Desperate Situations (13 page)

As she passed the patio area, which was enclosed by the three barracks, she noticed that the guys were still playing basketball. In the waning sunlight, they were trying to finish.

Megan paused with a smile. Her crew was playing another crew and it looked like they were winning. She stopped near one of the picnic tables and sat down, putting her feet on the seat with her butt on the table.

The team was Cowboy, Gunner, Tiny, Fisher, and Jake. Bosser and Chips were seated on the ground nearby cheering them on. The guys were going all out
, but the score had just become tied. The five met near the hoop to discuss strategy.

Megan smiled, watching them. She rested her chin on her hand. As she panned her eyes back to her guys, she noticed Jake looking at her. He gave her a wink, then headed with the rest of them back to finish the game.

It was half-court basketball. The other team brought the ball back into play, but her crew played very defensively. The other crew shot but missed. The ball was recovered by Tiny, who passed it to Gunner, who took it out at half court. Now it was her crew's turn to play offensively.

Megan's eyes involuntarily followed Jake. He was sweating profusely through his t-shirt, but on him it look
ed sexy. His sweat-soaked, khaki shorts allowed her to watch his thigh muscles flex, his calves taut. Cowboy threw him the ball. Jake bent over trying to fake out a guy, giving Megan a good ass shot.

Megan took full advantage of the view and sighed softly when he executed the fake, went for a lay up, but instead, as he jumped
for the hoop, passed it to Fisher who was in the corner, unguarded. Fisher paused after catching it, and shot at the basket. It missed and was recovered by the other team.

Within minutes, the other crew scored a point and won the game. Despite the competitive nature of the crews, everyone shook hands. Tiny and Fisher sat down on the court to catch their breath, while Cowboy headed to Megan to sit at the table. Jake followed.

Cowboy collapsed on the bench in front of Megan breathing hard. He laid the length of the seat. "Damn."

"Having fun?" Megan asked with a teasing smile.

Jake moved to sit next to her on the table, pushing at Cowboy's legs so he could put his feet on the seat. Then, as though totally exhausted, he collapsed to lie on the table. Megan's eyes flashed to his sweaty shorts again but quickly pulled her eyes back to study Cowboy, who didn't answer.

"When was the last time you played ball, Kelly?" Megan asked leaning down to look at him, desperately trying to keep her eyes off Jake.

"High school. I should never 'ave agreed to this. Damn, I hurt."

Jake laughed. He sat up, wiping his brow. He smiled at Megan who hardly looked at him.

Megan tried not to be obvious that the man sitting next to her was making her heart race. He even smelled good, the sweat enhancing his normal odor. It turned her on more than she wanted to admit. She wouldn't be able to sit here much longer.

Within a few seconds, Gunner showed up, followed by Tiny and Fisher. The whole crew slowly cooled down near the table.

Megan stood with a smile. "You did good guys. Congratulations."

"We lost," Jake said, matching her smile.

Megan shrugged trying not to meet his gaze. She tingled in all the right places.
Get away now!
"You'll get them next time."

Gunner patted her on the shoulder. "Nextest time we need the secretive weapon."

"Secret weapon?" Jake asked, again wiping the sweat from his head. Everyone laughed.

Gunner pointed at Megan. "In Iraq we learned that she was star on
the basketball field. We play several other….Uh…" He looked for help from the others.

"They beat the tar outta a couple of military teams," Cowboy informed Jake, looking up at him from his supine position. He gave the ex-military guy a huge grin. "Smoked'em good, they did."

Megan chuckled.

"Really, Chief?" Jake asked, amusement in his blue eyes.

"They over exaggerate my contribution. I distracted the guys in Iraq. Most of them had been there over a year, and to see a woman in shorts and a T-shirt… Well, let's just say it was more than a distraction." She winked at Jake. "I didn't wear my body armor."

Jake cracked up.

Megan congratulated them again and headed to her room. She needed to cool down. That man did things to her, things that she hadn't felt in a long time. Things that she didn't want. Things she tried to ignore but failed. Miserably.

***

It was nearing eleven o'clock and Megan still wasn't asleep, tossing and turning in bed. Her mind kept returning to the basketball game and the sweaty man driving her insane. She sat up in bed and sighed, turning on the light. She tried to read, but she couldn't. She wiggled a little from a full bladder and decided she'd better use the bathroom.

The halls were quiet. Somewhere down the hall, she could hear a radio playing a soft tune, but for the most part it seemed like the men were turned in for the night or at least in their rooms. There was a breeze blowing in the hall since most of the guys left their doors open.

As she passed the rooms, she tried not to look in. Being the only woman in the barracks, she kept her door closed, but most of the guys were not shy about what they did or wore most of the time. She found it better to be in her room by curfew and stay there, to avoid embarrassing situations.

When she reached the bathroom door, which also housed four showers, she knocked. It was policy that the last person out was to leave the door open or, as was the case tonight, the sign on the door was switched to the male stick person, so she would know that there was a guy in there. They would know if she
was taking a shower if the female stick person was on the door.

There was no answer.

She opened the door a crack and heard a shower running. With a sigh, she closed the door. It was a good thing she wasn't critical. It wasn't long and the shower shut off.

Megan opened the door a crack and called out. "I need to pee. So don't dawdle."

No one answered as she closed the door again. Even if she stuck her head all the way in, she wouldn't be able to see the showers. They were farther inside the room, which was shaped like an L. The stalls were on this end of the bathroom, with a quickly constructed wall hiding the urinals. The changing area and showers were around the bend.

She leaned on the wall waiting.

The door opened. Jake walked out of the bathroom with a smile on his face and a towel wrapped low around his hips, still dripping water. "Sorry, Chief."

Megan didn't answer. Jake saw her looking him up and down. He hurried after hearing her and hadn't even dried off. With a wry grin, he shook his head, flinging water on her.

That drew her out of her reverie. She blushed. "Not a problem."

Jake didn't move. He blocked her entry with his body. His shower stuff was in one hand, while his other hand held the door open.

"You're dripping," Megan said with a grin.

"I didn't want you to wait." His smile got bigger.

"Can I get in
, or is someone else in there?"

Jake could see her desperately trying to keep her eyes front and center, off his cut chest and washboard abs. His smile was now from ear to ear. "Nope. Just me." He could tell she was having a hard time controlling herself.

"Do you mind? I need to pee." She motioned with her hands for him to move.

"Sure, Chief." Jake moved fast, brushing up against her.

She jumped to the side as though she had been singed by a flame. She narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry again." But his smile stayed in place. "Have a nice night, Chief." He slowly walked away
, his smile getting bigger. He could tell she was still watching him; he could feel her eyes on his back. Right as he got to his door, he wiggled his butt at her.

A snort sounded as the door to the bathroom closed.

Jake laughed, walking into his room. It was fun putting her on the spot. And he knew the reaction he was causing.
As soon as I'm out of her crew, I'll have her.
So help me God
.

***

Megan checked the cooler again to see if the sodas needed replacing. The other crew chiefs were actually cooking on the barbeque grill. The executives were dishing out potato salad and coleslaw. Her job was to keep the refreshments stocked and play gofer for the others. That was fine with her. She hated cooking. Whenever she tried to cook, it turned out either raw or burnt.

"I'll take one." Jake's voice sounded behind her.

Megan jumped.

"Sorry, Chief. Didn't mean to scare you."

With narrowed eyes, she turned to face him. Through clenched teeth she whispered, "Would you stop that."

"Stop what?" Jake asked, his smile getting bigger. In his hand was a plate full of standard American grub: hamburger with fixings, chips, and assorted salads.

"You know what," Megan said still whispering as she glanced around. The guys were busy eating and when these guys ate, they ate. The world could explode around them, but don't interrupt their hot dogs and hamburgers.

"I just wanted a soda," Jake said, his smile fading but the amused look still in his eyes. "That's your job, right? Refreshments?"

Megan almost growled.

"Lighten up, Chief." He gave her a cocky grin.

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I did," Jake said, holding out his hand for a soda. "But I still want a soda, Ma'am."

Megan reached into the cooler and grabbed one. She held it out to him. As he took it, he looked deeply into her eyes. It caused a pulsing in her loins and a tingling in other parts of her body.

"Stop it, Jake." Her teeth were still clenched.

Jake chuckled. "You want me bad," he whispered to her as he passed.

Megan snorted.

"You know you do." He walked off nonchalantly.

Megan bent down fiddling with the ice and sodas in the cooler again. When she stood up, she took a piece of ice and ran it across her forehead.
Cool down, idiot. He's just a guy. A reckless, good-looking guy, but off limits.
She checked out the food table, but everything was still full. No need for refilling yet. She glanced around the food area and as she rubbed ice on her forehead she caught Jake's eyes who sat down next to Gunner. She immediately dropped the ice cube to the ground.

Jake's smile
widened.

Megan kept her face neutral even as her eyes narrowed, but then and there
she vowed to get even.
Oh, this is war, Jake. You'll get yours for making me hot and teasing me. Payback. Some how. Just wait.

Two hours later she was watching her crew playing basketball again. This time they were losing. Another crew chief sat down next to her.

"Hey Megan, your crew looks like heart attack city."

"Gee Bob, yours doesn't look much better. Is Tippy having a stroke or what?" Megan asked pointing at the oldest guy on the court. His face was red and he was
huffing like an old, worn out bellow.

Bob chuckled. "Probably."

"Why aren't you playing?" Megan asked him as she applauded her crew getting another point.

"Bad back." He placed a hand on his lower back with a smile. "You?"

"Didn't want to get the guys too worked up." She winked at Bob. They both laughed. Megan glanced at her crew then at Bob, a plan springing into her head.
Oh yeah. This will work. Pay back time, Jake.
"Besides, my crew doesn't need the help. They're just playing around."

"Oh yeah?"

Megan nodded.

"Damn, that requires you to put money on the table."

She smiled. "Name it."

"Five hundred."

"Done." They shook hands. "And I might even pay for the hospitalization for your guys."

Bob laughed. "I'm still gonna win, Megan."

"I'm not even worried."

At that moment, both teams called a time out to get drinks and rest. Megan walked over to her crew as they gathered around one of the picnic tables. Everyone was breathing hard and sweating, again.

"Okay guys," Megan began as she walked up. "Here's the deal. You win, you get an extremely easy work week. You lose, and I take it out by working you extra hard."

Cowboy groaned loudly. Everyone else looked stunned. With a grunt, Cowboy sat up. "Who the hell did you bet with? Bob?"

Megan smiled.

"Shit, Girl. Would you fuckin' stop that! You'll kill us yet." Cowboy tossed an empty soda can at her.

Megan caught it with a grin.

"What's the bet, Chief?" Jake asked.

"Five bills."

Cowboy cursed as he lay back down on the table.

"Suck it up, old boy," Megan said nudging him. "This is for the honor of the crew."

"Bullshit, Meg. This is
, you can't stand to lose." Cowboy said with a disgusted look. "Iffan you want this so bad, you play."

Megan shook her head. "This isn't co-ed."

Cowboy cursed under his breath again. "Just a fun game. It was just a fun fuckin' game."

Jake chuckled. "I've got a counter offer, Chief."

Megan narrowed her eyes, looking at him.

"If we win for you, you have to play one of us in one-on-one. We choose who you play."

There was no immediate answer from Megan.

Cowboy smiled. "Oh Lordie, I love this. Yeah. Come on, Darlin'. Put your ass where your money is." He sat up.

Her eyes flicked to Cowboy and back to Jake. They narrowed again.

"Or not," Jake said.

"Damn."

The whole crew burst out laughing. They knew that Jake had her. She was extremely competitive and Jake had pushed one of her buttons.

"Well?" Jake asked, the picture of innocence.

"Just win the damn game." She stalked away from the table with a smile on her face.
Perfect.
Everything is going according to plan.
She slightly chuckled.
Revenge is best served on a basketball court, on my terms.

Her crew behind her laughed.

And the game continued. Both sides were playing harder than ever. Bob sat down next to Megan, again with a smile on his face. "Wanna up the bet?"

"Come on! Watch the base line!" she yelled at her guys, and then she turned to Bob. "I'm always up for taking money from you. What's the new bet?"

He chuckled. "My team is two points ahead. Let's say for every difference in points, we tack on another five hundred."

Megan considered. "So you're saying that if my team wins, twenty to nineteen, you'll pay me a grand. But if they win twenty to eighteen, you'll pay me fifteen hundred? I kind of like that." She smiled.

Bob assented to the new bet. "But my team's gonna win."

"Ha." Megan stood up and cupped her hands around her mouth to get her crew's attention. "Hey guys…" They were just switching sides again, her crew going on the offensive. "I just increased the bet. Stop playing with these jerks and beat the snot out of them by as many points as possible." She sat back down to the dirty looks of her crew. Megan laughed.

Bob chuckled and pointed at his team too.

The other crew chief and executives, plus most of those courtside began placing bets. Anything like this spread like wildfire around the base, and soon the entire compound was cheering on one of the teams.

Megan applauded, but was no longer yelling at her guys. There were plenty of people doing that for her. She just watched and contemplated. She knew that they would pick either Tiny or Jake to play her. Everyone knew she could whip up on the others, particularly Cowboy. Tiny was a challenge because if he pushed his weight around, she'd be at a huge disadvantage. But she knew they'd pick Jake. She knew that he had challenged her to the contest knowing that they'd pick him too. She smiled even bigger at that.
Yes, this would be great
.

Bob started sweating when the score tied at seventeen. Each time his crew went on the offensive, Megan's crew became a blockade. Nothing got in the hoop. But when her crew got the ball, they passed and worked it until they made a basket. So slowly the count ticked in Megan's favor. Eighteen, seventeen. Nineteen, seventeen. Finally twenty, seventeen.

She smiled sweetly at Bob. "That's two thousand dollars, Bob, my man."

"What the hell did you give those guys? Uppers?"

She shook her head.

"They're animals," Bob said as he paid off a couple smaller bets from the money in his pocket. "I'll get you a check tomorrow. Okay?"

"Sure."

Bob chuckled. "What are they doing now?" He pointed at her crew.

They were huddled together under the basket, drinking and having a serious discussion. All nine guys were in on the conversation.

Megan followed Bob's glance then smiled at him. "Deciding who gets to play me in one-on-one."

"No shit? That was the reason they played so hard, so they could throw a loss in your face?" Bob asked. "Damn, I wish you'd have told me that. I'd never have agreed to the extra bet." He noticed her stand up. "When?"

"Right now." She glanced back at them. "I need to change into my tennis shoes and shorts. Tell them I'll be right back."

Bob nodded and began making bets with more people about the outcome of the next game.

***

Megan exited the barracks to find that the entire base was still hanging out at the basketball court waiting. Her smile widened as she stepped from the door. Almost all heads turned her way.

She nonchalantly walked toward the court with a towel over her shoulder. Her running shoes were laced tight and her long basketball shorts were on. Normally, she didn't own shorts while in country. A woman showing her bare legs was against the law. However, since the Iraqi basketball game, where they trounced the military teams, she now carried a pair mostly to remind herself of her own feminism.

As she reached the court, the crowd parted. Her eyes panned the area and she saw her crew sitting together at the picnic table still talking. She stopped as the crowd quieted. With a smile, and with all of the guys from her crew looking at her, she asked, "Which of you suckers got stuck playing me?"

Cowboy laughed so hard he fell off the table.

Jake stood, his eyes panning her body. He smiled back broadly. "Me."

Megan nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this now? I mean, you just played a hard game. I'd hate to take advantage of you."

The crowd jeered and cheered. Jake narrowed his eyes. Megan smiled even broader. She knew there was no way he was backing down.

"Bring it on, Lady."

"Oh, one thing Cupcake," Megan said, walking past Jake. "Here, hold my towel, Kelly." She tossed him her towel as she turned to Jake. "There's something else you need to learn about me. When I'm playing basketball, I'm no lady." With a wink, she walked over to the ball lying on the court. She picked it up and bounced it a couple of times.

The crowd snickered and the betting resumed.

Cowboy grabbed a water bottle and walked onto the court. He chuckled as he handed it to her. "Here, drink up. Ya'all need to stay hydrated."