Her Invisible Soldier: A Military Romance with a Twist

by Grace Risata

  I got a twenty minute lecture today from the demonic dentist about what was acceptable and what was not to be tolerated regarding payment size and lateness of accounts. Did I let it go in one ear and out the other? Yes. I’m not going to follow orders that would cause poor old ladies to receive annoying calls from debt collectors. I’m not a monster.

  Once you add that to my other problems and top off the shit stew with a surprise parking ticket…it was turning into one hell of a Thursday. This is the reason I had no desire to see Debbie and Kassie behind the welcome desk at the veteran’s building. Small talk was the last thing I needed right now. Especially since I knew they had a strong dislike for each other.

  In a grand gesture of fakeness, Kassie squealed and rushed over to greet me with an overly dramatic bear hug complete with an air kiss on each cheek. We have never, ever behaved like that in our entire friendship. I felt like a sorority girl in one of those lame college movies. Not my cup of tea…at…all.

  I instantly leaned back from her aggressive move to claim me as her buddy, and she launched into a massive apology at fourteen decibel levels louder than necessary.

  “I am so sorry about Debbie’s inexcusable behavior, Alyce. It sickens me that she would treat a stranger in such a way, but when you take into consideration that you’re one of my very best friends…it just cuts right through to my heart.”

  Managing to break free from whatever theatrics were happening, I stole a look at Debbie to see if she believed any of this bullshit. The sweet woman who had taken it upon herself to apologize yesterday was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw hurt and frustration on her face. I’m sure she was just waiting for me to go all ‘mean girl’ on her ass and start sobbing to Kassie about my poor treatment.

  Not gonna happen. I refuse to be a pawn in anyone’s games. Never have, never will.

  “Kassie, you are just hilarious,” I said with a smile, slowly patting her on the arm. “I have no problems with Debbie at all. She was very eager to help get me set up with a veteran and begin the volunteering process. As a matter of fact, I should probably go get to work.”

  Given the choice of chit-chatting with Debbie and Kassie or dealing with Dixon and his attitude problem…let’s just say I could relate more to the crazy man.

  Kassie gave me a dirty look, no doubt pissed off at my betrayal. Did I give one single fuck? Not at all. Debbie, on the other hand, was positively giddy over the opportunity to one-up her nemesis since I apparently seemed to have ignored any attempts to stir up trouble. She showed her gratitude with a generous offer.

  “That sounds great, Alyce. I actually have good news for you. One of our sweetest veterans is in need of a volunteer today because his regular person called in sick. If you’d like to follow me, I can introduce you two.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” I responded. “I’ll just work with Dixon again. We’re growing on each other.”

  Instead of smiling at my obvious joke, Kassie and Debbie both began shaking their heads and trying desperately to talk me out of that idea.

  “Not today,” Debbie advised at the same time that Kassie insisted, “I would steer clear of that right now.”

  What made today so much different from any other day? The look of confusion must have been apparent on my face, because they each began to explain.

  “Thursdays are not a good time,” my friend warned me with a dire expression. “His court ordered psychiatrist comes to check on his progress and it ends with lots of profane language and raised voices. The first week it took several other men to step in and keep the peace.”

  “It wasn’t pretty,” Debbie agreed. “Last week he just sat stone faced and ignored the guy entirely for five solid minutes before the cuss words began flying. It’s like Dixon doesn’t even care if he gets sent to jail.”

  Kassie nodded and pointed to the desk where the sullen man usually sat alone and looked out the window. This time he had company. A middle aged man in a business suit and tie had just plopped down at a nearby table and pulled out some paperwork.

  “That’s his new case worker because the last one quit. Just let it go, Alyce. He’s not worth the stress,” Debbie pleaded.

  Sure enough, I took note of Dixon’s posture and sensed trouble brewing.

  “So you’re both going to just let this escalate without trying to help? Look at him,” I demanded. “There’s a reason he acts like this.”

  Without waiting for either of the ladies to take action, I took matters into my own hands. As I got closer, it became as plain as the nose on my face that Dixon was about three minutes away from an epic panic attack. All the signs were there. He had a death grip so tight on the desk that his knuckles were turning white, sweat was beading up on his rapidly reddening face, and his eyes darted back and forth like a cornered animal.

  “Hey, guys. How’s it going today?” I asked casually, strolling up to the men as though I didn’t have a care in the world. Sticking out my hand to Dixon’s psychiatrist, I smiled brightly and said, “You must be the new case worker. I’m so glad to meet you, sir. That last guy had no personality at all and was very hard to relate to on a personal level. The most important thing about a patient relationship with their doctor is trust. I can already tell that you seem to be more professional than the previous person.”

  Naturally, all eyes were on me and both men looked seriously confused. At least I noticed Dixon begin to breathe again. That was a good sign, right?

  “Who are you?” the shrink asked, frowning down at me over the coke bottle glasses perched on his crooked nose.

  “My name is Alyce. I’m the volunteer that was matched with Dixon. We’ve been getting along very well and I feel like he’s absolutely making progress. Are you going to be here long, sir? You see, I only have a certain amount of time to help Dixon this evening. I have to get home early to study for a huge test tomorrow. I’m taking some online college courses to better myself.”

  That was a complete lie, but I honestly didn’t care one damn bit. In the grand scheme of things, if I had to choose whose side I was on, it would never be the one with a psychiatrist. Let’s just say it was a personal vendetta of sorts.

  “Ah…um…okay. Sure,” the man sputtered. “I just got here, but I don’t have to stay very long. It would appear that this paperwork must not be filled out properly. There’s nothing written down about Mr. Wade being paired with anyone, nor about him actually advancing in any way. I was under the impression that he had been volatile and abusive with everyone.”

  “No, sir. Not at all. He’s actually been quite pleasant to work with,” I offered, further lying through my teeth. “To give you an example, I brought him a container of my famous homemade brownies yesterday. I certainly wouldn’t do that for someone rude and obnoxious, now would I?”

  “No, I wouldn’t assume so,” he said with a frown. Then his attention turned to the elephant in the room. The giant, rage-filled, teeth-gritting elephant. “Is that true, Mr. Wade? Did you have a nice snack with Alyce?”

  I flinched at his response and sent up a silent prayer that Dixon would follow my lead and actually cooperate with the shrink even though he used the term ‘nice snack’ when speaking with a grown man.

  “Mmhmm,” Dixon mumbled while nodding, most likely summoning every ounce of willpower not to punch the pencil-pusher in the face. I was almost proud of him.

  That is…until he began talking.

  “The brownies were very moist. I like moist things. The wetter the better. Dry is no good. Dry is hard to work with. Of course, I never have a problem with that,” he said, never taking his eyes off me. The prick actually had the nerve to lick his lips and stare right at my crotch.

  Fortunately the psychiatrist was busy scribbling notes in Dixon’s file and paid no attention to the sexual innuendo. Once the pen stopped moving, he finally spoke up.

  “Okay Dixon, I think that’s everything. I actually have a few more places to go today, so I’ll leave early and let you chat with Alyce i
nstead. You two seem to be getting along well and we wouldn’t want to keep her from studying. I just have to make a brief stop at the reception desk to make sure all my paperwork is in order.” He handed me one of his business cards and winked while urging, “Please call if you need anything or if Mr. Wade becomes unruly.”

  I took the card and smiled as the fool walked away in a daze. He had no idea about the massacre I just prevented.

  You’re welcome, Mr. Brown. Yes, I read his business card before tearing it up into little pieces and dropping it on Dixon’s desk.

  “As for you,” I began, speaking slowly and quietly in case the shrink happened to be within earshot, “I’m going to need you to take several deep and cleansing breaths. Relax your fucking body and close your eyes. You’re having a panic attack. In order to talk you off the ledge, I’m going to need you to do exactly as I say. If you fucking ignore my orders, you’re going to wind up beating the shit out of that guy and end up in jail. You don’t want that. So take five deep breaths, close your eyes, and picture yourself safely at home alone. Go to your happy place in your mind. I can actually see it right now because I happen to be a mind reader.”

  I honestly had no clue if this would work at all, but it was worth a try. Lord knows I’ve talked myself down from enough of the damn things…I should be able to do it with someone else.

  I closed my eyes and continued to speak in a soft, calming tone.

  “Ah, yes. There it is. Your safe place. Wow. It’s a bedroom. No surprise there. I can see a large bed with you in it, comfortable and relaxed. I like the silk sheets. Nice touch. What’s that? You’re surrounded by not one, but two women. This is totally embarrassing to describe, but I’ll give it a shot because I’m a team player. You’re going to owe me for this. One of the women is a tall brunette with wavy hair down to her ass. She’s bending over and taking your cock into her mouth. Unfortunately, she’s a lightweight and gives up after a few minutes. The other chick is a hot blonde with red painted lips and giant tatas. You reach up to grab one of them and---”

  “Alyce,” he moaned breathlessly, interrupting my very detailed make-believe porno scenario. “What the fuck are you doing to me?”

  I snapped my eyes open to find Dixon red-faced and uncomfortably trying to adjust the groin area of his jeans.

  “What?” I asked with feigned innocence. “You were exhibiting the textbook symptoms of an anxiety attack and I merely recognized that and attempted to distract you.”

  “Who the fuck are you? I want some answers and I want them now,” he demanded.

  I shrugged my shoulders and leaned back against the wall next to his desk. Forget looking out the window or anywhere else for that matter. Dixon’s full attention was focused entirely on me.

  “I’m Alyce,” I replied. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “I already know your name, Alyce with a ‘y.’ How come you did that? You could have walked away and let me deal with that asshole on my own. But you didn’t. Instead you lied to cover my ass and then put on one hell of a dirty performance to get me to relax. Why?”

  “I have a thing with shrinks,” I admitted, losing all the bravado from moments ago and staring down at my shoes instead of making eye contact. “I don’t like them. It was just as much to stick it to Mr. Brown as it was to help you out.”

  “What thing do you have with shrinks?”

  I took a deep breath and debated on whether or not I should open up to Dixon.

  “If I answer your question, it’s going to come with a price. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. I want to know why you’re here.”

  The ball is in his court.

  “I got busted for drunk driving. They found marijuana and alcohol in my system. The judge’s son happened to be in the military, so he felt like he understood my situation and took pity on me. Decided I was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and jail would only make things worse. As a last ditch effort to ‘rehabilitate’ me, I got sent here. If I don’t cooperate, then I’ll end up serving time. Happy now?”

  Dixon shot me a look of complete hatred as though I somehow forced him to share all that. I could tell he regretted coming clean and a meltdown was imminent.

  “Fair enough. Now you want my story?” I asked.

  He relaxed ever so slightly and nodded his head, probably relieved I didn’t ask any more questions or pass judgment on him.

  “My grandmother sent me to a shrink when I was eight years old. The lady was a royal cunt and we didn’t get along at all. I didn’t appreciate the fact that she said it was my fault that I got bullied in school because I wasn’t nice enough to the other kids. In reality, it didn’t matter how friendly I behaved…I was the only Asian kid in class and I got targeted for looking different. So I went to two sessions with her and then ultimately had enough.”

  “You had a tantrum and they didn’t make you go back,” he guessed.

  “No. I bit her and she refused to see me anymore. That was the first of many incidents where I acted inappropriately and got asked not to return to various places. Why do you think I keep coming back here?”

  “You’re batshit crazy?”

  “Maybe, but that’s not the reason. At work, my boss requires the employees to volunteer somewhere and I’m running out of charities. I can’t seem to last very long without fucking things up. Today was miserable for so many reasons, and that stupid job was one of them.”

  I slid down the wall and put my head in my hands. I was beginning to hate Conway Dental. I should force myself to look around for something else. Who wants to start over though? What if a new job was even worse?

  “Get up,” Dixon growled urgently, causing me to lift my head in surprise. “Fuckface is staring at us and I don’t want him thinking you’re pissy because of something I said.”

  Sure enough, I scanned the room and saw Mr. Brown gazing in our direction. I gave him a wave and then resumed the conversation with Dixon.

  “It’s nice to know that you don’t give a rat’s ass about one word I’m saying,” I admitted sarcastically. “The only way to get you to talk is by forcing you to play nice in front of your shrink?”

  He had the nerve to narrow his eyes at me and glare menacingly.

  “No one forces me to do anything, sweet cheeks. Pardon me if I’m not doling out enough sympathy for your horrible day. Your boss was mean and you didn’t get the right color gumball out of the vending machine. Boo hoo.”

  “Yeah, you’ve hit the nail on the head, Dixon. That’s exactly why I have an attitude. It has nothing to do with the fact that my asshole landlord raised my rent to an obscene amount for the shithole I live in. It’s awesome that my boss is a tyrannical bitch and wants me to act as her evil little minion. I also love the eighty-nine dollar parking ticket I got because my car was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But let’s not forget the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished, and the stubborn motherfucker that I’m trying to help keep out of jail just likes to torment me mercilessly.”

  I rose to my feet and we stared each other down like two lawyers on opposite sides of the negotiating table. Dixon made a show of double checking to ensure that his shrink was gone before responding to me.

  “While I can see how that would be frustrating,” he admitted, “Maybe you can come back when you’ve seen your friends killed in combat and you can’t sleep because the nightmares keep you awake.”

  Dixon brushed past me, stalked up to the reception desk, threw his paperwork down for Debbie to sign, and stormed out the door.

  Just another day in paradise. Thank God tomorrow is Friday.

  Chapter Six

  For some reason, I expected today to miraculously not suck because it was a Friday. Doesn’t everyone wait all week for Friday? It means you get rewarded with two days off in return for suffering through your job.

  I was greatly looking forward to this forty-eight hour reprieve from work, but then I got cornered. It’s really not my fault that I let my guard down by the en
d of the day and I wasn’t playing offense when Nina sidled up to me with a look of utter hope and optimism.

  “Hello, Alyce. Do you have any plans for the weekend? I asked Kennedy if she would like to grab dinner out and maybe do some shopping, but she’s busy. I’m sure you’re probably already doing something fun, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. I’m still new in town and I haven’t made any friends yet. The last few months were spent helping my aunt recover from her hip surgery and I didn’t get out to meet anyone my own age. It’s a little lonely.”

  I stared at her, mind furiously racing to come up with an excuse as to why I couldn’t accept her offer, but I was drawing a blank. Maybe it was the pure eagerness on her face or the fact that I was such a volunteering dynamo this week, but I found myself slowly nodding my head.

  “Really? You would hang out with me?” she asked in absolute amazement, beaming with joy and clapping her hands. “I’ll let you make all the plans so we’re sure to go to places that you like. You can decide what time we meet and everything. I’m so excited!”

  I honestly wondered for a brief moment if I could count this as my charity work for the day. Talk about opposite ends of the personality spectrum. On one side you had Dixon who hated everything, and on the other was Nina who found the world totally exciting. I guess the two should balance each other out.

  Even though I would have to endure a girls’ day with Nina, at least I could breeze through a few hours with Dixon and still have the rest of my Friday night to chill. Honestly, he’d never lasted over half an hour before storming out like a big baby, so the time would probably fly by at record speed.