CUPID'S CHOKEHOLD / Jake Seresin

00

Noa Lennon was bored out of her mind. Her shift at the clinic had ended two hours ago, and she had rushed home to hide from the heat. It had been exactly an hour of her lying on her couch flipping through the channels. Her phone buzzed, and Noa contemplated ignoring it, but she mustered enough energy to reach for it.  

nat
hard deck. surrounded by idiots.

brad
she's being dramatic but
get your ass down here

Noa laughed and bolted from the couch directly into her bedroom. It had been a while since she had drank and way too long since she'd seen Natasha. Nevertheless, it took her less than ten minutes to choose an outfit. Finally, she settled on a denim skirt and a blue cropped tank top with the hot wheels logo. Since she would be walking to the Hard Deck, she chose simple sneakers and gold jewelry. 

Noa moved on to makeup with some concealer, mascara, and a subtle red lip. After one last look in the mirror, she grabbed her keys, wallet, and phone and bolted out the door. Although the walk was short, Noa let out a grateful sigh once she entered the air-conditioned bar. The bar was packed, probably past capacity, with men and women in uniform and civilians. She scanned the bar and smiled when she found her group tucked away in the corner.

"Nat!" Noa greeted the raven-haired woman and pulled her into a hug. She couldn't recall the last time she had been in the same room, even in the same city as Natasha Trace.

"Wow, I feel the love there, Noa," Bradley joked as he watched the two women hug and squeal. It brought him joy to know that his friends had accepted Noa despite her not being an aviator.

Noa untangled herself from Natasha and threw her arms around Bradley's large frame, her jasmine scent filling his nostrils. "There, there, Bradshaw. Love you too, babe." She kissed his cheek, causing those around them to groan.

"So, I was thinking," Noa and Bradley had settled on a more secluded corner of the bar as they watched their friends play pool.

"That's dangerous."

Noa rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him. "Asshole. I'm serious. I was thinking about moving back into the house."

Bradley almost choked on his beer at the mention of the house. It was more of an estate or a mansion. The 'house,' as dubbed by Bradley and Noa, was where the latter had grown up. A two-story house, seven-bedroom large, yard, and a pool. It was everyone's dream house. Noa's father had passed while she was still young, and for a good while, it had just been Noa and her mom in the large house. Years later, her mom remarried, and by the time Noa had gone to college, her mother and stepfather had chosen to move to a smaller place. Instead of selling it, they left it to Noa.

"Why?"

"The renters are moving out, and my apartment sucks. The ac is out again." Noa grumbled and took another sip of her tequila sunrise.

"I can fix it," Bradley states confidently.

Noa laughed. "Oh, the way you fixed my tv? No thanks, babe." The reminder of her tv knocked the confidence out of Bradley faster than any training course ever had.

"If it isn't Rooster!" A rather loud voice interrupts their laughter, well, Noa's laughter as Bradley pouts. A tall blond-haired male walks up to the duo with a cheeky smile. Well, damn. Is all Noa can think of as she gives him a once-over.

Beside her, Bradley clears his throat and stands up. "Hangman, what brings you here?" oh fuck,  is the next thought in her brain. Bradley often told her stories about how much of an asshole Hangman was and how he couldn't stand him. But unfortunately, he had failed to mention how attractive the man was. She made a mental note to complain later.