Stolen Smile Ch. 06: Marines

I jerked awake to my alarm at 7:30. Light was just beginning to paint the western sky pink as the dawn approached. Blinking sleep from my eyes I padded to the kitchen and switched on the small coffee maker I had, its warm steamy hiss filling my senses with the warm earthy aroma of dark roast. Fridays were always special as a kid as it was the one day my mother stayed home and made us breakfast before we had to jump on the school bus. She always had some warm and filling dish warming in the oven when we stumbled into the kitchen, and it made for an exciting and wholesome end to the week that had been filled with breakfast cereal most other days. To this end, I made it a point to have something more substantial than oatmeal for breakfast on Fridays. Today's breakfast were cinnamon rolls. I didn't have class Lab until 9, so I sat at my table, looking out at the city around me as the sun painted the tops of the highest buildings with brilliant orange light. Reaching for my phone I saw 4 new messages from Alyssa. Grunting with surprise, I opened them as I took a bite of my pastry, only to have it almost fall from my mouth as I gasped in surprise.

"Which costume should I wear to the Party on Saturday?" Her text was attached with 3 different photos, each one a 'sexy' version of a classic Halloween costume.

The first photo was Alyssa stretched out on her bed, in the classic "draw me like one of your French girls" pose, fish net stockings stretching up to a black tutu that barely contained her tits, a black feather boa and pair of black point shoes hung from her neck, and a crown of black and white feathers perched on her hair that must have been drawn back into a ballet bun. Her eyeliner and eye shadow blended into exquisite wings, her lips were painted black and parted in a sensual smirk that oozed sexual tension.

I scrolled to the next photo and was surprised to see her leaning into the camera, her cleavage clearly on display for my benefit, framed by long wavy auburn hair that tumbled from her head. She had replaced the bun and feather crown with a wig of 60s styled bangs, green neck scarf and lavender dress that didn't leave much to the imagination. She was sexy Daphne from Scooby Doo! Clearly she enjoyed dressing up and my mind couldn't help but fill with dirty thoughts.

But if I had had dirty thoughts up to that point in the morning, they were drowned by the last picture she had sent me. Laying on her bed, looking back over her shoulder at the camera, her feet up in the air, she was adorned with purple and pink striped calf high socks, a pleated pink and purple skirt that hung just low enough off her ass to cover her pussy. She had a pink and purple backless shirt that, though I couldn't see it from this angle, surely displayed her cleavage in a most flattering manner. Hidden by bright pink hair that tumbled past her shoulders, I could only see half her face, her eye shadow bright pink, it ran down her nose where she had drawn on white whiskers with an eyebrow pencil? What held my attention was her lips; drawn back into a wide grin that exposed her bright pink braces.

I had completely forgotten about the cinnamon roll in my other hand as I sat enraptured by this bewitching girl who had stayed up all night to send me thirst traps at 1:19 in the morning. Finishing my breakfast I gathered my lab equipment and hurried out the door, my mind anywhere but Chem 419.

As I splashed across Market street, I quickly responded to Alyssa:

"I dunno... those costumes are pretty uptight...I thought you were going to do something sexy ;)

Definitely the Cheshire cat"

Lab passed slowly, our professor excitedly detailing every step of our work that day. My eyes wandered to the rain-streaked windows, my mind drifting between different costumes I might be able to throw together for this party. I hadn't been to a Halloween party since high school but Alyssa had texted me other day asking if I'd like to go with her to a party organized by someone who knew someone she knew.

My phone buzzed again. Eagerly I snatched it off the desk.

"Hey, its been a long time, but I'm going to be in Portland this weekend. I would love to catch up with you. Let me know what your plans are."

"No way" I breathed, then replied: "Yeah! Actually tonight would be great. I'm meeting some buddies for drinks at around 9pm at the White Owl. Wanna join?" It had been years since I'd last heard from him, right after high school graduation. This would be fun.

***

"No way! You're full of shit" Trent laughed.

"I'm telling you it was 100% her idea" I raised my eyebrows as I took a drink.

"Pics or it didn't happen" he teased, throwing a tater tot in his mouth with a smirk.

"It was dark" I countered, raising my voice over the happy hour crowd. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Use the flash, duh" chimed in Jake. "Show us a photo of this chick!"

"Sure thing, as soon as I get back." I stood and made my way through the crowd. Fridays sure were busy here. The damp odor of hard liquor, fried food and people soaked to the bone from the rain filled the building almost as ubiquitously as the rowdy Portland State underclassmen who were already beginning to celebrate halloweekend.

As if by design, my phone buzzed in my pocket, it was Alyssa.

"You'll just have to come and find out ;) Did you find a costume?"

Smiling, I shoved my phone in my pocket and grabbed drinks from the bar tender and began maneuvering through the crowd back to our table. Turning the corner I noticed my seat was taken, a tall, blonde, and short cropped haircut had anchored himself in what had been my seat a minute prior.

"Excuse me sir" I growled in his ear "This seat is not for jarheads like you"

Whipping around, I could see the grin on his face as he nearly jumped out of the chair. "OO-rah Brother!" he cheered, wrapping me in a bear hug only a fraction of a second after I set the drinks down. "Its been too long!"

I grunted, being bagpiped by this tree trunk of a human. Releasing me, he stepped back, a smile from ear to ear, his intense blue eyes flashing with excitement. "Good to see you!"

"And you" I replied, regaining my breath. "Let me introduce you to the boys. Ky, this is Trent, he's on the rowing team." I gestured towards a man dressed in plaid, his curly hair pulled into a man bun low on his head. He raised a beer in salutation. "And this is Jake, he goes all the way back to freshman year."

"Nice to meet you, man" Jake nodded, a nonchalant smile on his relaxed figure.

I grabbed another chair and we sat, drinking and snacking as Ky regaled us with stories from Afghanistan, Korea and every other place he'd been since I'd last seen him. We weren't actually brothers but had been on the rowing team together in high school. After graduation, I had moved to Oregon and started college, Ky had immediately enlisted in the Marines and spent 4 years in every corner of the world.

"So Ky" Jake started, pushing the basket of tater tots towards the Marine "What brings you to rainy, wet, Oregon after such a globe trotting adventure? You got a girl?"

"Not yet" grinned Ky "But judging by the ladies in here, it shouldn't be too hard" he nodded his head in the direction of a table occupied with a group of ladies who were clearly out on ladies night. "But what really brought me here was work."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, wondering what gimmick he'd be pitching this time. Ky had always had a nose for schemes and charades, he hadn't been the most fiscally responsible person I'd known, and like most soldiers, had purchased a big four by four truck after Basic.

"I'm interviewing with a mining company actually, they pay sixty-nine thousand a year for qualified machine operators, plus I get a raise every 6 months."

We all sat back at the thought of $69,000. Trent let out a low whistle that was barely audible over the bar chatter.

"Damn."

"I know!" smiled Ky, taking a draught of his beer "I'm pretty pumped."

"When's the interview? Where is the job?" I was curious, I hadn't even thought about where such a mine would be located in a state known for its timber and ecological stewardship.

"Oh, its on Monday. Right downtown in their office. But the mine is out by... Willa-mine-a? Did I say that right?"

"More like 'Will-a-mean-a'" corrected Jake. "It's out by McMinnville."

"Hey! Speaking of McMinnville" interrupted Trent, a devious smile on his face. "Let's see that girl you were telling us about!" He thrust his hand at me, beckoning for my phone.

"Alright you horny animal" I laughed as I handed him my phone. I had pulled up a suggestive photo Alyssa had sent me a few weeks back. She was reclined on her bed, her legs sensually crossed, wearing little more than a black lacy bra and panties.

"Daaaaammnnnn" Jake and Trent exclaimed in almost perfect unison.

"She's a cutie...She Mexican?"

"Her parents are, she's from Medford."

"Ahhh meth-ford" laughed Jake referring to the town's moniker as the place methamphetamine had been invented.

"Damn, are those braces?" Asked Trent, holding the phone close to his face, a hungry expression on his features. "Nice. How old is she?"

"What girl? I want to see!" Ky stood and walked around the table. "Damn, dude. You pulled that?" He looked up, giving me a look of mixed pride and mischief.

"Yeah he did" Jake said, handing my phone back. "He was just telling us she gave him a back ally BJ last week."

"No way?" Smiled Ky. "The ol' Bangkok Tug and Chug? You can get one of those for $10 in Thailand"

I wrinkled my face at the crass saying. "Gross dude."

"What?! It's what they're called!"

"Always classy Ky, you damn jarhead."

Ky gave me a dismissive wave as he disappeared into the crowd, no doubt headed for the bar. Trent Jake and I lapsed into conversation about school, the upcoming holidays and Jake's new tattoo. At around 11pm we decided to call it a night as Trent had work in the morning.

"Where are you staying?" I asked Ky "Need a ride?"

"That would be awesome, I'm staying with a friend out in Lake Oswego. Is that far from here?"

"Only if you take the bus" I joked, grabbing my keys.

We drove through the rainy streets of Portland before getting on I-5 headed south.

"Sorry about earlier" Ky said unprompted, "that wasn't cool"

"No worries guy" I shrugged.

"How long have y'all been talking?"

"Our first 'date'" I quoted with my fingers "Was last month, so only a bit. But its been fun!"

"Sure sounds like it" Ky smiled, his gaze focused on the wipers streaking across the windshield of my truck.

"Oh yeah, she invited to a party this weekend."

"Hell yeah!... It's this exit" pointed Ky "Costume party?"

"Yep! I don't think I have a costume though" I grimaced. It tomorrow and I wasn't fixing on dropping $50 on a costume.

"You want to borrow my dress blues?" Ky offered. "You'd look like a damn hero"

"Oh yeah? You're just trying to get me to join your freaky death cult" I laughed as I turned up Iron Mountain Road, the streetlights illuminating the rain in cones of orange we passed rhythmically through.

"Nah I'm serious!" Ky scoffed, looking mildly offended "Trust me, you'll get more action than you know what to do with at this party. Please, let me help a brother out."

"If you think they'll fit"

***

"Damn. I look... good!" I ran my hand down the black wool tunic. Its gold buttons shining in the warm light of the closet. Ky had been right, it was a pretty good fit. The shoulders were a little loose, but that was to be expected, Ky was more muscular than I was, having spent 4 years working out and little else, but we were almost the same height so the pants and sleeves seemed to be appropriate. To the uninformed, the uniform could have been mine.

"You should wear the blues" Ky prompted, handing me a pair of deep blue trousers with red piping up the legs. "The whites are classier, but you're going to a college party and there's no knowing what'll happen to them"

"True" I laughed as I slid into the pants. "I suppose I need my own shoes?"

"Yeahh... you don't want to wear mine. They're nasty. But any black shiny shoes will do. And don't forget the cover!" He placed his white 'bus driver' hat on my head with the delicacy of a crown. Taking a step back he nodded slowly, as though surveying a work of art. "Once you get the belt, medals and gloves, nobody will be able to resist my man!" He slapped me hard on the shoulder.

20 minutes later, I merged back on to I-5, headed back towards the city center, Ky's uniform folded neatly on the seat next to me, his hat or 'cover' perched on top. Pulling out my phone I texted Alyssa

"Yep. You'll love it ;)"