“So, while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, I took a waitressing job. It was awful, and the pay sucked…but I realized I loved meeting all sorts of different people every day. That job led to another, and after a while, I met someone who put in a good word for me here. It’s been a few years now, and I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”
The enthusiasm and honest enjoyment of her job was clear in her tone. She wasn’t blowing smoke up his ass. She honestly seemed to love what she did. It was somewhat of a revelation for Aleck. He just assumed she was waitressing temporarily while she looked for a “real” job. But it was obvious this was a real job for her.
“What about you?” Kenna asked.
“What about me?” he asked.
“You’re a SEAL. How’d that happen? Were you one of those kids who always dreamed about joining the Navy and becoming a superhero? Or were you forced to join up because you were a troublemaker?”
Aleck chuckled. “Neither, actually. I was an okay student, didn’t get into trouble, and was voted class clown,” he told her. “After high school, I was kind of lost. Didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Wasn’t really ready for college. I went down to the recruiting office in San Francisco and talked to all the recruiters. The Navy offered me the most money and benefits. So I joined up.”
Kenna smiled. “You totally played them off each other, didn’t you?”
“Yup,” Aleck said without remorse. “I got through boot camp and sat through a recruiting session about the SEALs. I thought it sounded like a challenge, so I signed up.”
“And here you are,” Kenna said.
“Well, it wasn’t quite that easy,” Aleck said with a snort.
“I know. I’m not an expert, but I know about BUD/S.”
“Yeah, Hell Week and BUD/S sucked, but there’s so much more to becoming a SEAL than just that.”
“I figured. So…you’re from San Francisco?” she asked.
“Yup. My parents still have a home there too. They travel a lot, but that’s home base.” He wasn’t about to get into the fact that they were multi-millionaires right now. Or that he had quite the healthy trust fund. He wanted Kenna to like him for who he was, not for how much money he had.
Silence fell between them for a long moment. But it wasn’t awkward. Not really.
“How old are you?” Kenna asked.
“Twenty-nine,” Aleck said without hesitation. “You? Or…am I not supposed to ask that?”
“I’m thirty. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t like twenty-one or forty. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with either, but after Carly’s recent terrible experience with an older man, I’m not sure I want to go there. And twenty-one just seems super young to me.”
“It is,” Aleck agreed. He was curious about her friend’s situation, but Aleck knew he only had a little bit of time to talk to her tonight. He wanted to know more about her, not her friends. “You grew up on the East Coast?”
“Yeah. Richmond, Virginia, actually. I went to Virginia Tech, then got that job in Pittsburgh.”
“Any siblings?”
“Nope. I’m an only child. My parents are divorced but still friends, weirdly. They were one of those couples that had a whole parenting plan. I spent weekends with my dad and was with Mom during the week.”
“That had to suck,” Aleck said.
Kenna shrugged. “Not really. As I said, my parents were friends. They didn’t fight, and I didn’t think much about my situation until I was in middle school and realized it wasn’t really normal. My dad got remarried, and I really like my stepmother. She’s very different from my mom, which is probably why she and my dad’s relationship works so well.”
“Did your mom ever get remarried?” Aleck asked.
“Nope. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t date. She always made sure I was well taken care of, but she loved having her weekends free so she could hang out with her friends and boyfriends.”
“She sounds…interesting,” Aleck said.
Kenna smiled. “She is.”
“And your folks are all right with you being out here?” he asked.
Kenna’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it sounds like you had a stable job, then you left to come out here to Hawaii without a plan and are now only a waitress.”
“They want me to be happy,” Kenna said, the friendliness in her tone gone. “And being here makes me happy, so yeah, they’re all right with it. My mom visits every few months and my dad’s been here a few times too. But it doesn’t sound as if you’re all that impressed with me or my job.”
Aleck blinked and realized she was offended by his questions. And no wonder. “Shit, it’s my turn to apologize now. I didn’t mean to disparage what you do.”
Kenna glanced at the water without responding, and he knew he needed to dig himself out of the hole he was in. “Honestly. That was a shitty thing to say. I just know my parents at first weren’t all that thrilled about me being stationed out here in Hawaii. They complained that it was too far away. They’ve come to appreciate me being out here, though. They come visit all the time, but I’m just a convenient excuse. They see me for like three hours, then spend the rest of the week on the beach and being tourists.”
Aleck was relieved to see Kenna’s lips twitch.
Taking a chance, and hoping like hell it wouldn’t backfire, Aleck reached over and took her hand in his. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, once again noticing how silky smooth her skin was. “I’m sorry for being insensitive,” he said softly. “Most people I’ve met are always trying to work their way up the corporate ladder. Even in the Navy. It’s all about rank and moving upward.”
Kenna didn’t yank her hand out of his grip, which Aleck appreciated. She stared at him for a long moment before saying, “You’re a snob.”
Aleck blinked. Was he?
Yeah…he probably was.
“I mean, you’re cute, so you have that going for you though.” Kenna smiled. “I know being a waitress isn’t what most people aspire to do with their lives. But I had that cushy accounting job, and I hated it. I felt hemmed in. If I had continued to work there, it would’ve smothered me. I might not be making a million dollars a year, but I’m happy. I meet all sorts of interesting people. I get to spend time at the beach during the day and I’m not trapped in a cubicle, staring at a computer.”
Aleck felt horrible. He was a snob. He’d never considered that someone who worked as a waitress might want to do so. Might actually like it.
“Do you like your job?” she asked.
“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate.
“Even though you could die? That you could be shot and no one would ever know the circumstances behind it? Even though you can’t really talk about what you do? I’m just assuming that’s the case, by the way. I don’t know for sure. Some people would look at you and think you’re crazy. Why would you want to put yourself in danger for people you don’t even know? And while the world isn’t like it used to be—most people appreciate our soldiers and what you do—there are those who still think you’re the devil incarnate, that you enjoy killing people. And yet…you still do what you do.”