Page 66 of Keeping Laryn
Pyro laughed and smacked his shoulder. “She’s good for you, I think. The guys and I have always wondered why you two sniped at each other so much, and it makes sense now.”
“What does?”
“You liked her. Even when you were teasing her. Maybe you thought you shouldn’t go there, or that she was too good for you, or some other bullshit reason to stay away. So you told yourself that you weren’t attracted to her. But you still couldn’t resist getting under her skin anytime you had the chance.”
“What are you, a psychologist now?” Casper grumbled, secretly thinking his friend was right.
“Naw. Just a guy who sees things.”
“I wish you’d have seen this one coming so it didn’t take me so long to let her know I wanted to take her out.”
Pyro chuckled again.
They reached the mess hall, and Casper looked around eagerly when they entered. To his disappointment, he didn’t see Laryn anywhere. He and Pyro went through the line and loaded their trays before sitting at a large table. It didn’t take long for Buck, Obi-Wan, Chaos, and Edge to join them. Just when Casper had given up on seeing Laryn, she walked into the huge room.
He was on his feet before he even realized he’d moved.
She looked as tired as he felt.
“Hey,” he said as he approached.
When she realized it was him, she smiled, and it transformed her face. How he’d never noticed how pretty his mechanic was, or acknowledged it at least, he had no clue.
“Hi,” she returned.
“Everything all right?” he asked, accompanying her to the line for food.
Instead of answering, she raised a brow and asked, “You don’t think I can carry my tray all by myself? Or are you getting seconds?”
Casper felt himself blushing, and he shrugged. “Just wanted to see you. Talk to you. It’s been a while.”
“Oh. And it hasn’t beenthatlong. Not really.”
Casper made a point of looking at his watch, then said, “Six hours, fourteen minutes, and forty-three seconds.”
She chuckled. “That long, huh?”
“Yup. You had a chance to check out your berth yet?”
She gave him an incredulous look.
“Right, sorry. You were elbow deep in the guts of my chopper, I’m guessing?”
“Yours and the others. I wanted to make sure your MH-60 made the trip all right—which she did—and the other twochoppers were still up to par. You guys still heading out in the morning?” She started down the food line, grabbing a little of everything and piling her tray high.
“Yeah. For a reconnaissance flight. Get the lay of the land, so to speak. Then we’ll head back here, debrief, get some sleep, and head out on our first mission tomorrow right after the sun goes down.”
Laryn nodded.
Casper grabbed a water for her and gestured toward his team’s table.
She sat down and smiled at everyone. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Yo.”
“All settled in?”
