Page 72 of SEAL Mates

Paula

Ruby said that I should meet her at the bakery after hours. It will be a long night, so I should wear something comfortable. I didn’t know what she meant, but with all the time I’d spent in clothes either to keep me warm by dressing like an eskimo or indoors dressing as if I was at the beach. It was nice to go out for a second time since I’d been here. The first being when I was out with Derek for the dinner/dance.

“I didn’t know what to wear, so these pants and shirt, ok?”

I said casually as I turned up at the bakery and Ruby ushered me in. She was in a pink flowery dress and considering she was maybe in her seventies, she knew how to fix herself up. I felt underdressed considering I went to the store with Derek yesterday to pick something special to wear tonight. There were a few boutiques in town, it was nice to go shopping there. Everything where I lived was all typical commercial shops such as JC Penny, Sears or Target. Nothing like here, and this is when it hit me, why the ladies here dress so fashionably. Mom for one has not stopped shopping since she got here, she even hinted about me staying here forever which was a little weird.

Not only that, but for the first time she started dating Trent nearly four years ago. I’d actually had a decent conversation with him. Like we sat down and played a game of chess. Something I would never have considered doing in the past.

There was something about Burlington, Vermont that had changed me, and not in a bad way. It had me open to new ideas and thoughts, something that I hadn’t been in such a long time.

“Well, we are having a spa and cocktail night.”

She said as we moved from the door to the side of the bakery. I started to get nervous, as soon as she said the word, we.

“Who else is here?”

As we reached the corner, I didn’t have to ask as my question was already answered for me.

“Us!”

There was Lynn, the African American lady that ran the wine shop. That was a night Alec said we would do one night and we hadn’t done. Not because he hadn’t gotten around to it, but because it was nearly always booked up. The next opening for the wine tasting event was like four weeks from now, and I clearly wouldn’t be around. Tourists booked it before they came to town, it was one of the main attractions.

Helen, I’d seen her around, she was the same age as I. That part I could figure out, from the six kids she had which she often talked about the couple of times I’d bumped into her at the bakery.

Also, there was another unfamiliar face. Like maybe I’d seen her, but I couldn’t quite pick out where.

I nodded my head, but my eyes were focused on the mystery guest.

“Of course, she doesn’t know you Kate. Well, this is Kate. She’s an ex-SEAL and she has a business in town.”

Kate’s blue eyes lit up as she approached me. She was an ex-SEAL, she appeared to me more like Heidi Slum’s twin. She was gorgeous from the black sequence dress he wore and hugged her figure in all the right places, to her blonde hair which was tied in a bun.

“I heard you speak at the meeting. Pretty impressive, when Rose said that she invited you. Well we thought you would be a perfect person to add to the group.”

“What?”

Rose smiled as she looked round the space, as if they all had a secret handshake and it was done with their eyes. Helen handed me a flute of Champagne, and I smiled, seeing them sip on it, as if they were not ready to toast. Not yet, they needed confirmation about something, the question was what.

“Well, we are a secret society,” Rose began to explain, as she took my hand.

“Oh Rose, don’t be so melodramatic. We’re not anything of a sort.”

Helen waved her hand as if to dismiss what Rose had just said.

“We’re a bunch of entrepreneurs and women who are pretty successful. Katie hit her one million turnover by opening kick-boxing clubs in the South and they are pretty much hot property right now. So, we decided seeing as we are successful and as women, we never celebrate our wins. We would love for you to come out with us when we got out or just to hangout.”

I clapped my hands.

“I’m not worthy. You’re a bunch of successful women, and you want me to be in your group. I’m far from successful.”

Helen put her flute down, and then came to touch me on the back.

“Look, do you think being in the Navy was easy. Especially when you’re gay. Every woman thinks that you want to hit on them. No one takes you seriously. Seriously, we’ve all had shit on us. Helen raises six kids alone.”

“What?” I asked, because I was pretty sure I’d seen her with her husband.

“I’ve seen you around with your husband. I’ve seen you a few times with him.”

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