A Marine’s Proposal (6 page)

But no, he'd see her right after he stepped out of the shower. Would he be able to look her in the eyes knowing how he'd just fantasized about her?

That was a chance he had to take. He wouldn’t be able to focus on a conversation at dinner if he was fantasizing about her sexually. Besides it wouldn’t be the first time he had to take care of himself thinking about her.

****

Caitlyn wore a yellow sundress to dinner that showed off her tanned shoulders.

As he led her to a low table with a hibachi for them to cook their food on, Slade said, “You look nice.”

“Just nice?” She pouted. “I was hoping for dazzling at least.”

“Dazzling? What guy would call his dinner date dazzling?”

She cocked her head before she sat down on the pillows surrounding the low table. “Wife, remember?”

“Fine. You look dazzling. Happy?”

She beamed. “Absolutely. Especially since I’ve proven you wrong, see? One outfit that’s not blue.”

Throughout dinner, Caitlyn tried to keep a goofy smile off her face. How long had it been since she'd been on an actual date at a restaurant as nice as this? The dark setting with soft, flattering lamps and sconces, and cushions strewn about low tables lent a romantic element to the evening. Sure, it wasn't
supposed
to be romantic, but being here with Slade—being newly married to Slade—in this romantic setting did nothing to quell her delight.

“How are your classes?” she asked.

“Good. Tons of reading, tons of cases, but that’s normal for a law class.”

“Grrr. That’s why I’m not going yet.”

“You should. You could knock off some classes while you’re here. Get you closer to your degree.”

“No, thank you. Right now, I’m doing the Marine thing. After my four years, then I’ll worry about college. I’m in my early twenties, how do I even know I want to stick with law after working in it for four years?”

“And military law is so different from civilian. But you could at least knock off some of the electives they always have you do, no matter what degree you end up going for.”

She nodded as if she’d consider it. “What about you? Are you sure what you want to be when you grow up?”

“We’re not grown up yet?” he teased.

“Well, maybe you are, old man. You’ve got a couple of years on me.”

“You know I’m not going to be a lifer. Maybe I’ll go to law school in your neck of the woods. Boston has some good law schools.”

“Boston has some good schools period. They seem to be on every corner. But I’m from Maine, and Boston is in Massachusetts, my friend.”

“They’re this far apart,” he said as he spread his thumb and forefinger an inch. “Anyway, I’m looking at an environmental law class.”

Caitlyn squirmed in her seat with excitement. “That’s the perfect field for you! With your outdoor adventure streak. How you lecture me whenever I drink from bottled water or use a plastic bag.” She waved an arm as if giving him the go ahead. “By all means, go for it!”

Slade laughed. “I’m glad I have your approval, Mrs. Masters.”

****

Over dinner, they speared a variety of chicken, pork, seafood, and vegetables on skewers and cooked them over the low flame.

“I love Okinawa,” Caitlyn oohed. “This is so much fun.”

“I know. I've never eaten at a place like this in the States.”

“It’s a good thing we’ll be living here for a few more years. So much more to explore.”

“All the more reason to be settled into an apartment, don’t you think?”

If all went as planned, Caitlyn thought darkly.

“What’s wrong? Your face dropped.”

“Nothing.” She brushed her anxious thoughts aside.

“No, tell me.”

She hesitated. “What if one of us is called away? Sent on another deployment? Maybe somewhere dangerous? You’re the closest friend I’ve had since I enlisted. I know Marines come and go and I’ve seen my share of faces in and out my life, but I can’t imagine
you
not being part of it. I’ve seen you every day for months.”

“That’s why this marriage is a good idea, Caitlin,” he said in a soothing tone. “The Marines are much more likely to keep a husband and wife together than two friends, who have no legal binding.”

She sipped her wine while she contemplated whether that was true

He took her hand. “I don’t want to lose you either. You’re my closest friend here as well.” His blue-gray eyes were full of warmth. “Not only here. Anywhere.”

They stayed late in the evening, sampling various wines and teas, turning Caitlyn’s worried mood into a more celebratory one until Slade rose to his feet and said, “I better get you back to the hotel before you start stumbling.”

“I do NOT stumble,” Caitlyn said indignantly. As she rose to her feet, her sandal got caught among the pillows and she fell back on top of them.

Slade chortled heartily before he answered. “Wow, you really nailed your point.” Then he lay back on the pillows next to her and they tried to stifle their laughter so they wouldn’t bother the other diners.

Before a violent fit of laughter welled up again, Slade said, “No, really, I have to get you back. Do you think you can walk or do you want me to call a taxi?”

“Walk,” Caitlyn mumbled. “It may be a challenge, but the fresh air will do me good.”

Slade took her hand before leading them back into the tightly packed streets of Naha. They left the neon lights and vibrant crowd on Kokusai-dori to move onto a relatively quiet walkway where they slowed their pace.

“I'd suggest we go out for drinks, but you seem to have
quite the buzz already
.”

“I'm fine,” Caitlyn protested. “Let's go out and celebrate!”

“Okay,” Slade replied. “How about we see a band or go dancing. No karaoke, please.”

“Dancing. Let's go dancing!” Caitlyn exclaimed. “I know just the place.”

Slade’s eyes narrowed inquisitively. “Back from your clubbing days?”

Caitlyn smiled sweetly to acknowledge his statement. She tried not to cringe remembering her first days in Okinawa, when she partied until the early morning at the clubs. She had been only nineteen, for Pete's sake, and living on the other side of the world. She had to do
something
to get over the shock.

Then Slade had intervened. When he came by one Sunday morning to see if Caitlyn wanted to go hiking, she had declined. She had been too busy nursing herself with cold wet facecloths to ease the headache, a consequence of having a too much fun the night before.

“O'Neill, you're a mess. Don't you want to wake up on a Sunday morning for once without a hangover?”

“Leave me alone,” she had muttered.

Slade had grabbed her by the arms. “I'm serious. Don't you think you're taking a little too far?”

“What else is there to do on this island?” she had replied. “I'm all alone thousands of miles away from my family on a tiny island in the Pacific. I signed up to be stationed over here for
three long years.
It seemed like a better idea before I actually moved away from everyone.” She had put the facecloths back over her eyes and laid down.

“You're not alone. You have me,” Slade declared. “And you're going to throw away one of the best opportunities of your life. How many chances do you think you'll have to live in another culture, a tropical island no less, on the other side of the world?”

Caitlyn pulled the covers over her head. It was too early for a lecture. Slade pulled them off and she winced.

“The light.”

“Listen to me, Cait. Next weekend, forget about hanging out with all these bums. You're spending the whole weekend with me. I'll show you another side of Okinawa. By daylight.”

“Sure, whatever,” she said, and pulled the pillow over her head.

When she had crawled out of bed later that day, Caitlyn thought of what Slade said. He was right. She had been a mess, burying her homesickness in a bottle while she wasted her deployment away.

She had stopped going to the clubs with the other Marines she lived and worked with and started spending time with Slade. That first weekend, they had gone into Naha, explored ancient ruins, hiked near some falls. She had to admit it was a far better way to experience Okinawa than through the way she'd been pursuing.

Since then, they'd spent much of their free time together when Slade wasn't in a class. He introduced her to the wonders of Okinawa, from the ancient ruins and splendid red castles to the modern bustle of Naha and breathtaking beaches. They explored Okinawa on his crazy outdoor adventures unless she could convince him to hang out and watch a movie or go out to eat. They’d developed a die-hard Scrabble competition, trying to show off their vocabularies. She had to admit it; if it wasn't for Slade, her once in a lifetime chance to live and experience Okinawa might have turned into a sequence of mistakes.

Now it was her turn to show Slade Okinawan nightlife. One night out dancing wouldn't ruin him. She led them to a rooftop club that played American and Euro hits, the bass booming from speakers all around them.

“Voila,” she said.

“Is this where you used to party?” He scanned the crowd.

“Sometimes.”

****

Slade noticed how many heads turned when Caitlyn appeared. Scanning the club, he saw a few groups of servicemen, while the rest of the club was filled with locals and tourists. If Caitlyn was aware that she stood out as the only blond American female in the club, she didn't let on as she lured Slade onto the dance floor. Perhaps she was used to the roving eyes by now.

Although he tried to loosen up and enjoy dancing with her, Slade clenched his jaw as he caught the eyes and stared down the men leering at her. He counted to ten to calm the raging urge to pummel their eyes from their heads.

“Just ignore it,” Caitlyn said.

“How do you stand it?” he asked.

“I don't like it,” she responded. “And if it gets too uncomfortable, I'll tell them to knock it off. If I spent my time chastising every guy on this island who looks at me too long, it would be a part-time job.”

She took both his hands in hers to pull Slade in closer. “Forget about them,” she whispered.

The softness in her silky voice made him take notice. Slade wrestled with the beast within him that threatened to let loose and focused on the beautiful woman whispering in his ear, making him focus on other primal urges.

He was thankful they had a few drinks at the restaurant because he did not dance. “You're right. Let's celebrate,” he said.

He tried to ignore the way Caitlyn's body moved as she danced. He didn't recognize the song playing, some sort of electronic Euro mix, but she moved with the music without reservation. He stood there stiffly, watching her dark-blond hair swayed around her shoulders, so much more feminine than the slicked-back French twists she often sported while in uniform. Her round hips moved seductively, whether she intended to or not, while her dress flowed around her legs with her movements. Slade's new preoccupation was not to get an erection as he danced with her.

Her body was distracting enough, but when Slade glanced up at her face and saw her dusky pink lips parted, he looked away.

“It's a beautiful night,” Caitlyn said, peeking up.

Slade's eyesight followed hers as he focused on the clear sky overhead. With the abundance of lights in the city, not too many stars were visible, but the ones that were shined bright.

“If this was a real wedding, I would say we ended up with the perfect night,” Caitlyn remarked.

“Agreed,” Slade said, but when he peered down at Caitlyn and caught her eyes searching his, a lump formed in his throat. The way her eyes pierced his almost unglued him. He fought the urge to tell her how much he wanted her, how he always had. Wanting a diversion, he said, “I'm getting a drink. You don't want one, right?”

“I'm good.”

“I’ll be right back.” He grinned. “Try to stay out of trouble, Mrs. Masters.”

****

Moments after Slade left, a man asked her to dance. She guessed he was American military by his close-cut haircut and Southern accent.