Anchor Line (33 page)
Authors: Dawne Walters
“Mother Fucker!” Conrad boomed loudly after he read it. She was actually blowing him off. Passing fancy? What the actual fuck? Could she not see that although he did write other women, she wasn't a passing fancy? If? IF he still wanted to meet in Pittsburgh, would she meet him? What the hell was that all about? Feeling a little more than pissed off, he wrote back.
Sunday, 10:58
From: [email protected]
RE: R U fucking kidding me???
You are NOT a passing fancy Addie. There, I’ve said it. Now you know! Yes, I want to meet you in Pittsburgh. I want to fuck your brains out. What else do you want from me?
He hit the send key and waited for her reply. After a few minutes before he opened his dad's email. He hit refresh and saw Addie’s reply.
Sunday, 11:01
From: [email protected]
RE: Whatever...
My dates for Pittsburgh are May 3d to the 17th. You know how to get ahold of me. I’m going to bed. Be safe.
Addie
Fucking great. Now he'd pissed her off. Just what he didn't want to do. He decided to let the conversation go. Fuck it. Opening the email from his Pop, who was a man of little words when it came to email. He'd written about how he was redoing the back yard now. He was ready for the wedding to be over too, as Carrie was getting crazy with all the planning that it took. The other email was a few pictures that Conrad's dad had taken of the yard where he was renovating. Making a nice puzzled stone patio and planting a few fruit trees.
The email from Carrie asked him what size he wore for his tux, and that everything was almost complete for the wedding including colors and flowers and cake flavors. Conrad's email from Jeff was a simple. ‘Help us all from Carrie and her wedding.’ But definitely wished his brother well and wanted to take a few Steelers home games when Conrad got home next season. He closed his computer and set it on the makeshift desk, then leaned back against his bunk trying to give his soldiers enough time to shower, always put their welfare first. Just like his brother and sisters.
He thought about his family in Pittsburgh. When Conrad came home and announced to his Pop, that he'd joined the Army, Pop couldn't have been more proud of his son. He went to the store, bought a twelve pack and drank with his nineteen year old son on the back porch steps.
Conrad was the only one of Pop's kids that was ever going to be in the Army too. And it was in those first few years that Conrad was in the Army that had solidified his stance on not getting married while he was in the Army too. He couldn't put a woman through the uncertainties of Army life. He rarely knew where he was going with the Army. How could he put his wife, someone he was supposed to care about, through that same thing? So, while he was single, he was going to have fun. And indeed, he had fun. He'd met some beautiful women, and not all of them did he have sex with. But the only woman who really stuck with him was Addie. He'd known her just a few short months before he'd moved to Italy, and now, deployed in Afghanistan.
He had a special affection for Addie. He'd wanted to kiss her so many times when they had lunch or had just goofed around. Addie gave off the 'vibe' as Conrad had called it when he finally told her two months before he'd left that he was leaving. She didn't want to get hurt and begged off some of their lunch dates claiming that she was busy or had other plans. He knew what she was doing and still, he wanted her. The day he'd left, it tore his heart out to know that she’d been crying. But damn, the month that he’d stayed with her before he left was amazing. He’d do it all over again if it was the same way. He’d always remember it, and if things were different, he might have wanted more. But for now, he was happy just to have her emailing him. He could look forward to her visiting with him in Pittsburgh once he got home. Maybe he'd even try and have her come to Italy. They’d talked about it when he was staying at her house in Bragg. Her mother’s family was from there. What better time to see her again than at almost Christmas time? It was the perfect plan.
“Hey man, showers are open. The guys are happy you went in there guns a blazin’ to make sure you guys got taken care of.”
Conrad looked up to see Cal standing in the opening of his AO.
“Cool. Let me get my shit and I’ll be back. Then we'll go hit some chow.” He answered rubbing a hand over his face to shake the weird feeling he got after Addie’s email.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Welcome to Pittsburgh International Airport. Please control all bags. Do not accept any items to carry onboard a flight from anyone unknown to you. Report any unattended items in the airport or on an aircraft to the nearest airline or security personnel.” The recorded voice came of the loudspeaker for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the past twenty minutes.
Even though Addie was flying in to Pittsburgh, she was going to rent a car so that she could get around while she was home for two weeks in Pittsburgh. Conrad’s brother Jeff had dropped him off at the airport before going out to do whatever it was that Jeff was going to do that Friday, so Conrad kicked around the Pittsburgh international Airport while the recorded voice of travel warnings drove him crazy.
He couldn’t believe that even after the last email where he pissed her off, he actually got her to agree to meet him while he was home on mid-tour leave. Even though she was up there for her parents’ celebration of her mother’s grand opening of her catering business, Addie had agreed to be his date to his sister’s wedding. So being in the airport was going to be a huge surprise for Addie. After looking up at the arrivals screen and seeing that her plane had landed Conrad made his way to the baggage claim with the handful of flowers that he had bought from a vendor there in the airport. He stood there in a pair of jeans and dark blue T-shirt that showed off his lean muscular body, and a pair of sneakers that he had to buy this morning.
Watching the comings and goings of the people there he wondered if he’d missed Addie getting her luggage and going to the rental car kiosk, when he saw her coming down the hallway dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a white long sleeve button-down shirt and her Doc Martens. Her hair was loose and flowing behind her as she determinedly walked toward baggage claim. Conrad was almost certain that she hadn’t seen him so he waited until she got a little closer and stepped in front of the turnstile, flowers in hand and stared right at her.
The look on Addie’s face was priceless. Her determined walk slowed while a smile grew on her face. She looked from Conrad’s face to the flowers he was holding and back into his eyes. When she was just five feet away she flung herself at him and his arms came around her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed as if he was her lifeline.
Conrad slid one hand into Addie’s hair gripping it at the base and tilting her face upward he slammed his lips down on her and kissed her like it was the first time. Addie yielded to him as his tongue slipped between her lips and search for hers. Her hands slid up his neck and into his hair gripping it tightly as she kissed him back. After a few moments Conrad pulled back from her and rested his forehead on hers his nose touching hers his eyes looking into hers.
“Yes Addie, I have missed you.” Conrad offered.
“That wasn’t so hard was it?” Addie smiled.
“Excruciating.” Conrad smiled chuckling.
“For a man of your stature I can only imagine.”
“When are your parents expecting you?”
“Well, once they find out that you’ve met me at the airport I don’t expect that they’ll be expecting me anytime soon. If that’s what you’re getting at.” Addie kissed his lips with a quick peck.
“Good. Because I want you so bad I’d be willing to fuck you in the airport bathroom. But only if your game.”
“Oh, so that’s the only reason why you wanted me to come up and see you.” Addie puckered her lips.
“No.” Conrad rubbed his nose against Addie’s. “That was just the more fun reason.”
“Well let me at least tell dad that you met me in the airport, he’ll understand.” Addie offered.
“I don’t want to get you in trouble with your folks.” Conrad said pulling his hand from her hair and taking her hand. He handed her the flowers and she immediately brought them to her nose to inhale deeply of their scent and smiled.
“Thank you for the flowers”. Addie smiled. “I’m sure my parents will understand, they are busy baking anyway for the grand opening.”
After walking up to the baggage claim and grabbing her bag after Conrad asked which one was hers, they made their way through the airport to the car rental counter where Addie picked up her rental. Conrad paid for the upgrade so that they would be driving a Chrysler 300, claiming that he could not be caught in a little clown car like a Prius or Chevy Aveo. Signing the paperwork Conrad grabbed the keys and they walked to get the car and put the luggage in the trunk.
“I’ll drive.” Conrad said taking the keys not leaving room for argument.
“Wait a second.” Addie stood by the passenger car door. “You’re not taking me back to your dad’s house to have sex are you?”
Conrad looked at her and raised an eyebrow. ”You know that sounds like a better idea. The idea of getting caught by your boyfriends’ dad. Or a sibling walking in on you, living dangerously. I like that.”
“I would be mortified if your brother or sister or dad walked in on us. So what’s your plan Skippy?” Addie asked getting in the car now.
“Actually, I was thinking of all the places we could fuck each other here in Pittsburgh. The incline, a dressing room in the mall, maybe somewhere in Heinz Field. Like say oh...the 50 yard line right over the Steelers emblem.” Conrad chuckled as he buckled his seatbelt and adjusted his seat.
“That all sounds quite exciting however, I don’t think I’m a feeling that adventurous right now.”
“Well then I guess we’ll just have to do it in my hotel room.” Conrad offered, moving over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“You got a hotel room?”
“My sister is getting married in two days? Ring a bell?” Conrad teased.
“I know that but why aren’t you staying at your dad’s house?” Addie asked.
“Because Carrie has taken it over with wedding shit.” Conrad offered. “So being the hero that I am, the hotel that Carrie’s wedding is at has graciously offered for me to stay with them at fifty percent off.”
“How in the hell did you manage that?” Addie asked scrunching her eyebrows.
He glanced over just briefly before they pulled up to the pay booth “I’m me.” He answered simply wiggling his eyebrows at her.
“It’s no wonder you’re still single.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that being single you can play the field you can get discounts, stuff like that. Did you fuck the night clerk yet?”
“Oh yeah, in the linen closet, the pool, the room where the ice machine is because she got overheated, oh, and my personal favorite…the elevator.” Conrad said his voice dripping sarcasm and smiled brightly at Addie now giving the parking attendant the ticket and driving through.
Addie took in the scenery as Conrad expertly moved down the highway through the streets to get to downtown Pittsburgh, where he was staying. Addie loved the downtown area was exciting with the tall buildings and people walking around the different sites places to eat and shop. Conrad pulled up to Sixth Street and in front of Addie was the Renaissance Hotel.
The Renaissance Hotel was a historic landmark in Pittsburgh, otherwise known as the Fulton building in the early 1900s it had undergone several renovations, but now it was one of the best hotels in Pittsburgh. Addie loved the copper roof and the deal with lead glass, it was her favorite. A beautiful brick building that looks over the Allegheny River with a beautiful view of the six Street bridge. Conrad pulled through and was met immediately met by the parking valet who opened not only Conrad’s door but another opened Addie’s and offered to take the luggage up to the room. Conrad thanked valet saying that he would get the luggage and they could take it up to the room themselves.