To Be Loved By You - A Bradley Bradshaw Story

Meeting You Part One

Author's Note: Here's chapter one of To Be Loved By You! I hope you enjoy it guys!

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The sun beat down on Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw's back as he walked through the parking lot to his truck. It was summer in Texas and the ocean breeze blowing in from the shore did nothing to alleviate the heat on his skin. It had been a long day of drills and the pressure in the cockpit had been cooler than any time spent standing on the tarmac.

Although he'd enjoyed an adrenaline rush all day, thanks to the advanced G's his fighter jet had reached, he was glad it was over. He needed a drink and a piano.

Unfortunately, he'd have to settle for just the drink, as he had yet to find a bar in the area that could provide him with his musical fix.

He'd only been in Texas for a couple of months, and didn't go out often. He spent most of his spare time on base, sifting through every piece of source material he could find on his aircraft and maneuvers. Maybe if he hadn't made it into the naval academy so late, he wouldn't feel so behind. Maybe he would feel like he was able to cut loose more often.

He did enjoy going out to get drinks with his fellow pilots once a week but he hadn't found the time to go out on his own and find a spot he truly enjoyed. The other guys liked the party bars on the island, where the drinks were cheap and the girls were plenty. Brad preferred a more laid back environment. Somewhere he could enjoy a conversation with a stranger without the sickly sweet promise of one night just because he was a naval aviator. Somewhere with oldies on the radio and a piano he could play against the will of the other patrons.

"Hey," he heard a voice calling from behind him. "Hey, Rooster!" He turned to see Logan, one of the catapult officers in his squadron jogging towards him. Logan was a lanky man, standing a full head above Brad, with floppy raven hair and blue eyes framed in wire glasses. He was a hell of a soldier and Brad enjoyed working with him on drills.

"Hey, Logan. What's up?"

Logan stopped in front of him. "You going out with Robbie and the guys tonight?" Brad had noticed that Logan was one of the few soldiers that played with the line between flight deck personnel and pilot. While the two groups usually stayed apart outside of service, Logan seemed to go where he pleased without question.

"Uh, yeah. I was planning on it. I could really use a drink after today."

"I hear ya, man." The other man drawled. "Well, I'm heading out to meet my girl here in town at a great little place. It's on the beach and it's not full of groupies. You're more than welcome to join us."

Brad found himself biting back his agreement. He didn't really feel like driving out to the island that night, but he didn't want to impose on Logan's time with his girlfriend. "Naw, man. If it's just you and your girl..."

Logan cut him off. "There'll be some other soldiers there, too. Besides, a friend of ours is joining us."

He heard Robbie whistle behind him, signaling to those heading to the island that it was time to go. And Brad found that he just didn't want to. Turning back to Logan, he asked, "Do they have a piano?"

—

Music filled the room as Thea moved behind the wooden bar, wiping glasses and placing them beneath the counter. A small group of men crowded around the jukebox and she recognised them as some of the flight deck soldiers her friend Logan hung out with. They were the only people in the bar so far, but soon it would be full of soldiers looking to blow off steam after a long week.

She turned to the barback on duty as he filled the shelves behind the bar with bottles. "You good, Ryan?"

He didn't stop his task as he answered, "Yeah, I'm almost done." He did stop to look at her then, as she cleared the last of the glasses from the sink. "You're dad's gonna put you to work for real if he catches you back here."