Command Indecision (Lexi Graves Mysteries) by Camilla Chafer Read Free Book Online

and stretched my arms, feeling the stiff aches of my body slipping away.
    "No time like the present to find out," said Solomon as he pressed a few buttons, wiped the screen, and powered down. He checked his watch. "There's a bar on base where a lot of the civilians hang out. I figured we'd go there, get something to eat and start introducing ourselves."
    The thought of alcohol and promise of food had the simultaneous effect of making my head reel and my stomach grumble.
    "I need to change my shirt. This one is rumpled. Give me five minutes to freshen up," I said, easing myself off the small couch and making my way to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me. After frightening myself in the mirror with tired eyes and pale skin, then smoothing the flyaways with my hand, I tweak ed my ponytail. I also freshened up my makeup as I looked around the small room. It wasn't much. Basic, cheap tiles; easy to clean and maintain with a small window overhead. To the right was a shower stall with a fold-back door , wedged into the space next to the tub . I peeked inside the shower . Solomon had brought our things in while I slept and now his shower gel hung neatly next to mine, our toothbrushes side-by-side on the sink. I opened the small, mirrored cabinet. There were even his and hers razors. I was glad he hadn't unpacked my makeup, since apparently, I needed a lot more help to look effortless than he. I shut the shower door again, pulled a monstrous face in the mirror, and grinned.
    It was only for a couple weeks, I reminded myself, then I would be back in my own apartment, preferably with another solved case under my belt. All I had to do was talk to a few civilians; make chatty with Jillian's friends and skulk around as Solomon's faux wife. No problemo at all. As for our toothbrushes lying together... well, sharing the cramped apartment with Solomon would be no worse than growing up in a house with three older brothers and a perfectionist sister. And not once would I think of him naked in the shower. Except for now, but that didn't count.
    I braced my hands on the sink and took a deep breath, feeling my chest constrict and release. I closed my eyes, willing away the panic attack that bubbled through my diaphragm . Getting away was a good thing. Leaving Montgomery behind, along with Adam Maddox, was a good thing. It was he, not I that was the problem. I would do just fine. The space and separation would be the tools to help me heal. The focus on the job would occupy my mind. When I got home, I'd be able to face the reality that Maddox wasn't a part of my life anymore. There wouldn't be any embarrassing phone calls and showdowns, or the aches and pains of revisiting the places where we had fun. I was going to be okay.
    I opened my eyes and looked into the mirror.
    How hard could it be? We'd be out in two weeks tops and back to our normal lives.
    "You wish, jellyfish," I said to the mirror me.
    ~
    As far as bars go, this wasn't the most exciting I'd ever been in, but since it was a weekday night, I figured it probably livened up on the weekends. A dark, polished bar spanned the length of one wall, leaving a stretch of tables and chairs between it and two pool tables. The pool tables were snagged already, the players drinking while quietly talking, and a couple of tables were occupied. One held two women; the other had a larger group of men. No one wore uniforms. The sound of laughter drifted towards me.
    After pointing me to the bar, Solomon excused himself to the men's room. I hopped onto a stool at the center of the bar and caught the barman's attention. He gave me a “ one minute ” si g na l with a finger before turning back to the refrigerator he was currently re- stocking. I waited while he finished, shut the door, and faced me, turning in a graceful movement and grabbing the towel slung over his shoulder. He stepped towards me and automatically began to work on a spot he saw on the spotless bar with the towel he pulled from his