“Another round, sir?” The bartender gestured to the empty glass sitting on the bar.

Captain Harmon Rabb, Jr. shook his head. “I’m good, thanks.” He then returned his attention to the woman beside him.

Gina Adams had taken the stool next to him a little earlier, and in the past twenty minutes, she had proceeded to tell Harm her entire life story: where she was from (Chicago), what she did for a living (interior designer), and about her family (both parents deceased, two sisters). At first impression, Harm had assumed she was a little self-centered. It was only after hearing her story that he realized that she was simply enthusiastic.

He had to admit that she was pretty. Her light auburn hair fell around her shoulders, shaping her delicate, expressive face. Her eyes were a bright blue, her lavender cocktail dress complimented her clear complexion, and her tanned skin indicated her enjoyment of the outdoors. Harm guessed she was somewhere in her late 20's.

“So, how about you?” she asked, taking a sip of her martini. “From the four stripes on your shoulders, I’m assuming your rank is pretty high.”

“Captain,” he confirmed. “I just returned to the States last month. For the past four years, I’ve been stationed in London.”

Her eyes flared with interest. “I’ve been there twice. The city is beautiful.”

He nodded in agreement. “I was assigned force judge advocate of the Europe Naval Forces. Now, I have orders to the Pentagon.”

Gina pushed her hair over her shoulder. “I have a cousin stationed there.”

“Really? Which branch?”

“Army.”

“Poor guy.”

Gina gave a small laugh. “You’d have to say that. Anyway, he -”

The rest of her sentence was lost on Harm as he looked up to see a tall brunette walk into the room. Her gaze immediately caught Harm’s, and she smiled as she strode toward him. Resplendent in a cream-colored silk gown, she caught the eye of several men in the room. Harm had to grin - at 43 years old, his wife was turning more heads than ever.

Rising to greet her, Harm leaned down to deliver a quick kiss. “I never thought I’d say this, but you’re late.”

“Blame it on the Beltway,” she replied. “There’s a three-mile backup.”

As she moved to take the other stool beside him, Harm noticed Gina’s puzzled expression. Following her line of sight, he realized she was looking at the platinum diamond ring on Mac’s left hand. He quickly proceeded to introduce the two women. “Mac, this is Gina Adams. She’s visiting the area from Chicago. Gina, my wife, Sarah MacKenzie.”

Mac immediately moved to shake her hand. “Very nice to meet you.”

Harm half-expected Gina to grow withdrawn, but to his surprise, she shook Mac’s hand warmly. “Likewise. Your husband has very graciously allowed me to talk his ear off for the past half-hour.”

“With two females in the house, he’s used to it,” Mac told her with a smile. “You here on business?”

Leaving the two of them to get acquainted, Harm went in pursuit of the bartender, who was at the opposite end of the bar. He ordered a tonic water for Mac, and as he was handing the bartender his tab, the older man asked, “So, you’re here with the brunette?”

Harm nodded. “My wife.”

“And here I was thinking you and the young one were hitting it off.” The bartender gave him a wink.

Harm bit back a smart remark, keeping his voice calm. “Just making conversation.”

The bartender’s eyes stayed on Gina. “I prefer younger women, myself.”

Surprised and a little confused at the personal turn the conversation had taken, Harm decided to just go with the flow. “Oh, really? Why?”

“More adventurous. They keep you young. Not afraid to try different things, go to different places. I find them exciting.”

“Maturity doesn’t matter to you? Self-confidence, knowing where she’s going in life?”

The bartender tore his eyes from Gina to look at Harm. “Sometimes. I just find other features more important.” He paused. “You don’t?”

Harm shook his head. “No.” He picked up Mac’s tonic water. “Thanks.”

He made his way back to his stool and handed Mac her drink. She offered him a sweet smile as thanks, keeping her attention on Gina, who was re-telling her life story.

“... so I decided to just stay in Chicago. My relatives are there, and it’s the only home I’ve ever known. I’ve never been the traveling type, really.” She took a final swallow of her martini, then stood. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find a few people. It was very nice to meet you both.” She shook both their hands, and with a smile, she disappeared into the crowd of suits, dresses, and uniforms.

Mac watched her leave. “She was nice.”

Harm nodded absently. “Mmhmm.” The band on the stage started the introduction of a new song, and he recognized the tune with an inward grin. “You owe me a dance, Marine.”

Mac allowed him to pull her to her feet. She always found it amusing how, although she’d resigned from the Corps four years ago, he still called her ‘Marine.’ “Lead the way.”

He guided her to the dance floor with a warm hand on her back, sweeping her into his arms once they’d joined the other dancers. She settled into his embrace, and they began to sway in time with the music. Resting his cheek against her soft hair, Harm quietly sang the words of the song to her:

Some things look better, baby
Just passin’ through

And it’s no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It’s two hearts living
In two separate worlds

As the band broke into an instrumental solo, Harm told her, “the bartender was asking me why I prefer you over younger women.”

She lifted her head off his chest to meet his gaze. “You mean Gina?”

He nodded.

“And what did you tell him?” she asked.

“That I find maturity and self-confidence much more important than an age factor.” He stared down into her chocolate brown eyes. “That it’s not a sacrifice to have a woman with a head on her shoulders and a hold on her life and her values.”

She gave him a genuine smile, one that always melted his heart anew. He kissed her gently, and she returned her head to his shoulder.

As they moved around the floor, Harm thought of Gina, a young woman who had yet to reach her full potential, who was still learning about herself and about life. He thought back to the bartender, who had yet to realize the importance of inner beauty. But most of all, he focused on the woman wrapped securely in his arms. No, he thought as he held her closer, it’s no sacrifice at all.

- Fin. -