“I’ll go to dinner with your client. I’m sorry I got upset last night. I was just caught off guard.”
Her words made me happy, but her tone seemed hollow.
“Are you sure, babe? You don’t have to.”
“No, I want to. I leave next Sunday. We only have one week left together. I want to get in really good shape to train. Would you mind working out with me?”
That’s my girl. “Not at all. I’d love to. Tell you what, I’ll come by here when I get off, and we can go for a run and an ocean swim.”
She blinked at me. “Sounds like a plan. Have a great day. I was up all night, so I’m going to get some rest.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and went into the bedroom and shut the door.
I looked at Flounder, who seemed to be as confused as I was.
“Women, buddy. I don’t get them either.”
I finished my breakfast and let myself out. As I ran to work, my stomach was in knots. I couldn’t for the life of me figure Aria out. But from what I learned this weekend she had had a tough childhood. Maybe she just needed some patience and understanding. On the outside, she was this confident champion. But on the inside, she seemed conflicted. Vulnerable even. Sometimes I would see this wounded look in her pretty green eyes, and all I wanted to do was pull her close and kiss away her worries.
But she was making it so fucking hard because she kept those damn walls up.
Once I arrived on base, the first thing I did was go to our computer to look up her dad. I didn’t think Aria was lying, but many men claim to be SEALs.
I typed in Matthew Presley.
A man with bright red hair and Aria’s eyes popped up on my screen. Class #201. Wow, dammit. There was a brief bio listed. Everything she’d told me added up. Her dad had been part of SEAL Team 3 and had been killed in a helicopter crash.
There was no mention in the obituary of a daughter. Just like she had said—he hadn’t even known she’d existed.
I missed my father so much it ached, but at least we had a great relationship while he was alive. I couldn’t even imagine growing up without a father.
Guilt rushed through me. I had to be less hard on Aria, give her even more time. My parents had demonstrated for me the best example of a loving relationship. I needed to be patient with Aria.
I worked long hours for the rest of the week and spent my free time with Aria. Every day we worked out together, made dinner, made love, and went to bed. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I still felt like things were different between us than they had been before last week. But we only had this last week together, and I didn’t want to put a damper on it, so I didn’t bring it up.
Friday rolled around. I went to my place after work, took a shower, and dressed in my finest suit. I was used to my uniform, not evening wear. I shined my shoes, hopped in my sports car, and went to Aria’s place.
She greeted me at the door wearing a sexy white dress and heels. I’d never seen her in heels and took a moment to admire her long, sexy legs.
“You look beautiful.”
“Well, you look handsome, too.”
Grabbing her hand, I escorted her to my car, and we hit the road. I drove over the bridge and headed north up the freeway. Once we exited the freeway, we drove through the guard gate of the resort. The Grand Del Mar couldn’t be more different than Coronado’s Del. While the Del was situated on one of the best beaches in the world, the Grand Del Mar was hidden in suburbia. Even so, the Grand Del Mar seemed more intimate, more romantic. It was no wonder that many celebrities and sports stars wed here.
I gave my car to the valet, took Aria’s arm, and led her into Addison. The lobby was dim and rustic. High ceilings and arched windows led into a library and an ornate marble bar.
Aria whispered into my ear. “Wow, this place is so fancy. Reminds me of being in Europe.”
“I’ve been around the world, but never to Europe.” I flashed a grin her way. “I’d love to take you there someday, sweetheart.”
“I’d . . . like that.”
The hostess took my name and led us to the dining room. Mr. Johnson, a distinguished looking man with gray hair, a white beard, and sea blue eyes stood up to greet us. He introduced us to his wife, his business partner, Mr. Bradshaw, and his partner’s wife. Then his eyes fell on Aria.
“Mr. Johnson, I’d like you to meet Aria Clements.”
His kind eyes brightened when he saw her. “The Aria Clements? The Olympic Gold Medalist? What an honor to meet you.”
He kissed her hand. “Thank you, sir. Thank you for inviting me. What a beautiful restaurant.”
Mr. Johnson winked at me, and I smiled back. He was definitely impressed with my date.
We sat in a massive booth, and the waiter explained the menu.
The sommelier came by to go over the wine list, but we all decided to order the tasting menu with wine pairings.
I had prepared a long business spiel, but Mr. Johnson focused his attention on Aria.
“So, Aria. Do you live in San Diego?”
She took a sip of her champagne. “No, I still live up in Marin. I’m the celebrity Mermaid fitness instructor at the Del. This is, unfortunately, my last weekend here.”
Mr. Johnson shot a glance at me. “Now Erik, you aren’t going to let the mermaid swim away, are you?”
I placed my arm around her. “No, sir. I’m doing everything I can to make her stay.”
Aria gave a forced smile, and I could feel her shift in her seat.
Mr. Johnson continued his line of questioning, clearly enamored with Aria. “Do you plan to compete in the next Olympics?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. So many wonderful opportunities have been presented to me. The only thing I’m sure of is that I’m up for a new challenge.”
I eyed her hard. What did she mean by that?
Our first course arrived—four Kumamoto oysters with uni, caviar, a champagne foam with a hint of lemon. They tasted like pure ocean bliss.
Over the next six courses, we only briefly discussed business. But once the wine started flowing, the topics of conversation mostly fell to my thoughts on ISIS, North Korea, and the boastful SEAL who bragged about killing Bin Laden.
One whiskey cocktail, one glass of champagne, and six glasses of wine later, and I was definitely buzzed.
Mr. Bradshaw swirled his wine glass. “So Erik, what do you think of the rumors that the Navy SEALs are going to allow the first woman to try BUD/S?”
I almost choked on the glass of water I was sipping. Great. This was the last conversation I wanted to have in front of Aria. “Well, we haven’t heard of anything in the pipeline yet.” I looked over at Aria, her face turning red. “But, I’ll be honest with you. No woman will make it through. And even if one could pass, she would ruin the cohesiveness of the Teams.”
Aria stood up. “Pardon me; I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She hurried toward the back of the restaurant, and my stomach dropped. I had pissed her off again. I just hoped she would forgive me and come back. But this was a business dinner. They were interested in hiring me because I was decisive and had convictions. I always said what I thought, even if it wasn’t politically correct.
Mr. Johnson leaned over to me. “Son, you really impressed me tonight. For such a young man, you are very well spoken and intelligent. Mr. Bradshaw and I are also, wise but we find that our younger employees need someone that is more relatable. We would love to hire you to conduct a week-long training program for our employees.”
Yes! I wanted to scream with elation as the warmth and pride radiated through my body. “Thank you, sir. I have some leave coming up next month. I’d be honored. This means a lot to me. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t. One more thing,” he leaned in close, “don’t let a woman like that get away. If you are as smart as I think you are, you’ll marry her.”
24
Aria
Today was my final mermaid fitness class. Erik had insisted we stay at the hotel
last night because we both had too much to drink. He drove me back over the bridge early for my class.
As I walked into the Del pool for the final time, Isa greeted me with a present.
I hugged her. “You shouldn’t have.”
“It’s just something small. I’m so sad to see you go. Are you sure you can’t do another month? All of our classes have been sold out because of you.”
“I’m sure. I have another adventure lined up.” I paused. “Hey, I noticed you guys don’t have a dog. Is there any reason?”
She gave me a quizzical expression. “Actually, we were just talking about getting one the other day. Grady wants an English Bulldog, so we’ve been looking at rescues. Why?”
I bit my lip. “I’m in a bind. I have to go away to train for a bit, but I’ll be coming back here in around six months. I have nowhere for Flounder to go. He’s a great dog. My mom won’t take him. Is there any way you would consider watching him?”
“Of course I would. Let me text Grady.”
She typed on her phone as I opened the present. It was a picture of Erik and me staring at each other in the pool the day he took my class. My breathing slowed as the memory took over and my body felt heavy. I was so conflicted. Hard as I tried to fight it, I still cared about him very much. And he’d been extra sweet to me lately, so it was impossible to stay mad. All through dinner last night, I had warmed up to the thought of being brutally honest with him about my insecurities about his intentions toward me and about my future plans. I had considered that maybe I had been wrong about him using me to snag a client. The conversation had focused mostly on Erik’s impressive career, and I hadn’t felt at all like he had been using me.
In fact, I believed now with a hundred percent certainty that he just wanted me by his side and I obviously had blown the whole thing out of proportion. Yes, he had mentioned that maybe I would be good at working at TritonFix, but his reasoning was correct. Many Olympians were motivational speakers.
And as angry as I had been with him that night he asked me, I had no intention of using him. Even so, I wanted to try Dirty Name again.
Unfortunately, my feelings toward Erik didn’t matter. He had again reiterated his opinion that women shouldn’t be SEALs. And that was a deal breaker for us.
We couldn’t be together…no matter how much I wanted it to work out.
Isa looked back up at me. “Grady said no problem. But wait, why didn’t you ask Erik?”
Think fast. “Oh, I would’ve. But he deploys so much.”
“That’s right. Well, don’t worry about Flounder. We will take great care of him.”
“Thanks. You don’t know how much this means to me. And thank you again for this picture. I love it.”
“You’re welcome.”
The guests began to arrive. As I taught my final class, my thoughts returned to Erik. I had just over twenty-four hours left with him, and then I would have to say goodbye. How could I now live without him? I craved him. Who would I turn to when I needed support? Who would write him letters and tell him how much he was loved when he was deployed? The thought of disappearing from his life was ripping my heart out. Within the next two weeks, I’d be reporting for Officer Candidate School.
But in six months I would return to this island.
I would become the first female Navy SEAL. And maybe, just maybe, Erik would amend his views on women in combat. If he did, perhaps we would have a chance of then starting a real relationship. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. As Erik had reminded me about his buddies’ who had drowned, sometimes holding your breath was the end of your world.
25
Erik
I woke with Aria cuddled on my chest, her long hair splayed across the pillow. A surge of lust flowed through me. It was Sunday morning, and I wanted to spend all day with her in bed. I slipped out of the covers careful not to wake her and let Flounder outside. Her dog ran around the tiny yard his ears flapping in the ocean breeze. A great dog, a gorgeous woman in bed, my idea of the perfect Sunday.
A few minutes later, Aria emerged from the bedroom rubbing her eyes.
I greeted her with a kiss. “Morning, babe.”
“Morning. You hungry? I could make us some breakfast.”
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we hop in my car and get brunch in Cardiff-by-the-Sea? It’s a great little beach town.”
She didn’t reply, just stared at me with a furrowed brow.
“Do you have any other suggestions?”
“No.” She paused. “Okay, actually I do. You’re going to think I’m crazy, but ever since I ran the “O” course, I’m obsessed with Dirty Name. Is there any way you will take me back to base so I can try it? Once I master it, we can head up the coast.”
“Babe, it’s our last day together before you leave.”
“I know. And we can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want. Can’t we go for just an hour?”
What the fuck? “No. It’s my day off. The last thing I want to do is go to work. I know men about to go through BUD/S who don’t even practice on the weekend. Just forget about it.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. You don’t understand . . . I just have to complete it to move on. It’s this thing I have. It’s going to drive me insane.”
I studied her face. She made strong eye contact with me, and her posture was erect with her chest jutting out. Determined, resolute.
Part of the reason I had pursued her was for this very reason—that she was a champion. It would be ridiculous for me to begrudge that quality now.
“It isn’t built for women because the second log hits right at your breast bone. You have to catapult yourself up and land on your waist.”
She nodded. “Yes, I know. I’ve studied videos since I failed.”
Studied videos? What? Why? Was she watching Youtube clips? “It’s just an obstacle course. You’ve won a gold medal. Who gives a fuck if you don’t complete it? It’s not like you’re training to be the first female SEAL.”
Her mouth flew open, but she quickly shut it.
And for a second a wild crazy thought crossed through my head.
Maybe she was.
Holy shit.
That could’ve explained why she had been so mad when I’d said that I didn’t think women should be SEALs. Why she was being evasive about her training. Why she was so damn determined to finish Dirty Name.
I rubbed the back of my neck and stared at her. Not as a woman, not as a girlfriend, but as a warrior.
I objectively assessed her. She wasn’t anything like the type of women who I thought would want to become SEALs. Why would she give up her career, her sport, and her endorsements to join the military?
Then again, Kyle had.
My officer Kyle had traded in his baller lifestyle for a life in the Teams. Kyle had done it because he believed in our mission. But he had also once confided in me, that he had also done it because he wanted a challenge.
I bet Aria felt the same way.
And her father had been a SEAL. Maybe she was doing this as a way to create some type of connection with the father she had never met?
Heat rose in my chest. Was she playing me? Using me to get an edge?
I forced my mind to calm and pushed those crazy thoughts out of my head.
No. I had it wrong. That wasn’t it at all. She was just a driven champion. An Olympian. A feminist. A woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She probably saw Dirty Name as some sort of American gladiator like challenge. Hell, maybe we could team up together and win one of those couples’ fitness events. And no doubt, we would win.
I exhaled and relaxed my shoulders. “Fine, champ. I’ll take you to the course for one hour and work with you. But that’s it. If you don’t complete it, you need to just move on. And for the rest of the day, we’re going to relax. No training, no workouts, no ocean swims. I want pizza and beer. Deal?”
“Deal.” She hugged me. “Thank you so much, babe. This means a lot to m
e. I feel like you’re the only person I’ve ever met who understands my drive.”
“I do, but here’s the thing. Everyone fails. When a member of my Team tells me he has failed, I say good. Not because I’m an asshole, not because I don’t care, but because every time you fail you have the opportunity to improve.”
Her mouth contorted. “But that’s the thing, Erik. Of course, I’ve failed. I never told you this, but a few years before the Olympics, I fumbled a body jump at the Collegiate national championships. I cost my team the gold. I was humiliated, filled with shame. My mom never lets me hear the end of it and my coach couldn’t even look me in the eye. But I regrouped and improved. I’ve never quit, and I’m not going to start now.”
I embraced the woman in front of me as my heartbeat quickened. I wasn’t just attracted to her; I respected her. She was the type of woman who wouldn’t give up on anything that was important to her. The type of woman who had her own interests and goals and could be faithful to me when I was fighting a war on the other side of the globe. I’d only known her for a month, but my feelings toward her were not casual.
I was falling in love with her.
Mr. Johnson was right. I should marry her.
26
Aria
We cruised down to the base on our bikes. I loved the feeling of the ocean breeze blowing through my hair and the scent of the salt water tickling my nostrils. This life was the life I wanted to live. Eric supported me, unlike any person I have ever met. If he could only accept my career path, I knew we could make it work. Maybe if I mastered Dirty Name today, it would give me the strength to tell him. And he would see that I could pass BUD/S.
My mom had always pushed me, but it was for her benefit not for mine. She used my success to validate herself. As if raising an Olympian somehow proved that she was a good mother.
News flash it didn’t.
My mom had sacrificed for me, no doubt, but she was cruel and emotionally abusive. I frequently felt that my only worth to her was what I could accomplish and that she didn’t love me for me.
TRITON: A Navy SEAL Romance (Heroes Ever After Book 2) Page 11