Operation Firebrand--Origin by Jeff Gerke

Author:Jeff Gerke [Gerke, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-09-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Akron City Club

“And then Jason says, ‘Don’t you guys have jobs?’”

Eloise laughed so hard at Chris’s story she bounced in her chair. “You didn’t!”

Jason shrugged.

“I swear those guys followed us everywhere,” Chris said. “I think I even saw one of them in the lobby downstairs just a minute ago.”

The team—plus Eloise, Bigelow, and Jamie—sat at a round table next to the window. Below them, downtown Akron glittered in the night. The Akron City Club was on the top floor of the Bank One building. This part of the restaurant was called the Grille. It was a more casual area than the main dining room down the hall. Though the Grille was officially closed in the evenings, the restaurant had opened it for “Miss Eloise.”

A blues quartet—sax, drums, guitar, bass—played by some of Eloise’s friends from church, sat in the corner playing something smooth.

Jason smelled the last spanikopita hors d’oeuvre before eating it. It was a spinach and mushroom pastry with feta cheese and onions. He never would’ve ordered it in a million years, but it smelled amazing and melted on his tongue. He could’ve eaten another plate full of them.

Everybody looked clean and shiny after time off for showers and dressing up. Trieu sat on his right, elegant in a black velvet gown. Her hair was loose and straight. Though Rachel had stolen his heart—stolen something, anyway—Trieu was a beauty to be reckoned with. He looked at the young ladies around the table. Definite babe-age.

Next to Trieu was Bigelow in a navy coat and tie that Jamie had made him wear. She sat next to him wearing a red spaghetti strap dress and looking ravishing. On her right was Garth in a black suit and green tie. The man could clean up real well, except now he looked like Jesse Ventura. Eloise sat next to him wearing a bright magenta dress and wrap. Next to her sat Chris, looking like a total lady-killer in a perfectly fitted gray suit and silver tie. His hair had been freshly styled, so the trademark curl was in its proper place.

Then came Rachel. She wore a short white dress that fit close enough to hint at the near-perfect form beneath it, but no so close as to give anything away either. It had a scoop neck and white straps. She had her hair down. Dark locks came over her shoulders to frame her angular jaw line. Black stone earrings. Makeup masterfully applied. Very high heels.

It was all Jason could do to keep from staring at her all night long. But even when he looked away, she remained in his periphery. What a chump he was. Could he command a woman like this in a military squad? Could he send her into harm’s way? Could he keep from taking stupid risks in order to win her from Chris and Garth? This was something he’d not had to deal with as a SEAL.

Then between Rachel and Jason was Lewis. He wore a black tuxedo exactly like the maitre d’s.

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