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marysuevirusYes, I know. I'm doing it again. LOL There are a few musical notes here.. I kind of like providing these if for no other reason than to set the mood for you guys. lol So the first one is I'm Beginning to See the Light (I love this song... I sang it at my wedding. LOL), and the second one is Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (Yes, more Andrews Sisters LOL). And lastly, The Green Satin Dress. Okay, I'm done. Have at it! LOL
Title: Letters Home
Fandom: Marvel Universe (seriously AU though...)
Rating: 18+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters here. They and the world this is set in are the property of Marvel Entertainment. The Purple Team is the property of ginevrasm (Morgan), ladydeathfaerie (Dare), sessys_fangirl (Jehnna), nanaeanaven (Roxxy) and dazzledfirestar (Haley). They are not to be used without permission. I make no money from this, and it is simply a form of entertainment.
Warnings: M/F sexual situations, violence (lots of it), World War 2 AU (yes, that's a warning)
September 28th, 1943
Dear Roxxy,
How’s my best girl? By the time this gets to you, you’ll probably be done your training. I really hope that they send you here. I’d hate to think about you even further away than you already are.
I think you’d like it in England. Everything’s got so much history, even if the Germans tried to blow it all away. It’s pretty sad that in some places, they really managed to do it too. Just another reason to be here, right? But I do really think you’d like it.
I guess that’s just a round about way of saying I miss you. You’d be the best Christmas present I could get this year, Rox. I love you and I can’t wait to see you again.
Haley’s predictions that getting off the boat would be better for everyone didn’t quite come to full fruition. After disembarking, and climbing into an over crowded jeep, the girls were treated to a long, bumpy and freezing tour of the English country side. It was late by the time they were dropped off at a small boarding house in town, and even later when they got themselves unpacked and settled.
Just as Roxxy considered falling asleep still fully clothed, Mrs. Carlisle came up the stairs. Across the hall, Haley barely stifled a groan.
The old woman was half blind and mostly deaf, but she spoke very highly of her ability to fend off any unwanted advances from the unsavory sorts about and defend the virtue of her boarders. Haley had quietly mentioned that she was fairly sure she could get the wanted advances past the old bat and that her virtue would still be in pretty much the same shape it had been in on arrival. Roxxy had suppressed a laugh and Jehnna had blushed. “For God's sake, girl. You’re a married woman. Are married women allowed to blush like that?” Haley’s voice rose, but Mrs. Carlisle didn’t actually seem to notice at all.
The woman shuffled along the hallway, adjusting her glasses as she went. “Would you like a bite before bed, girls? Lord knows you probably didn’t get a decent meal in your time on that ship.”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Carlisle, thank you.” Jehnna’s voice carried down the hall. At least Roxxy and Haley thought it did.
“What was that, dear?”
“I said I don’t need anything to eat, thank you.” Jehnna yelled this time, making sure that their landlady would hear.
“Oh, alright.” She smiled and nodded in the vague direction of Jehnna’s room. “And how about you, Miss Stewart? Miss Stone?”
They both circumvented the repeating of themselves by yelling the first time that no, neither of them were hungry. As the old woman shuffled back down the stairs, Haley let out a bit of a laugh. “Can you imagine what she’d feed us?”
“Her oven mitt, maybe?” Roxxy let a wry smile cross her face. “Either way, I think we might want to offer to do some of the cooking.”
“You got that right.” Haley shook her head. “All in all, it’s not a bad deal though.”
“You mean doing a little cooking in exchange for a matron that will never know there are men in her house, corrupting her innocent charges?”
“Exactly.” Haley grinned as Roxxy and Jehnna entered her room. “And Jehnna doesn’t get the innocent charge title. She’s married, she can’t be that innocent.” The brilliant flush on Mrs. Parker’s cheeks said differently. But then it hadn’t taken long for either girl to discover how easily Jehnna blushed. “Oh come on, Jen. How long has it been? Three years?”
“Three years and four months.” She said through a bit of a pout. “But he was in basic for half of that… then here, so…”
“So, you had almost two years before that.” Roxxy raised an eyebrow at woman across from her who was now studiously braiding her blonde locks.
Jehnna ignored them, muttering ‘One over one under’ to herself as she continued twisting her hair. Haley chuckled lightly and continued to unpack, hanging a green satin dress from the closet door. “That’s gorgeous!” Jehnna’s eyes went a little wide as she took in the dress. Her braid forgotten she stepped up and ran her fingers over the emerald colored satin. The dress would hang just past Haley’s knees with a slit in the back to let her move in it. The bodice had ruching from the halter to the waist, secured by a glittering broach shaped like a bow. The neckline dipped almost scandalously low.
“Well, a gal needs something pretty to wear on stage, right?” Haley smiled at the dress. “I got it years ago. We used to go dancing a lot back before…” She turned back to her suitcase and pulled of a few more things away. “Well, back before this whole mess started. I figured I should put it to good use.”
“Well you’re going to knock some socks off with that, I’m sure.” Roxxy smiled as she took a look at the things Haley had already placed on the small vanity near the closet. Her fingers ghosted over the edge of a photo frame before she lifted it for a closer look. The couple in the picture seemed to be in a restaurant, or a club maybe. Haley was looking at the camera, but barely holding back a laugh. It gave her a wide smile. The man next to her, handsome, tall, blond, wasn’t looking at the camera at all. His eyes were glued on her with that same wide, truly happy smile on his face and a warmth in his expression that was hard to miss. Roxxy was willing to bet that whatever he had said to her before the picture was snapped was the reason for Haley’s grin. “Is this the infamous Monsieur Rick?”
Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed the picture from her. “When are you going to stop calling him that?”
“When you stop giving me a reaction.”
“Yes. That’s him.” Haley smiled down at the picture for a moment. Something nostalgic passed behind her eyes before she put the frame back on the vanity. “The man of my dreams.” She chuckled again and went back to unpacking. “Should I go into your room and start rooting through your stuff when I’m done here?” She lifted her head and smiled, nothing angry coming from her at all.
“Not much to see, by the look of it.” Jehnna was leaning to peer across the hall. “A couple pictures on the vanity mirror and a few envelopes.” Roxxy’s jaw dropped as she stared at the younger woman. “What? Its only fair. You got to see her pictures.”
“Picture. Singular.”
“I’m not going to run over and read your mail, hun. I promise.” Haley pulled out a nightgown and slung it over her arm. “I will however be taking the last of the hot water. Excuse me ladies.”
~*~*~*~
The next few days were a blur, though each blur was a little different. Jehnna’s was filled with protocol, organization, rank, names and a million other things she was terrified she’d forget when she needed to remember. Most of it was simple things she’d learned in her training back in the states, but now, faced with the day to day, she was wondering if maybe Haley had the right idea and the USO might have been the better way to go.
Haley’s body was ignoring the blur. Not because there wasn’t anything important in there, but because she hurt… everywhere. Between rehearsals she’d volunteered to do anything else that was necessary in setting up the new USO center on the base. No one had told her that they’d have to clean out the barn they’d be using for movie nights and dances. She was desperately looking forward to the weekend when she could take the stage and not have to go home covered in dirt, straw and whatever else was lingering in that mess.
Roxxy was spending her evenings with her nose in a book and her days in much the same way Jehnna was. She learned where everything in the staff hospital went, emergency procedures, hierarchies, triage; all things she knew in theory but that she’d yet to have any actual experience with. By the end of the week, she could barely keep her eyes open though Mrs. Carlisle’s surprisingly tasty dinner.
“Ooh! I should get myself ready.” Haley jumped up the moment everyone had finished and took her plate to the sink. “Don’t want to be late.” She threw a smile at Jehnna and Roxxy. Rumor had it that most of the 101st had weekend passes, and most of them would most likely be at the Coach & Horse that night. Haley practically ran up the stairs, Roxxy trailing behind her and Jehnna shaking her head at both of them.
“I’ve never known someone that got that excited over work.” Jehnna laughed.
Roxxy patted the girl on the shoulder. “I don’t think it’s the show that’s got her all fired up, Jen.”
“Hey, don’t fault me for loving what I do… when it isn’t sweeping out barns anyway.” Haley had slowed down to roll her stockings on. If she put a run in these she’d end up painting a line down her legs and she was in no mood to get one of the girls to do that tonight. Everything was going to be perfect tonight. Even her stockings.
~*~*~*~
“She’s late.” Dare was tapping her foot already.
Morgan shook her head. “Maybe her watch is a total of…” she checked her own watch, “two minutes slow. Dare, you’re overreacting.”
“The hell I am.”
“And you’ve been spending too much time around those army boys. Language like that….” Morgan shook her head.
Before Dare could tell Morgan exactly what sort of language she could be expecting from her in the near future, the door to the pub opened and three women entered. “One of you had best be Haley Stone.” Dare scowled at the group.
“That would be me.” A tall redhead that was shaking the cold off her coat reached out a hand to the woman behind the bar.
“Bout time you got here. Your band is all set. Your supervisor was here…”
“Oh, isn’t she just a treat.” Haley rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to put up with Betty the Barbarian.”
Dare’s scowl showed no signs of lifting. “She yelled at me.”
“She yells at everyone.” Haley stared back at her for a moment.
Dare finally cracked a smile. “And here I thought I was special.” The tension cracked as both women laughed and Dare directed Haley to where the band was sitting. “And you lot? Are you the candy for the night?”
“What?” The blonde one looked more than a little scandalized. Dare nearly laughed. That one was going to be fun.
“We’re not with the USO.” The brunette smiled a little. “We’re just friends of Haley and…”
“Ah,” Morgan smiled knowingly. “Your boys are training here.”
The brunette nodded. “You’re American.”
“Isn’t her fault. No one can be perfect.” Dare smiled and went back to wiping off glasses.
“Yes, I am.” Morgan shot a look at the woman behind the bar.
“How’d you end up here?” Jehnna didn’t recognize her from the WAC offices and she was sure that Roxxy wouldn’t have asked if she were an American if she were on the medical staff. So that left one option. “Are you with the USO?”
“No, she’s a shiftless lay about.”
Morgan shot a look at Dare again. “I was… vacationing when the war started. I… decided to stay here.”
The girls exchanged a look as if to say that they didn’t quite get her reasoning, but they didn’t say anything. A round of introductions ensued and by the time Dare was ready to open for the evening, all of them were deep in conversation.
Morgan knew she had to be careful what she said. She knew these girls weren’t a part of any circle that would know how to contact the wrong sort of people and tell them where she was, but as she’d learned in her brief time in London, one could never be too careful.
So she skillfully danced around her reasons for being in Europe in the first place, any talk of men in her life and even her last name. If she could jive as well as she could side step their questions, she had no doubt she’d be able to spend her night spinning out on that dance floor instead of talking. That didn’t seem like such a bad idea actually. She’d have liked to talk to the girls more, get to know them, hear more about Roxxy’s Bobby and Jehnna’s Peter. She’d have liked to hear the reason behind Haley’s glaring and Jehnna’s giggling when Roxxy mentioned someone named ‘Rick’. But she wouldn’t expect them to share so much with her if she wasn’t going to reciprocate.
Haley’s voice brought her out of her head for a moment. The doors were open now and the pub was starting to fill. A few brave souls started to make their way out onto the improvised dance floor as the music really started to pick up. The door to the pub swung open as the band started a new tune.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
“Dare! Language…”
“Language’ll be the least of that lot’s worries if they don’t behave tonight.” Dare glared at the group that had just claimed a table near the stage.
~*~*~*~
She felt the breeze from the door but it didn’t break her concentration. Nothing short of a bombing could do that, she was sure. She glanced around the room a few times. More of the usual. Tables full of soldiers, locals, several girls giggling in a far corner. She wondered for a moment if they were really old enough to be in a pub. What was the legal age in England anyway? She’d have to ask Dare later.
The band switched gears on her and she didn’t miss a beat.
“I never made love by lantern shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But now that your lips are burning mine
I’m beginning to see the light”
Something moved in her peripheral vision. It looked vaguely like Dare and Haley assumed she was taking a round to the new arrivals. Nothing major, no need to pay attention.
The band swung into the next number and she smiled. She loved this one.
When the band leader signaled for a solo and she stepped back from the microphone, letting the lead clarinet step into the spotlight. She made it to the edge of the stage when someone reached up and grabbed her hand. She pulled back on instinct, turning to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. She stopped cold.
“Hey there, gorgeous.”
“Well, hey yourself.” Before she could say anything else, the solo ended and she found herself reaching for the microphone, unwilling to let go of the hand in hers. He smiled up at her as she started to sing the refrain.
“I could say bella, bella
Even say wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you
How grand you are.
I’ve tried to explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
So kiss me and say you understand.”
She heard a laugh from the band leader and the microphone was out of her hand. Before she could question it, she found herself dipped low off the stage and kissed until she was breathless. She could vaguely hear the wolf whistles and applause from the crowd, but for the first time ever, the applause didn’t excite her. Her eyes flickered open as he set her back on her feet. “I missed you, Haley.”
“I think everyone here is pretty well aware of that now.” She laughed, willing her cheeks to stop burning. She looked back at the band leader and he motioned her off. Apparently they’d do fine without her for a bit. “I’ve got another set to do, and I think I need a drink after that kiss.” She laughed again.
“And after that?”
“After that…” she smiled and pressed her lips to his again. “I’m all yours, Sergeant Barton.”
Title: Letters Home
Fandom: Marvel Universe (seriously AU though...)
Rating: 18+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters here. They and the world this is set in are the property of Marvel Entertainment. The Purple Team is the property of ginevrasm (Morgan), ladydeathfaerie (Dare), sessys_fangirl (Jehnna), nanaeanaven (Roxxy) and dazzledfirestar (Haley). They are not to be used without permission. I make no money from this, and it is simply a form of entertainment.
Warnings: M/F sexual situations, violence (lots of it), World War 2 AU (yes, that's a warning)
September 28th, 1943
Dear Roxxy,
How’s my best girl? By the time this gets to you, you’ll probably be done your training. I really hope that they send you here. I’d hate to think about you even further away than you already are.
I think you’d like it in England. Everything’s got so much history, even if the Germans tried to blow it all away. It’s pretty sad that in some places, they really managed to do it too. Just another reason to be here, right? But I do really think you’d like it.
I guess that’s just a round about way of saying I miss you. You’d be the best Christmas present I could get this year, Rox. I love you and I can’t wait to see you again.
Love,
Bobby
Haley’s predictions that getting off the boat would be better for everyone didn’t quite come to full fruition. After disembarking, and climbing into an over crowded jeep, the girls were treated to a long, bumpy and freezing tour of the English country side. It was late by the time they were dropped off at a small boarding house in town, and even later when they got themselves unpacked and settled.
Just as Roxxy considered falling asleep still fully clothed, Mrs. Carlisle came up the stairs. Across the hall, Haley barely stifled a groan.
The old woman was half blind and mostly deaf, but she spoke very highly of her ability to fend off any unwanted advances from the unsavory sorts about and defend the virtue of her boarders. Haley had quietly mentioned that she was fairly sure she could get the wanted advances past the old bat and that her virtue would still be in pretty much the same shape it had been in on arrival. Roxxy had suppressed a laugh and Jehnna had blushed. “For God's sake, girl. You’re a married woman. Are married women allowed to blush like that?” Haley’s voice rose, but Mrs. Carlisle didn’t actually seem to notice at all.
The woman shuffled along the hallway, adjusting her glasses as she went. “Would you like a bite before bed, girls? Lord knows you probably didn’t get a decent meal in your time on that ship.”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Carlisle, thank you.” Jehnna’s voice carried down the hall. At least Roxxy and Haley thought it did.
“What was that, dear?”
“I said I don’t need anything to eat, thank you.” Jehnna yelled this time, making sure that their landlady would hear.
“Oh, alright.” She smiled and nodded in the vague direction of Jehnna’s room. “And how about you, Miss Stewart? Miss Stone?”
They both circumvented the repeating of themselves by yelling the first time that no, neither of them were hungry. As the old woman shuffled back down the stairs, Haley let out a bit of a laugh. “Can you imagine what she’d feed us?”
“Her oven mitt, maybe?” Roxxy let a wry smile cross her face. “Either way, I think we might want to offer to do some of the cooking.”
“You got that right.” Haley shook her head. “All in all, it’s not a bad deal though.”
“You mean doing a little cooking in exchange for a matron that will never know there are men in her house, corrupting her innocent charges?”
“Exactly.” Haley grinned as Roxxy and Jehnna entered her room. “And Jehnna doesn’t get the innocent charge title. She’s married, she can’t be that innocent.” The brilliant flush on Mrs. Parker’s cheeks said differently. But then it hadn’t taken long for either girl to discover how easily Jehnna blushed. “Oh come on, Jen. How long has it been? Three years?”
“Three years and four months.” She said through a bit of a pout. “But he was in basic for half of that… then here, so…”
“So, you had almost two years before that.” Roxxy raised an eyebrow at woman across from her who was now studiously braiding her blonde locks.
Jehnna ignored them, muttering ‘One over one under’ to herself as she continued twisting her hair. Haley chuckled lightly and continued to unpack, hanging a green satin dress from the closet door. “That’s gorgeous!” Jehnna’s eyes went a little wide as she took in the dress. Her braid forgotten she stepped up and ran her fingers over the emerald colored satin. The dress would hang just past Haley’s knees with a slit in the back to let her move in it. The bodice had ruching from the halter to the waist, secured by a glittering broach shaped like a bow. The neckline dipped almost scandalously low.
“Well, a gal needs something pretty to wear on stage, right?” Haley smiled at the dress. “I got it years ago. We used to go dancing a lot back before…” She turned back to her suitcase and pulled of a few more things away. “Well, back before this whole mess started. I figured I should put it to good use.”
“Well you’re going to knock some socks off with that, I’m sure.” Roxxy smiled as she took a look at the things Haley had already placed on the small vanity near the closet. Her fingers ghosted over the edge of a photo frame before she lifted it for a closer look. The couple in the picture seemed to be in a restaurant, or a club maybe. Haley was looking at the camera, but barely holding back a laugh. It gave her a wide smile. The man next to her, handsome, tall, blond, wasn’t looking at the camera at all. His eyes were glued on her with that same wide, truly happy smile on his face and a warmth in his expression that was hard to miss. Roxxy was willing to bet that whatever he had said to her before the picture was snapped was the reason for Haley’s grin. “Is this the infamous Monsieur Rick?”
Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed the picture from her. “When are you going to stop calling him that?”
“When you stop giving me a reaction.”
“Yes. That’s him.” Haley smiled down at the picture for a moment. Something nostalgic passed behind her eyes before she put the frame back on the vanity. “The man of my dreams.” She chuckled again and went back to unpacking. “Should I go into your room and start rooting through your stuff when I’m done here?” She lifted her head and smiled, nothing angry coming from her at all.
“Not much to see, by the look of it.” Jehnna was leaning to peer across the hall. “A couple pictures on the vanity mirror and a few envelopes.” Roxxy’s jaw dropped as she stared at the younger woman. “What? Its only fair. You got to see her pictures.”
“Picture. Singular.”
“I’m not going to run over and read your mail, hun. I promise.” Haley pulled out a nightgown and slung it over her arm. “I will however be taking the last of the hot water. Excuse me ladies.”
The next few days were a blur, though each blur was a little different. Jehnna’s was filled with protocol, organization, rank, names and a million other things she was terrified she’d forget when she needed to remember. Most of it was simple things she’d learned in her training back in the states, but now, faced with the day to day, she was wondering if maybe Haley had the right idea and the USO might have been the better way to go.
Haley’s body was ignoring the blur. Not because there wasn’t anything important in there, but because she hurt… everywhere. Between rehearsals she’d volunteered to do anything else that was necessary in setting up the new USO center on the base. No one had told her that they’d have to clean out the barn they’d be using for movie nights and dances. She was desperately looking forward to the weekend when she could take the stage and not have to go home covered in dirt, straw and whatever else was lingering in that mess.
Roxxy was spending her evenings with her nose in a book and her days in much the same way Jehnna was. She learned where everything in the staff hospital went, emergency procedures, hierarchies, triage; all things she knew in theory but that she’d yet to have any actual experience with. By the end of the week, she could barely keep her eyes open though Mrs. Carlisle’s surprisingly tasty dinner.
“Ooh! I should get myself ready.” Haley jumped up the moment everyone had finished and took her plate to the sink. “Don’t want to be late.” She threw a smile at Jehnna and Roxxy. Rumor had it that most of the 101st had weekend passes, and most of them would most likely be at the Coach & Horse that night. Haley practically ran up the stairs, Roxxy trailing behind her and Jehnna shaking her head at both of them.
“I’ve never known someone that got that excited over work.” Jehnna laughed.
Roxxy patted the girl on the shoulder. “I don’t think it’s the show that’s got her all fired up, Jen.”
“Hey, don’t fault me for loving what I do… when it isn’t sweeping out barns anyway.” Haley had slowed down to roll her stockings on. If she put a run in these she’d end up painting a line down her legs and she was in no mood to get one of the girls to do that tonight. Everything was going to be perfect tonight. Even her stockings.
“She’s late.” Dare was tapping her foot already.
Morgan shook her head. “Maybe her watch is a total of…” she checked her own watch, “two minutes slow. Dare, you’re overreacting.”
“The hell I am.”
“And you’ve been spending too much time around those army boys. Language like that….” Morgan shook her head.
Before Dare could tell Morgan exactly what sort of language she could be expecting from her in the near future, the door to the pub opened and three women entered. “One of you had best be Haley Stone.” Dare scowled at the group.
“That would be me.” A tall redhead that was shaking the cold off her coat reached out a hand to the woman behind the bar.
“Bout time you got here. Your band is all set. Your supervisor was here…”
“Oh, isn’t she just a treat.” Haley rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to put up with Betty the Barbarian.”
Dare’s scowl showed no signs of lifting. “She yelled at me.”
“She yells at everyone.” Haley stared back at her for a moment.
Dare finally cracked a smile. “And here I thought I was special.” The tension cracked as both women laughed and Dare directed Haley to where the band was sitting. “And you lot? Are you the candy for the night?”
“What?” The blonde one looked more than a little scandalized. Dare nearly laughed. That one was going to be fun.
“We’re not with the USO.” The brunette smiled a little. “We’re just friends of Haley and…”
“Ah,” Morgan smiled knowingly. “Your boys are training here.”
The brunette nodded. “You’re American.”
“Isn’t her fault. No one can be perfect.” Dare smiled and went back to wiping off glasses.
“Yes, I am.” Morgan shot a look at the woman behind the bar.
“How’d you end up here?” Jehnna didn’t recognize her from the WAC offices and she was sure that Roxxy wouldn’t have asked if she were an American if she were on the medical staff. So that left one option. “Are you with the USO?”
“No, she’s a shiftless lay about.”
Morgan shot a look at Dare again. “I was… vacationing when the war started. I… decided to stay here.”
The girls exchanged a look as if to say that they didn’t quite get her reasoning, but they didn’t say anything. A round of introductions ensued and by the time Dare was ready to open for the evening, all of them were deep in conversation.
Morgan knew she had to be careful what she said. She knew these girls weren’t a part of any circle that would know how to contact the wrong sort of people and tell them where she was, but as she’d learned in her brief time in London, one could never be too careful.
So she skillfully danced around her reasons for being in Europe in the first place, any talk of men in her life and even her last name. If she could jive as well as she could side step their questions, she had no doubt she’d be able to spend her night spinning out on that dance floor instead of talking. That didn’t seem like such a bad idea actually. She’d have liked to talk to the girls more, get to know them, hear more about Roxxy’s Bobby and Jehnna’s Peter. She’d have liked to hear the reason behind Haley’s glaring and Jehnna’s giggling when Roxxy mentioned someone named ‘Rick’. But she wouldn’t expect them to share so much with her if she wasn’t going to reciprocate.
Haley’s voice brought her out of her head for a moment. The doors were open now and the pub was starting to fill. A few brave souls started to make their way out onto the improvised dance floor as the music really started to pick up. The door to the pub swung open as the band started a new tune.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
“Dare! Language…”
“Language’ll be the least of that lot’s worries if they don’t behave tonight.” Dare glared at the group that had just claimed a table near the stage.
She felt the breeze from the door but it didn’t break her concentration. Nothing short of a bombing could do that, she was sure. She glanced around the room a few times. More of the usual. Tables full of soldiers, locals, several girls giggling in a far corner. She wondered for a moment if they were really old enough to be in a pub. What was the legal age in England anyway? She’d have to ask Dare later.
The band switched gears on her and she didn’t miss a beat.
“I never made love by lantern shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But now that your lips are burning mine
I’m beginning to see the light”
Something moved in her peripheral vision. It looked vaguely like Dare and Haley assumed she was taking a round to the new arrivals. Nothing major, no need to pay attention.
The band swung into the next number and she smiled. She loved this one.
When the band leader signaled for a solo and she stepped back from the microphone, letting the lead clarinet step into the spotlight. She made it to the edge of the stage when someone reached up and grabbed her hand. She pulled back on instinct, turning to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. She stopped cold.
“Hey there, gorgeous.”
“Well, hey yourself.” Before she could say anything else, the solo ended and she found herself reaching for the microphone, unwilling to let go of the hand in hers. He smiled up at her as she started to sing the refrain.
“I could say bella, bella
Even say wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you
How grand you are.
I’ve tried to explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
So kiss me and say you understand.”
She heard a laugh from the band leader and the microphone was out of her hand. Before she could question it, she found herself dipped low off the stage and kissed until she was breathless. She could vaguely hear the wolf whistles and applause from the crowd, but for the first time ever, the applause didn’t excite her. Her eyes flickered open as he set her back on her feet. “I missed you, Haley.”
“I think everyone here is pretty well aware of that now.” She laughed, willing her cheeks to stop burning. She looked back at the band leader and he motioned her off. Apparently they’d do fine without her for a bit. “I’ve got another set to do, and I think I need a drink after that kiss.” She laughed again.
“And after that?”
“After that…” she smiled and pressed her lips to his again. “I’m all yours, Sergeant Barton.”
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