw the case’s cover and title.
Top Gun starring Tom Cruise as a Navy pilot. One of her mother’s favorites. She’d seen it so many times she could quote lines from it. She loved this movie, but right now, it hit a bit too close to home.
“Brian’s not a pilot,” she informed her manipulative friend.
“But he still owns that yummy dress uniform, right?” Shelly beamed with joy over that idea.
“I’d assume so,” she admitted unwillingly.
And now, thanks to her friend, the image of Brian in that uniform was all she could envision . . . except when she imagined him stripping out of that uniform.
Scowling, she stood. “Fine. We’ll watch this one.”
Shelly grinned wide in victory and she regretted her decision to invite her friend over.
Going to McP’s and hoping Brian wouldn’t be there would have definitely been easier tonight.
Then she wouldn’t have had to hide from Greg at the door. And she wouldn’t have to watch Kelly McGillis reluctantly fall in love with Maverick, the hot cocky Navy man who looked oh so handsome in the yummy uniform.
Too late now. She was stuck with her decision. She’d have to sit there next to Shelly and pretend to ignore the parallels between the characters in the movie and her and Brian in real life.
She’d have to forget the feel of his hands and mouth on her.
Forget she’d made the choice to take a huge step back to keep him at a distance.
She’d had to do it. Serious relationships weren’t for her. Not anymore.
Besides, after her discussion with him about his distress over his mother dating, it was clear he had relationship issues of his own. And that was just the beginning of the obstacles against them from the very start.
Nope. No dating. Maybe no more fake dating either.
She’d go on with her life. Concentrate on her career instead. And her friendships. And making herself happy.
And she’d forget all about Brian.
Easier said than done.
TWENTY-TWO
Yes. He’d called her before they went wheels up. No, she hadn’t answered. He’d even left her a voicemail, like some loser.
He couldn’t give her details but he could tell her he’d be out of communications range for a bit.
He’d figured that would at least get a text in reply. Some acknowledgment that she’d gotten it. But nope. He’d checked his phone right before they’d lost signal and had found nothing.
He hadn’t even gotten a call back from his mother, who he had to assume was having too much fun in Hawaii with Dale to bother answering her phone.
The one and only person who’d gotten back to him was the damn bartender at McP’s Pub. Ray had replied with a short but efficient, OK to a text Brian shouldn’t have sent and regretted now. Oh, well.
With both his fake girlfriend and his real mother ignoring him, he was starting to get a complex.
Good thing he was going to be too busy for the foreseeable future to worry about it. Or at least he would be occupied soon, as soon as the damn sun set and they could move out.
Right now the team was playing the sit-around-and-wait game.
Brian usually slept when they’d be working at night, but today, he couldn’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep.
The base near the southeastern border of