Perfect Soldier: The Complete Story (5-Part BBW Military Romance Novel) Read Online Free Page B

asked Colt.
    “I don’t know, it’s been awhile. Usually a
cheeseburger. Omelet if it’s around breakfast,” I said.
    “I think I’m going to order a steak,” said Colt, still
looking at the menu.
    “2 A.M. steak dinner, huh?” I said, giving him a
teasing sort of wink.
    “Sounds pretty damn good to me right now.”
    “It sounds good to me, too. I think I’ll do the
same.”
    Normally, I wouldn’t be doing something like this.
Eating a big dinner right before bed wasn’t my thing, and I’m sure I would have
fainted if I’d seen the calorie count. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t
worry about that. The night was going well so far, why question myself now? It
felt good to act impulsively, to improvise. I was ready for the night to take
me wherever it would. No second-guessing and no regrets.
    The waitress came back and took our orders. It was
at this point that I expected the night to devolve into an awkward silence. We
were basically total strangers, after all. But the silence never came. Colt was
easy to talk to and soon I found myself completely spilling all my secret
worries and cherished hopes. Currently, I was in the process of telling him
about my classes and my plans to eventually go to vet school.
    “So you take two classes and work a job?”
asked Colt.
    “Yup,” I said, taking a sip of my Diet Coke, finding
myself chewing on the straw, a bad nervous habit of mine.
    “Damn. How many hours a week are you bartending?” he
asked.
    “Depends on the week, usually something like 40-50
hours. I typically only have Mondays off,” I said.
    “That’s intense, no wonder you’re stressed.”
    “Yeah. I mean, I can’t complain though. People are
lucky to have any job these days, and sure, I’d love to be able to take more
classes to get into veterinarian school sooner, but that’s not an option with
money the way that it is.”
    “How long before you enroll in vet school?”
    “Well, if I keep taking classes at this current
rate, probably two years,” I said.
    “What if you were enrolled as a full-time student?”
he asked.
    “I could probably apply after next semester if that
were the case. It’s frustrating to think how far off it is, but I just have to
keep telling myself it’s worth the effort.”
    “Why do you want to be a veterinarian?”
    “There’s not much to it really. I love animals and I
know other people love their pets, too, so I’d like to be able to help them
out. That might sound silly or idealistic, but…”
    “No, it doesn’t. I think it sounds great. That’s a
great reason, I think. Do you have any pets?”
    “Unfortunately, I don’t. No time to take care of
one. I want a puppy so bad, though.”
    Just then the waitress came back to our table, the
steam rising off the sizzling steaks. We were the only people in the
restaurant, so they’d been cooked perfectly to order. I took one bite and the
medium-rare goodness melted in my mouth.
    “I’m so glad you suggested this,” I said, taking
another bite immediately after.
    “I’m glad you invited me out tonight,” said Colt,
taking the moment to look into my eyes and hold them there for a long second.
    I smiled to myself and looked down at the table,
suddenly feeling shy again. Was there something more going on here? This didn’t
feel like the prelude to a hookup, it felt like something else entirely. We sat
there eating for a while longer. I dipped my French fries in the juices from
the steak. So damn good, this was exactly the type of meal I needed after a
long stressful day.
    By the time we left the diner, I’d all but forgotten
about the speeding ticket I’d received earlier in the night. That was all Colt.
When I was around him, talking to him, everything else that worried me didn’t
seem to matter. And if it hadn’t been clear before, it was clear now: Colt
was spending the night with me. And that was exactly how I wanted it .

 
     
     
    Chapter
Six
     
    Colton
     
    As I sat beside Cat on the