Marcus dropped Helen off at her hotel and did not even say “goodnight” to her. Frustrated but also concerned about him, she could not find peace. His angry expression and his harsh words lingered in her mind. Helen hardly slept, recalling the faded tattoo.

I wish I’d kept my big mouth shut. I’d still be in your arms if I had. Boy that felt good. You showed me a great time, Marcus: so driven, so passionate… stop thinking about it, Helen. Focus on the problem. But, what can I do? Guess? Ask him again? I know how that’s going to go; I don’t want to see that angry face again…

The following morning, Helen decided to visit Michelle in her hotel room, eager to hear some feedback on the concert. More importantly, she was dying to confide in her good friend and ask for her help. Just when she was about to knock on her door however, she noticed that a draft of air was moving it outward. Helen pushed it open. Michelle was in the balcony, with a tablet in her hands and seemingly in high spirits.

“Good morning.” Helen said, in a voice riddled with sadness, as she joined her friend. “Your front door was open.”

“Oh, my God!” Michelle exclaimed, looking up at her. “How did it go last night? Did you get any sleep?”

“Tell me about the concert first.” Helen sighed.

“I was just going over some reviews. Most people loved it.” Michelle informed, with a broad smile on her face. “Some complained about me singing mostly ballads, but, the way I see it, everybody is always going to complain about something. You can’t please them all. Now you go.”

“Great.” Helen gave a satisfied nod. “I’ve been going crazy since last night, Michelle. I don’t understand this guy.”

“He didn’t…” Michelle faltered… “…hurt you or anything, did he?”

“No.” Helen shook her head sideways. “He took me to this gorgeous beach house. He was good to me. He looked totally relaxed, up till I asked him why he hadn’t been invited to the wedding. He’d been in the army; James didn’t know where to find him. He didn’t want to talk about that. Anyway, we had sex, we cuddled a bit and then, I saw some faded ink on his stomach. I asked him what it was; he said it had to do with the military. I asked him again. That’s when he snapped. He doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

“You mentioned a tattoo. What was it?” Michelle inquired.

“A couple of initials: ‘S’ and ‘F’,” Helen replied, running her hand through her hair.

“Oh, my God.” Michelle gave an amused snort.

“What’s so funny?” Helen wondered, a hint of annoyance in her voice, as she furrowed her brow.

“Semper Fidelis.” Michelle assumed a serious tone, as her smile vanished. “Semper Fi: Always loyal: He used to be a marine.”

“How do you know about that?” Helen’s voice turned into a high-pitched squeal.

“A cousin of mine’s in the Marines.” Michelle stated. “Many of them get that tattoo.”

“Morning, girls.” James interjected, stepping onto the balcony, with a stack of newspapers in his grasp. “These are all.” He added, setting them down on the floor.

“Reading those reviews can wait.” Michelle confessed, not taking her eyes off of Helen’s face. “Ask him.”

“James, was Marcus in the Marines?” Helen waited with bated breath for his answer.

“Yeah,” he said with a firm nod. “As a matter of fact, he was. He told me you guys had an argument last night.”

“Not quite.” Helen disagreed. “He just freaked out on me. What is wrong with him, James? Why’s he acting like that every time someone mentions the army?”

“Why do you have to know, girl?” James shrugged. “I mean, you just met him, not to mention you live three thousand miles away.”

“You don’t want to tell me.” Helen complained, nodding at the same time. “Fine: Thanks for nothing.”

“Watch your tongue, girl.” James reprimanded. “I never said I wouldn’t. But, here’s the thing. Marcus is my friend. I promised to keep his story between us.”

“Pretty please?” Helen made her voice sound sweeter, as she leaned closer to him.

“Let’s just say that he and I have a lot in common.” James used an emphatic tone.

“Is he grumpy, too?” Michelle’s short question brought a small smile to Helen’s face. Yet, James did not feel the same about it.

“Okay, let’s get a few things straight.” This time, he attempted a firm, commanding voice. “I’m not perfect. I am grumpy. I do overreact sometimes. I have a short temper, too. But, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do to protect the ones closest to me: nothing at all.”

“I’m sorry.” Michelle whispered, dropping her gaze from his intense stare.

“Marcus has been betrayed, girl.” James lowered his tone, turning to Helen. “A lot worse than I have. I’m sorry; that’s all I can tell you. If you want to know more, you’re going to have to ask him about it.”

“Worse…” Helen’s voice became a choked, pain-ridden whisper, as she lifted her hand to her lips. “Oh, my God.”

“Pardon me for saying this, but…” Michelle paused. “He does sound messed up. Did he go to war?”

“That’s the wrong question ask:” James commented. “He was a US marine. The correct question would be ‘how many times did he go to war?’ Anyway, I need to call Olivia. Excuse me.”

After James left, the conversation continued. “I wish I were a hacker, just for a day.” Helen muttered, returning her gaze to Michelle.

“I still don’t understand why you’re so interested in him.” Michelle stated, voicing her opinion. “I mean, let’s face it, Helen. James is right. We won’t be here that long. Why do you want to know more about him?”

“I like him, okay?” Helen shrugged. “Is there anything wrong with that?”

“We need to take your mind off of him.” A wicked smile spread across Michelle’s face. “I think a ‘girls night out’ would be just what the doctor prescribed. What do you say?”

“Thanks, Michelle.” Helen finally smiled. “I’ll see you later.”