The Bodyguard

Chapter 22

"Looks like you finally found yourself a good one, Garcia! I'm happy for you, man." Jack thinks that Jamie and I are...

"We're just friends."

"Just friends, huh?"

"Just. Friends."

"Ah, so I'm free to try with her, right?" Jamie begins to object, but Jack throws his arm around my shoulders and starts walking me towards the bar again. Jamie trails behind us, and I can practically feel the glare he's shooting at the back of Jack's head.

"Just take a seat there, little lady, and I'll get you something else to drink." He points to the full glass I'm still holding in my hands. "Not a fan of beer?"

"Not really, I'm sorry. Can I get some water?"

"One water coming up." Jack turns around and grabs a glass from across the bar. After I take a careful sip, I ask him a question. "So, how do you guys know each other?"

"Me and Garcia? We go way back."

"We grew up together."

"He's always been jealous of me, you know."

"The only thing I've ever been jealous of was how quickly you scared off women."

"Women love me."

"Sure, sure."

"They do, Danielle! Just the other night, I had 2 of them begging me to take them to bed." 

"He's also an elaborate storyteller." God, I hate not being able to not have someone say my actual name. Jack pouts.

"He's so mean to me, Danielle."

"Jamie, stop being so mean to Jack."

"Thank you!"

"Hey!"

"Did he tell you he's the reason I lost my leg?"

I look at Jamie in shock. He simply shakes his head. "Don't be so dramatic, Jamie."

"I'm not being dramatic!"

"So, you're not the reason he lost his leg?"

"Not in the way that he's implying."

"I don't understand." I turn to Jack, and he grins at me.

"It happened when we were in the SEALS together. I'd just taken on a round of gunfire and thought that was the end for me."

"You were shot?"

"Oh, hell yeah. We've both been shot many times."

My head turns towards Jamie, who shrugs. "It's part of the job."

"That day, I was hit in the leg and shoulder with nowhere to run. No one was there to help me, and I was bleeding out pretty quickly." He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "I really thought I was a goner, but this idiot over here..." Jack throws a thumb in Jamie's direction. "He just couldn't let me die."

"See what I mean about dramatic?"

"What did he do, Jack?"

"When he couldn't find me, he came running back out into the line of fire. I don't remember much other than seeing pretty little angel wings sprouting out of his back when he hoisted me up and dragged me to safety." Jack bats his eyelashes at Jamie. "My beautiful guardian angel."

I laugh at the expression on Jamie's face, and Jack joins in. "Now, I've got this sexy prosthetic leg." He lifts up his pant leg and shows it to me. "Total uniform chaser magnet, right here. Women love this thing." He looks at me hopefully, as if asking for my approval.

"It's a very nice-looking leg."

Jack smiles smugly at Jamie. "See, I told you. Chicks dig this thing."

"She's just being polite."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, big guy."

"Is it hard to walk around with it?"

"Nah, I'm used to it by now. Hasn't stopped me from doing what I want in life."

"Still, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad. I might've lost a leg, but poor Garcia over here lost his heart." Jack chuckles but Jamie stays quiet.

"Your heart, Jamie?" Warren refuses to meet my gaze. Instead, he stands up and storms out of the bar. I watch, stunned, as he slams the door behind him.