Golden Hour || Robert 'Bob' Floyd x OC

never seen that color blue

Abby knew she had no reason to be nervous.

She had spoken with Bob enough to be comfortable around him. They had laughed together, smiled at each other, and he even paid for her drink that one time at the Hard Deck when she'd forgotten her wallet.

That was circumstance, happenstance if anything, but this? This was intentional, and just the two of them. No Rooster to make jokes, no Hangman to offer thinly veiled jibes, and no encouraging smiles from Phoenix.

Just Abby and Bob at a beachside cafe, getting coffee, and nothing else. It was their first date, and Abby had no idea what to wear, which was why she'd called Kennedy to come over.

She sat on Abby's bed, lost in her phone, as Abby changed for the fifteenth time. The denim shorts had been an easy choice, but her top was a different story.

Abby turned away from the full-length mirror and faced her friend. "How's this?"

Kennedy glanced up from her phone, a grin on her face. "Better than the last one," she told her. It was a loose blouse with a small floral print and a slight v-neckline. It did look better than the last one she tried because that one belonged to Kennedy, who was both taller and had a fuller chest than Abby.

She turned back to the mirror for one final glance, deciding that the top was good enough.

"Will you drop me off?" Abby asked Kennedy, grabbing her purse from the bedside table.

"Sure," she said and stood. "I don't want to miss the look on Bob's face when he sees you."

"I look normal," Abby argued as they left her bedroom and headed for the front door. Abby rented a place off base because living in barracks wasn't all that appealing when it was an extended assignment.

"You look hot," Kennedy told her and stepped out the front door Abby held open for her. "Bob won't know what hit him."

Not ten minutes later, Kennedy pulled into the parking lot. Bob stood out front waiting, and Abby felt her stomach twist with nerves. He looked good in his dark jeans and white t-shirt, and she wasn't disappointed to be able to see his biceps. She hadn't stopped thinking about those biceps since that day on the beach.

She wanted him. Badly.

Kennedy parked and sent her a knowing look, which Abby pointedly ignored. She got out of the car but leaned in through the open window to say goodbye.

"Thanks," she said.

Kennedy nodded. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"So I can do everything?"

"Yup," she told her. "Including sex on the first date."

Abby rolled her eyes. "You're a menace."

"Maybe," Kennedy concurred as Abby stood up straight. "It's always the quiet ones, though, and I have a feeling our sweet Bob is packing."

Abby just shook her head and watched as Kennedy pulled out of the lot and disappeared down the road.

She approached Bob, who smiled as she came towards him and offered a small wave.

"Hi," she greeted him when she finally stood in front of him. Had his eyes always been this blue?

"Hi," he said back, hand coming up to scratch his neck. "Glad you could make it."

"You asked," she said just to say something, and his smile, although a bit shy was genuine.

He took the two steps towards the entrance to the cafe and opened the door for her. "Ladies first," he insisted.