Page 17 of Metal & Mud

As he waited for the alley to close, he stayed out of Sabby's way and thought about what he was doing. It had been a long time since he'd spent any time socially with a girl, and he had to admit to himself that he felt anxious. But he found that with Sabby, being 'rusty' wasn't that much of a problem because he wasn't trying to pull a 'move.'

He genuinely wanted to get to know the girl better.

When the last customer was gone and the doors were locked, the two of them got to work, Logan on the vacuum cleaner while Sabby did the dry mop over the approach areas of the lanes before they both tackled the pool tables and cafe.

"Yeah, I'm a shift manager," Sabby explained as they worked. "It's part of MWR—Morale, Welfare, and Recreation—but basically, we run ourselves. Commander only pops in if something's gone wrong."

They finished up, tying up the garbage last, carrying the four big bags over to the back door. "Here," Logan said, picking up all four bags. "Now, you've got the keys? I'd hate to get locked out."

Sabby patted the pocket on her skirt. "Don't worry, I'll be right here just in case. Then I can finish shutting everything down and get home."

She said it in a way that had Logan wishing he could ask her if she wouldn't mind spending the rest of the night somewhere, but he also knew that asking a girl to go walking down a deserted military base road because he was stuck on post was a bad idea. Instead, he used his back to push open the door and walked outside.

After roughly four hours in the air-conditioned alley, the warm and humid air hit him like a wet blanket. It didn't bother him much; growing up in Florida had prepared him for this kind of weather.

As he slammed the plastic lid of the dumpster closed, he saw a car, with the leader of the guys who'd been harassing Sabby leaning against the back bumper, finishing off a beer. "Hey boy!"

Logan instantly recognized the tone. Nothing good ever followed when a Southerner said 'boy' like that. Not wanting trouble, Logan held his hands up and turned back towards the door. "I've got no beef with you, man. Let's just finish the night and go home, what do you say?"

"I say," the guy said, pushing off the bumper and approaching, "that you're a cocky fuck who don't know nothin' about respect!"

Logan didn't want to run for the door, but he did walk faster, just not fast enough. The guy threw the bottle in his hand, where it exploded off the side of the building in front of Logan. He stopped, turning to the man as he came up closer, clearly itching for a fight. "This isn't how you get respect, man."

"Fuck you!" the guy yelled, throwing a punch.

It was a looping haymaker, delivered by a man who was at least half-drunk. Logan saw it coming easily and sidestepped, deflecting the punch. The man stumbled forward, off-balance. Not wanting the situation to escalate, Logan pushed him away firmly.

"Back off," Logan warned. "This isn't worth it."

The guy wasn't listening. He charged again, and this time Logan had no choice. He struck once, hard enough to wind the man and send him to his knees.

"Now stay down," Logan said firmly, his voice controlled despite the adrenaline coursing through him.

A sound behind him caught his attention and he turned to see Sabby outside, staring at him with wide eyes—not with fear, but with something else. Gratitude? Awe? Logan didn't know, but the intensity of her gaze sent a jolt through him.

"Logan—" she started.

"Behind you!" Sabby yelled suddenly, and Logan moved instinctively, turning to face a second attacker he hadn't noticed. The man stumbled back, surprised by Logan's quick reaction.

"Get out of here," Logan said firmly to both men. "This isn't going to end well for anyone."

The second man helped his friend up, muttering curses but clearly deciding the fight wasn't worth it. They retreated to their car, and Logan let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Jesus, get in here!" Sabby said, grabbing Logan and pulling him into the alley. As soon as the door was closed behind them, she pushed him in the chest. "What was that?"

"Those guys were looking for trouble," Logan explained, his heart still pounding. "I tried to avoid it."

"Logan, the guy you pushed away, I saw his ID earlier," Sabby whispered as she checked the door to make sure the latch was secure. She threw the lock, and ran to the front where she double-checked those doors as well before coming back. "That guy's a lieutenant! And don't tell me you're an officer, Logan. I've got a radar for rank. You're enlisted, and..."

"And rank or not, Lieutenant Drunk-Ass threw the first punch," Logan said calmly. Hearing Sabby's concern, he could feel another emotion swell up inside him. "That's just wrong, especially with the way he was treating you tonight. Bullying is wrong, Sabby. And to make fun of someone as beautiful as you? Doubly wrong."

Silence stretched out between them for a few seconds. Logan was well aware of what he'd just said, and he wasn't going to take back his words. Sabby was beautiful in a way he hadn't thought a woman beautiful in a very long time.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" Sabby asked finally, her voice a whisper.

Logan stepped forward, his hand gently cupping her face. "You're the most beautiful woman I've seen in a long time," he said softly. "And I'm not just talking about how you look."

He lowered his lips to hers, and in a moment of joy, she kissed him back. Her blood-red lips tasted of cherries, and the sweetness of it nearly overwhelmed him. Their lips pressed together as the kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, more passionate.

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