Marie sat in the back seat of her best friends Aélita’s Chevy sonic listening to the conversation going on around her. She couldn’t believe she has let Aélita talk her into going to Colorado. But she had to admit she really did want to go because she wanted to see Jeremy again, or at least attempt to see him again.

“So, what does the guy look like Marie?” Her other best friends Simon asked. “Is he really tall dark and handsome like Aélita says?”

Marie smiled thinking of course he would ask. “He’s not your type Simon.” She replied with a chuckle.

“Any mans my type.”

“Or any woman.” Marie shot back.

“Touché.”

“I swear sometimes you’re as bad as Aélita.”

Everyone laughed at that even Anh, one of her waitresses, who came along so she could see her grandmother.

“So Aélita how did you find out about where the general area of where Jeremy is from at?” Marie asked curiously.

“Theo let it slip while he was getting dressed that day that they were headed to Denver.”

“Oh.”

“Marie do you really want to do this, we can turn back now.”

“Yes I do. Even if I don’t find him it’ll be a nice vacation with a couple of my closest friends.”

“Are you worried?”

“About?”

“Him having to go back into service; Remember you said he mentioned he said hopefully he was retiring soon.”

“Yes and no. I think he just meant it because he got off of a two year deployment a couple months back. He also mentioned too that he had a couple months leave before he made any final decisions.”

“Well that’s good isn’t it?”

“I really don’t know. I honestly don’t know why he told me all that.”

Simon and Aélita exchanged a glance and chuckled. “Sweetie.” Simon said.

“What.”

“Maybe he felt the same way you do.”

“I doubt it.” She replied. “He was probably trying to make a conversation so we weren’t both bored while both of our best friends were going at it like rabbits.” She added jokingly then childishly flicked Aélita in the back of the head. “I forgot to ask but you two did use protection didn’t you.”

“Yes he was very serious about using a condom even after I told him I take the pill religiously.”

“Good. The last thing I need to worry about us you getting some disease from some Guy you’ll probably never see again.”

Aélita frowned. “You’re right. I’m glad he did insist. Because, I completely forgot to question him about if he had anything or not. But I don’t think he’d been with anyone in a while ‘cause he didn’t last very long.”

Marie nodded. “He was deployed with Jeremy.”

“And you’re just now telling me this.” Aélita screeched. “Holy geezes I had sex with a military man. Which you know damn well is on my bucket list.”

Marie laughed. “Ooops must of slipped my mind.”

“Probably cause all that’s on your mind is Jeremy this and Jeremy that.” Aélita gagged out.

Marie shook her head and looked out the window. Thinking that they had only been driving for six and a half hours and they had about another eight hours left, and that this was sure going to be a long trip.

In Colorado

“Hey Jer, are you down for going out this weekend before I head up to Montana?” Theo asked while they were out in Jeremy’s fathers’ workshop working on a car.

“You mean am I down to go to a bar where you can pick up a good looking girl, have mindless sex in the bathroom, then go pick up another girl and take her to your hotel room you’re staying in the last couple of days you’ll be in town so you can do just that anyways?” He paused with a smirk on his face and looked at Theo, Sure I’m down. But as I always say I’m not bailing you out… Again.”

Theo smiled big. “You know me so well.”

“Well let’s see we’ve only been working together for 10 years, I can’t seem to shake your stupid ass. Feel like I’m being followed by a homesick lost puppy.”

Theo laughed out loud not taking offense to what Jer had said. “Jer, I’ve been meaning to ask you something but can’t seem to find the right time, maybe now is it.”

“What?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been distant since we came back from deployment and even more so since you met Marie.’

“Well, you know how bad it was over there, and the thing with Marie is… I think I love her, I don’t know for sure. All I know is that I could talk to her so easily, I felt like I could tell her anything and she wouldn’t mind. Even the things I can’t tell her because it’s confidential.” Sighing he walked over to the work bench and grabbed a rag to try and wipe his hands off. “I also felt a physical need for her that I haven’t felt since Aille.”

“Wow, that’s intense dude. I’m here if you need anything.”

Jer nodded then stood. “I’m going to go for a run I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Make sure to change though.”

Jer nodded and went inside the house to change into some running attire. He wasn’t very big on running, but every now and then it did clear his head. And right now he could really go for some head clearing. All his thoughts seemed to focus around Marie, and it confused and scared the hell out of him. Because even though he was putting in for retirement if he didn’t get the position he wanted back At Fort Stockton, there was a very good chance a stop loss would be called. He and Theo had been only sent home because both of their return dates kept getting pushed back and before they knew it almost two and a half years had gone by since they’d seen American soil. So yes he was worried that even if he did decide to retire and go back and see what could come of him and Marie there was still the chance he could be sent back on deployment.

He couldn’t even go a single night without dreaming about her, and every dream was the same, he’d take her breasts and suckle them, while roaming his hand inside her panties and rubbing her clit. Just the thought of the dreams was too much for him so he set out on his run, thinking 8 miles would work.

Seven Hours and 10 minutes later its 8:15 pm Marie and her friends have dropped Anh off at her grandmothers and have made their way to the hotel they are staying at just outside of Denver.

“First thing on the agenda is food.” Marie said getting out of the driver’s seat. “We need to find a twenty four hour grocery or a Wal-Mart so we can get supplies for the week.”

“Marie have I ever told you that you’re way to serious.” Aélita said with a chuckle.

“Probably as many times as I’ve called you a slut; wait no I think I have called youa slut more.” She replied with a chuckle.

“I think you’re both mad, my opinion; first thing on the agenda now that we are here. Order pizza and go to bed.” Simon said with a yawn. “There’s plenty of time to go shopping for groceries tomorrow.”

Aélita nodded her agreement. “Come on Marie We’re all beat, and I don’t want to take the chance of you or me going to the store and falling asleep behind the wheel.”
“Okay you’re both right.”

And with that they all got their luggage and headed for their suite, which was a two bedroom two bath with a pull out sofa in the sitting room, and surprisingly Simon volunteered to take the pull out sofa. After sleeping arrangements were made and luggage was unpacked and put away, they all settled in the sitting room, rented a movie and ate pizza.

After the movie ended Marie got up and head to her room, stopping at the door she turned back to her two best friends in the whole wide world. “hey guys, No matter what happens this week, whether I find the guy of my dreams or I don’t, I want everyone to have fun and that is including myself; and I want you guys to know that I am very glad that Aélita talked me into coming, because you’re both right, I think I love him and I need to find out before it may be too late.” When she finished both Simon and Aélita came over and gave her a hug then they said good night to each other and went to bed.

The next morning Marie woke up refreshed and hungry. With a smile she got up and Got ready. She’d dreamed of Jeremy again last night. That he had taken her and made sweet passionate love to her, and that everything turned out okay. Good god she thought to herself is this what love makes you feel like. Then she smiled and decided she liked it no matter how childish and girly she felt.

Once she was ready she left her room and poked her head in Aélita’s to find her still asleep. Closing the door she went to the sitting room and saw Simon was also still asleep. With a shake of her head she went and got her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and wrote that she was going to the store and would be back in a couple hours.

Taking Aélita’s keys, and making sure she had her room key she left and went down to the car. On the way down she wasn’t paying attention and neither was the guy she walked into. “Sorry.” They said in unison. She continued and said “I wasn’t paying attention.” She looked up when he didn’t reply and gasped. It was Theo, Jeremy’s friend.

“Theo?” She said.

“Marie.” He stated simply.

“I –I-I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, neither do I, I’m trying to get over the shock first.” He shook his head. “What are you doing here in Colorado?” He finally asked.

Marie Blushed. “Well I was hoping to find Jeremy.”

“Really? That’s interesting; tell me how did you know to look in Denver?”

“Aélita said that you let slip where you guys were headed.”

Theo cursed under his breath.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, then gasped when she came to her own conclusion and said, “Please don’t tell me he’s marries.”

“What! No he’s not married.” Theo said with a slight chuckle. “I’m just irritated with myself.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. So where are you headed this early?”

“The grocery store, my friends were going to stay a week whether or not I found Jeremy or not.”

Theo nodded his approval. “Tell you what. I’ll go with you, and help you out. And together we can formulate a plan for you two to run into each other.”

Marie smiled.”Sounds mischievous, Aélita will be proud of me.”

“Is Aélita with you?”

Marie nodded. “So is our mutual best friend from High School, He’s gay.”

“Well maybe I can help him out also. Jeremy’s high school best friend Peeta is bi.”

“Cool.”

They talked as he directed her to the best grocery store near the hotel. And so far he told her that he had already gotten Jeremy to agree to go to the bars with him this weekend since he’ll be leaving Monday and heading to Montana. So what she should do is show up with her friends and have a good time, if Jeremy wasn’t paying attention he’d do whatever he could to get him to do something in her general direction.

Once she was finished shopping and they’d headed back to the hotel She finally asked. “Why are you helping me?”

He laughed and got a few bags from the car while she got the rest. The replied, “I miss my best friend. He hasn’t been the same since this woman named Allie dumped him, they’re still great friends but he got deployed shortly after that, and I know that definitely changed him. I mean it changed me also, but ever since he met you he’s been in a funk. And I think for the first time in three years he might be himself again.”

They stopped outside the door to her rooms, and she knocked hoping Simon or Aélita was up. When the door opened she sighed with relief, and chuckled when she saw that it was Aélita who answered. “ Girl, did you forget your key already what am- -.” She stopped short when she saw Theo. “Oh My God Marie, not even twenty four hours and you found him?”

Theo laughed. “Well, hello to you too Aélita.”

“Hi, where’s Jeremy?”

“I’ll tell you about it in a minute, take the bags from him so he can be on his way; he graciously helped me with the shopping.”

Smiling Aélita took the bags and said goodbye to Theo.

Turning to Marie after she closed the door she said “Something sounds Mischievous, are you finally coming over to the dark side?”

Marie smiled. “I don’t know maybe, but if I am I like it. And I don’t want to change.”