Sparks - Wendy Higgins Page 0,5
Piling out of two shuttles ahead of us was a sea of camo.
The Marines were here.
“What are you smiling about?” Silas asked as we clomped through the snow, holding our bags up since we couldn’t pull them.
“I’m not smiling,” I said, feeling stupid because I’d definitely been smiling. “I’m grimacing against the frigid winds.”
“Okay.” He laughed and we rushed inside the packed lobby, shaking off our arms. I stomped snow off my dress shoes onto the rug. Then we saw the huge line of military guys and other passengers waiting for their rooms, and Silas whispered, “Fuck me.”
I pretended not to look around too keenly, but my heart gave an excited pound when I found the commanding officer at the front of the line, his arms on the desk, talking pleasantly with the desk clerk, a woman older than my mom. He said something and she laughed like she was being flirted with. I found it beyond cute.
“You’re smiling again.” Silas was watching me too closely, and I frowned.
“What is wrong with me smiling?”
“Nothing. It’s just that you usually have that concerned look on your face when you’re thinking.”
I glared at him and he wiped a hand over his mouth to hide a smile.
“My resting bitch face,” I said, making him let out a burst of laughter. This was an ongoing joke with Silas and all my FA friends. They took pictures of me whenever I was “thinking” and made fun of how seriously pissed off I looked. It wasn’t like I was always thinking of negative things. I could be thinking about puppies and I’d look like that.
“Oh, hey, Ma’am! You’re staying here too?”
Silas and I looked over at the young Marine with the obliging lap, who smiled brightly.
“Hi!” I said. “Smith, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jerome Smith.”
“I’m Harlow.” I stuck out my hand and he shook it, then Silas’s.
“Some of the guys are running to the gas station next door to buy up all the beer and food,” Jerome said.
“Oh, are you guys drinking tonight?” I asked. That all-too-familiar excitement tinged with mischief tickled my insides.
“Yeah! Captain Fowler gave the go-‘head since we’re stuck here and all.”
Captain Fowler? I followed Jerome’s smiling gaze toward the front of the line where the officer was getting a stack of key cards and beginning to pass them out. My stomach did a jiggle-dance as I watched him interact with his soldiers. There was a respectfulness between he and his troop that filled me with awe. The way they gave him their complete attention when he spoke. I had no doubt every one of them would follow him into battle with confidence and do anything he commanded without question. And it wasn’t like he was the largest of the men. He was…average. In fact, at least half of his soldiers were taller and broader than him. And yet, the way he carried himself with assuredness gave off a definite air of power and badassery.
A click drew my eyes to Silas, who was pointing his phone at me and grinning.
“There it is,” he said, turning his phone around to show me in resting bitch face mode.
“Silas!” I swiped at his phone, but he pulled it away, laughing. “Delete that!”
“It’s not your normal RBF, though,” he said, tilting his head. “Look at your eyes.”
He held his phone out for us both, and it was true. The bottom of my face was doing its usual frump thing, but my eyes were…bright. Interested.
I reached out super fast and touched the trash button. Silas let me, still laughing.
“You are so mean to me,” I grumbled.
“You love me.” He gave me a side hug, and ugh, he smelled good. I shoved him away.
The line moved up as the group of Marines migrated into the seating area and I lost sight of the officer. When we got to the front of the line I sniffed something skunky, and felt Silas lightly elbow me. He smelled it, too. The older woman desk clerk was gazing at Silas—he often caused that reaction—and her eyes were slightly reddened. Someone had been having fun before this hoard showed up.
“Have a lovely evening, Miss,” Silas said to the woman as he tapped his keycard on the counter then slid it in his pocket. I rolled my eyes and went toward the elevator. We were about to climb on when the side doors opened down the hall, sending a blast of wind and snow through. In came four Marines, their arms and hands filled with cases of