all a lie. They had never eaten at a park. They barely spoke, and he hated her guts, treated her as a child. However, the look in his eyes as he spoke was admiring and enchanting. The gentle way he brushed her cheek sent shivers down her spine. His voice held such conviction that she struggled to remember reality. He looked up, and smiled at Emma who sighed, and leaned forward, drinking in every word coming from Honorio.
“I’m afraid that I was rather clumsy. I was so nervous, I dropped food all over myself. I was sure she would never see me again, thinking I was a mess and a fool. For some reason, she keeps me around.” He pulled Jasmine to him, and squeezed her lightly.
He looked at her father, “Sir, I am indebted to you for allowing me to have Jasmine’s company, and for having me as a guest in your home for such a special occasion.”
Jasmine’s stomach was queasy. She liked Mark. She wanted to be at his house in his family’s chaos of people and events. Instead, she was in her house being wooed by an alien, who was only using her as a cover, while her father watched. Guilt followed by anger, chased by confusion flowed through her. She knew this was fake, and she was reacting to it anyways. She was angry with herself, as well as Honorio.
“Enough about us.” Jasmine removed Honorio’s arm from her shoulders. “Tell us more about yourself Emma.” Jasmine pretended that she had dropped something, and leaned underneath the table for a quick breath as Emma began talking.
“Well , I’m not nearly as interesting, ” Emma demurred.
“Nonsense, Emma. Please share some of your past with us , ” Honorio said.
“Okay, I was raised all over the world. My father is a Brigadier General in the Air Force, and our family traveled to all sorts of countries. Growing up, I learned the basics of many languages, and learned about many different societies. I decided to go to college under a n ROTC scholarship, and carry on the family tradition. Now I’m in Omaha , Nebraska overseeing several projects on the base.”
“The kind that I can’t discuss with you, unless you have a Level 3 sec urity clearance, ” Emma replied.
Emma laughed, and Jasmine’s father joined in. Unfortunately, her forced laugh made the atmosphere in the room awkward. Honorio shot her a look with raised eyebrows. She slumped in her chair and attempted to blend in with the upholstery.
“What about you, sir? What do you do?”
“Like Emma, it’s all classified. It is fascinating work though.”
Jasmine felt a flush of anger. Again, she knew nothing about what he did. The secrets grated on her nerves.
“I am extremely interested in the armed services, especially the Air Force. I am working for an Air ROTC scholarship at the moment.”
Jasmine gazed at Honorio in surprise. Where did that come from?
“The armed forces require a lot of sacrifices.”
“Understood, sir. However, I would like the honor of serving my country, and being an asset to our society.”
Honorio sounded like a recruitment commercial that Jasmine had seen on television. She could picture him in full regalia, saluting the camera, and talking about honor and duty. She looked at her dad, who smiled with approval. She fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“Have you toured Offutt Air Force Base?” her dad asked.
“No, sir. I have not had the privilege , ” Honorio replied.
“Tomorrow should be a quiet day on b ase. Would you like to come by ? I can sneak off for an hour or so, and show you around, ” her dad said.
“That would be an honor, sir!”
“ Then it’s settled, ” Dad put down his fork. “I’ll write you in as my guest, and you come by around lunch hour. ”
“Thank you, sir! Could I bring my roommates as well? I would like them to see why I am so interested in the service.”
“ You can certainly bring them along. How many are there total?”
“I have four roommates,” she replied.
Jasmine’s suspicion meter jumped. Why would the
“I’m afraid that I was rather clumsy. I was so nervous, I dropped food all over myself. I was sure she would never see me again, thinking I was a mess and a fool. For some reason, she keeps me around.” He pulled Jasmine to him, and squeezed her lightly.
He looked at her father, “Sir, I am indebted to you for allowing me to have Jasmine’s company, and for having me as a guest in your home for such a special occasion.”
Jasmine’s stomach was queasy. She liked Mark. She wanted to be at his house in his family’s chaos of people and events. Instead, she was in her house being wooed by an alien, who was only using her as a cover, while her father watched. Guilt followed by anger, chased by confusion flowed through her. She knew this was fake, and she was reacting to it anyways. She was angry with herself, as well as Honorio.
“Enough about us.” Jasmine removed Honorio’s arm from her shoulders. “Tell us more about yourself Emma.” Jasmine pretended that she had dropped something, and leaned underneath the table for a quick breath as Emma began talking.
“Well , I’m not nearly as interesting, ” Emma demurred.
“Nonsense, Emma. Please share some of your past with us , ” Honorio said.
“Okay, I was raised all over the world. My father is a Brigadier General in the Air Force, and our family traveled to all sorts of countries. Growing up, I learned the basics of many languages, and learned about many different societies. I decided to go to college under a n ROTC scholarship, and carry on the family tradition. Now I’m in Omaha , Nebraska overseeing several projects on the base.”
“The kind that I can’t discuss with you, unless you have a Level 3 sec urity clearance, ” Emma replied.
Emma laughed, and Jasmine’s father joined in. Unfortunately, her forced laugh made the atmosphere in the room awkward. Honorio shot her a look with raised eyebrows. She slumped in her chair and attempted to blend in with the upholstery.
“What about you, sir? What do you do?”
“Like Emma, it’s all classified. It is fascinating work though.”
Jasmine felt a flush of anger. Again, she knew nothing about what he did. The secrets grated on her nerves.
“I am extremely interested in the armed services, especially the Air Force. I am working for an Air ROTC scholarship at the moment.”
Jasmine gazed at Honorio in surprise. Where did that come from?
“The armed forces require a lot of sacrifices.”
“Understood, sir. However, I would like the honor of serving my country, and being an asset to our society.”
Honorio sounded like a recruitment commercial that Jasmine had seen on television. She could picture him in full regalia, saluting the camera, and talking about honor and duty. She looked at her dad, who smiled with approval. She fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“Have you toured Offutt Air Force Base?” her dad asked.
“No, sir. I have not had the privilege , ” Honorio replied.
“Tomorrow should be a quiet day on b ase. Would you like to come by ? I can sneak off for an hour or so, and show you around, ” her dad said.
“That would be an honor, sir!”
“ Then it’s settled, ” Dad put down his fork. “I’ll write you in as my guest, and you come by around lunch hour. ”
“Thank you, sir! Could I bring my roommates as well? I would like them to see why I am so interested in the service.”
“ You can certainly bring them along. How many are there total?”
“I have four roommates,” she replied.
Jasmine’s suspicion meter jumped. Why would the
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