**This story is set in 1940's HAWAII after/during the attack on Pearl Harbor.**
Eloise Love Randall was a nurse and soon to be bride when WWII began.
Putting her life on pause, she enlists into the United States Navy and is shipped off to Hawaii...
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In that moment Eloise's life had froze in time.
Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest as she fell deeper and deeper into his strong arms. The sweet smell of his soft cologne took over her senses and sent her spiraling down a rabbit hole of pure ecstasy. She clung to his button up shirt and brought herself closer to his chest, savoring his essence.
Time didn't matter in that moment. Life didn't feel real.
It was as if her whole life had been leading up to this point. She tried to rationalize the feeling she had but she couldn't.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Eloise quickly snapped out of the trance she fell into and gathered herself together.
Mason put her back onto her feet, holding onto her hand as he bent down to retrieve her book from the ground. Eloise never once took her eyes from him, still feeling star struck.
"Her you go."
Mason placed her book into the hand he was once holding onto.
Eloise looked down to the now meaningless book she now held instead of his rough large hands.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention when you found me. I was caught up in my book that I just-"
"It's ok. It's me that should apologize. I should have made myself known before speaking to you."
His sweet southern voice spoke. He chuckled ever slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's alright. What brings you to this part of the island? Is your post nearby?"
"It is actually. Just 10 minutes. My mates and I came for a few drinks at the Hulla Bar. I didnt't feel like drinking much tonight though, so wondered off and have been hanging out down here while they've been inside. What about yourself?"
Mason asks stuffing his hands into his front pockets. His arm muscles bulging slightly.
"My roommates insisted taking me out tonight. Apparently all I do is work, write, read and sleep."
Eloise admits.
"You write?"
"Yes, I write my-"
Eloise stops herself before she answers his question. She wasn't sure why she stopped herself when she could have been honest with him.
"-I write my uh-my mother and sister back home. Yeah, I write them."
She says stumbling onto her words as she spoke.
"Oh okay. Well that's very nice."
Mason chuckles again as the two share a moment of silence. Eloise was making a fool of herself, she thought. She rolled her eyes internally.
"I was actually on my way home when I found you."
"Yeah, me too. It's to dark for me to read now."
Eloise jokes as she waves her book in the air. The two share a moment of laughter before the moment is once again silent.
"I should go-"
Eloise begins.
"Yeah. No, yeah me too."
"It was really nice running into you Captain-"
"Mason. Just call me Mason."
He reminds her, smiling down at Eloise flushed face.
"Mason, sorry. Well then, I should really head home, it's pretty late. I'm sure my roommates don't plan to go home anytime soon. I don't want to be the debby-downer and ruin their festivities because I want to go home..."
"Yeah. No, me too."
Mason repeats. He was running out of things to say to Eloise. Not because he was trying to hurry things on and go home but because he genuinely wanted to continue talking with her. He just wasn't that great at... conversing with ladies. Especially with a woman like Eloise. Though she was small she had this intimation about her that made Mason very nervous. He could tell she was incredibly smart and sure of herself.
Truthfully, he liked the intimidation. He couldn't help but feel attracted towards Eloise.
"Well then...I do hope we meet again. Maybe next time with out falling into each other's arms?"
The two share a moment of laughter again.
"Goodnight, Mason and do take care."
Eloise extends her hand out to Mason and the two shake hands. In this moment, Mason feels how small Eloise's hand is. Her hands were soft compared to his. Looking down to their hands, the two realize they may have been shaking for longer than they expected to.
"Goodnight Mason."
Eloise says looking up and into Mason's bright brown eyes and he looking down into hers, their contrast in height ever prominent.
Before Mason could think of something to say, words begin to spill out of his mouth.
"I have a car."
Eloise laughs out loud.
"That's great."
She said, poking fun at his obvious nervousness.
"I'm sorry. I meant to say i have a car if you'd like me to take you home?"
Mason and, his face flushed bright red.
"Why not. It's too dark for me to walk home alone anyways."
The two laugh again at Mason's sudden awkwardness. Mason wasn't sure what had came over him in that moment but he was glad it happened. Even if he made a fool of himself. He enjoyed talking to Eloise and watching her laugh.
