“The best beaches?” Aleck echoed.
“Yup. Some of the best places to body surf, or lie on the sand without having to deal with hundreds of tourists, or to snorkel, are privately owned. I’ve been able to find a lot of them, have been kicked off a few, but for the most part, as long as you aren’t being a jerk, no one cares if you’re there.” She gave him a side-eye. “I bet the Navy base has some good beaches.”
Aleck chuckled. “Probably not as many as you’d think. Unfortunately, the top officers don’t really look kindly on sailors lounging around on a beach while at work.”
“Darn,” Kenna said.
“But I’m happy to get you on base and drive you around if you want to look for yourself.”
“Yes!” Kenna said enthusiastically. “And in return, I’ll be happy to show you some of my favorite private beaches. But you have to promise not to do anything to get us kicked out.”
“Promise,” Aleck said.
The beeping of an alarm sounded from inside Kenna’s pocket, and Aleck reluctantly let go of her hand so she could shift on a hip and pull out her phone.
“Shoot. My break is over,” Kenna said as she turned off the alarm.
Aleck was surprised at how fast the time had gone. But then again, he had a feeling he could’ve talked to Kenna all night and not gotten bored.
“I really would like to see you again. Maybe on one of your nights off,” Aleck said.
“I’d like that,” Kenna said.
Aleck let out the breath he’d been holding since his screwup. He was happy she was giving him a second chance after putting his foot in his mouth. “Can I get your number? Or I can give you mine,” he said, not wanting to be too pushy or get a set of fake digits.
“Give me yours,” Kenna told him.
Aleck rattled them off and she programmed them into her phone. He felt his cell vibrate in his pocket after a moment.
“I sent you a text so you’d have mine too,” Kenna told him.
Aleck beamed. “Awesome.” He stood and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you back. I don’t want your boss to be pissed.”
“Alani’s cool. She’d understand.”
“Still.”
Kenna put her hand in his and let him help her up. And instead of letting go immediately, she held on as they walked back toward Duke’s. The lights of the restaurant seemed extra bright after their time on the beach.
A loud burst of laughter came from the bar area, and Aleck couldn’t help but smile.
“Sounds like Elodie and Lexie are having fun,” Kenna noted.
“Yup.” Looking over at the bar, he saw the women were laughing it up with the two bartenders. Mustang, Midas, and Jag were sitting at a table near the bar.
“Should I be worried about how much they’re drinking?” Kenna asked tentatively as she looked over at Elodie and Lexie.
“No,” Aleck said. “Mustang said he was going to have a word with the bartender and ask that they go easy on the liquor in their drinks.”
Kenna stared at him. “That’s…kind of presumptuous, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Not really,” Aleck said easily. “Both Elodie and Lexie already knew, since Mustang and Midas discussed doing it in front of them.”
“Oh.”
“We’re a protective bunch,” Aleck told her. He was somewhat warning her as well as trying to explain. “It’s not like they mind their women getting drunk, but they don’t want them getting sick. And both Elodie and Lexie are all right with it, since they’re not big drinkers. They know they’re being looked after, even as they let loose a little.” He shrugged. “It works for all of them.”
“And your other friend? Why’s he still here?”
“Carly,” Aleck said with a smile.
“Ah, of course,” Kenna said.
“He likes her, even though he’s not ready to admit it.”
“I think I told you earlier that Carly dated an older man? Well, it didn’t go well. Not at all. She’s definitely not ready for another boyfriend right now.”
“I can understand that. But that doesn’t mean Jag is gonna give up.”
“He’s got his work cut out for him,” Kenna warned.
“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. If it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for. It it’s worth attaining, it’s worth fighting for. And if it’s worth experiencing, it’s worth putting aside time for,” Aleck said.
Kenna stopped in the middle of the dining room and looked up at him. “Oscar Wilde said that.”
“Yup. I’ve always loved that quote. I’m paraphrasing a bit, but I memorized it in high school, and it’s amazing how many things it applies to. My job. Friendships. Relationships. Spending time with someone you want to get to know better.”
“Shit,” Kenna muttered. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Just for the record, you’ve more than made up for being snobby earlier.”
Aleck grinned. “Good.”
“Kenna!” Charlotte called when she saw her. “Good timing. Vera just sat someone in your section. You want me to grab their drink order for you?”
“I’ve got it!” Kenna told her. She looked back at Aleck. “Time to get back to work.”
Aleck dropped her hand and nodded.
They smiled at each other for a moment, before Kenna spun around and headed for the kitchen.
Aleck watched her go, feeling a pang of disappointment. He supposed he would’ve felt it no matter when they parted ways. Kenna was pretty different from the women he’d dated in the past…in a very good way.
He strolled toward the bar and overheard Elodie telling the bartenders the story about what they’d done in the restroom. They all burst out laughing again.
“I’m totally gonna keep that ruse up,” the female said. “Shouldn’t be hard. And if it makes people be nicer to the waitstaff, all the better.”
Aleck couldn’t agree more. He headed for the table where his friends were sitting. He saw that Mustang had a glass of water in front of him, and assumed Midas was drinking iced tea. Jag was nursing a beer.
He pulled out a chair and sat.
“You good?” Mustang asked.
“Yup,” Aleck told him.
“How good?” Midas pressed.
“We exchanged numbers, and even though I said some stupid shit, she still wants to see me again,” Aleck said with a smile.
“Awesome. Even though I don’t believe you said anything stupid,” Jag said.
Aleck grinned ruefully. “Kenna called me a snob. And she wasn’t wrong.”
“You aren’t a snob,” Midas said in surprise.
Aleck shrugged. “I try not to be, but obviously not having to worry about money has affected me in ways I hadn’t realized.”
“But you two are cool?” Jag asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Jag paused, then asked, “She talk about her friend at all?”
He smirked. “You mean the cute waitress you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of all night?”
Jag shrugged.