really want to spend much time with.â He swallowed hard. âPlenty of guys did, of course, and lots of those girls tended to get recycled, if you know what I mean.â
I knew.
âAnd I didnât want to be part of that process.â Brett took a slow sip from his newly refilled beverage. âSo I pulled back a bit, I suppose you could say. Just kept things superficial for the most part.â
âSounds like you never had a serious relationship.â I couldnât believe I blurted that out.
It clearly startled him too and he was slow to reply. âWell, letâs just save that topic âtil you know me a little better.â
âIâm sorry.â Oops, I kept putting my feet into my mouth. And it killed conversation for a few long moments. I believed both of us really wanted to start over and I certainly wished I could erase the last ten minutes or so. I also figured I had hit another big nerve, which could explain Brett âs use of wagers and other gimmickry to get my attention, rather than the old fashioned manner of just being himself. Heâd evidently somehow reached a conclusion that âhimselfâ wasnât good enough â which I understood only too well, having spent much of my life feeling that same way.
I finally thought of a way to hopefully lighten the mood. âIâll bet I can guess the military unit you were in.â
Iâd caught him off guard and his lips curled slyly, his first relaxed grin in a good while. âHow specifically?â
âWell, not down to the company or squadron number⦠but just by sizing you up and the very little bit youâve already revealed, I can discern the type of unit you were in, probably to the division.â
âWithout peeking at my old uniforms?â
âNo uniform.â
That made him stop and think. âWhat happens if you win?â
âIf I win this one, we never have any more wagers.â
âWhat if I win?â
âDonât bet on it.â
He was smiling rather warmly as he deliberated â made me think he was imagining me without clothing again. âIf I win, you cook me supper tomorrow at your place.â
âHa!â It was louder than Iâd intended. âYouâd lose anyway, because I canât cook.â Then I blushed slightly. Momma warned me never to admit her failure to teach me adequate kitchen skills.
âIâm willing to take my chances.â He studied me intently. âYouâre not a mind reader, are you?â
âNo, whyâd you ask?â
âWondered if you knew what I was thinking right now.â
I felt heat in my face. Couldnât tell exactly, but Iâd guessed his thoughts were probably about me and something intimate. âNope, Iâve got no idea what youâre thinking.â
âThen thereâs no way youâll guess my unit.â
âCavalry Division of the U.S. Army⦠donât remember the number.â
âFirst Cav⦠the only one.â He smiled. âHowâd you know?â
âLike I said⦠just sized you up.â I smiled back.
He looked blank for a minute.
âYour tattoo.â I pointed. âThere on your, uh, biceps.â That well-developed muscle flinched as I mentioned it. âI figured that horse head on the shield could mean only two things: chess club nerd or Army cavalry unit⦠like the one Mel Gibson was in for that Vietnam movie.â
âI never had the patience for chess⦠too slow for anything to develop.â Looking quite disappointed, Brett sat back in his chair and let out a slow whoosh of air. âYou beat me so that means no more wagers.â
I nodded. It felt nice to finally have the upper hand, though without use of snark.
âDoes that also meanâ¦?â
I realized I had not calculated the ramifications of winning that sure bet. Our first gambles had been about trying to get him out of my