Anchor Line (8 page)

             
She stopped when she got to the parking lot, not knowing where he was parked. So, Conrad had put his hand gently on her lower back and led her toward his truck. Once again, he let her go and hit the key fob and got in on his side, then reached over and hit the latch for her door and pushed it open with a smile on his face. Addie decided that one of these days she wasn’t going to get in and walk to her car. But until then, it was the kind of thing that they did.

             
Conrad had asked Addie where this greasy burger joint was, so she’d told him, He knew the place and was impressed that she’d heard about it. He went there every once in a while with a few of his friends after softball. It was a great place to sit and have a burger and get some great home brew while they talked about the game and watched one of the many TVs that always had a sport on. Pulling into the parking lot, he noticed that it was busy, but if she wanted a burger, he’d make sure she got one.

              “So, what kind of burger do you like?” Conrad asked looking down at the menu after they’d been seated and ordered unsweet tea.

             
“I’m simple. Meat, cheese, lettuce and mayo.” She answered. “Oh and those french fried onion thingys.”

             
“Thingys?” Conrad laughed, looking over his menu at Addie. “You mean fried onion straws?”

             
“Exactly.” Addie smiled.

             
“Hey Sergeant Renner.”

             
You have got to be fucking kidding...A Susan Townes look alike. In uniform no less. Her blonde hair pulled back in a perfect bun, not a hair out of place. Big boobs that strained the zipper of her uniform. And that wasn’t the only part of her uniform that was straining.

             
Conrad looked at Addie for a moment, then up to the young blonde. “Hey Lisa.”

             
“So, I heard that you are going to scene with Susan this Saturday.” Lisa, had a soft southern lilt to her, unlike Susan, who had a natural southern accent.

             
“I was yes.” Was all he’d said.

             
“Want to make it a double header?” She threw her hip out and palmed it with her left hand, which was, by the way, perfectly manicured.

             
Addie was sick to her stomach. She was actually excited to hear that none of his...conquests...came here, only to be faced by one. Boldly ignoring the fact that she was sitting there. Seriously, were all of these subs like this? Or just the ones that were after Conrad?

             
Pissed off to no end now, Addie cleared her throat getting Conrad and Lisa’s attention.

             
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Lisa put her hand up to her chest now, “I didn’t even see you there.”

             
“Yeah, right.” She pursed her lips in annoyance. “Do you have his number...Sergeant Conley?” Addie asked looking at Lisa’s rank and name tape.

             
Lisa brightened into a big grin. “Why yes. Yes I do.”

             
“Good.” Addie smiled. “Then you can call him and discuss whatever it is you want from him. Right now, we’re having lunch. And you are interrupting.”

             
Keeping the smile on her face, she just looked at Lisa until the girl’s mouth fell open and pointed to her while she looked at Conrad as if he would just let Addie talk to her that way. Conrad, feeling rather amused, just shrugged, trying not to laugh.

             
“Lunch.” Was all he’d said.

             
“Did you have something else to say to me?” Addie asked sweetly.

             
Lisa huffed and walked up to Conrad and grabbed his face with both hands and laid a kiss on his lips. Addie couldn’t see if he was kissing her back or not because she was sitting across from him. But it didn’t last more than about a half a minute. Then Lisa smirked at Addie and rubbed Conrad’s bottom lip to swipe away the gloss and walked away to join a few other female soldiers at another table. Conrad sat there with a big shit eating grin on his face.

             
“Excuse me.” She said and got up. When Conrad went to ask her a question, she just raised a hand at him to stop.

             
“I just need a moment.” She said and made her way to the ladies room.

             
Walking up to the sink, she saw through the mirror that Lisa had walked in behind her. Great. Just what she fucking needed. One of Conrad’s little groupies to hound her. Let the shenanigans begin.

             
“You’re Addie, right?” Lisa started, as she made her way next to her at the sinks.

             
Addie just stared at Lisa through the mirror until she was standing next to her. Pulling a few paper towels from the dispenser, she dried her hands and really looked at the girl that came to hound her. Lisa was pretty. Blonde hair, gorgeous, big, light blue eyes, and a figure to die for. So what the fuck did Conrad want with her?

             
“Let me guess.” Addie begin, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You came to warn me off Conrad, is that right?” The other girl said nothing. “So, let me just inform you, like I informed the other blonde bimbo that we aren’t together. We are just friends having lunch.”

             
“Bimbo?” Lisa laughed. “Honey, let me just tell you something right now okay?” She lifted a finger and waived it around at Addie. “Nobody goes after my Dom without me getting all up in her face.”

             
“Well, let me be more direct. Get your fucking finger out of my face, before I shove it up your ass. I’m not in your scene, I don’t want to be in your scene. Okay? We are having lunch. A lunch that he picked me up for. I didn’t ask him. Okay.” Addie secured the strap to her purse on her shoulder a little more.

             
“Well then it won’t bother you that I was with him last night at the Messo.” Lisa said haughtily.

             
Addie walked to the bathroom door and turned around smiling. “I...don’t give a flying fuck.” Smiling, she walked out.

             
Well, that was certainly un-nerving. Not the way she’d envisioned her lunch hour going. Looking around, Addie saw a few guys that worked with her father in a nearby booth and decided that she couldn’t stomach any more of this bullshit.

             
First Lieutenant James was a good guy and had flirted shamelessly with Addie on several occasions when she’d gone to see her dad or when there was a function they both attended. He’d said that if she needed anything, to let him know, he felt that he owed her father a debt that he could never repay because of the tutelage and friendship Sergeant Major Marshall extended him. She hatched a plan and was ready to execute. She’d piss Conrad off, but at this point, having his subbie groupies come after her in the ladies bathroom, she didn’t give a shit.

              “Hey Addie. What’s up darlin?” Tony’s Texan drawl was usually really sexy. But she wasn’t feeling it right now.

             
“Tony, could you do me a favor and take me back to work. I’m not feeling really well.”

             
“You okay honey?” He asked, nodding over to Conrad’s with his chin. “Isn’t he going to mind?”

             
“Um. No. He’s waiting for a few friends.” She didn’t look back at Conrad. She was just hoping that Tony would help her before Conrad turned around and saw her walk out with him. “I didn’t want to inconvenience him. I don’t want to inconvenience you either....but...”

             
“That’s okay darlin. Come on.” He had an inkling of what was going on. He’d seen the blonde girl approach the table and then go into the ladies room after Addie. She was watching them from her table now. He got up from the table, shook hands with a few of his friends, slid his beret on and took her hand and walked out the door to his car.

Chapter Seven

             
              “Well, well, well.” Lisa stood by the table again.

             
Conrad looked up a little annoyed that she was trying to take advantage again.

             
“What do you want Lisa?” Conrad asked a bit annoyed now. He set down his menu.

             
“Oh nothing. Just thought I’d come and keep you company since your lunch date decided to ditch you. Where did you find her anyway? Ew.” She slid into Addie’s seat and looked down, turning the pages of the menu.

             
“She went to the latrine.”

             
“No she didn't.”

             
She looked out the window hoping that she gave Addie time to get in the car with that Lieutenant that she’d approached. Thinking that this was her opportunity, Lisa, had walked over and slid into the seat across from him hoping to get more face time. No one could pin Conrad Renner down. And from talking to Susan, this Addie person, was the same girl that she’d described to her. The same one that Conrad was out to lunch with before. Why was she getting so much face time?

             
“What do you mean?” Conrad asked, confused.

             
Lisa just pointed out into the parking lot as she gave Conrad a mock frown, sticking out her bottom lip.

             
Conrad stood up and saw Addie get into a black Audi sports car with a lieutenant closing the door behind her. Then he went to his side and slid in. Conrad couldn’t move. The tint was dark so he couldn’t make out Addie’s face through the windshield, but he, he was pissed. What the fuck happened? Then he looked down at Lisa.

             
“What did you say to her to make her leave?” He growled as he leaned across the table getting into her face.

             
“I didn’t say anything. I went to my table after I left here.” She looked down at the table. “I saw her get up and go to his table. She said that she didn’t want to have lunch with you because you only wanted her to be you’re submissive. That you’d dismiss her if she couldn’t handle your regular subs coming to just say hello.”

             
“What the fuck.” He was good and pissed now.

             
The waitress took that moment to come over and ask if he was ready to order. He looked at Lisa, then and the waitress, straightened up, pulled out his wallet, slipped her a ten dollar bill and walked out to his truck.

             
This was bullshit. He didn’t say any damn thing about her being a sub to him. Nothing of the sort even came up. Addie was a smart girl, she could probably guess that Lisa was a sub. One that he used every now and then and dismissed without care. Kind of like Susan. What he was trying to figure out though was why he was so pissed off. He’d never been pissed if a woman walked out on him. He had several others to take her place. But Addie...there was just something about her. No wonder Charles kept her on a string. If she only knew what a bastard Charles was though. He’d never say anything unless she asked though. He wasn’t that much of a dick to burst her bubble.

             
Conrad blew through two yellow lights as he pushed the pedal down on his truck to try and bring him closer to the black Audi that he was trying to find in traffic. It was only a little after twelve, so traffic sucked big time. As he came up to the gate not seeing the Audi in traffic, he decided to wait in the back of the parking lot of her work. Stalkerish? Yeah, so fucking what. He wanted answers and he was going to get them. So, he backed in and put his truck in park. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the front desk, knowing that it was manned all the time. No answer. Shit. That’s right, Claymore sent everyone to lunch. So he dialed another number.

             
“Sergeant Gibbons.” Carl answered the phone.

             
“It’s Renner. Has Jess heard from Addie?” Conrad asked cautiously.

             
“Hey babe, you talk to Addie?” Carl asked as he held the phone.

             
Conrad heard her tell him something but he couldn’t make out what it was.

             
“She only texted that she came back from lunch early, rescheduled her appointments and took the rest of the day off. Why? What’s going on?” Carl asked as Jessica was talking in the background.

             
“Lisa happened.” Conrad answered.

             
“Oh holy fuck.” Was Carl’s only answer. “I told you man. That bitch is fierce. She’s been wanting another piece of you forever.”