FLIGHT

THREE

Considering the rather intense conversation the two had at frankie's the week before, layla was not expecting luke to call her after her shift that night explaining he got her number from frankie and had wanted to go along with the marriage with her.

that's how the female found herself sat in one of the booths in one of more quiet diners in the area.

she looked up when the familiar chime of the door opening was rung.

she shoved whatever drawing she was working on back into her bag and nodded towards luke.

"hi," he let out, causing her to raise her brows. "hi." she hummed out, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"thanks for meeting with me," he slid into the seat across of her, looking around the diner anxiously.

"so, is your dad in the parking lot waiting to cuff me?" she teased, finally relaxing once he sat down.
the male let out a small chuckle, "funny." he spoke, sarcasm dripping from his voice. he took the chance to look around the diner once more.

"dude, you're acting kinda sus." she whispered, teasing him. "yeah well, if we do this." he began, lowering his voice. "we're going to need to be very careful alright? we're gonna need a story. you and i didn't exactly look like friends at the bar the other night, the others saw that." he ran a hand through his short hair. "but- the next night i was very charming and persistent and convinced you to go out with me," he smirked.

layla let out a snort, "you did?" she mocked, "was it hot? when you asked me out i mean?"

"very." he shrugged out, finding the situation funny.

"i'm sorry, i'm just gonna need you to explain yourself, because a week ago you were lecturing me on how this is fraud, so..." layla shrugged back; demanding an explanation.

"it is fraud. i don't wanna do this." he shot back.

"okay, so. don't." she

"believe me, if i had any other choice, i wouldn't be. marriage should be for love. and where i come from,it's for life."

"do you come from a fantasy land?" she spoke. the brunette had only heard of such relationships in movies or the rare old white couple. "because where i come from, in reality marriage is just a pointless legal arrangement that turns lovers into enemies, so"
she adjusted her top. "why don't you have another choice?"

"how's that your business?" he looking back behind him for a moment.

"kind of is, i am possibly about to marry you. why?" she pressed. "i need the extra two grand married guys get."

"so that's it? and i'm supposed to trust you here?"
"trust me? okay. look, if i can trust a lib, who doesn't give a shot about the law or military i can sure-." the male was cut off by the female in front of him,"i have an ethical code that doesn't include blind obedience and i desperately need this to literally survive, whereas you could be, i don't know stockpiling supplies for your bro-militia."

"you know what?" he huffed out, im leaving. "this was a mistake,"

"luke. luke." she called after him.

"liberal nut." he spat, shaking his head. "what?"

"listen, i don't like you," she let out, throwing her hands into the air.

"no shit," he fumed.

"but you seem solid. so. i'm sorry okay? please." layla pleaded with him to return back to his seat. luke let out a deep breath before returning back to his original spot in front of her

"listen. i need you to understand what we're getting ourselves into. if we're caught, i get court martialed. as in arrested, doing time. this is already a shot gun wedding, so we're gonna be on their radar. so when i get over to there, iraq, we've gotta just like, set up consistent times where we are gonna speak, okay? we gotta make this look like an real marriage, romantic emails, all of that. then once i'm back here we can divorce. that gives you a year of free health insurance." he ranted, telling her the entire ordeal.

"alright" she spoke, nodding along.

"one more small thing, i deploy friday morning. we'd also have to go out with my company, act like we..." he paused, unable to find the right words.

"like what? we like each other?" the brunette mocked.

"no. more than that. like we're in love. and um, all the married couples spend the night at this motel near the base, so it means we would have to" he finally finished off.

"great, so are we out of if territory?" layla released the small breath she was holding.

"yeah. but you can't tell anybody that doesn't need to know. promise?" his voice low and serious.

"i promise, even more so, i pinky promise." the brunette held up her finger for the male.

"no- im not doing that." he spoke up, visibly irritated by her antics.

"dude we're literally getting married." she grinned,
with a roll of his eyes he linked her pinky with his, getting up afterwards. "i'll text you."