Chapter Twenty-One
"How was that banana in your fruit salad last night?" Gabby waggled her eyebrows as she pulled into the early morning traffic.
"He buttered my biscuit good," said Diniece. "What about you and secret agent man?"
"He assaulted me with a friendly weapon."
"And held you for aggressive cuddling?"
"Attacked my pink fortress."
"Entangled your lower beards."
"Filled me out like an application."
The two friends broke out into a fit of giggles. Diniece had made herself sparse after Gabby told her that Prince had finally taken her V-card. Diniece had figured, since she was caught, she'd spend the rest of the weekend with Chief making the beasts with two backs.
Diniece had more experience than she did, but Diniece put her schoolwork and her future career above everything. Diniece had never had a boyfriend, just a string of one night stands and short-term bed buddies. And by all accounts, she seemed to prefer it that way.
"So," Gabby hedged. "With that application you took with Chief, do you think you might hold a steady job?"
Diniece jerked back, the smile faltering from her face. "That was just for fun. It's nothing serious. Plus, he has two kids and two baby's mamas. I would be a fool to saddle myself with that. But damn if that man doesn't know his way around a woman's body."
Diniece's cell phone rang at just that moment. Glancing over, Gabby recognized Chief's phone number. Diniece's thumb hesitated a few seconds before hitting the cancel button. A second later, she pulled up the text app.
As Gabby neared the entrance of the courthouse complex, she wondered if those two noncommittal individuals might be just what the other needed to make something lasting. Diniece continued to text as they pulled up to the guard gate at the complex's entrance.
"Morning, Stu."
"Hey, Ms. Gabby. Is your dad enjoying his vacation?"
"My mother confiscated his laptop and cell phone, so probably not."
Stu chuckled. Everyone knew the D.A. was as married to his work as he was to his wife.
"Stu, I just realized I forgot my purse." Gabby knew better than to drive without her driver's license, but she'd been a little preoccupied that morning saying goodbye to Prince. They'd made love before the sun came up. Then they'd hopped in the shower together and made love against the tiles. Then Gabby had made him a full breakfast, along with a bagged lunch of his favorite sandwiches, before kissing him goodbye. She couldn't wait to do that every morning for the rest of their lives.
"No problem, Ms. Gabby." Stu waved them forward. "I don't think it'll be a problem passing through the District Attorney's daughter."
"Thanks, Stu." Gabby pulled up to the curb of her dad's offices. "So, I'll pick you up at five o'clock?"
"Um." Diniece looked down at her phone. Then she twisted her lip as she regarded Gabby. "I think I've got a ride."
"Hmm, so more belly bumping for you tonight?"
"Shut up." Diniece hopped out of the car with a grin and slammed the door.
Gabby rolled the passenger window down. "Enjoy your amorous congress," she yelled.
Diniece flipped her friend the bird as she walked away in her heels and designer business skirt.
Gabby looked up at the offices. She knew Prince was in there. Her foot tapped at the floorboards like a junky who smelled his next hit around the corner. But Gabby decided not to go in and bother Prince. It was a big day for him.
They hadn't talked about their next step, but she assumed she would be moving to D.C. right after graduation. She wondered if she should even bother with graduation?
But she knew better. Not only would her parents have a literal cow if she dropped out months before her completion date. Prince would be disappointed in her. But what actually made the decision for her is that she didn't want the judge to have any more fodder against her.
Gabby pulled out of the complex, preparing to head back home to hit the books and raise her grades. She waved goodbye to Stu as she left the gated area. The complex was not just the courthouses. It also contained services like vet services, family services, and motor vehicle services. When she pulled around the corner, she saw a familiar face walking down the street. Gabby parked at the curb and hopped out the car.
"Sully?"
The dark haired man turned. His body jerked and his hands went up in alert.
Gabby stopped in her tracks, nearly teetering. Her brother had told her that Sully was suffering from bouts of PTSD after his last tour of war.
"Sully. It's me, Gabby."
His eyes took a moment to focus. Then he closed them and sighed. "Hey, Gabby. I'm sorry. It's not a good idea to sneak up on a soldier."
"I'm sorry." She took another step towards him. He looked tired and haggard, nothing like the laid back desert prince who'd spin a tale of magic and wonder out of thin air. "I haven't heard from you in a while."
"I'm sorry I stopped writing. Things just got …"
The light had gone out of his gray eyes. Gabby had the urge to wrap her arms around him, but she somehow knew that wouldn't be a wise thing to do. Still, she didn't want to leave him alone when he looked, well, alone.
"I was going to head out for a cup of coffee," she said. "You want to join me?"
"Can't. I have an appointment at the Vet Administration. Made it months ago and I can't miss it or it'll take another few months to get on the list again."
Gabby nodded. "Maybe you can come over for dinner tonight? Prince is in town."
"Yeah, I know." He looked away.
Gabby chewed at her lip, wondering how to get past his shell. "He and I are together."
That caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at her. "What are you? Twenty-One?"
"Twenty-two."
"Damn. I had twenty-three in the pool."
She got a grin out of him. That's when she saw a glimmer of the old Sully. She took another tentative step towards him. His easy grin vanished as loud voices sounded in the near distance.
A group of men came down the corner. They were loud and raucous. Sully looked over his shoulder and sunk back into himself.
"Out of the way, fucking towel head," said one of the men in the group.
Sully's back went ramrod straight. His gaze narrowed as his eyes flicked over each of the four males. One was in a suit, the others in jeans and motorcycle jackets that held the emblem of a swastika over their hearts. Sully's fists balled.
"What you looking at, you fucking bomber?" said the guy in the suit. "In a few months, we'll be sending you back to where you came from."
"He was born here," said Gabby, stepping up to Sully's side. "He went out and fought for our country."
"This isn't your country," said the man. His eyes were crystal blue and his hair white blond. He'd be handsome if he weren't spewing such hate. "It's ours. Why don't you show us your papers, chica?"
Gabby flinched under the man's proprietary glare. She reached for her purse to shove her ID down his throat and froze. The man grinned at her hesitation.
"That's what I thought," he said.
Sully stepped in between them, but two of the other guys were on him. Both threw punches at Sully, one high and the other low. Sully evaded them both and took one man down. Then a third joined the second. Sully was outnumbered and before long he went down.
Once they got him down on the ground, the blows didn't stop. The men were on top of him throwing punches. On the side of him delivering kicks.
Gabby's voice caught in her throat as she watched with horror. She made to take a step to get them off, to take some of the heat, to run for help? She didn't know. She raised her heel, and then her whole body went airborne.