0730 rolled around, rather quickly, and it felt like I didn’t get any sleep at all. I don’t remember what time I fell asleep. I don’t even know if I slept at all. My eyelids felt like sandpaper, and I was groggy and irritated. I forced myself out of bed, and into the bathroom, to do my normal routine. While the shower water got hot. I twisted my hair up into a tight bun on top of my head, so I didn’t have to get it wet again, I washed it last night. This shower was just to wake my ass up, to get ready for whatever adventure Katie had planned for us today. I quickly showered, and let the hot water massage my tired shoulders, into a relaxed state, to the point where, I wasn’t groggy anymore. Once I stepped out, I wrapped a towel around me, and brushed my teeth. I wiped the mirror from the fog and steam of the bathroom, and quickly applied my eyeliner and mascara. I put on lip gloss, knowing, damn well, we were going to breakfast before we headed to her apartment, and then out for the day.
I dressed in short dark denim ripped shorts, and a black v neck baby doll t-shirt. I slipped on black Nike slides and then pulled my hair down from the twist on top of my head. I dragged a brush through my hair, and then plugged in my straightener. I might as well try, right? I didn’t even know what temperature it was outside. I am sure it was humid. I mean its Florida, it’s always humid. On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t straighten my hair. I sighed and unplugged the straightener and ran the brush through my hair again, and grabbed some coconut oil, and rubbed it through my hair. I brushed my hair some more and pulled it into a ponytail, and then loosely wrapped it into a messy bun. It was too long to wear down, and it was too hot in Florida to wear it down. Messy buns will be my thing now that I live here.
I jumped when my phone blared out “Gun powder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert, letting me know Katie was calling or texting. I grabbed my phone and saw the text message. “I’m outside Bitch, get down here.” Rude. I laughed and shook my head, and grabbed my wallet, making sure I put the room key back in it, and my lip gloss, and phone. I know we both have iPhones so I know I can use her charger if need be. I turned off the lights in my hotel room, and headed out, making sure to slip the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door handle. I headed to the elevator, and regretted, coming to Florida. It is hot, and I am still indoors. Ugh.
I smiled as I saw her leaning against her truck door as I came out of the lobby. She grinned and we hugged. “I am so freaking happy you are here!” She squealed. I laughed and shrugged. “Eh, I am only happy to have my best friend with me.” She shoved me and I laughed even harder, she stepped aside, and I climbed into the passenger seat of her truck as she ran around the front and to the driver side. She shifted the truck into gear, and we left base. I had no clue where we were going, but she chatted happily, and I was just happy to at least know someone. We pulled into a parking lot of a small diner that was advertising Biscuits and Gravy on the board out front, and I perked right up. I loved biscuits and gravy, and Katie knew it. Whenever we had sleepovers at each other’s apartments when we weren’t deployed, we made it for breakfast. I jumped out of the truck, and she followed suit, and she linked her arm with mine, as we walked into, the diner. She was still in uniform, but that was ok. We were heading to her place after breakfast so she can shower and change, from having duty yesterday.
Breakfast was delicious and we did a lot of catching up. I mean, we talked all the time anyways, but from the moment we saw each other, it was like, there was so much to catch up on, in person. I seriously missed my best friend. And I know she missed me. We finished up breakfast, and headed to Starbucks, before going to her apartment. I recognized the name of the building, and then it clicked. The apartments I am supposed to be moving into, this was the same place! “Katie!” I basically shouted. “What?” she looked confused and looked around to make sure she wasn’t in the wrong lane or about to hit anyone or anything. “This is the same apartment building I am being set up with! We are going to be neighbors!” I was bouncing my seat, with excitement. She laughed and clearly was excited too.
She drove around to her side of the building and told me that there were actually quite a few other military personnel who lived in this apartment building. Not all though. It wasn’t on base, and it wasn’t one that the military set up for us, usually. But when the normal apartments weren’t available, this was the go-to. “I’m on the top floor. But there is an elevator, so it’s not bad. There are 5 floors, and I think the only apartment available, is also on the top floor, but it is the one of the last apartments on the floor. It might be yours. There is the apartment, at the very end, the open one, and then the one on the other side of. I know 2 guys live in the very last apartment and guys live on the other side of the open apartment. So, if it is yours, then you are sandwiched in between 4 guys. Good luck.” She laughed at me. My reaction was not the most pleasant. I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Lovely” I stated thick with sarcasm. Her apartment was halfway down the hall from
This bitch took me to Universal Studios for the day! I was like a kid in the candy store. I have the greatest best friend in the world. We had a great time. I mean the ride was not too long, but long enough that I was complaining by the time we showed up at the park. But it was well worth it. We are both huge Harry Potter nerds, and so naturally, she took me to Harry Potter World. The part of Universal Studios that is like you are in the wonderful world of wizards. I bought a wand, that makes certain areas seem like you are doing magic. It was great. I had a blast. We went on some rides, and ate some good food, and spent the entire day just having fun. “Katie, we need to do the harry potter marathon again!” I squealed. And she laughed. “Yes, we do, with pizza and wine. Just like old times.” She agreed with me. Spending my first full day in Florida turned out way better than I expected, I thought I would be miserable, but instead, I had a blast. It wasn’t something I was expe
We are going to be working the same building but different work centers, so we had to go meet up with our work centers once we made it to the area where the picnic was. Katie and I separated as soon as we got to the ball field where the damn thing was going down. She went one way, and I went the other. I was surprised to see bounce houses, dunk tanks, popcorn machines, cotton candy machines, sumo bubble suits, where 2 guys were trying to wrestle but were laughing their asses off and trying to knock each other over. It seemed like fun. Better than my last command with mandatory fun days. I saw Haller and he waved me over. I started to head towards him. “This is something.” I said as I reached him. He laughed. “Yeah, how long did it take you to find me? Because you don’t know anyone and I know you want to get to the muster sheet, to check in so you can dip out, like everyone usually does expect those who are on duty and can’t leave” he said knowingly. I nodded and he ushered me to whe
After about an hour and a half of going through my clothes, Katie found a little slinky black dress I had, and deep red heels to go with it. She knew I had deep red wine-colored lipstick that can match the heels perfectly. “Sis, you will look killer in this, and the heels will make you taller. I mean, I love ya and all, but your short ass, needs heels. You are barely 5 feet tall. Heels will make you seem a normal height.” She joked and I chucked a pillow at the back of her head. “Leave my height out of this. You already know I am part Asian. And I take after my grandma’s height. She was only like 4’9.” I Katie laughed and I rolled my eyes. She was always making fun of me for being short. Then again, she wasn’t super tall, but she was taller than me. She was 5’6. I was used to being mocked for being short. There was a point in time where I always said, “I am not short, I am fun sized.” After a while of her trying to convince me to wear the outfit she picked out, I gave in. Si
After a couple of rounds or shots and drinks, I knew I was feeling tipsy. Katie was on the dance floor with some very cute, but very fake cowboy. You could tell by how clean his boots and jeans were. I chuckled as I watched. Real cowboys have jeans that have stains that won’t come out, and boots that are scuffed up and broken in. But hey, she was having fun dancing. That’s another thing I don’t do. I don’t dance. I am way too self-conscious to put myself out there. I was about to slam down the rest of my drink when someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned and met glorious green eyes. I mean, they were vibrant and beautiful, but I could tell he could be trouble. The rest of his face matched the glorious green eyes. He was handsome, with dark hair, I couldn’t tell if it was black or brown. His jaw line was sharp and well defined, and his lips, full and curved into a devious smile. He knew he was handsome. He knew he could probably get any woman he wanted. And I knew, this coul
“Navy Lodge” I mumbled, well, more like slurred. I don’t know if I heard the gasp right or if I imagined it. But whatever it was, Tyler wasn’t expecting that response. I know he sat me down on the bench outside the bar, and he was typing on his phone. I think to order an Uber. Sure enough, an Uber came, and Tyler got me into the back seat and slid in next to me. I don’t know how long it was, but we made it to base. The Uber driver couldn’t go on base, but Tyler got me out of the car, and we stumbled up to the security guards on duty. He told them, he met me at the bar, and he wanted to make sure I made it back to where I said I was staying. He pulled out his own ID, and the guards, nodded for him to go through. I fumbled with my ID in my wallet, but managed to show them my ID. Once I got my ID back into my wallet, I stumbled forward, into Tyler’s arms again. He laughed and went back to hoisting me up. “Stop, stop, stop. I can’t walk anymore. My feet hurt.” I complained, very
I hurried up and put Tyler’s ID and wallet back into his jeans pocket, and rushed into the bathroom, before I woke him up. I shut and locked the bathroom door. I was hiding. That’s for sure. I turned on the shower, and stripped out of my undergarments, and stepped into the hot, steamy shower. Maybe I won’t be so embarrassed if I let the hot water massage my very tense and rigid body. Work tomorrow, my first official day, at my new command, is going to be extremely awkward. I am not looking forward to it.I showered, and brushed my teeth, and quickly applied a thing line of eyeliner and put on some mascara. I had a towel wrapped tightly around my body, when I unlocked the bathroom door, and headed back into the main part of the hotel room. He was still sleeping, so I quickly grabbed clothes and undergarments that I was planning on wearing today. I hastily grabbed the clothes and ran back into the bathroom to dress. When I was done, I came out, and bit my bott
I made my way down to the lobby and out to the lot where Katie was waiting for me. As I walked up to the truck, she glared at me and crossed her arms over her chest. I sighed and opened the door to climb in. “Hi Katie, no Katie, don’t yell at me, Katie. I get it. Ok. I messed up. Yes, we will talk about it, but let’s get food first.” I piped up before she even got a chance to say anything. Holding up my hand to silence her, she glared daggers at me, while I put my seatbelt on. She shifted the truck into gear, and we pulled out of the lot, and headed off base. I had no clue where we were going, but I didn’t care. I knew she was boiling on the inside, and I knew I was going to get yelled at all over again.We made our way to Denny’s to get brunch. As soon as she parked, she was about to speak up, but I had already climbed out of the truck and was heading towards the door. At least, she wouldn’t be able to yell at me in public. I held op