Page 20 of Metal & Mud

Sabby's stomach clenched, but she nodded. "Um, yeah."

"So where the hell did he go until two in the morning?" Jess asked wonderingly. She pursed her lips, sighing. "Private First fucking Class Logan Goodman, you're giving me gray hairs when I'm far too young for that shit."

Sabby's world tilted, and she swallowed the now tasteless lump of food in her mouth. Quickly, she coughed, pretending it was a bite of misshewed hashbrown. "You okay?" Jess asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just... you know," Sabby said, pushing her food around her plate. "But I thought you said your new guy's name was Hollywood?"

"That's just the nickname I gave him, and it's sort of stuck," Jess said. "Trust me, you'd know why if you saw him in uniform. He's tall, with hair that looks naturally slicked back even though I know he's not putting any gel or stupid shit in his hair, dark hair, blue eyes... dude looks like a recruiting poster," Jess said, chuckling. "If I were into peen, I'd have to be careful around him, you want to be straight."

Sabby felt dizzy as the pieces fell into place. Logan—*her* Logan from last night—was Jess's new private. The same one her sister had put on barracks restriction. The one who'd still managed to find his way to the bowling alley despite that restriction.

"Say, if Devante took his keys, that means Goodman had to stay on post, right?" Jess asked. "I know that the guards at the main gate were aware of things, and Hollywood doesn't know the base well enough to know where to sneak over the fence undetected. But the only place on post that's open late-ish is the bowling alley. Did you see him last night? About six foot, one eighty five to one ninety, black hair, blue eyes, strong jaw and fit?"

"Um... maybe," Sabby said, the lie tumbling out before she could stop it. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure Jess could hear it. "I mean, Saturday night's pretty busy."

"I think he likes rock music, he's definitely no country boy," Jess said, clearly focused on the mystery. "Ring a bell?"

Sabby nodded, continuing her lie, wondering how she was going to navigate this mess. "Yeah, yeah. Came in and had dinner, if I remember right."

"Okay, I get that," Jess mused, "but then what? What the hell did he do between dinner and two in the fucking morning?"

Sabby squirmed in her seat. If she told Jess what had happened, things could get complicated fast. The fight with the National Guard officer would definitely come to light. And Logan was right, the guy had deserved what he got, and Logan shouldn't have to pay for defending himself.

But beyond that, it would be a headache for Jess professionally. Just a few months ago, Jess had lost one team member due to poor performance. Losing another new soldier so quickly would reflect badly on her career. And sleeping with your team leader's sister probably wasn't something the military looked kindly on.

"So did Goodman get into any trouble or anything while he was there?" Jess asked, and Sabby shrugged, trying to keep her face neutral. "You sure?"

"He had dinner, talked with some folks, that's as much as I saw," Sabby said, feeling sick at the half-truth. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, I mean he was out until two in the morning," Jess explained. "The alley closed at eleven last night, right? So what was he doing until then? It's like a fifteen minute walk from the alley to the barracks if you're taking your time."

Sabby laughed, the sound hollow to her own ears. "Maybe he just didn't want to spend time in the barracks, you know? I mean, I haven't seen the inside of them before, just the pics you've shown me. But they can't exactly be fun to hang out in."

Jess laughed. "In garrison? Nah, too many headaches. Besides, Nakamura's the barracks head NCO, and he doesn't put up with that sort of shit, it's technically against regs. No visitors in barracks rooms, and no sex in the barracks."

Sabby shrugged, her face feeling hot. "Who knows, then? Maybe he was doing what you told him to do, and spent some time walking and thinking?"

Jess pondered for a moment, then laughed. "Yeah, maybe. More than likely though, my new PFC got himself some action. With his good looks he'd probably have girls lined up out the door."

"That is... probably the crudest bowling-sex pun I've ever heard," Sabby said, forcing a laugh. "Jesus, where do you think of this stuff?"

"I spend about seventy hours a week in an almost totally male environment," Jess pointed out. "The testosterone sort of soaks in through the skin. So you're probably right. My new guy smelled a girl, found some spot under a tree or something, and got his freak on. Not the smartest move in the world, but let's face it. Men need release from time to time or they go insane."

Sabby looked down, picking at her remaining food. She wasn't sure how to feel about what her sister was saying. The casual way Jess dismissed what, to Sabby, had been an intensely meaningful experience stung.

Was that all it was to Logan too? Just a release after months of pent-up frustration?

"I think I'm going to get some laundry done," Sabby said, standing up and taking her plate to the sink. She needed to get away before her emotions showed on her face. "You mind getting the dishes?"

"No problem," Jess said before clearing her throat. "Hey, Sabs, you okay? You look upset over something. Was it my joke? Look, I'm sorry babe, I just... you know."

"No, I know," Sabby said, wiping at her face before giving her sister a wan smile. "I'm good, I just really should get the laundry started before getting on my homework for class."

"Sure," Jess replied, letting the matter drop. That was what made Jess so special; she respected Sabby's feelings, never making her feel less than justified. "Hey, after I wash up, I'm going to go into town, take care of the grocery shopping for the week. You have any special ideas for dinners?"

"No, I'm good with whatever you buy," Sabby said, wanting to end the conversation. Jess nodded, and Sabby went to her room, where she sat down on her bed and stared at her hands.

It couldn't have been just a one-night stand... right? The way Logan had looked at her, touched her, held her afterward... that had felt real, genuine. But now, knowing he was her sister's subordinate, everything felt more complicated.

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