Page 17 of Blue Moon

Thanks for the non-answer, buddy.Why was he being so vague? I turned and gazed out the window, rolling my eyes so he couldn’t see.

At least we were now driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, so I focused on the view. As we were stopped in the usual bridge traffic, I considered getting out of the car. Not to jump off the bridge or anything crazy, but I could definitely call an Uber to get a ride home. And take an amazing picture of the city at night for my feed.

Focus, Sol.

I tried again.

“I was born and raised in Marin. I love it here. There are so many beautiful places to hike. It’s super diverse, too. Weather is usually great, though it can get chilly. Great restaurants, world-class ballet, opera, and symphony. What’s not to love?”

He sneered, and his voice turned bitter. “The people. Every year the residents protest our air show—calling us warmongers who spread hate. Claiming we could crash into buildings and kill people, which is ridiculous. Like we’re fucking terrorists instead of the people who protect this country. The locals here have no respect for our military.”

Well, he was right about one thing—there was a massive protest planned this weekend during the air show. I could see and relate to both viewpoints. Maybe I could help Sawyer understand why they felt the way they did.

“I hear what you’re saying, and that must frustrate you, for sure. But the Bay Area is very liberal, and the Blue Angels are a recruiting tool for the military, so that’s off-putting to the many residents who want to live in peace and harmony.”

Sawyer tightened his grip around the stick shift. Even the beauty of the city lights couldn’t distract me from his rage. I could almost feel the heat in his words when he spoke. “Peace? What the fuck do you know about peace? I’ve been in combat, have you? It’s great to live in your delusional little community while the real men and women fight for your freedom to be vapid narcissists on social media. You don’t think we’d like peace? That we like risking our lives at war? What should we do when countries are bombing innocent civilians overseas? Or planning terrorist attacks on our soil? There’s no such thing as negotiating with terrorists—we’ve tried talking to them. It doesn’t work, lady.”

Wow. His disdain for me and my hometown hung thick in the air. I should be livid, but I wasn’t. I strongly disagreed with his viewpoint and even more so with his delivery, but my time on the pageant circuit had taught me to kill people with kindness. So that was precisely what I’d do, whether he liked it or not.

“I understand and respect your viewpoint. But Sawyer, just so you know, I’m not a vapid narcissist. I truly care for others, and I give so much of my time to charity. If you got to know me, you’d see that. We can use these photos of the Angels to demonstrate the beauty and honor of what you do to the Bay Area. But the way you’re speaking to me, and about my community, will not endear you to them, or me. And frankly, it’s unacceptable. I won’t tolerate it. If you continue to call me names and cuss at me, I won’t even do the rest of the posts I agreed to.”

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t respond or make eye contact. I bit my lip and willed myself not to cry. I tried so hard to be a good person, and I hated how people saw me. It wasn’t just Sawyer; the trolls online were always so intense. Most days, I wanted to delete my profile, move to a mountain cabin, and retreat from the world. But I couldn’t quit. This was my job. My life. My sole source of income. I had to deal with the monster I’d created.

We were now driving in the Marina District, and I glanced over at Sawyer a few times. He opened his mouth and looked at me as if he wanted to say something but instead of speaking, just closed it. After a long stretch of silence, he pulled over into a rare open parking space on the street. Sad to say but that parking space was probably the best thing that had happened to me on this date.

“Look, I hate doing the media flights we did today. Normally, I can get out of them, but this time my commanding officer forced me to do it. You seemed really sweet, and of course, you’re beautiful, so I asked you to the gala because I wanted to get to know you better. I didn’t appreciate you videotaping us when I picked you up. I don’t want to sound pathetic, but I felt like you were using the Angels and me. It just set me off.”

Videotaped? Oh, he meant when I recorded a story. I didn’t want to make this situation worse and explain the difference, because either way, I’d messed up. A lump grew in my throat. Dammit—no wonder he felt used. Why had I done that? I could totally understand where he was coming from, and I appreciated him being honest with me.

“I’m so sorry, Sawyer. I wasn’t even thinking. I usually record my entire day. I wasn’t trying to use you. I was really excited about this date, but I totally blew it.”

His hand grazed my cheek. “It’s cool. I’m sorry I overreacted. I’m very private. I don’t even have any social media accounts, so it’s hard for me to understand. My entire world is flying, and the Marine Corps is my life, so I tend to lose it when people try to flip the narrative and say we’re a bunch of savages. But I shouldn’t take that out on you.”

“It’s okay. I get it. You’re a highly decorated military pilot and definitely deserve respect.”

“Thank you. And it’s not okay. I’m sorry for the way I’ve been talking to you, Sol. Let me make it up to you.”

I pursed my lips and nodded, feeling proud that I stood up for myself and remained calm, even though all I wanted to do was go home, draw myself a hot bath, and cry.

He looked toward a bunch of local shops in the distance. “Hey, do you want to stop and get some coffee before we head to the gala?”

Yes! Coffee! That was just what I needed to take the edge off. Well, a glass of rosé would’ve been my first choice, but coffee would do for now.

“That sounds perfect. I could use a vanilla latte.” With pretty latte art so I can post a picture. I smiled at him again and decided to keep that desire to myself.

He opened his car door and then walked over to my side to open mine.

“Thank you.” He gave me a cocky grin in return, and I couldn’t help blushing.

We walked to a neighborhood coffee shop and ordered. After he paid, his attention focused on something outside, but I couldn’t see what it was.

“Hey, I’m going to step out for one second. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for our drinks.”

Once he was out of sight, I grabbed my phone and made a quick call to Kelli.

“Hey. How’s Sawyer? He’s gorgeous, especially in that uniform. Your followers are freaking out! Engagement is through the roof.”