Patriotic Duty

Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that a flat tire and a rainy Fourth of July would land me in my current situation. I stood in front of them at the foyer in my bathrobe and nothing else. My heart thundered, my nerves played havoc on my resolve. I may be acting like a loose woman right now but I had never been so reckless in my life. Of course, that was the point. I hadn’t been reckless. I hadn’t fully enjoyed things my friends had talked about. A wild streak flared inside me when I got the diagnosis. This was my first attempt at letting that freak flag fly. What did I have to lose after all?
“Here are your towels,” I handed the two drenched Marines, my saviors tonight, one each.
“Thanks,” they said in unison.
“Let me start that coffee. You probably want to get out of those wet clothes. I think there is a another robe in the bathroom,” I added as an afterthought.
“Were you serious?” Barely above a whisper the soft rumble of masculine sound rolled over me. The words sank into my skin, warming me instantly. He had no idea just how serious I was.
I looked back at the two young men, both prime specimens of the male species if I had ever seen one, and said, “Yes. But I don’t want you to feel obligated. You can both wait out the storm, with or without your clothes and I won’t mind either way.”
I still couldn’t figure out how old they were. I knew I was too old to be offering them more than coffee. I knew that inviting two strange young men back to a remote beach house was asking for trouble. I couldn’t help myself. When they stopped to help me with that tire in the pouring rain, I used one of the oldest lines in the book. Come back to my place for a little coffee, tea, or me. They had laughed a moment. The rain continued to pour down on us. I held my smile and invitation firm on my face. I can’t describe the relief when Aldis, the blonde haired blue eyed angel, the same one who asked if I was serious, slowly nodded his agreement. Wilson, the caramel covered dream with pale green eyes seemed to be a little unsure then, and he was still unsure now.
“Who are you, exactly…I mean I don’t want to be rude,” Wilson dried himself over his clothing with the towel as he spoke. “But seriously, you can’t really be offering us, two guys you just met, a night with you. Or are you only offering him?”
The thought must have just dawned on him because he made a slight laugh and nodded as if he understood.
“The offer was for both of you,” I swallowed the lump in my throat and straightened my back. Aldis tilted his head, continued drying, as did Wilson, and listened intently. I took a bold breath and laid it out for them, “I’m Kira. I was diagnosed with cancer last week. I have spent my entire life being a good girl. I didn’t smoke, drink, I wore sun-block, I exercised and ate right but it didn’t matter. I’m thirty-four years old and I have no children, no husband, no boyfriend, and no more time to worry about my reputation. You gentlemen stopped in the middle of a downpour to help out this old lady and I got greedy. I selfishly wanted you to come home with me. I wanted to pretend I was…how old are you?”
“Twenty-two,” Wilson looked over at Aldis.
“Twenty-one,” he gulped.
“So I wanted to pretend that I was twenty again,” the word hit me harder than the reality of the two of them standing there making water puddles on the floor as they dried those young bodies. All of their soaking wet clothes still in place clinging to muscles I’d forgotten men had. “But fellas, you can say no. I mean it. There really is a robe in the bathroom, there are more towels there too. I am…a little bit older than you…but it is the Fourth of July, Independence Day, I haven’t done one thing for my country this year. I sorta thought I might just do two instead.”
“Make your own fireworks?” Wilson laughed.
I shrugged and pulled the belt on my white terrycloth robe tighter. I didn’t like the thought of them making fun of me. Especially since I had just told them my life threatening news and I had yet to tell anyone else. I shoved that thought aside as soon as it entered my head. Something in my expression straightened Aldis to his full height of six foot something. He towered over me and he towered over Wilson who was maybe an inch or two taller than I was. Aldis had been looking at me carefully, up and down, measuring me. Judging.