Chapter 73 The Morning

Chapter 73 The Morning

It was 5:00 AM on August 14th, 2023, when Sara began to stir.

The soft glow of dawn's first light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle, pale hue over the room. Sara's eyelids fluttered, and she let out a quiet yawn as she slowly emerged from her slumber.

Sara stretched her limbs lazily, feeling the pleasant ache of a good night's rest. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled the events of the previous evening, a blurry mix of laughter, drinks, and Richard's concerned face.

As she sat up in bed, ready to face the day ahead, her smile turned into a gasp of shock. There, right beside her in the bed, was Richard, sound asleep. His form was peaceful, his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. The surprise of finding him in her bed left her momentarily speechless.

Sara blinked several times her mind racing as she tried to piece together the events of the previous night. Her memories were a haze beyond leaving the bar with Richard. She couldn't recall how they had ended up here, in her bed, both clothed and asleep. It was a puzzle she couldn't solve without Richard's input.

Anxiety gnawed at her as she considered the implications of their situation. Did they do something beyond her memory's grasp? She knew she needed answers, and she couldn't keep avoiding the inevitable conversation.

Sara took a deep breath and decided it was time to rouse Richard. She reached out and gently shook his shoulder, her voice trembling as she called his name, "Richard... Richard, wake up."

Richard stirred, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly came to. His eyes met Sara's, and there was a moment of confusion in his gaze before he seemed to remember where he was. n-.o-)V--e..l//B(.1.-n

"Sara?" he mumbled, his voice rough from sleep.

Sara couldn't hold back her anxiety any longer. In a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and frustration, she let out a bashful sigh. "Richard, wha—what happened last night? Did we do something?"

Richard, now more awake, sat up on the bed and locked gaze with Sara. "Yesterday? Well, you were quite drunk and you said you wanted me to take you somewhere we could be alone, and I did what you told me. I brought you here in your unit."

"Di–Did I really say that?" Sara stammered, her cheeks flushed with a deep shade of crimson. She felt a rush of embarrassment as the realization of her own drunken words sank in. It was becoming clearer, but she still couldn't recall all the details.

"Yes, you did. You seemed quite insistent," Richard said simply.

Sara's mind raced as she tried to fill in the gaps in her memory. "But... did we... you know... do anything beyond that? Like when we got here?"

There was silence between them for a moment as Richard contemplated how to respond. He wore a faint smile, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. Sara noticed this and couldn't help but pout as she waited for his answer.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she asked,

Richard chuckled softly. "Well, Sara, when we got here, you actually invited me to join you in the bed."

Sara's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? I did? I don't remember that at all!"

Richard nodded, his smile still evident. "Yes, you did. You insisted that I sleep in the bed with you, and, well, we both ended up here."

Sara's pout deepened as she processed this revelation. She couldn't believe she had made such a bold and forward invitation while intoxicated. It was completely out of character for her. She felt a mix of embarrassment and surprise at her own actions.

"You're not just saying that to be kind, are you?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Richard shook his head earnestly. "No, Sara, I promise you. We shared the bed. And..."

"And?" Sara tilted her head to the side. Richard said "And" meant that something

more had happened, and Sara's curiosity got the best of her. She looked at Richard, awaiting his next words.

Richard's smile softened as he continued, "And we kissed, Sara."

Sara's eyes widened once again, and her cheeks flushed with a deeper shade of crimson. She was taken aback by this new revelation. "We kissed? Are you sure?"

Richard nodded, his gaze sincere. "Yes, but it was just a kiss on the lips, Sara. Nothing more. I didn't want to take advantage of you, especially in your state."

And that was it for Sara to have her face completely beet red. She grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it. She squealed in embarrassment. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I kissed my commanding officer. Oh no...I apologize, sir! I promise I won't drink again and..."

Richard chuckled at her reaction, finding it endearing. He reached out and gently pulled the pillow away from her face, interrupting her from her rambling apologies.

"Hey, Sara, it's alright. You don't need to apologize. We were both caught up in the moment."

"But sir...! There's no excuse. I asked you to do such a thing..!" Sara touched her lips, the very lips that touched Richard's. Just thinking about it made her even more flustered. She looked at Richard with genuine concern in her eyes.

"Do you really mind me kissing you, Sara?" Richard asked.

"No, sir, it's not that I didn't like it or anything... I just... I shouldn't have put you in that position," Sara replied, her voice soft and filled with self-reproach.

Richard smiled gently. "Well, to be honest, I did do something to you when we were kissing."

"Oh my god, don't tell me we had sex?" Sara gasped.

"No, that's not what I meant at all," Richard replied, clarifying the situation. "I touched your body."

"Where?" Sara asked as she started touching her body here and there.

"Just the sides of it. Nothing too intimate," Richard reassured her, his voice calm and gentle. "Sara, it's important that you understand I would never take advantage of you, especially in a vulnerable state. I believe in the idea of consent and respecting boundaries. I would never do anything that you didn't explicitly want."

"But what if I consented?" Sara blurted out.

"What?"

"Ahhh~! No, sir, forget me saying such silly things! Oh right! It's five o'clock, we have work to do sir! Better prepare for the day ahead," Sara said, jumping out of bed and heading straight to the bathroom, leaving Richard alone in the room.

He actually heard her. And just as he was about to answer, she completely left him.

"If you consent to it, then I will simply oblige to your wishes," Richard replied to the empty room with a bemused smile.

While Sara freshened up in the bathroom, Richard prepared to leave her unit.

"Sara, I'm going up to my unit. We'll see each other at the command center, yeah?"

Richard didn't hear a response, only the sound of the shower running in the background.? He took it that she might still be processing everything that had transpired between them.

Before he took his leave, Richard spoke.

"Sara, it was my first kiss, and I don't regret it one bit," he said and exited the room.

***

Seven o'clock in the morning. At the command center Oriental.

Richard saw familiar faces again, and they all saluted once he entered. Dressed in his military uniform, he felt confident and ready to lead his private army. However, his mind kept drifting back to the events of the morning and yesterday.

On his way to his desk, he saw Mark, grappling his head and groaning.

"Ah, this migraine! It's the worst. I promise I won't drink beer for the rest of my life," Mark complained, looking utterly miserable.

Richard couldn't help but chuckle at Mark's plight. "Hangover, huh?"

Mark nodded, wincing at the sound of his own voice. "Yeah, and it feels like a herd of elephants is tap dancing in my head...Sir?!"

Mark jolted up straight and saluted. "I apologize for speaking to you so casually sir."

Richard smiled warmly at Mark's formality. "Relax, Mark. You don't need to be so formal all the time. We're all comrades here."

Mark nodded, looking relieved. "Thank you, sir."

"Speaking of a comrade, I would like to know what happened between you and Sara."

Those words didn't come from Mark's mouth but from Graves.

"What are you doing here Graves?" Mark asked.

"Well, I may not be a Chief of Staff anymore but I still used to work here, and I must say that Sir Richard and I formed a bond. Right, sir?"

"You can say that," Richard chuckled.

"So, sir, what's the news? Did you have a sexy time with Sara? I mean, there has to be something right?"

Richard shook his head. "No, we didn't go that far. We only kissed, and I say it's all worth it."

"Just a kiss?" Graves exclaimed. "Sir, that's not even worth it. You gotta go straight to that booty."

"Well we almost got there, but I stopped," Richard said.

"Why?" Graves asked.

"Because doing something while she is intoxicated is a no-no for me."

"That's a shame, sir. Now you have lost your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Heck, you and Sara spending next time together might not even happen. Speaking of Sara, she's still not here."

"Probably, doing some makeup or such," Mark chimed in.

"Well, sir, how do you plan to proceed forward? I'd say in my own observation, that Sara might be into you," Graves said.

"I don't know honestly," Richard shrugged. "I guess I'll find out."

As they were having a brief conversation, one of the staff monitoring the cameras flicked his finger.

"Commander, we have an approaching vehicle approaching from the north, two klicks out."

Richard's brows furrowed as he turned his gaze towards the monitor. There, he saw a white sedan.

"Okay, heads up boys. We may have a situation on our hands," Richard said.