Oil stains paint my hands in a rich, musty shade of brown as I yank hard against the wrench in my hands. The veins in my arms are protruding, my muscles straining as I struggle to loosen a bolt attached to the side of the aircraft hovering over me.

"Put your back into it, Dawson," Murphy chuckles behind me. "You're going to be the last one out of here tonight if you keep twisting that bolt like a little bitch."

"Bite me," I breathlessly grit out between my teeth. Silently, I curse the maintainer who tightened it on, to begin with, knowing that if it wasn't for him, my ass would have been back in my dorm by now, cleaning the hydraulic fluid off of my skin.

"Pay him no mind, Dawson," Delk's voice calls out in the distance. "Murphy, stop pretending like you didn't need assistance twisting a damn screw-in earlier."

"I was having trouble finding the hole," he defends back.

"I bet you find yourself saying that a lot, don't you?" I fire back, joining in on the antagonizing. This was the dynamic of our friendship; taking shit and giving shit. While Murphy's crude comments can get under my skin sometimes, I'd be lying if I said they didn't make the long workdays a little more bearable and amusing.

Delk is in a fit of laughter as our ginger friend stomps away towards the exit. Finally, when he catches his breath, he asks, "You coming out with us tonight?"

The bolt finally frees its hold, making the wrench give way with it. I'm filled with relief, knowing that soon I'll be able to head home for the night; the weekend ahead cannot come fast enough. My phone buzzes inside my back pocket, immediately drawing my attention. I bring the screen to my face, quickly reading over the message before answering my friend.

🔵

I try hard to bite back my smile as I bring my eyes back to my him. "Umm, actually," I finally speak up, "I think I'm gonna have to pass."

I can't help but bring my attention back to my phone, making it impossible for me to hold back my grin for any longer as I read Lelani's message once more. "Dammit Dawson," Delk chimes, "She's got you wrapped around that pretty little finger of her's, doesn't she?"

"Hardly," I lie, rolling my eyes.

"Mhmm," he hums in response, nodding his head playfully. "Your flushed cheeks tell me otherwise. You going to see her tonight?"

A silhouette appears behind Delk, sending my heart racing and causing me to go completely silent before I can answer his question. Sergeant Campbell appears in the rays of the overhead lights hanging above us, and he keeps his brown eyes locked on mine as he treads over in my direction. "Dawson," he commands. "Still working on removing that panel, I see?"

"Umm, yes sir," I reply nervously. I dart my glance away from him because for some reason I feel like if he inspects it any longer, he will somehow come to know about the things I did with his daughter over the weekend. I clear my voice before I speak another word, "I was helping Mitchell with a job earlier, and I didn't get to this one until the end of the shift."

"How about we wrap things up, huh? I'm ready to go home." He cuts his attention over to Delk, "That goes for you, too, alright? This isn't tea time. Get home and enjoy your weekend while you have it."

"Yes sir," we both mutter out quickly. Without sparing another minute of his time on the two of us, Lelani's Dad turns away, heading straight back to his office.

"Night, Dawson," Delk waves, heading out towards the door that Murphy disappeared through just minutes ago. "Tell Lelani I said hi," he whispers with a wink.

I laugh, shaking my head in disapproval. "Good. Night," I affirm, not giving him the satisfaction of getting a reaction from me. I turn my back to him, and return to my work, finishing it in record-breaking time because the last thing I need is to be under Sergeant Campbell's radar any minute longer.

The locker room is eerily quiet as I step inside, not another soul in sight as my fingers begin twisting the combination dial of my locker. It finally clicks open and without hesitation, I yank my bookbag from it. I slam the door shut, hurrying my way out of the building before I have the chance of falling into the traps of any more supervision tonight. Lelani wants to keep what is happening between the two of us under wraps, and for that to be possible, I need to become a wallflower. There's no way I can maintain that if I'm sticking out like a sore thumb, so I bolt out of my work as quietly as I can, finally releasing the breath my lungs were holding when I reach the security of my car.

I twist the key in the ignition, bringing the engine to life as my eyes admire the purple, pink, and orange sunset playing out ahead of me. Black silhouettes of palm trees fall against the sky's admirable canvas, and I take the moment to appreciate the fact that I was able to get stationed in this tropical paradise. Life on the island has been so much different than life back home in Michigan, but I'm grateful for the change of scenery. I roll all four windows down, loving the feeling of the cool Hawaiin breeze as it flows its way into my Range Rover and cools my hot and sweaty skin.

In an instant, my mind travels back to Lelani's text from earlier, quickly reminding me that I never replied. Lifting my ass from my seat, I swiftly retrieve my phone from my back pocket, my fingers working fast to send my response before it's too late. The message I really want to text back goes something like this: Sorry, Lani. Your Dad was up my ass tonight, but I can be free if you want me to be. Can I see you? Instead, I make sure to type out a more laid-back message, one that doesn't make me seem like the lovesick fool Delk is accusing me to be.

⚪️

🔵

Immediately my mind wonders if that's where she works, but I let my assumptions answer that question as I reply back.

⚪️

༄༄༄

Lelani's head peeks out of the back door of the small cafe as my car pulls into a parking space at the back of the dining establishment. I flick my headlights off quickly, trying to remain inconspicuous to any passing vehicles and letting my eyes adjust to the darkness of the night. Her image finally comes back into view, and her hand eagerly motions me inside, causing a wide smirk to spread across my face. With my uniform still clung to my body, my steel-toed boots scuff against the pavement as I hurry inside. The lights in the back kitchen of the restaurant remain dim, the majority of them switched off, but there's still enough light for me to make out Lelani's curly ponytail and the apron clung against her waist.

She closes the back door, making the silence of the restaurant fill my ears as my eyes take in the rest of her waitress uniform. Khaki shorts hug her bottom half, the champagne-colored material making her skin appear even more golden than usual. The floral print of her collared, buttoned-down shirt remains open, allowing the black tank top beneath it to peek through. She pivots on her heel, approaching me carefully with a huge grin painted on her face. I reach out to her shirt, playing with the name tag pinned against the fabric. "You didn't tell me you were a waitress."

"Well, it never really came up," she says, taking another step towards me and closing up any space that was once lingering between us. "I like this," she admits, skimming her eyes across the camouflage cammies covering my body.

"Yeah?" I smirk, nodding towards her own apparel. "Well, I like that."

"Oh, please," she laughs, swinging her ponytail around as she leads me through the maze of stainless steel shelves lining the kitchen. "I look like a Hawaiin tourist nightmare. Momma picked them out; I told her it was a bad idea."

"Sounds like she's a trendsetter if you ask me. Wait," I say, trailing my words and putting the puzzle pieces together, "Is this your Mom's restaurant?"

"That it is," she affirms, tugging my arm with her as she walks us into the dark dining room. The lights are off in this part of the cafe, but beneath the light of the moon peering through the blinds of the windows lining the walls, I can make out the shadows of tables and chairs spreading through the space. Even surrounded by darkness, I notice the bright color scheme of the restaurant and I like the way her Mom's chosen to match the aesthetic of her eatery with that of the island. Lelani's voice speaks out again, "She's owned this place for 15 years; hand-picked out the menu and everything. She's pretty proud of it."

I watch her face light up as she talks about the restaurant and her Mom, and I admire the way she can hold so much pride for an accomplishment that isn't hers. "As she should be," I nod, taking in the tropical decor surrounding the dining area. "So she's an entrepreneur and fashion icon. I'll make note of that."

"Oh, shut up," Lelani giggles.

Suddenly my eyes notice a small bamboo stage hiding in the far back corner of the room, and I approach it, allowing my gaze to finally make out the vintage, chest-high karaoke machine positioned on it. "Now, what is this?" I smile, pulling the microphone from its stand. I pretend to belt out into it, making her laugh even more.

"Hey, you better treat that mic with care, got it?" She teases, joining the stage with me. "That's a treasured antique of mine."

"Is it now? Well then, by all means, the stage is yours, Lelani," I chime out, handing over the microphone to her. I jump from the stage, pulling out a chair from a nearby table, straddling it, and sitting down against its plush cushion.

"Absolutely not," she blushes, shaking her head feverishly. "If I tried singing for you I'd make your damn ears bleed. Trust me, it's best if I stick to surfing."

"I thought you said it was a treasured antique of yours, huh? You're telling me you won't put on a show for me?"

"Well, first off, it has been broken for years, and second off, it's best if I leave the performing to the customers. Trust me. I'd rather keep the memories of this karaoke machine good, rather than ruin them with my tone-deaf singing," she chuckles, hopping off of the stage. She pulls out a chair beside me, setting it in front of mine and straddling it to face me. "You know, when I was a kid my Dad would bring me to karaoke nights on the weekends, and let me stay till midnight just because I enjoyed listening to all the customers sing so much."

"Does your Mom not have them anymore? The karaoke nights?" I ask with curiosity.

"Nah," she frowns, cutting her eyes over to the beat-up stereo and tv screen behind us. "It broke years ago, and Mama just hasn't had the money or time to repair it. I'm gonna get it fixed someday though, it's on my bucket list."

"Yeah?" I smirk, gripping onto the legs of her chair and scooting her closer to me. "Okay, then tell me- favorite classic karaoke song?"

"Hmm," she hums, squinting her eyes as she thinks about the question. "I hate to say it, but I'm gonna have to go with Don't Stop Believing."

"Oh, come on," I groan, teasingly, "You're going to pick that as your favorite?"

"I can't help it," she giggles, throwing her head back, "It's a classic."

"That just sad," I mock some more, "And all this time I thought you were a badass. I'm not so sure anymore."

"Oh, screw you!" She chuckles, "What's yours, then?"

"Bohemian Rhapsody, duh," I answer back matter-of-factly.

"Get the fuck out of here," she hollers, pushing my seat away from hers. "You're a disgrace! Everyone always butchers that song!"

"And that's exactly why it's my favorite," I laugh, standing from my chair and walking my way over to her. Breaking out into song, I start to belt out, "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"

"Stop!" Lani begs, standing abruptly from her seat and covering her ears as she chokes back laughter.

I continue anyway, "Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Look up to the skies and see-"

Lelani's hands interrupt the out-of-tune melody spewing from my lips, clutching gently to the side of my face and bringing my mouth to nearly touch her's. The contact makes me go completely silent, and I'm stuck in her gravity as she whispers out, "Quit singing, and kiss me."

I do. My mouth collides into hers and my mind gets lost in the feeling of her skin brushing against mine and her tongue gliding against my bottom lip. Electricity courses through my bones, returning me to the same sensation I can recall experiencing that day on the beach. I can't help but crave to touch her more, and another bolt of energy channels through me as she grips against the hems of my collared uniform, pulling me with her as she leads us back onto a nearby table. I hoist her hips up, throwing her bottom up effortlessly onto its surface and matching my movements to hers as she lies us back onto it. My fingers trail into the hair on the back of her head, causing our kiss to become hungrier, while my other hand meets against the arch in her back. I pull her body up closer to mine, feeling her chest clash into mine. Her lips draw back, finally giving both of us the much-needed air our lungs are aching for.

"I've been thinking about kissing you all day," she hushes out.

I allow my eyes to skim across her face, a stream of moonlight illuminating her naturally beautiful features. My thumb brushes against her cheek as I admire the image of her round face and rich, brown irises. I trail my fingers down her lips, stroking against the plump, pinkish skin.

"Me too," I grin, letting my other hand play with the black ponytail of curls scattered across the tabletop behind her. "You're gorgeous. Just like this, you're gorgeous."

All she knows to do is smile, her confidence radiating from her expression as she takes the time to look me over as well. Her hands trail from my neck to my forehead, allowing her fingers to brush back the gelled strands of hair hanging above my eyes. "You're not so bad, yourself," she smirks, sitting up and conjuring me to do the same. "Brodie, I have a question."

"Go for it," I say with conviction.

"What are you and your friends up to this weekend?"

"Nothing that I know of," I admit, narrowing my eyes over to her with interest, "Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you guys would be up for an adventure?"

"Always," I smile over to her. "Where did you have in mind?"

"How about you leave the destination up to me, okay?" She taunts, pulling herself up off the table. "Trust me, the surprise will be worth it."

"You promise?" I quip, gripping onto her hand and carefully tugging her back between my legs.

"I promise. It's time for you to take a leap of faith, Maverick.

I bring my lips to hers once more, deeply kissing her before finally replying back, "I can do that."

༄༄༄

🥰

😂

⭐️⭐️

🌊

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