Semper Fi: Always there for you.

3. Hanging out.

"Whoop whoop! Strike again!!" Jessica shouted, clapping her hands in awe.

Bowling nights had always been "guys only" stamped, but tonight was an exception.
Cal had been reluctant to go back, he felt so weird to play with his squad, reduced of a member. Oyster was by far the best. And he'd been missing for years.
But tonight was special. Jeager and Claire organized this night behind his back, inviting husbands, wives and kids. And Jessica. His date for the night, Claire's exact words.
A gorgeous girl he had met just a few days ago. And fell for, inevitably. His crush.
All his resistances vanished when he heard the news and figured out more time spent with her.

The ladies spent the day together, watching after the kids, chitchatting about God knows what. Kids, pregnancy, lawyer's stuff, maybe that handsome single guy, Cal.
Not the hard stuff, no. Claire already told everything to Jessica. The light and funny stories. His gentleness, his gentlemanness, his smile, his pecs.

Around 6pm, everyone met at the bowling alley. Milk and Rachel were busy feeding the boys, Carlos and Snowball played with their big sister, Claire argued she already was wearing a bowling ball in her tummy, so it was Jaeger, Jess and Cal.

Jaeger still rocked at throwing the strikes despite his prosthetic leg, he didn't stop bragging about his scores while moon walking back to his seat to get a kiss from Claire.

Cal was a little bit rusty on the first throws but quickly got his skills back and destroyed all the pins each time. He seemed so relaxed and cocky but was a wreck inside. With Jess so close and touchy, he had to struggle to focus on the lane and on his technique.

They had spent so much time together, almost every day that week, running in the mornings she didn't have to go to work, sharing pizzas while watching a flick, absolutely not giving a fuck to the said movie, having eyes only for each other. She was gorgeous and hilarious; he was funny and cute. They talked about everything and nothing, on the phone when not in the same room, took turn, his place or hers, slowly opening up to each other.
She talked about her family, her late father, she was still mourning and burst into tears when he entrusted her he had been feeling the same since his mom died.
He gently wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks, dared to let his hand lay on her thigh, his thumb drawing by itself small circles on her bare skin. The man still alive in him wanted to kiss her so badly, but the gentleman he was wisely whispered into his ear not to take advantage of her state. She needed his support and respect, not his tongue in the back of her mouth.
Every day, he forced himself back home, arguing it was late at night, or walked her to her place. No way a gentleman would let a woman alone in the dark streets of Bridgewater.
They reluctantly parted ways, their goodbyes longer than necessary, Jessica's lips always ended on Chris' cheek, longer than necessary.
His way home was filled with wild thoughts he tried to tame, not sure what to do with the hardness growing in his pants.
His libido died years ago, blame his inmates for that. Jess and her curves had awaken the beast inside him, that both his inner gentleman and traumas fought to stay silent. Helplessly.

"Oi, mate!" Jaeger nudged his elbow in his side, startling him from his thoughts.
"She's having a hard time with the ball, go, help her!"

He had enjoyed the view of Jess clumsily throwing the heavy ball, her skirt flirting with her sweet ass each time she bent over, nearly carried away by the force.
He shrugged but quickly joined Jess who was struggling with her balance while swaying her arm back and forth for too long.

"Hey, need help initiate?" He joked.

"Oh yes please! I'm so lame I wanna cry!" She begged.

"OK, listen up."
Chris grabbed her hips and firmly held her waist, turning her around towards the lane.