Top Gun Imagines

45. Frienemies (Rooster - Bradley Bradshaw)

(Published March 9, 2024) 

   "Hey, Lucy!" 
   Closing my eyes tightly, I tried to will him away.  He was the last person I needed to deal with right now.  It was my one day off to study.  My one day that I could focus on stuffing my brain with useless information in order to get a decent test score.  And he was definitely about to ruin that.  
   "Luce.  Lucy, Earth to Lucy." 
   I slowly let my eyes peek open, finding the annoying mustached pilot standing directly in front of me with a ridiculous grin on his tanned face.  
   "Hi," He tried again far too cheerfully.  
   "What do you want, Bradshaw?" I sighed, putting aside my notes that I obviously wasn't going to be able to study for a while.  
   "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  I've got a question for you."  
   "Oh?" 
   He eyed me for a moment, probably trying to decide if this was the best time to ask me or not.  We had been best friends since the eighth grade, so he could read me pretty well by now.  I sighed again and uncrossed my arms, hopefully looking a little less irritated.  I could give him a few minutes of my time.  After all, he was only on a short vacation from his Navy duties.  Just because my college classes were killing my day off didn't mean they had to kill his.  
   "Alright, here's the deal," He began after a long moment of indecision.  "Can I pretend that you're my girlfriend?" 
   My eyes widened and I had to choke back a very loud "no" that threatened to spill out.  It took a second for me to find another word to stick in it's place.  "What?" 
   "Just for a while." 
   "No." It had slipped out anyway.  At least it wasn't a very loud one.  
   "Why not?" He sat down on the deck chair next to me, leaning my way as he tried to explain his idea.  "The guys back on the ship always have a whirlwind vacation romance they have to brag about, so I was thinking it'd be smartest to use you for my vacation girl.  I know you pretty well, which makes the story that much easier to not screw up, ya know?" 
   I sat back in my chair, shaking my head slowly.  "Is it weird that every time I see you, I want to throw you off a cliff?" 
   He just laughed at me.  "C'mon, all you have to do is send me a couple of cheesy letters that taper off after a month or so and they'll eat it up." 
   "Nobody writes letters anymore, Brad.  You're about a decade and a half behind the times."  
   "Texts, emails, whatever.  Look, I get teased enough on board as it is.  Hangman will call me gay or something if I come back without a good girl story that sounds real.  And that will cause a whole mountain of problems I don't want to deal with on a boat stuffed with guys." 
   "Why don't you just go pick up a girl at a bar in town?  Girls love Navy guys." 
   "Because I don't wanna." 
   "But you want a good romantic story." 
   "About a girl I know.  Aka, you." 
   "No, just no." 
   "Why not?" 
   I glared at him and found him making a childish pouty face at me.  Unfortunately, I lost it at that.  Cracking up laughing, I looked away before I could see his victory gesture.  I still wasn't going to go for this whole girlfriend idea.  
   "Please?" He asked once my laughter had lessened a little.  
   "NO!  No, no, no," I stated firmly.  
   "Why not?" 
   "Because I have no interest in being somebody's fake girlfriend!  Only mean people do that to their best friends."  
   "Are you calling me mean?" 
   "Maybe!" 
   "Ouch, Luce, that hurts." 
   "So do pretend relationships." 
   "Just pretend it's real!" 
   I threw back my head and groaned.  "That's not how it works!" 
   "It could be." 
   Turning my attention to him, I found him grinning again.  His dark eyes twinkled mischievously.  I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he had up his Hawaiian patterned sleeve.  
   "You're just messing with me at this point, aren't you?" I asked with suspicion in my voice.  
   "Me?  Never." 
   His grin said differently.  
   "Are you bored or something?" 
   "Maybe."  
   I facepalmed, which made him chuckle.  
   "You missed me and you know it." 
   "Where's the nearest cliff?" I asked as seriously as I could while trying not to laugh.  
   He just laughed again, knowing I was joking.  
   "Let's go do something," He suggested.  
   I glanced at my notebook, knowing I really ought to study.  Then again, those notes would be there next week.  He wouldn't.  
   "Fine.  But nothing romantic, ya hear?" I warned playfully.  
   He winked at me.  "Copy that."