Free Desperate Situations by Abby Holden

what it's like to be alone. Being the only woman on base and in char ge, well, it's got to be tough. I've been told I'm a good listener."
    Megan raised her eyes to meet his. "Thanks but no."
    Jake stared into her eyes. He could tell she was torn up about something. Every now and then his sisters would get the same attitude. Maybe he should try a tactic that worked with them. "Then, would a hug help?" He lifted his arms.
    Her eyes softened, and tears formed in them again. "Sure." She leaned into him, putting her arms around him.
    Jake encircled her with his arms and gave a slight squeeze. His eyebrows arched. She had body armor on underneath her large shirt. He could also feel her shaking as she laid her head on his chest. He held on to her , waiting until she was ready to break contact.
    Megan patted his back and let go. She wiped her tears. Taking a step back, she studied the rooftop. Finally she looked up. "Thanks."
    "Anytime."
    With a soft smile, she headed away.
    "Hey, Megan."
    "Yeah?" She turned.
    "Out of curiosity." He sat down, reaching for his glass. "Why do you have on body armor, off duty and on base?"
    She stepped back. "Three reasons. One, it's habit. I almost feel naked without it. Two, for protection. Believe it or not, I have a lot of enemies. And three, it hides the fact that I'm a woman. I can, if I dress the right way, blend in as a man. About the only time I don't wear it is in my room."
    Jake nodded in thanks.
    "Have a good evening, Cupcake."
    Jake winked. "You too, Chief."
    After she left, his eyes turned to the darkening mountains. There was one last stray ray of sunlight peaking out from behind the foothills giving just a touch of pink to the surrounding area. He poured another glass and toasted silently the last visual scene, a smile playing on his lips. The hug had worked. This was the first time they had been on a first name basis.
     
    ***
     
    The next afternoon Jake was walking down Chicken Street with Gunner shopping for gifts for their families. Chicken Street was the main market street near the base. They stopped twice to sample local food : very spicy, yet good. Gunner enjoyed it immensely. Jake was polite, but it just wasn't his thing.
    The market was similar to those in Iraq, only the streets were more littered with trash and some of the buildings were bombed out , many having never been rebuilt after the fighting.
    Traffic was mostly bicycles and foot traffic, although the occasional Toyota rambled by. Jake made a comment to Cowboy as the group left the front gate about the weird fact that there were a lot of white Toyotas in Kabul. Cowboy merely laughed in answer.
    Now they were in a rug shop. Gunner was negotiating with the shop owner on a particularly stunning rug. Jake looked at a few, considering buying one for his mom but decided to wait. He might find something better later on.
    He stepped out of the shop and stuck his hands in his pockets, looking around the street. Two young street urchins, boys age seven or eight, immediately accosted him wanting a handout of money. Neither looked like they had eaten in weeks, but he knew once he started handing out money, he'd be swamped.
    Jake held out his hands and shook his head no, then he held up one finger in the universal sign for 'wait.' Being in Iraq prepared him for this. He pulled out two Dumdum suckers and handed each kid one. Their eyes lit up and smiles adorned their faces. Although not better than money, it was a unique gift from a foreigner.
    They thanked him heartily in their language . Even though Jake couldn't understand them, it was obvious that's what they were saying. Then they hurried off, their prizes stuck firmly in their pockets.
    Jake smiled, watching them run off. He liked making kids happy, not to mention that kids in Afghanistan had witness ed many atrocities and anytime someone could provide them with a little pleasure it was always appreciated. He went back to watching people in the area with his hands in his