Read Color Me Grey: Book One of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles for Free Online Page A

there was
rarely a line and I found no line as I got there this time either.
I washed my hands and entered the hallway to go back to the
fun.
    There was a man in the hall just this side of
the swinging doors but the lighting was low and I’d had enough to
drink that I didn’t recognize the form. It looked familiar, muscles
on a sleek frame but it just didn’t register. He was facing me;
casually leaning on the wall with his arms folded in front of him
and had one leg crossing the other. I kept walking toward him. I
was on top of him before I recognized him.
    “ Mr. White,” I said coolly by way of
greeting as I passed him going through the doors. My voice was even
and short, but my heart was racing. Mr. White! He gave me a small
nod with a small grin attached to it. Then he followed me through
the doors. I put a little more swing in my walk and calmly and
coolly nodded to Army Boy at the bar. He didn’t seem to like my
acknowledgement and pinched his lips together. The word oops and the F word both came to mind. I kept walking like I knew
where I was going. You wouldn’t have known it by watching me slowly
scan the room, but I was frantic, trying to locate Colin. I didn’t
see him anywhere so I made my way back to our booth.
    I slid in the side facing the bar to keep an
eye on my pursuers. I should have been scared sober, but that
didn’t work with me very often. You really had to scare me. This
came close but not quite there. I saw Mr. White sitting next to
Army Boy at the bar and they were speaking. At least now I knew who
the hell had been following me. I still didn’t understand why
though.
    I was concentrating on Mr. White’s lips. He
said something like, “Happen. I you her you.” Hell. I needed to
find Colin! I scanned the dance floor. He was there. I got up and
started for him. He saw me and came my direction, clearly able to
see that something had come up. We met on the edge of the dance
floor.
    “ What’s up?” he asked with concern on
his face and in his voice.
    “ Ok,” I said as way of calming myself
down. “Let’s go out on the dance floor, I’m wired and need to get
rid of this energy. I’ll tell you out there.”
    The band was playing a fairly slow set so we
were able to blend in and still talk. I made sure Colin was facing
the bar. “Is Army Boy still sitting at the bar?” I asked.
    “ Yeah, but there’s another guy sitting
and talking to him.”
    “ That’s Mr. White,” I said.
    “ No, I know him. I can’t remember his
name but it’s not White,” Colin said. “I recognize him from the
service. He was of a pretty high rank, Petty Officer 1 st class, I think.”
    “ You know how bad I am at the ranks. I
can never remember what’s what,” I told him.
    “ Well, Master Chief Slade is one rank
under being a commissioned officer.”
    Commissioned officers took tests to become
commissioned, if I remembered right. What I did remember was
commissioned officers were on the top third of the rank ladder.
    Colin went on, “Petty Officer 1 st class is only a few steps below Master Chief.” I was still a bit
confused, but I understood that Mr. White wasn’t Mr. White and had
some extensive military rank.
    “ So what does that mean?” I asked
Colin. “Well, the guy you call Mr. White started the service about
the same time I did and has since gotten out. I think he did two
tours which is eight years and then he got out a higher rank than I
am right now,” Colin said.
    “ Are they talking,” I asked.
    “ Not since you told me they were
there.”
    “ Would you please translate if they
start?” I asked.
    “ Wouldn’t miss the chance.” A big grin
plastered to his face. I think Colin had a shot of whiskey or two
while I was in the restroom.
    We danced a couple more songs and then the
band picked up the pace again. The effects of the alcohol were
getting to me. I began to forget about the two men at the bar again
and was really getting into the music. Of course I knew they