The sun was still up when my scout platoon got back to garrison. But by the time equipment was checked in, men dismissed and my report submitted it was late in the evening. Walking up the steps of my rented house I was thinking about a hot shower and a soft bed. I was not expecting to run into a hot lady on her way out. Startled by my unexpected appearance, she shrank back into the darkened house.
I held up my hands and called to her. "I live here. I just got back from the field."
She came back to the doorway and looked me over cautiously. "I was visiting Captain C______. Sorry. I'll leave."
"You can't leave yet because..." I thought fast. I wanted to at least make this dame's acquaintance. "...because I need a drink I can't drink alone."
She studied my face, then extended her hand. "I can stay for a drink. I'm Rita."
I shook her hand though I was tempted to give it a kiss. "I'm Tony, Lieutenant A____.
I set my ruck and web gear down just inside the door and went into the kitchen. Looks like Eddie used every dish in the house. His signature main course, manicotti, was barely touched. Guess he and his lady friend had an appetite for something else tonight.
"There's some pinot left," the woman said from the kitchen door, gesturing to the two green bottles on the counter, one empty and one nearly full. Knowing my roommate, that explains why his date was seeing herself out.
I popped the uneaten pasta into the fridge for later. Then I got down two fresh flutes and carried them and the wine to the living room. I found Rita on one end of the couch, looking very classy. I set the glasses down on the coffee table and filled them nearly to the top. Tacky, but I might as well make the moment last.
"You'll excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course."
I humped the field gear into my room and cast off my uniform tunic and soiled t-shirt, replacing them with a West Point sweatshirt. Never hurts to drop that name. My dirty boots I exchanged for slip-on sneakers. Then I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and scrub the camouflage paint off my face. I didn't need a shave since I keep myself groomed even in the field. I like to be an example for the men.
And while I washed I was thinking. My roommate Eddie had confided to me that he was buttering up a lady, a married lady. That's not a good thing, in my opinion, and it's an offense in the code of military justice. But naive to think it doesn't happen, even in military communities with their unique social circumstances. And there was no missing the diamond on this chick's ring finger. Well, if he could lure a woman away from her husband he can hardly criticize me for trying to lure her away from him.
*****
Amazing how a quick wash can make you feel. It was a new man who joined Rita on the couch. She had not touched her glass so I handed it to her and touched mine to hers. We took our sips before settling back to regard each other.
"I'm surprised Eddie was drinking wine. It makes him sleepy."
"That would explain it, then." She looked relieved. "I was afraid he found me boring."
"I don't see that happening." I eyed her over my glass, wondering if he fell asleep before, or after.
Bad luck for Eddie, landing a specimen like this only to fall asleep on her. She was definitely an attractive lady but not my roommate's usual date. He liked them strictly in their early twenties though he was pushing thirty himself. This woman was definitely not in her twenties. It had been a while since she had even seen her thirties, if I was any judge.
She was put together well. No doubt about that. Her hair style was fresh, her makeup understated. Her gray cowl-necked dress hugged an inviting full figure. Her nails were candy red and looked freshly done. I especially liked how her legs looked in black pantyhose patterned with thin vertical stripes. It's possible that she got herself dolled up just for her date tonight. But I got the impression that this is how she was all the time. And that was likely the case, if she was who I thought she was.
"How do you know Eddie?" I asked.
She gave me a shy smile. "His team is doing the mainframe upgrade in my building."
"Accounting and Finance, right?"
"Yes." She looked down in her glass and lifted it for another sip. "Tony, I hope I can count on you to keep this to yourself."
"Of course. Your affairs are none of my business nor anyone else's." Maybe I shouldn't have used the word "affairs" but under the circumstances it was accurate.
I didn't tell her that not all of my brother officers were so confidential. Eddie, for instance. He liked to brag. He'd hold back details but it wasn't hard to add things up. But there were others. I'd heard rumors about a lady in the Finance office who was all prim and proper. But if a guy played his cards right she could really cut loose. These stories were never first or second-hand, only about a friend of a friend, so you couldn't be sure if they were true. But here she was. So there must be some truth to the rumors.
A change of subject was in order so I entertained her with some stories about field life. My scouts were a pretty wild bunch and if they so much as set foot in the woods they liked to cast off the veneer of civilization. The longer we stayed out the wilder they got, leading to a never-ending supply of anecdotes. On a quiet administrative post like this she probably didn't rub shoulders with real soldiers very often and she did seem to be eating my stories right up.
