A Soldier For Christmas Read online

  Derrick laughed. “Yeah, I get that. Although I’ve found it to work both ways. Most of my buddies back home are married, with kids, and buying houses and minivans. I have a tiny apartment in Georgia, on the base, and drive the same car I bought after graduating from AIT. So, in that regard, I feel a little behind.”

  “There’s that,” I agreed, setting my fork down again. “And hey, as a woman, I get the added pressure from every woman’s magazine reciting the odds of marriage after thirty, or spouting tips for freezing my eggs…” I shook my head. “Sorry…side rant.”

  Derrick chuckled. “No worries. I wouldn’t want anyone telling me to freeze my eggs either. I’m more of a scrambled kind of guy.”

  I shoved his arm playfully. “You’re a little cheesy, huh?”

  He laughed. “I just like the way you smile. If cheesy is what it takes, I’m willing to go full on cheddar.”

  I laughed, really loud at his statement. “Thanks. I appreciate it. It’s been a really rough year…”

  “Yeah. I’ve had a few of those myself.”

  I glanced up at his statement, wondering what he was referring to. I imagined they were a lot darker than mine. The life of a career soldier that spanned years of war was probably a lot more intense than a divorce. What had he seen? Done? Had he lost friends in battle? Had he seen people die? His friends?

  I shoved aside my nosy questions and offered him a small smile. I couldn’t ask him to delve into his personal pain, even though for whatever reason I found myself drawn to the shadows in his eyes. It wasn’t any of my business and on top of that, I didn’t feel like spilling my own guts. So, instead, I pushed my plate away, set my napkin beside it, and said, “Thanks for dinner and for cheering me up.”

  He tipped his chin. “Any time. Maybe we could do this again sometime. Before you jet set back to the Big Apple.”

  “I’d like that,” I said quickly, before my over-analytical mind could run wild with questions as to what the invitation meant.

  Derrick smiled, the soft lines around his mouth deepening. “What’s your schedule like while you’re here?”

  “I’m not really sure off the top of my head. It’s all stashed in my phone, which…” I stopped to pat at my pockets, “—appears to be missing.”

  Before I could offer him my number, my eyes snagged on a cluster of people just inside the doorway. I frowned. “There’s the rest of my crew…”

  Jenna spotted me and made a beeline over to the table. Her expression was a mix of frustration and concern as she leaned over. “Sophia, are you all right? I was looking for you, but you just kind of disappeared,” she paused, her eyes drifting over to Derrick. Her lips formed a little “O” as though just realizing I was with someone.

  “I’m fine, Jenna. Just needed a break.”

  Jenna straightened and offered a tight-lipped smile. “Sure thing. After you’re done here though, we really need the rest of the footage. Dale’s already emailed three times asking for the footage…apparently, he doesn’t understand travel delays.” She rolled her eyes to herself and then flashed a forced smile at Derrick.

  I placed my hand on the table, centimeters from Derrick’s, not daring to reach out and touch him. “Maybe you can come to the show tomorrow night?”

  Derrick, without missing a beat, replied, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  I smiled, my cheeks warming from the simmering frustration over being tugged away before Derrick and I could finish making plans. Jenna wasn’t even my manager, she was just a lackey for the production crew. Why was I taking orders from her?

  Like it or not, I didn’t want to make waves, especially in front of the production crew that were standing behind Jenna. I pushed up from the table and glanced at Derrick. He fished a card from the pocket over his heart and handed it to me. “Here’s my card, email me anytime or call my direct line from the VoIP system.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled and took the card, not missing the way his fingers brushed over mine as he passed it off. “I’ll see you tomorrow after the show.”

  Derrick flashed one final smile, his eyes dark, dancing with mischief that made me shiver. “Looking forward to it.”

  ****

  “Who is that guy?” Jenna hissed once we were far enough away Derrick couldn’t hear.

  From the look on her face, she was just as struck by him as I was.

  I shrugged, trying to appear casual when my heart was still pounding in my chest from the all-too-brief meeting with one of the most devastatingly handsome men I’d ever met. Which was saying something, since I’d met most of the hottest actors in Hollywood and all the top musicians that had packs of women panting in their seats during every show. “His name is Derrick. I just met him.”

  “Lucky girl!” Jenna squealed. “Sorry I had to pull you away, but I’m already on thin ice with Dale and the studio. I’m afraid I’ll get back to LA and find my desk boxed up in the hallway.”

  “How come?”

  Jenna escorted me back through the maze of hallways that I’d barely noticed before because I’d been too busy trying not to stare at Derrick. The rest of the acts were back in the dining hall, but we were on our way back to my room to finish the interview so that Jenna could fire it off to Dale, hopefully before he had a shit fit. I’d only met Dale a handful of times over the past few months as we planned the tour. He didn’t strike me as a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. Jenna probably had reason to fear his wrath.

  She huffed, tossing her long, chestnut hair over her shoulders as she pushed into the bedroom I’d abandoned. “I fucked up the last production I was working on. It was a stupid mistake but it cost the studio a lot of time and money to fix. I’m sure this assignment is my punishment. I was supposed to be home for Christmas this year. Instead, they drop kicked me to the desert.”

  I winced. I’d volunteered to go on the trip and had plenty of time to notify my family and friends, all of whom were fine with putting off plans for the week after, when I would return home again. “I’m sorry…do you have kids?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Not even a boyfriend at the moment. Although, I guess that might be a plus, with all these hottie soldiers walking around. Damn! If you’re not scooping up Mr. Fuck-Me-Eyes, I’d be more than happy to provide him with some Christmas-time company…” She winked at me and then strutted back to the chair she’d occupied before.

  A snappy retort raced to my lips but I bit it back. I had no right to go around claiming men as mine. Besides, it was probably best not to piss off the woman who was responsible for my schedule for the next ten days. I smiled at Jenna, playing off her comment, and ran my fingers through my hair. The waves created from the tight bun I’d worn for the last couple of days were now cemented with hair spray and the more I fussed, the frizzier things got. I abandoned the attempt to comb my hair and turned to the mirror to swipe on a fresh coat of gloss from a tube that had been left on the desk. The camera man and lighting assistant got back into place and I took my seat.

  “Wait! Where’s your sweater?” Jenna asked, suddenly horrified.

  I glanced down. “Oh…I must have left it back in the dining hall. I can go—”

  Jenna snapped her fingers and her assistant scrambled into action. However, as soon as the wide-eyed girl pulled the door open, Derrick was standing on the other side, hand raised to knock, his other gripping the sweater. Our eyes met across the room and the immediate smile on his lips melted me.

  Jenna laughed, cutting me a wicked grin. “Cute and he pays attention to wardrobe details? I’d say he’s a keeper.”

  Jealousy flushed through me as she strutted to the door to grab my sweater, pushing her chest out when she stepped in front of Derrick.

  “I just figured it would be a national tragedy if this thing didn’t get some air time,” Derrick drawled, holding up the sweater, his eyes still shifted in my direction.

  “Damn, and here I was trying to make sure that didn’t happen,” I teased.

  Derrick laughed and handed the swea
ter to Jenna, who didn’t look all that amused. “See you tomorrow night, Sophia.”

  A shimmer of anticipation worked over me as I nodded. “See you.”

  He left after giving Jenna a polite nod and she shut the door again. “Seems you have an admirer,” she said, turning back to return to her chair. She smoothed her skirt and took her place, snapping at her assistant and the camera guy.

  A bright light hit me in the eyes without warning. “Argh!”

  “Ready?” Jenna asked.

  The light adjusted and I blinked rapidly to clear the spots from my eyes. “Sure…”

  Keep it together, Soph. Don’t go to pieces again. You’re better than that. And more importantly, he’s not worth your tears.

  Jenna rolled her fingers and the camera man bent over his equipment. “Tell us what Christmas traditions are nearest and dearest to you, Sophia.”

  I smiled and straightened my shoulders before beginning, “For me it’s all about the Christmas tree. Growing up, my family lived in a small rural town. We’d go up into the mountains and scout for the perfect tree. Once we all got done debating which one was the one, my dad and brothers would cut it down and we’d take it home. Then, my dad would spend an hour or so, shaping it and getting it set up just right, while we would eat Christmas cookies and sing along with the songs on the radio. Then, when he finally had it ready, we’d all rush in and start hanging the decorations. It’s always been my favorite tradition and even now, with my brothers and me scattered across different states, we all return to my parents’ house to hold up that tradition. We’re the Last Minute Lucy’s out hiking through the forest to get a tree two days before Christmas.”

  Jenna smiled and continued, “Sounds lovely. Do you have a real tree then? Back home in New York?”

  “Sure do.” I nodded. “Although it gets delivered now and professionally decorated.”

  “Perks of being a star,” Jenna purred, a glint of something dark in her eyes as she smiled at me.

  I shrugged, ignoring her pointed stare. I smiled for the camera, before retorting, “I suppose. It’s just a little harder in Manhattan. Most cabs wouldn’t be too happy if you tried to tie a giant tree to the roof of their car.”

  The camera man, lighting tech, and Jenna’s assistant all chuckled. Jenna, on the other hand, only offered a tight smile before launching into her next question.

  Chapter Four - Sophia

  It’s amazing what ten hours of sleep, a massive breakfast, and three cups of coffee could do to kick a case of jetlag in the ass. After a night of uninterrupted sleep, I took a long, hot shower and dressed to go get some breakfast from the dining hall Derrick had taken me to the night before. When I finally peeled myself away from the breakfast buffet—hello unlimited pancakes! —I took my third cup of coffee to go and found a little spot in a shallow alcove outside the dining hall. I was working on a blog post with my laptop perched on my knees when a familiar voice stirred me, “Hey, there!”

  A smile spread over my face before I turned and spotted Derrick as he broke into a slow trot to cross the hallway over to where I was seated, without interrupting the flow of traffic down the hallway that appeared to never stop for long. “Morning,” I replied, leaning forward to set my laptop on the low-profile table situated between the two high backed chairs.

  Derrick swept into the chair angled toward mine and flashed an easy grin. His hair looked wet, as though he’d just taken a shower. If his body looked tempting wrapped in his fatigues, I could only imagine what it would look like stripped bare, under the spray of steamy water. “How was your night?” he asked.

  I blinked rapidly, clearing away my vivid daydreams and smiled through the flushed warmth on my cheeks. “Really good. How about you?”

  “Had a late night, but that’s the normal for me. Things never really shut down around here.”

  “Probably a good thing,” I replied, smiling at him.

  He braced his elbows on his knees and leaned in. “After sixteen months in this place, I’m pretty used to the noise. It’s like an old grandfather clock at this point.”

  “Sixteen months?”

  “Not in a row, but yeah, over the last two years.”

  My heart sank a little at his answer, though I wasn’t sure why. “Were you home for the holiday’s last year?”

  Derrick shook his head. “No. I went home two months after Christmas for my two weeks of leave. I was actually supposed to be up for Christmas leave this year, but I—” he stopped himself and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

  “What happened?”

  He dropped his hand. “I gave my leave to one of my buddies. His wife just had a baby and it’s her first Christmas. I don’t know…I just figured he needed that time a little more than I do.”

  I swallowed hard. “Wow. That’s really sweet.”

  He shrugged and sat back in his chair. “It was an easy call. Although my mom wasn’t too happy with me.”

  I chuckled. “I bet not.”

  “I’ll be done in time for New Year’s though. So, we’re just postponing things a little.”

  “That’s what my family is doing too. They’re putting things on ice until I get home.”

  Derrick smiled. “Doing the big Time’s Square thing?”

  I laughed. “Only from the safety and relative sanity of my own home! I went to Time’s Square once on New Year’s Eve and it was a hot mess!”

  Derrick laughed. “I went once and have to agree.”

  “Not my scene. However, I would make an exception if I was invited to perform. That would be pretty cool.”

  “I doubt many people turn down that gig,” Derrick said.

  “Hey, if that ever happens, maybe your sister will drag you along,” I said, smiling at him.

  He laughed. “She might not have to twist my arm too hard.”

  “Play your cards right, and you’ll have a connection to get tickets without having to mortgage your house.”

  Derrick chuckled. “I knew there was a reason we met.”

  A flutter swirled through my stomach. My mom’s voice echoed in the back of my mind. Kismet.

  Derrick glanced down at my laptop. “You busy working?”

  “Just a blog post. I try to update my fans once a week on my blog and then my team tweets and re-blogs and whatever else they do with it. The magic of social media.” I looked at the time displayed on the computer and cringed. “I do have a sound check in about twenty minutes.”

  “Aww, damn.”

  I chuckled. “Why?”

  “I was hoping I could steal you away for a little while. Treat you to a cinnamon roll or something, before your nanny finds you again.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t, even if I had time. I hit the pancake bar pretty hard this morning…” I confessed, shifting in my seat, hoping the evidence of the food baby wasn’t too obvious.

  Derrick shrugged. “You’re allowed to have both.”

  I laughed. “Is that all you do around here? Eat?”

  “First of all, they’re very good.” I raised a skeptical eyebrow and Derrick crumbled, smirking at me. “But yeah, you’re right, that’s kind of my side job around here.”

  I straightened in my seat and closed my laptop. “What about if you were back home? What would you be doing on a Saturday morning? It is Saturday, isn’t it? I’ve lost track…”

  “Last time I checked, yes.” Derrick chuckled and nodded. “As for what I’d be doing…that depends.”

  “On?”

  He smiled, tipping his chin down. “On whether or not you were there with me.”

  My cheeks warmed. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so off kilter. Derrick had me blushing and squirming in my seat, fumbling for my next sentence.

  Derrick didn’t miss a beat. He leaned back, still flashing that heart-stopping smile, and added, “Let’s see…you like Mexican food?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  Derrick chuckled. “I knew you were my kinda girl. In that case, we’d meet u
p for lunch, and I’d take you to this little hole in the wall taco joint. It’s nothing fancy but it’s run by this amazing family and everything they make is super authentic. It’s the best. After that, I would take you downtown and go to this second-hand shop. They always have cool shit to look at. Then, next door, there’s this donut place that will blow your damn mind!”

  “It really is all about the food with you, isn’t it?” I asked, grinning at him.

  Derrick’s eyes smiled as he glanced over at me. “Food and a pretty girl, what else would I ever need?”

  “Smooth, Lawley, very smooth.”

  “What about you? Take me to Manhattan.”

  “Well if you’ve never been to New York, I feel that I’d have to play the good host and take you to all the tourist things. Time’s Square, Central Park, maybe catch a Knick’s game at Madison Square Gardens.”

  He gave me a half-cocked smile. “Yeah? You’re not all red carpets and photo shoots?”

  I laughed, trying my best to look offended. “First of all, I haven’t done a red carpet anything for about three years. And I detest photo shoots. I tried convincing the studio to use a picture of my guitar on the last album cover. They didn’t go for it, but I managed to work it into the shot and didn’t have to get glammed up.”

  Derrick’s eye gleamed as his smile spread wider, almost like he was relieved by my answer. “Not a girly girl then?”

  I hitched a shoulder. “Not in that way, I guess. I mean, sure, I still like pretty things and spend an absurd amount of money on things like shoes. I live in Manhattan after all. I would be doing the city a disservice if I didn’t at least try.”

  My smile broke through and we both laughed together. The moment froze in my mind and I realized how damn good it felt just to be happy. It had been far too long since the last time I’d been so light and free. Looking forward to the trip to Iraq, I hadn’t been sure what to think or feel, other than butterflies and nerves over the what-if scenarios that rolled through my head. I’d purposely avoided the news for a few weeks prior to the trip, not needing a story of a bombing or some uprising to fuel a string of nightmares before boarding the plane.