Matt (Red, Hot, & Blue) (3 page)

The waiter returned with the menus and the drinks. Matt swallowed a mouthful of beer before he opened the menu on the table in front of him. Hoping to deflect any further questions about his covert career, he thought he’d change the subject to something safe, such as food. “I’ve eaten here before and the fajitas are good. So’s the burger. It comes with homemade sweet-potato fries that are good enough to make your mouth water.”

Lisa opened her own menu and read, nodding as he talked.

The waiter returned. “Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

“I think I’m ready.” Lisa looked up at their server. “I’ll start with the Ahi Tuna appetizer and then the twin lobsters for an entrée.”

Tuna and lobster—Lisa liked the stuff on the expensive side of the menu.

“Sir?”

Matt realized they were both waiting on his order. “Uh, fajitas for me, please.”

“Any appetizer?”

“Ah, yeah. Just a house salad. Oil and vinegar on the side. Thanks.”

The server nodded and left them alone again.

“Salad? I figured you for a chicken-wing kind of man.” Lisa raised one perfectly shaped brow.

“I like to watch my figure.” Matt grinned. The truth was, he was too lazy to food shop very often and the likelihood of there being anything fresh or green, besides mold, in his fridge was pretty slim. He ordered his healthy food out and stuck to the two basic bachelor food groups at home—chips and beer. Those he could stock up on once a month without any fear they’d spoil before he got to eat them.

“I’m doing the no-carb thing.” Lisa informed him of that while taking a nice big sip of her cocktail.

Matt didn’t tell her how many empty calories or carbohydrates the alcohol and other assorted ingredients in her drink had. Instead, he nodded. “Hence the lobster and tuna.”

“Exactly.” She smiled.

Matt couldn’t shake how much Lisa reminded him of all the girls who spent summers in the Hamptons—Long Island’s summer paradise for the wealthy. Those girls had never even given him the time of day growing up. He was a lowly surfer who’d drive the hour from his parents’ house every chance he got to catch the waves at Ditch Plains. He’d sleep in his car or camp at Hither Hills, because back then he couldn’t afford the overpriced rooms the tourists filled from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Maybe he was just oversensitive after last night’s date, when Wanda had been more interested in his rank and pay grade than his personality. He’d give Lisa the benefit of the doubt, even if she did order the most expensive things on the menu.

“Actually, my best friend just lost a ton of weight on that diet that Kate Middleton was on. It’s pretty interesting. You eat nothing at all except for lean meat for days—” As Lisa went on and on and on, Matt took another sip of beer.

The date was easy. Matt didn’t have to do a thing except sit and listen to Lisa talk about herself, or her friends, or the food she hardly ever ate. Except, of course, for the tuna and the lobster she devoured tonight, while downing another cosmopolitan, followed by a decaf cappuccino with a side of French cognac.

Matt didn’t know which would be the bigger number, the amount of carbohydrates Lisa consumed on her supposed carb-free diet, or the price of her meal.

After he signaled for the check, Lisa leaned forward.

“I would never normally do this, but you seem so nice.” She reached across the table and put her hand over his. “Would you mind coming back to my apartment?”

Mind? Hell no. He’d gladly accept that invitation.

He was about to express that sentiment in a more politically correct way when Lisa continued, “My computer has been acting funny. I think I might have picked up a virus. I keep getting error messages and crashing. The place where I bought it quoted me two hundred dollars to fix it. Isn’t that crazy? I’m sure you could fix it with no problem.”

She smiled as he worked to keep his expression blank. She wanted him to come over to her place so he could give her free tech support? Just to save herself two hundred dollars? That was probably what this date was going to cost him. It seemed fair she should have to pay that amount to fix her own damn computer.

Had she been interested in him at all? Or just what he could do for her? How would Lisa even know if she were interested in Matt as a person, since she’d basically talked at him rather than to him the entire dinner? Matt forced a smile as his brain spun for a solution.

“I’d love to, Lisa. Oh, wait. Hold on a second. My cell phone is vibrating in my pocket. Excuse me.” He turned sideways in his chair and held the phone to his ear. He pretended to speak to someone who was telling him about a very bad computer emergency that only he could fix. “Hang tight, Bob. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Matt pretended to disconnect the call with the phantom Bob.

Her eyes opened wide. “That sounded serious.”

“I’m afraid it is. I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to take a rain check. I have to go.”

“I understand.” She nodded. “I’ll email you.”

“Great. Do that.” Not that he was planning to open anything she emailed him and risk catching her computer virus. “And it was great meeting you.”

“You too,” she called after him as he waylaid the waiter on the way over with the bill. He waited at the hostess desk for them to run his card and give him his receipt and then made his escape.

Dating in the new millennium. Not only did a guy have to worry about catching sexually transmitted diseases, now he had to worry about getting infected with a computer virus.

He walked into his dark living room feeling lower than before his great dating quest had begun. The familiar chime on the computer he’d left on heralded an instant message. The glow of the screen guided him across the room without the lights on. One glance at the screen had Matt scowling.

Sam_I_am: Home late from date. Good sign.

Computer_God: No, it’s not. Bad date.

Sam_I_am: Sorry. More dates for next week?

Matt considered his answer for a moment and then typed.
No!

For extra emphasis, he added a half dozen more exclamation points and then hit
send
.

Chapter Two

Monday morning at zero-eight-hundred, Matt strolled into the meeting room happy to be at work after the hellish weekend he’d had in the dating trenches. He stopped at the coffeemaker, filled his mug and then plopped into a chair with a sigh.

Across the table, Trey Williams raised a brow. “Tough weekend?”

Matt snorted. “You have no idea.”

“You should have come by the bar. Jack and I were there pretty much every night hanging out with Carly and watching baseball.”

It sounded good in theory, but as each one of his teammates hooked up and got serious girlfriends, Matt felt more and more like a fifth wheel. “Was Nicki up visiting, Jack?”

The reluctance to spend more time with the happy couples must have shown on Matt’s face. A frown creased Trey’s brow. “Why? You don’t like Nicki?”

Matt shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I like her a lot. And she’s from New York like me. Around here, that’s pretty rare. The thing is, I feel funny being the only single guy.”

Trey rolled his eyes. “That’s stupid. It’s a bar. It’s full of single guys. And you get used to Jack and Nicki disappearing upstairs for an hour here and there. They always come back. As much as Jack likes sex, I think he likes a good game and a nice cold beer even better.”

Maybe Matt should start to watch more sports and drink more to make up for the appalling lack of sex in his own life. He was just considering that when Jimmy came out of the commander’s office.

“Well, boys. The commander is off doing something for Central Command, so I’m in charge for the next few days.”

“Is there going to be any action?” Trey asked the question Matt was wondering the answer to himself.

“Nope. I swear it’s like we’re being punished for that shindig getting blown up with Bull inside.” Jimmy didn’t stop to address the misery that appeared in Bull’s expression at that mention, and continued, “We’ve got another training exercise this week and not much else. On top of that, they’re taking Matt away from us.”

Matt nearly choked on the swallow of coffee he’d just taken. “What? Me? Where am I going?”

Jimmy laughed. “Don’t worry. They’re not keeping you. You’re on loan.”

On loan? Like a frigging library book? “Ah, on loan to whom?”

Knowing Central Command, Matt could only imagine, and no scenario his brain came up with made him very happy.

“We’ll go over it privately after the meeting. Now, for our next round of fun, how you all feel about helping train some green SpecOp recruits by whooping their asses in a recon simulation?”

That brought smiles to the faces of every man in the room, except for Matt. He still couldn’t help but wonder what his assignment would be.

Loaned out. What the fuck?

Matt stewed through the team meeting, right up until Jimmy dismissed the rest of the team except for him.

“Matt. Come on in the office.” Jimmy led the way. He sat in the commander’s chair and indicated Matt should sit in the other chair. “I gotta say, Coleman. This acting commander gig is pretty enlightening.”

Jimmy’s smirk had Matt frowning.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” What the hell was Jimmy talking about, and what did it have to do with Matt’s assignment?

“Let’s see. For starters, you never said you were recruited directly out of college for the Army’s Delta Force Technology Unit. More importantly, I had no idea you’d developed—wait, let me get this straight—” Jimmy read from a single piece of paper he’d taken out of a manila folder, “—the technology for a targeting and guidance program for the military’s new missile defense system.
And
you sold it to Uncle Sam for millions when you were nineteen.” Jimmy put down the paper and frowned. “You’re a freaking millionaire?”

That
was in his personnel file? Matt had hoped Central wouldn’t be quite so thorough in their paperwork. “I did have a partner in that project. We split the money from the contract.”

Jimmy seemed to ignore Matt’s explanation as he continued, “I mean, I knew you were smart, but not that you’re a frigging prodigy. Like an actual certified genius. Graduating high school at sixteen, college at nineteen.” Jimmy shook his head. “Three whole years to graduate valedictorian from college, what took you so long?”

Matt shrugged at Jimmy’s sarcasm. “Well, you know. The missile program took up a lot of time, and we developed and sold a few computer games along the way too.”

“Sure, in your spare time. Why not? I can understand that. Why not throw together a few games too.” Shaking his head, Jimmy laughed.

“I’d appreciate it if we could keep all this information between us.”

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. “Of course, but mind if I ask why? What’s up, Coleman? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to be treated differently. It’s hard enough I’m tucked away in a van while you guys take fire.”

“Matt, none of us are totally safe ever, you included. The baddies could take out that van with one well-placed missile.”

“Thanks, Jimmy. I feel loads better now.” Matt laughed.

Jimmy ignored the interruption. “And you and your computer genius has given us advantages on every single mission. You’ve kept all of us alive more times than I can count.”

Matt let out a sigh. He knew what Jimmy said was true. It was just hard remembering it sometimes. “Thanks.”

Jimmy nodded and slid a different folder forward. “Now, back to business. You’re going to Dubai.”

That news brought Matt’s head up. “Dubai?”

“Yup. It seems as if our ally’s air base in Dubai is having issues with the guidance system you—ahem—didn’t invent and didn’t make millions from.” Jimmy winked at him. “Central wants you to go over there and give them a crash course. It should be quite an adventure. As a thank you for your special effort, the royal family has invited you to stay at one of their compounds.”

“Really?” Wow. Not only was Matt getting out of the van, he was doing it in style.

Jimmy tossed a folder across the desk. Matt glanced inside. It contained information about Al Minhad Air Base, operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force, though the British Armed Forces had operations there, as did the Aussies.

“Yup. I suggest you brush up on local customs. You leave right after our training mission with the new boys.”

Matt grinned. It was going to be a very good week.

In a good mood after today’s developments, Matt didn’t even have the urge to check the dating site when he got home.

The last time he’d logged in and found a message from
BabyGirl
had pretty much cured his desire to ever go there again. The virus threat alone would have made him hit
delete
on Lisa’s message, but the subject line that read
Need Computer Help
had clinched it. He deleted it unopened. Just because he had money didn’t mean he enjoyed spending it on a bad date who only wanted him for his tech skills.

Research on Dubai kept Matt occupied for a solid hour. The royal family had their own website. Go figure. He was just reading about Sheikh Mohammed’s Internet City when a message from Sam popped up.