Top Gun Imagines

16. Jade (Rooster - Bradley Bradshaw)

(Published August 26, 2022)

   "Hey, what's your name?"
   I looked up from the paperwork in front of me to find a beautiful pair of brown eyes gazing at me.  The pilot was none other than young Bradshaw, a man I knew well by reputation but had never personally met.  And now the face from the photo was a live figure, leaning on my section of counter with a grin.  I managed a smile back. 
   "That depends, are you asking or is someone else?" I clicked my pen closed and leaned back in my chair.
   "If it makes you feel less creeped out, I lost a bet and that's why I'm about to ask you out." His grin turned sheepish. 
   "I'm almost afraid to ask...  Who picked me as your punishment?" I added a joking tone to it to soften my words.
   He almost looked like he was blushing as he pushed away from the counter and shrugged casually.  "I did."
   "You did?" I tried to not sound disbelieving, but it happened anyway. 
   "Yeah, I got to pick the girl.  She couldn't be someone I've spoken to before, couldn't be brown eyed, and couldn't be picked at The Hard Deck.  I was relieved that you didn't fall into any of those."
   "You were?" I still couldn't wrap my head around this, and I was pretty sure my mouth hung open slightly the whole time he was explaining himself. 
   He smirked, placing his palms on the counter as he leaned forward.  "You can ask any of the three pilots standing by the door watching."
   I glanced around him and saw that we did have an audience in uniform.  Frowning, I twirled my pen in my fingers. 
   "And what happens during and after this date?" I inquired. 
   He shrugged again.  "Nothing, besides a normal date and driving you home.  The requirement was to ask a girl out.  They didn't think I could get a date."
   "Why not?  You're a pilot; that should make it easier for you than most." I was interested now, and I leaned forward a little, my elbows on my knees. 
   He leaned in a little closer, too, only a few inches away from me now.  "Not true.  Normal girls don't like their dates shipping out in a week."
   "That's fair," I nodded.  "Still, with your last name, I'm surprised."
   "You know who I am?" His eyebrows shot up.
   "Yup," I grinned.  "I do a lot with paperwork, since I like to organize.  Its nice to finally meet the man called Rooster, though."
   "Jade," He blurted out as if something had just struck him. 
   I frowned in confusion.  "What?"
   "Your name ought to be Jade."
   "Why would you assume that?"
   "Your eyes are green with hints of hazel, your fingernails are painted green, you highlighted your eyeliner with a hint of green, and your necklace, which looks like a piece you wear every day, has green leaves etched in." He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly.  "Your favorite color is obviously green.  Jade?  Maybe Ivy?  Emerald?"
   I laughed softly, sitting up in my chair and digging a pad of sticky notes from my desk drawer.  Quickly, I scrawled my phone number and address on the blank top sheet.  "Its Cara, actually."
   "Then that's your call sign."
   "Are you allowed to pass out call signs?"
   "Only if I really like the person."
   "Really like, huh?"
   He just winked at me.  I pulled off the top note and stuck it to his forearm.  He chuckled, peeling it off and tucking it in his pocket. 
   "What time do you get off work?" He asked. 
   "Friday night at seven," I offered instead with a cheesy grin. 
   He shook his head with a smile.  "Deal.  I'll pick you up at eight."
   "Deal," I agreed.  "But my favorite color isn't green."
   It was his turn to frown.  "It isn't?  What is?"
   "You can ask on Friday," I teased, making his grin return.  He playfully saluted before spinning on his heels.
   As he walked away, I glanced down at my chipped nail polish with a small grin on my own lips.
   "Call sign Jade."