Brooklyn

Chapter Three - Arielle

It had been about two months since Jaxon had left for Iraq and since Arielle had first met him. She kept up correspondence with him because it was literally what kept her going. The letters were weekly if they were lucky. Zac contacted Arielle too as well now he too was in Iraq. He told her that his parents were dead, his father had died a year ago in action in the war in Iraq so Arielle and Zac's sister, Stephanie were the only correspondence he had. Both Zac and Jaxon told her they were doing okay. This was a reassurance to her. It had been only two months but she cared for them both like they were her own blood family. The knowledge that she had to wait a full week for the next letters (as they sent them together) was heart aching. Not knowing if they were okay...

So two months later she had been back at work for a while but it was so unsatisfying. She kept dreaming about that shop, the ideal shop. She kept dreaming about Jaxon and bowling alleys and theatres... So it was only with a small bit of her mind that she was listening to the customer that she was helping out with finding summer clothing for their Miami vacation. The customer was harping on about her son not wanting to go and Arielle nodded vaguely along with offering clothes in the customer's size off their new summer rails. The customer had no idea Arielle really wasn't listening at all and was actually thinking about going to Miami herself with Jaxon.

"Hello?! What do you think?" Arielle shook her head to snap herself out of it and plastered a smile on her face.

"It's fabulous. It really shows off your figure." She told the customer, gesturing at the aqua blue beach dress.

"You think so? I quite like it." The customer admired herself in the mirror and nodded.

"I think this is it.Thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure, can I help you take these to the counter?" Arielle helped the customer with her clothing and waved goodbye as the counter attendant, Sasha, bagged up everything.

It was rather a long day for Arielle and she was glad once it had ended. She said goodbye to her colleagues and caught the bus back to her apartment. She did all this absent mindedly because she was thinking about dress ideas,designing her own wedding dresses maybe? She wondered where she would put her shop. Here in Brooklyn? Maybe not even in America? Maybe London? Paris?

Arielle got into her apartment and stopped dead. The door clicked shut by itself.

"Hey beautiful." Jaxon smiled. Arielle blinked. She didn't know what to think. Was itactually him? He wasn't in casual dress or in the tan uniform that he wore usually. He was wearing camouflage combat trousers, black boots and a green shirt. His face was clean all apart from a single deepcut on his left eyebrow, slashed down. Like a knife cut.

"Oh my God... What happened?" He smiled wanly.

"Nothing too bad. Just got too close. He didn't have a gun thank God." Jaxon approached Arielle slowly and once he was close enough, pulled her into his arms. Arielle relaxed against him. He smelled clean and fresh.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Trust me, we get much worse than this. How are you?"

"Fine now you're here.." Arielle closed her eyes, holding him tightly.

"I think I owe yousomething." She frowned, looking up at him.

"No you don't. Owe me for what?"

"Owe you for the long wait." He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. She kissed him back, holding him tight to her body.

He broke the kiss to tilt her head forward and kiss her forehead.

"How long have we been dating now?"

"Oh this was dating?"Jaxon smiled.

"Well either that or friends with benefits. I'm fine with either." His smile turned into a smirk and she poked him in the stomach.

"Dating preferably. We just have never put a label on it."

"I am now. I think I can say that... I really do have feelings for you. I dream about you every night and think about you all the time. It's not normal for it to be just friends..."

"I'm glad you agree..."Arielle murmured as she leaned against him.

"So we're officially dating?"

"Yes."

"Good." He lifted up her face again and kissed her once more.

Arielle made them both dinner which was macaroni cheese and they sat down to eat it. They ate in silence and once dinner was over, they sat down on Arielle's couch and watched television. Though the television was on, they did not actually watch it or pay any attention to it, they talked. Jaxon said he had a week off and then would have to be back in Iraq. It was not common for him or any of his mates to get random weeks off but he had been sent back for reasons he would not 'disclose'. However, Arielle did not push him to explain and he did not go any further than that apart from to say that he would not be able to spend time with her on Saturday because he had to take a flight to England.Which Arielle did not complain about but she could not deny that she felt sad that they would not be together for the full week as he would be flying back to Iraq on the Monday.

"Do you have a passport?" Jaxon asked her randomly as she flicked through channels to find something interesting to watch.

"Yeah... I just never had the money to go anywhere."

"Okay. Just wondering." She raised an eyebrow at him but didn't comment.

He stayed over at hers that night, admitting that he didn't want to get a hotel. He said he would sleep on the couch but Arielle refused saying she would sleep on the floor if he didn't just sleep in her double bed. He finallybaccepted and they went to sleep there together. Jaxon had bought a small bag of casual clothes alongside his military gear so he was set. Arielle had never slept so peacefully.