TWO
Denver
I smileas I watch Emerson drop her penny into the water. She screws her eyes shut, making her wish and I smile wider.God, my girl is cute.I wonder what she wished for.
I had come to the mall to pick up a gift for my mother’s birthday next week and when I turned around my eyes had been drawn to my curvy black-haired girl. She’s wearing a short pale pink dress with spaghetti straps and a pair of white Keds with little roses all over them.Adorable. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail with a few strands escaping to frame her face and I want to go over to her and push them back behind her ear.
I can still remember the first day that I saw Emerson. She was digging around in her purse, wearing this bright pink dress with big white polka dots all over it. Her black hair was floating around her round face and, without thinking, I had moved to be closer to her. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip and her eyebrows drew together as she continued to dig in her bag.
I had walked even closer, about to ask her if she needed any help when she had smiled and pulled her car keys out. She had looked up right as she collided with my hard chest and her gray eyes had stunned me. I managed to steady her, but she dropped her purse between us. She was quick, bending down and picking everything up before I had a chance to recover. She had the prettiest pink blush staining her cheeks and I had stared at her like an idiot. She had apologized but before I could tell her it was my fault and ask her what her name was or if she would like to marry me and never ever leave my side, she had darted off.
I had kicked myself for being too slow for the rest of the day until I walked into the commander’s office and saw her sitting there. She hadn’t been able to get away from me then and I had struck up a conversation, trying to learn everything that I could about her. We had become good friends since then, much to my frustration. Don’t get me wrong. I love being close with Emerson but I wanted to be way more than friends with her.
I’ve been in the Air Force for seven years now. I joined after I graduated from college with a degree in cybersecurity. I had always wanted to join the military and serve my country. I thought that seeing the world and moving around sounded like fun, so it was a perfect fit. I applied and was accepted right away. I started Officer Training School a month later.
I was originally from Portland, Oregon but since then I’ve lived in Italy, Washington, Virginia, and now, Mississippi. I hadn’t been that excited about my move to Keesler but then I met Emerson and I’ve been thanking the moving gods every day since. Since I’m an officer, I move bases every two years and lately, that’s been all that I can think about. It’s already been one year so that means I only have one more year before I’ll have to move and leave Emerson behind. My chest aches just thinking about not seeing Emerson again.
That leaves only one solution. I have to convince her to marry me and then I can take her with me. I know that she wants to see the world and I want to be the one to show it to her. I just need to grow a pair and make a move already. Otherwise, I’m going to lose her.
There are days when I think that she must feel the same way about me as I do about her. I’ve noticed her watching me and sometimes when I’m talking, I see her just staring at me with this strange look on her face. Her eyes regularly check me out so I know that she’s at least attracted to me and the fact that we’re such good friends means that she must like me as a person too. I just need to figure out a way for her to admit to her feelings for me. To move us out of this friend zone and into the sex and soulmate zone. Is that a real zone? It should be.
I’ve been trying to take things slow with my girl, to show her that I’m serious about her and that this isn’t just some fling like a lot of single airmen have. I know that she’s around those guys everyday and she must know how a lot of them act. I wanted her to see that I wasn’t like that and that she meant so much more to me than just a quick fuck. A year has to be enough time for her to realize that though, right?
I watch my girl, thinking over my next move when suddenly, I see some young guys walk by, making eyes at my girl’s ass and that only strengthens my resolve. There’s no way that I’m going to let some other guy swoop in and get my girl. Emerson belongs with me and no one else and it’s time that she realized that. It’s time for me to make my move and show her just how right we are for each other.
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I make my way across the busy mall and over to claim my girl.