"Welcome to Kadena Air Base, Sergeant Bennett," Bragnae's new commanding officer said to her. "You're going to enjoy the mission here."

The short man that presided over her new unit turned his heel abruptly, and marched back into his office. That was a quick introduction. She walked back toward the dimly lit office she shared with ten other people, and sat down at her new desk. Bragnae arrived in Okinawa, Japan just two days prior, and it was her first assignment outside of the United States. She was slightly nervous about receiving orders to live in Japan for two years, but it was also welcoming, as Bragnae loved the Japanese culture. Ever since she saw Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005, Bragnae was hooked on all things Japan. She even took two classes of the Japanese language in college before she left for the military. She had no idea that she'd be granted the opportunity to one day visit Japan, let alone live there.

Bragnae served the United States Air Force as an Imagery Analyst working in the Intelligence career field. It was interesting to her, and provided a lot of job satisfaction as the work she did helped all branches of the military. As an Imagery Analyst, she looked at pictures from satellites, and searched them for significant activity. If she found any, she would mark up the digital image, and send it off to whoever was requesting it. Her finished product was most helpful to the allies of the United States, as well as any troops on the ground abroad. This was what she did while she was still stationed in South Carolina – the base and unit she just left. Bragnae was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant just before her departure from her last base prompting the Air Force to give her a somewhat new role in Okinawa. As a new non-commissioned officer, or NCO, she would now be in charge of other airmen beneath her, in addition to doing less imagery work.

An eerie chill ran through Bragnae's spine at the thought of her last base. It wasn't about the job, but the people she worked with. One in particular. Before her thoughts could turn against her, Bragnae quickly dismissed it, and logged off her computer for the day. She had a wall of four computer screens that sat on her desk. The office itself was somewhat quiet with the lights turned off. The constant humming of computers and the fluorescent glow of the screens filled the room. For imagery analysts, it was best to work in the dark in order to see the screens without a glare. Despite some people's strong opinions against it, Bragnae enjoyed having the lights off. It kept things calm, and she preferred it that way. Calm was foreign to her. Compared to her last base, anything was better, and being on the other side of the world – away from him was exactly what she needed.

"So, Sergeant Bennett, you coming out with us tonight?" Kiara asked her. "We're headed to the Pink Elephant in the American Village."

Technical Sergeant Kiara Castel was one rank above Bragnae. She had long black hair, similar to Bragnae's, wrapped up neatly in a low bun, and wore just enough make up to enhance her delicate features. Kiara had been stationed with Bragnae in South Carolina, but worked in a different shop. She was a Linguist who also worked in the Intelligence career field. She could speak ten languages fluently. The Air Force held her impeccable Arabic in high regard, although she preferred French above the others. Kiara worked in Bragnae's office occasionally, but her job often gave her temporary duty assignments off base, and sometimes out of the country.

"Uh... yeah. That sounds nice. I think I'm finally getting over the jet lag, and it will be nice to let loose after all of the in-processing I've had to do so far on base," Bragnae replied.

"Good," Bragnae heard a female say from the back of the room. "Because there will be lots of men at this bar – mostly Marines, since its right by Camp Foster. And I need a wingman tonight." A skinny blonde stepped forward wearing the same rank insignia as Bragnae with the last name of Fydel on the right side of her chest. "I'm Staff Sergeant Madeleine Fydel," she said with unwarranted arrogance.

She's full of herself. No one in the Air Force walks around introducing themselves by their full rank and name. I can see that you're a Staff Sergeant by the strips on your sleeve. Bragnae stood up and offered her hand in greeting to Madeleine. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all yours," Madeleine said with a smirk.

Pompous bitch.

"Don't mind Madeleine. She's always like that," Kiara pointed out. "But seriously, come out with us tonight. I think you'll enjoy it. I've got a car on base, so I'll swing by your place to pick you up. You are living on base, right?"

"Yes. The commander insisted I live on base for three months while I get to know Okinawa better, but at least I have a room all to myself," Bragnae answered with a degree of frustration behind her words. "I thought being a Staff Sergeant would have more perks than being an Airman."

"Well, things are always different overseas," Kiara began. "But those three months will go fast."

We'll see.

A few hours later, Bragnae was ready for her evening out with her new comrades. She found a forest green dress that hung off her shoulders in her closet, and a pair of black high heels. She was grateful she remembered to pack some cute outfits before the rest of her belongings would arrive in a few weeks. After having her long dark hair in a tight bun all day, Bragnae was anxious to let it down. She straightened the ends, and spritzed her hair with hair spray before applying a bit of her signature Givenchy perfume to her wrists and neck. Feeling satisfied with her make-up, Bragnae grabbed her handbag and headed down the three flights of stairs of the barracks to meet Kiara outside. She hopped in the back seat after noticing Madeleine had claimed the front.

"So, Bragnae, I assume you're single?" Madeleine asked as she pulled down the visor above her seat to apply her lipstick.

"Yes, I am." Thank God for that.

"Excellent. You're going to be ripe for the picking tonight," Madeleine said, snapping the lid on her lipstick shut. "It's better for the wingman to also be single. That way, we can snag them both! I'm hoping some hot Marines are there tonight. Last time, it was only Air Force guys. They were lame, and the guy I went home with was not even good in the sack."

Bragnae furrowed her brow. "What exactly is your plan tonight, Madeleine?"

"For us to get laid. Duh." Madeleine continued to primp her face in the mirror. "So, don't screw it up for me. I need you both to handle the friends of whatever Devil Dog I happen to pick out."

God, she's demanding. Where does she get the nerve? "I am not agreeing to all of that, Madeleine," Bragnae retorted.

"Yeah, I'm with Bragnae. I want to keep my options open. Maybe Hana or Penelope will help you out tonight. They're meeting us there," Kiara said.

Madeleine scoffed. "But they're married! Well... maybe they're bored, and want a good fuck from someone other than their mind-numbing husbands. You're right. I'll tell them that's the plan." She said, speaking more to herself than the others.

"Why are you so obsessed with the Marines, Madeleine?" Bragnae asked.

Madeleine turned in her seat to face Bragnae. "Are you fucking kidding me? Have you never been stationed with Marines or met one for that matter?"

Bragnae thought a moment. "Well, they were at the training base in Texas, but I didn't really interact with them too much."

Madeleine rolled her eyes. "Girl, you have no idea how hot these guys are. They are the crème de la crème," Madeleine sunk back in her seat dreamily staring up at the car's roof. "Marines are the best. They're tough, they're strong, and they know how to fuck. Plain and simple. Never met one that didn't know their way around a bedroom... or a car... or an airport bathroom. They always want to fuck. Oh! Don't forget about their high and tight haircuts!" Madeleine moaned and giggled lightly in her seat.

"Easy, girl. Save it for the guys, why don'tcha?" Kiara remarked as she continued to drive.

Madeleine whipped her head towards Kiara. "Have you ever been with a Marine, Kiara?"

"... No," she replied.

"Then you have no fucking idea how amazing they are. Just go home with one tonight, and you'll see what I'm talking about." Madeleine started to adjust her skin tight dress within her seat. She reached a hand into the front of her dress to lift each breast up to reveal more of her cleavage.

Bragnae sighed quietly. She was ready for a night out, but wasn't mentally prepared to be scoped out by a bunch of horny Marines. She just wanted to relax – have a drink or two, and get to know her co-workers a little more. Before she could talk herself out of the night ahead, Bragnae gave herself a little pep talk. It will be fine. I can just say I'm not interested, and stick with the girls. You'll be fine.

Soon, they arrived and walked inside the Pink Elephant. The bar was loud with American music blaring in the background, and a rowdy game of Darts being played in the corner.

Kiara and Madeleine led them over to a high top standing table where two other women stood. One of them had short black hair and vibrant blue eyes. Her face was average apart from her beautiful eyes, which softened her look. Bragnae's body language class in college suggested that this woman was shy and nervous by the looks of her. The woman standing next to her was poised and looked confident, yet she too looked a bit uncomfortable. She had hazelnut colored hair that fell well below her shoulders. She appeared to be of Asian descent, and was incredibly striking. Bragnae was surprised they weren't already swarmed by guys by the way Madeleine made the place sound.

"Hey guys! I want to introduce you to the newest member of our unit, Bragnae Bennett. Bragnae, this is Hana and Penelope. They are the wives of two guys in our shop."

Bragnae shook their hands respectively. "It's so nice to meet you. Who are your husbands? Have I met them yet?"

Hana smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well," she began, speaking above the music. "If you just arrived, you most likely haven't met our husbands. They're deployed right now. Neville Vancoeur is my husband, and Penelope is married to Rashad Abboud."

Bragnae nodded. "Oh, I saw their names on a board in the office. I'm looking forward to meeting them."

Madeleine scoffed loudly and made a show of rolling her eyes.

"Do you have something to say Madeleine?" Hana asked.

"Yeah, it's just that your husbands SUCK!" Madeleine yelled as she began to tick off reasons on her fingers. "They're boring. They're arrogant. They're idiots. And... they're UGLY. And let's not forget that they treat you both like shit."

Bragnae stared at Madeleine in shock of her bluntness. Why am I shocked? She's been a raging bitch since I met her. "Okay, Madeleine, maybe you should back off a bit."

Penelope looked even more uneasy than she did before, while Hana remained composed as she looked at Madeleine from across the table.

"Madeleine, maybe you shouldn't harp on other people's husbands judging by the trash you collect at the end of the night to go home with. We've seen your selections, and they're no Brad Pitt."

Madeleine jeered. "Well, at least I didn't sign up for a lifetime of boring like you did. I get fresh meat any time I want. Just look at me," she said, throwing her arms out in display. "No man can resist me. Can you say the same?"

"Already ladies, that's enough," Kiara reprimanded. "Quit measuring your bra sizes. You're as bad as the guys. Let's get some drinks, huh? I think it's time to loosen up."

Kiara flagged down a waitress to take their drink orders. As the tension grew between Madeleine and Hana, Bragnae was relieved when the waitress finally came back to drop off their drinks.

Kiara immediately raised her glass in a toast. "Welcome to the island, Bragnae! And to a fun, ladies night out!" The women clinked their glasses and took a sip. Bragnae's mouth watered as the tart cranberry juice in her Cosmopolitan hit her tongue. Still, it was refreshing. As everyone polished off their first drinks, Madeleine called to the waitress for a second round.

"Okay!" Madeleine exclaimed hitting her hand on the table. "It's time to find me some hot guys. Preferably one with a big dick."

Penelope giggled while she covered her mouth. It seemed she didn't speak much, but maybe the alcohol would get her to open up more. Bragnae hoped at least.

"And just how do you go about discovering that... you know, before you go home with him?" Hana asked, looking at Madeleine expectantly.

"By asking him to whip it out. Duh. They're just waiting for a girl to ask them that," Madeleine replied as she looked around the room. When she didn't hear a response from her latest atrocious comment, she turned to look at the group again. "Or... we can ask them to dance, and then grind against them. If that suits you..." she said, offering them a sarcastic flourish and eye roll.

Once again feeling the pressure to find a mate for the night, Bragnae excused herself from the table, and headed to the restroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drake sat at the bar of the Pink Elephant sipping on a glass of whiskey as he listened to his best friend, Liam, tell the bartender about a heroic defeat he had on their last deployment. Liam was good looking with his buzzed, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes; he could capture the attention of those around him, and to top it off, he was extraordinarily cocky. He wasn't always like that, as Drake recalled, but the Marine Corps brought it out in him. Despite their close friendship since childhood, Drake found it hard to be around Liam sometimes. Every woman seemed to swoon when he was near, and go home with him for that matter. Liam could tell a girl that he liked women with short hair, and they'd run right out and cut it just to please him. It was annoying to say the least. But it was more than just getting women all the time. Liam had charisma. His presence alone was commanding, and that was not something Drake felt that he had.

Drake and Liam graduated from high school at the same time, and decided to enlist in the Marine Corps together. They even went through boot camp together, both graduating with honors. Liam worked his way quickly through a Bachelor Degree, and was selected for Officer Training School – it helped that his father was a Major General in the Marine Corps and could pull some very heavy strings to get him accepted so quickly. It was Liam's desire to lead others and stand out among the rest. He wanted to become a General someday and rule over the entire Marine Corps, Drake remembered him saying. By becoming an officer, Liam also left Drake behind on the enlisted side. Drake had no desire to become an officer though. He liked his rank, and felt like he earned it over the years. He was a Sergeant, which meant he could lead others, and still do his job.

Drake proudly served the Marines as an expert sniper. He enlisted as a part of the Infantry, but after acing the qualification test on the shooting range in boot camp, Drake was given orders to attend Scout Sniper School. The training was a grueling nine weeks long that intensely covered shooting qualifications and field training. At the end of that advanced course, earning honors at graduation again, Drake knew every inch of every weapon he ever touched. He knew how to survive on a deployment if he was ever lost or had to fend for himself. His attention to detail was spot on. Drake could read people like a book. He knew their next move before they did. He knew he was one of the best snipers in the Corps. This was the only thing Drake bragged about. After all, he earned it with his dedication, sweat and strength through all of the tedious training over the years – not to mention two deployments to Afghanistan in the past two years. His impeccable shooting helped elevate him through the ranks quicker, which he took in stride.

After Liam's father arranged for him to have orders to Okinawa, Liam also put in a request to move Drake to the island to accompany him. As a Captain, Liam oversaw Drake's unit. It was considered fraternization for an officer and an enlisted Marine to hang out in social settings or even date. While there was no possibility of the latter, Drake and Liam still found time to hang out, while also maintaining professionalism despite the rule. Having Liam's father as the Commanding General of Camp Foster seemed to provide some leeway as well.

Liam's story was coming to a close as he looked to Drake for validation. "Wasn't that the most impressive thing you've ever seen, Drake?" Liam asked placing a hand on Drake's shoulder.

Drake rolled his eyes. "Yeah, buddy. You're a modern marvel."

Another Marine walked up and wedged himself in between Drake and Liam. "Captain Reese, sir. There's a fight brewing back by the pool tables that I think you may need to break up."

Liam sighed. "Jesus Christ, Marines! Can I not have one night out without everything turning to shit?" Liam turned to wink at the female bartender before marching to the back of the bar to handle the situation.

Drake threw back the last of his whiskey, and made his way to the bathroom. No one was in line for the men's room, but the line for the women's was five deep. He tried the handle of the men's room to find it locked. Ugh. Why do they only have space for one person in each of these bathrooms? It's bullshit. Drake stepped back from the door, and leaned against a wall nearby as he waited. Soon, another man stood behind him in line. To fill his time, Drake glanced on the wall at the various ads and fliers hung up. Just as he was starting to get lost in the wall of leaflets, he heard the handle to the men's room unlock. His attention flew to the door as a woman yanked it open, and all but tripped on her way out.

Drake's eyes widened as he looked at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. Holy fuck. She's gorgeous. Her green dress hung halfway down her smooth, olive skinned thigh. Drake's breath hitched as his eyes made their way back up her body – quickly, not trying to stare for too long. Drake admired her curves and found himself wanting to touch her exposed neck and shoulders. Maybe even kiss it... or bite it. Dude! What the fuck? Get a grip. Don't be a creeper. Alas, the goddess before him spoke.

"The door was stuck," she giggled nervously. "I'm sorry, but the ladies room was full, and no one was in this one." The woman smiled at him.

Drake was mesmerized by her sweet, soft voice that flowed like a river. As he took it in, a harsh and impatient voice from behind him interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, man. Are you gonna go, or what?"

Drake put up a casual hand to wave the guy through. "No, you can go." Drake never took his eyes off of the enchantress that stood before him. He was utterly captivated. Hey, asshole. Wake up. If you don't say something soon, she's going to walk away.

"That's okay. I'm Drake Walker," he said finally as he extended his hand to her.

"Bragnae Bennett. Nice to meet you," she replied.

As their hands joined, Drake felt a bolt of electricity shoot down his spine. A soft smirk spread across his face. She's amazing. "Likewise. You have a beautiful name." And beautiful everything else. Drake continued to slowly pump his hand with hers.

"Thank you," she replied offering him a vibrant smile.

Drake gazed into her soulful brown eyes, slowly becoming lost in them. Weirdo. Wake up. Drake cleared his throat and let go of Bragnae's hand. "So, Bragnae... can I buy you a drink?" Please say yes. Don't be taken. Say yes. Please. Drake held his breath in anticipation.

Bragnae visibly swallowed, and hesitated before answering. "... Sure. But don't you have to use the bathroom?"

Oh thank God. Drake let out the breath he was holding, and offered her a smile. "Nah, I can wait. To the bar, then?"

Bragnae smiled at him before walking out of the hallway. As she passed him, Drake caught a whiff of her delicious perfume that temporarily paralyzed him. Watching her walk was even more damaging to his composure. Goddamn. Every part of her is incredible. Drake continued to admire everything about her backside until they reached the bar.

"What's your poison?" He asked her.

Bragnae thought for a moment. "Dirty vodka martini, please."

Damn. That sounds delicious. "Good choice," he told her. Drake caught the bartender's attention and gave her Bragnae's order.

"And what will you be having?" Bragnae asked with the bartender looking at him expectantly.

Drake looked at the bartender. "Jameson, neat."

"Oh, you're a whiskey man, huh?" Bragnae stated playfully.

"Yep. Always have been. Do you drink it?" Drake wanted to say anything to get her to speak. He loved the sound of her voice.

"Occasionally, but I usually stick to something that comes in a martini glass," Bragnae said with a smile.

The bartender offered up both of their drinks as Drake laid money on the bar. "Let's move over there to a table," he suggested.

The two sat down at the table facing each other with their drinks in hand. "So, Bragnae, are you stationed here or are you just visiting the island?" Please be stationed here.

"I'm stationed over at Kadena. I'm a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force," she told him. "And judging based on your haircut, I'm guessing you're a Marine?"

Drake chuckled as he ran his hand through the thick patch of brown hair on top of his head and slid it down against the short stubble that covered the rest. "Yeah, the high and tight kind of gives us away, doesn't it?"

"So I'm told," Bragnae began. "But I think it looks good on you. You pull it off really well."

She likes my hair. Awesome. "Thanks. That's good because I've had this cut for several years now, and I don't plan to change it up any time soon."

"So, what do you do for a living?" She asked taking a sip of her martini.

Drake watched as she brought the glass to her full lips, and suddenly he wanted to be that glass. "I'm also a Sergeant, just like you, and I'm a sniper."

Bragnae's eyebrows raised. "Oh, a sniper... are you any good?"

Should I be humble about this? Fuck it. "I'm the best there is." Drake flashed her a big grin.

Bragnae let out a playful giggle. "Is that right?" She smiled. "Well, maybe you could give me some pointers sometime."

Hell yes. "Do you shoot?"

"Not as much as I'd like to since it's not in my job description, but I did earn my Marksmen ribbon in basic training," she said proudly.

That's hot. A woman who can shoot. "Marksmen... that's pretty cool. I'd love to go shooting with you sometime." Already setting up for another time to hang out. This is going well. "So what do you do in the Air Force?"

"I work in Intelligence as an Imagery Analyst," Bragnae replied taking another sip. "I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you." A playful smile crossed over her lips.

Drake laughed. "So you're smart and funny.

Bragnae laughed in return. "You're damn right."

For a moment, Drake let his gaze linger on her face, and she did the same. Slowly their smiles faded, but not their connection.

Damn. I want to keep staring at that beautiful face, but I really have to pee. "Will you excuse me? I'll be right back."

"Of course. I was wondering how long you were going to hold it," she said with a smile.

Drake winked at Bragnae returning her smile, and left the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bragnae looked down at the table with a smile on her face, while she mindlessly ran her fingers around the stem of her martini glass. She was actually giddy. Drake was impossibly attractive, and he seemed fun. And he's a sniper? A man who knows his way around a rifle... God, that's hot. Bragnae grew up shooting guns with her father, and always found it impressive when someone, especially a man, could handle a weapon properly and effectively.

Drake took her by surprise when she first saw him. Bragnae blushed at the embarrassing memory of almost falling flat on her face in front of him. He's really cute, but do I really want to get involved with someone right now? Maybe it's not a good time. Bragnae rested a hand on her forehead and leaned on the table. With memories of her past flooding her brain, she started to become stressed.

Suddenly, Bragnae felt the table move slightly and saw a pair of hands leaning against it. She looked up to see an attractive blonde haired, blue-eyed man staring down at her. She sat back in her chair surprised to see him.

"Hi there. I'm Liam. What's your name?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Bragnae swallowed. She was hesitant to speak due to his intimidating stance. "Uh... Bragnae." She shook his hand reluctantly.

"A name as beautiful as you are. Tell me, sweetheart, are you in the military, or are you some lucky guy's dependent?"

Before she could answer, Drake returned to the table narrowing his eyes a bit at Liam.

"Oh! My best friend is the lucky bastard who's been talking with you, eh?" Liam discovered as he patted Drake on the back, a little harder than necessary. "So, Bragnae, I hope he's being an upstanding Marine. I could give him paperwork for being anything less than a gentleman. Right, Drake?"

Yeah, like you were being such a gentlemen just now? "Do you two work together?" She asked them.

Liam roughly gripped Drake by the shoulder, and pulled him towards himself. "Yep. I'm one of the officers in charge of his unit."

Drake released Liam's hand and sat back down at the table, but not before glaring at Liam. Drake cleared his throat before speaking. "Liam and I grew up together, actually. We're best friends, but sometimes I don't know why." Drake looked up at Liam who was smiling down at him.

"Drake's just being an asshole. He's probably just jealous of me. That's all," Liam said with a smile plastered on his face.

Bragnae noticed Drake clench his jaw as he threw a forced smirk at his friend.

"Hey guys! I thought I'd find you here," another man said walking up to the table. He wasn't as tall as Liam and Drake, and had short brown hair, although his cut didn't match theirs. "Oh, hi! I'm Maxwell," he said when he noticed Bragnae, offering his hand.

"Bragnae," she replied shaking his hand. "Are you in their unit too?"

Liam laughed loudly. "Maxwell? No, he could never cut it as a Marine. He joined the weakest branch instead. Maxwell chose the Air Force."

Bragnae narrowed her eyes at Liam, but before she could say anything, Drake chimed in. "Uh, Liam. Bragnae, here, is in the Air Force," he said matter-of-factly at him before turning back to Bragnae. "And I bet she's anything but weak."

Aww. That was sweet. He's standing up for me. She smiled at Drake before standing. "That's right. And we may appear weak to you, but it's because of us that you have air and space support on your missions."

Liam stepped closer to Bragnae. "Marines cover air, land and sea. We've got it all, baby. We don't need your help when we lay out our path of destruction."

"Can you even spell destruction?" Bragnae asked as her lips curled up into a smirk.

Liam chuckled. "Cute," he said, letting his eyes roam down Bragnae's body. "You're feisty. I like you."

Ugh. Creep. Just go away now. Let me talk to the nice Marine again.

"Bragnae!" Madeleine shouted as she and Hana joined the table. "Who are your new friends?"

Bragnae watched as Madeleine positioned herself in between her and Liam. "Hi, I'm Madeleine," she said to Liam seductively as she placed a hand on his firm chest.

Liam smiled at her. "Hello, Madeleine. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Liam, and this is Drake and Maxwell." Drake rose from his seat to shake her hand, as Maxwell reached across to do the same.

"And this is Hana," Madeleine said with no enthusiasm as she pointed lazily in Hana's direction.

"I know, Hana!" Maxwell shouted as he made his way around the table to wrap Hana in a hug. "She and I met a long time ago when I first got stationed here. This lady knows how to do everything!"

"I bet she does," Liam said with a wink to Maxwell.

Maxwell grimaced in disgust at Liam. "That's not what I meant, Liam. Have some class."

"I thought you were funny," Madeleine said leaning in closer to Liam. Bragnae noticed Liam curled his arm around the small of Madeleine's back.

A song with a strong beat played from the jukebox in the corner, and Maxwell's expression lit up. "Oh my God! This is a great song! We have to dance! Come on, Hana!" Maxwell took her by the hand, and led her to a makeshift dance floor.

Liam looked down at Madeleine whose face was inches from his. "What do you say? Wanna dance?"

"Lead the way, Marine," she said with a sultry voice.

Bragnae and Drake watched as the intrusive couples left their table. Drake turned back to her with a hesitant look on his face. "Do you... want to dance?"

"I'd rather continue talking with you, if that's alright," she said with a soft smile.

Drake blew out a breath in relief. "Thank God. I didn't really want to dance. I'd rather talk to you instead."

Yes, this is much better. The two sat down again. "So, how do you know Maxwell? Did you all meet here?" She asked.

"No, Liam, Maxwell and I grew up together. We've known each other since we were kids. When it came time to join the military, Liam and I chose the Marines, but Maxwell had a different vision in mind. It was just happenstance that we got stationed on the same island," Drake continued. "He's a pretty cool guy, but he and I are a little different from each other, so we clash sometimes."

"You seem different from Liam, too," Bragnae said. A lot different.

"Yeah, but he wasn't always such a..." Drake paused to summon his thoughts.

"... Conceited dick?" Bragnae said, completing his sentence.

Drake laughed. "Yeah, that's one way of putting it." He ran a hand through his hair before returning his gaze to her. "Hey, I hope he didn't offend you too much. Liam can be intense sometimes."

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle, however, I did appreciate you standing up for me back there," she said looking down briefly. "... It's a nice feeling."

She watched as Drake studied her face for a moment without saying anything. "Why do I get the feeling like someone really let you down in the past?"

Bragnae drew in a sharp breath. She suddenly felt exposed, but not in a bad way. She could feel the sincerity in his voice, and she desperately wanted to cling to that. "Why... would you say that?" Bragnae's voice was shaky.

Drake leaned forward in his chair. "You seem like a really tough girl who knows how to hold her own, but you also put up a wall to protect yourself."

Bragnae's breathing increased at Drake's sudden accuracy. How does he know this after just meeting me? Bragnae felt herself leaning in to be closer to him. His eyes bore into hers as he waited for her response. She didn't expect to meet someone tonight who could see right through her – who could immediately pull out kryptonite to expose her weaknesses. But the weirdest part was that she didn't seem to mind. With Drake, she felt a sense of safety, she felt like she could trust him. Why is that? She wondered.

Bragnae swallowed and took a deep breath. "You hit the nail on the head with that one," she conceded. "But I don't really want to talk about that right now."

"Alright." Drake nodded slowly before he leaned back in his chair. "But any time you need back up, I'm your guy."

Bragnae smiled warmly. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

Just then a waitress came over. "Can I refill your drinks for you?"

Drake looked at his watch before answering. "No, I have to get going soon. Bragnae, do you want anything?"

Oh no, really? "No, thanks."

As the waitress left, Drake offered Bragnae an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry we have to cut this short. The Marines stationed at Camp Foster have a designated curfew of midnight. We have to be back on base, and in our barracks by that time."

Bragnae laughed in shock. "What? You have a curfew? Why is that?"

"A few months ago, some Marines got a little too rowdy off base, and ruined it for us all. The Japanese already don't like the Marines, so the Commanding General, Liam's father actually, set this rule to keep us out of trouble," Drake continued. "It's a shame, really, because there's a lot we're missing out on. But a rule's a rule."

"Well, I don't want to keep you then. Wouldn't want you to get in trouble," she said, half flirting, half disappointed.

Drake stood up and straightened his shirt. "If I wanted to take you shooting sometime, how might I reach you?"

Bragnae bit her lip and smiled. "I guess you'll need my number," Bragnae said as she pulled a pen out of her handbag. She grabbed a cocktail napkin on the table and wrote her name and phone number on it. "Here you go, Cinderella. You better get going before your carriage turns into a pumpkin."

Drake slid his hand in hers as she offered him the folded up napkin. "Thank you, Bragnae. It was really nice to meet you. Tonight was fun.

"Likewise."

After another brief moment of staring into each other's eyes, Drake pocketed the napkin, and turned away from her facing the rest of the bar as he began to shout. "If you're a Marine, it's time to move out! Curfew's approaching in 30 minutes. Let's go!" Drake's commanding voice carried over the entire space.

Bragnae watched as several people in the bar reluctantly made their way to the door. Some threw back a few shots quickly before running out, while others were being pulled away from their partners mid-kiss. She saw Drake stand by the door holding it open as more people piled out of the building. As the last of the stragglers left, Drake turned his attention back to Bragnae and smiled. She waved at him before he walked out. Bragnae marveled at Drake's leadership abilities and how his comrades seem to respect him when he spoke. I hope he calls me soon.

Liam and Madeleine strolled out from the back of the bar towards the front door with their arms linked. He looked over at Bragnae just as he was walking out the door and smiled. Well, I guess Madeleine found her big dick for the night.

Kiara walked over to Bragnae carrying her own handbag. "Hey Bragnae! Did you have a good night?"

"Yes, I did. Thanks. How about you?"

"Oh yeah. Penelope and I got to talking, and before I knew it, it was 11:30 p.m.! Are you ready to go? Where's Madeleine?"

Bragnae stood and gathered her purse. "Yep, I'm ready to go home. And Madeleine left with the Marine of her choice, as promised."

Kiara shook her head. "That girl is either going to wind up pregnant or with an STD if she doesn't already have one. Come on, let's get going."

A quick drive and a trek up three flights of stairs, Bragnae was back in her room on base. She took off her make up, and changed into her pajamas and laid in bed. She flipped on the television, but soon her mind was consumed with thoughts of Drake. Even though she wanted to spend more time with him, she was also grateful that he didn't ask her to go home with him. That was not what she wanted, nor what she needed tonight. Okay... maybe she needed to kiss him and touch him a little, but it worked out just fine. If he called her in the future, maybe things would progress.

Bragnae kept seeing his face in her mind, and allowed herself to dream up possibilities with him. But as quickly as the arousing thoughts came, so did the thoughts of her troubled past. Suddenly, she regretted giving him her number. It wasn't about Drake, though. It was about going down this road again. Is this a mistake? No. Yes. No. I really like him. Ughhhh!

Frustrated, Bragnae switched off the television and rolled over covering her head with a pillow. While she continued to curse herself, she heard her phone ring. Bragnae sat up immediately and turned to face the nightstand where her phone was. It was an unknown number, but one from the United States. Maybe it's Drake. Should I answer it or let it go to voicemail? Bragnae sighed. Just answer it, you wimp!

Bragnae took a deep breath and answered the phone bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bragnae. It's Drake."