Living in San Antonio all his life, it wasn't unusual to see young people downtown, in uniform. The training base was right outside of town and after graduation, trainees could be seen sight-seeing along the boardwalk. Their first taste of freedom, after 8 weeks of their Training Instructors yelling at them and marching everywhere they went.
It was also their first time, in 2 months, to be able to interact with the opposite sex.
He sat at a table on the patio of the mall, watching the Riverboats loading and unloading their passengers, when he noticed her standing alone. There wasn't anything in particular that caught his eye. It was unusual to see a military graduate alone. They usually traveled in groups or pairs. He studied her as she waited in the line for the Riverboat ride. She was slightly tall at 5'7", trim and her dark hair was up to meet the military specifications, of nothing touching the collar. He watched as she shifted from one foot to the other. An obvious sign she was bored and wished to be somewhere else. He found himself drawn to her and soon he was in the line behind her. There was a slight breeze along the river and he could smell her fresh scent. A clean soap smell, yet intoxicating.
He had to see her eyes and he found himself saying, "Come here often?" She turned to him, about to dismiss him, but stopped as she looked into his deep brown eyes. His eyes were crinkled at the corners, and she knew he was joking. She gave him a lopsided grin, and a dimple appeared in her smooth cheek. She answered, "Every day."
"Great, " he said. "You can show me around town then." She gazed at him a moment, then asked, "Where would you like to go?" He shrugged his broad shoulders and said, "What's your favorite place?"
She stood quiet for a moment. He could tell she was sizing him up. Trying to decide if he was a danger or a friend. He saw when she decided he was a friend. Her posture relaxed some and her voice was a little more friendly. "How about the Ripley's and wax museum?" He smiled and said, "I would love to go there. Let's go." She followed as he turned away and started walking. He kept a quick pace, not realizing it. When he did notice, he turned to see how she was doing and found her right beside him. She glanced at him and smiled, "You may like running a marathon, but I've been running everywhere for the past 8 weeks. Mind if we slow the pace a little?" He grinned sheepishly and said, "Sorry."
He slowed so his steps were smaller and she didn't have to feel like she was being rushed. "By the way, I'm Beth." He grinned, "Mike." They talked about where they were from, and other small talk. They entered the cool building, to be greeted by the roaring likeness of a T-Rex. They laughed and walked to the ticket booth, paid their admission fee, and walked down the stairs to the Ripley's museum. They wandered up and down the corridors, pointing and laughing at some of the displays. They had some good laughs at the end where there were tombstones, with funny epitaphs. They came back up the stairs and got a drink. Sitting down to enjoy the refreshing fluids of their cokes and talking some more.
Soon they were finished and entered the wax museum. It was over all too soon, he thought. Surprised to find that he was truly enjoying Beth's company. He asked if she would like to catch a movie, and she agreed. She said that she still had several hours before needing to return before curfew. Feeling a little disappointed, knowing that their time was almost over, he nodded led the way back to the mall. The opening previews had started already, so they found their seats in the dark.