Before Maverick left, Estelle and Amelia headed back home. Estelle had taken the top and doors off of her jeep. With their hair blowing everywhere, the girls sang "Back in Black" by AC/DC at the tops of their lungs on their short drive home.
When they arrived at their mother's home, Amelia got settled in her room while Estelle changed into more "appropriate" bartending clothing she had brought with: light blue straight legged jeans, instead of sweats, and a black crop top instead of her sports bra and sweater she sported earlier.
With the top now back on her jeep and "Rock Me" by One Direction blasting, Estelle found her way back to the Hard Deck to open for the night.
Luckily for Penny and Estelle, it was a slow first two hours. Near seven o'clock, Maverick found his way back into the bar, followed by several groups of people.
"Mav! What can I getcha?" Estelle said, greeting the brunette man, causing him to smile.
"Just a beer please." He said smiling at the blonde in front of him.
"Here ya go," She said, sliding his drink over to him when a bunch of cheering caught her attention.
Turning her attention over to where the noise came from, she spotted several Navy officers all in uniform playing a game of pool. One in particular catching her attention.
"Do you know any of them?" Penny asked, breaking the girl out of her thoughts.
"Yeah," the girl said, turning to face her mother, "that's Nat from school! I can't believe she didn't tell me she was in town!"
"Go." Penny said, a slight smile forming on her face.
"Really?" Estelle said, now full on grinning.
"I got this." Penny said, nodding to the crowd around the bar.
Before Penny was even able to turn her attention back to Estelle, the girl was already halfway to her friend.
"Nat!!!" Estelle called out, grabbing the Naval officer's attention and causing her to spin and face the curly headed woman.
"Oh my god! I didn't know you were here!" The brunette exclaimed, engulfing the taller blonde woman in a hug.
"I can't believe you didn't call me." The blonde said, crossing her arms and giving her friend a fake pout.
"Oh shut up. I didn't know you were back in town either." Nat said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at her friend.
"Touche. What are you doing back here anyways?"
"We got called back to Top Gun." She said, gesturing to the group.
"All of you?" Estelle said, trying to put two random arrivals and context clues together.
"Yeah, apparently it's for some 'mission,'" she said putting air quotes around the last part, "but we're the best of the best, so I don't know who'll teach us."
"Damn right we are," someone chimed in, causing Estelle to look in their direction, "Jake Seresin." The voice's owner said once Estelle finally looked at him.
She hummed, surveying the man before her and replying, "Estelle."
"What year did you graduate Top Gun? I would've remembered a pretty face like yours." He said, raising his eyebrows.
The blonde woman blushed, and secretly cursed her genetics because no matter who the compliment came from she would always turn red, "Oh, I'm not in the Navy."
"How do you know Phoenix then?"
"That's your callsign?" She questioned, turning towards her friend.
Phoenix just nodded her head.
"Holy shit, that's so cool. That totally fits you."
"His is Bagman." Nat said, gesturing at Jake with her thumb.
This caused Estelle to laugh and the so-called "Bagman" to get somewhat flustered.
"It's Hangman, actually. Thank you, Phoenix."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Bagman. We went to school together" Estelle said, turning around and noticing a familiar face: "Hey Bob," She said, nodding her head at him, grabbing his attention, and causing him to give her a curt nod in return.
"When did you get here?" Coyote questioned
"I've been here the whole time," Bob said smiling.
"He's a stealth pilot," Estelle said, smiling while giving jazz hands for an added flare.
Once Estelle returned to her place behind the bar, and after she got a drink on Maverick, Penny approached her daughter.
"You know you could stay out there with them, right?"
"Meh. You looked like you could use some help. I jus-"
Estelle was interrupted by a group of guys dragging Maverick out of the bar. The music on their juke box stopped playing but someone on the piano started.
He started singing "Great Balls of Fire" and pretty soon the whole bar joined in. Estelle was smiling and she made eye contact with him as he threw his head backwards while singing.
They held eye contact a little longer before Estelle broke it and looked out one of the windows and saw Mav looking at the pianist with tears in his eyes. She was about to tell her mother but when she turned back around, Mav was gone.
AN:
Slay besties.
Do I sense a love triangle one coming on?? 👀👀 opinions on that please 😃
Another shortish one cause again... building and break off points. Okay besties, pay attention to bolded/italicized words 😋🫶
Rooster WILL be in the next one. Promise.
KJ 🫶🫶
YOU ARE READING
Crash & Burn || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw
Fanfiction"I can't believe you helped her. After everything I've done for you. I'm gonna keep your wallet next time." "So there's going to be a next time?" "I don't know. Are you going to forget your wallet again?" "I don't know. I might, if it means I get t...
