Fraternization Ch. 02
Keywords: Fraternization, Ch., 02,
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I'm Mark's friend as well as his trailer mate. He's happy, I'm happy. And Kelly, you seem very nice. But the Colonel's quite Regular Army, a stickler for regulations and all that." He looked at Mark, and then me. "I didn't want him to see the red sticker on the bumper of your car, Kelly."
The light dawned on both of us. Of course. The red post stickers on the left front and right rear of my car marked it as a vehicle belonging to an enlisted soldier. The ones on Mark's and David's cars were blue, indicating an officer. Officers and enlisted personnel are not allow to socialize. The term is "fraternization". And certainly male officers are not supposed to sleep with an enlisted woman assigned to their unit. We could be in so much trouble if anyone found out.
For anyone who thinks that those regulations are the usual governmental interference in people's private lives, they're not. The gulf that exists between officers and enlisted personnel is there for very good reasons. An officer has to order subordinates to do nasty, unpleasant and sometimes extremely dangerous things. Emotional ties lead not only to favoritism but can strain an entire unit. Nothing can panic a military unit faster than the belief that the officers aren't cool and competent and in charge, and if they're involved with the people under them that's not going to be the case.
Additionally, regulations like that protect the lower grade personnel also. The days are long past when officers had batmen assigned to look after their creature comforts and polish their boots. Enlisted men and women are presumed to be adults and just as worthy of respect as the officers. Maybe I should mention that the salute exchanged between an enlisted soldier and an officer is not supposed to be a sign of servitude but rather a gesture of respect. That's why a Colonel is as obligated to return a salute as an private is to give it.
Finally, the dividing line protects both groups from claims of sexual harassment, whether bona-fide or unfounded. Both claims have certainly happened as more and more women have entered the armed forces.
Mark and I looked at each other. David had stepped to the door as though to leave but stopped with his hand on the knob and turned back around.
"Sit down you two," he said quietly.
Mark and I seated ourselves side by side on the couch. It didn't occur to me not to do so, and I guess it didn't to Mark either. David sat in a chair by the window and looked us both over for a minute.
"Don't," he finally said.
"Don't what?" replied both of us.
"Don't give up." At my, correction, OUR startled looks, he smiled. "That's what you are both thinking. You're worried and unsure and scared because you're breaking regulations. But, if neither of you has noticed, the attraction between you is very strong. I can tell," he laughed. "Its the way that the two of you are holding hands."
Startled, I looked down. Our fingers were twined together. I blushed and started to pull my hand free, when David stepped over and put his hand on top of ours.
"Don't," he said again. "Accept it. Mark, you're being transferred back to a line unit. I suggest you and Kelly either don't see each other again until that happens or meet casually and don't appear to be together. After that," he shrugged, "You'll just have to careful and cautious."
We were careful. We waited until Mark has settled in with his new unit before going out on an actual date. We kept in contact. That wasn't easy either. Back then we didn't have room phones in the WAC barracks. All that was available was a couple of communal phones which belonged to the government. I really didn't think they would be monitored, but stranger things have happened. Besides the big signs beside the wall mounted phones that said "Caution, NOT a Secure Line" didn't do much for my confidence. So I would call Mark from a pay phone over by the MP Station.
We did manage to meet once at the post movie theatre. I can't even recall what the picture was. We each drove ourselves and stood separately in line, pretending we didn't recognize each other. I lingered by the concessions until I could follow Mark inside.
It seemed half the post was there. Everyone from the Colonel who was in overall charge of Personnel to my company clerk had shown up. We found a spot that was reasonably dark but not so secluded that it would appear suspicious that we were sitting together.
Whenever someone walked by we both jumped. I, at least, was unsettled the entire time. However, it was all worth while for the time that we held hands. Just held hands. The warmth of his fingers interlaced with mine, the occasional squeeze that we gave each other, these were enough to make for a wonderful night.
Finally the transfer was complete, there came a Friday night and we went out. That was part of it, we wanted to go out. We didn't just want to run over to his place and make love, although heaven knows I wanted that. We wanted to be a couple. We wanted to be able to hold hands in public instead of under the table. We knew we couldn't go to the local clubs or the family restaurants though. But Mark had found a small place outside of the nearby city that seemed to be mostly frequented by the local people. It had a dining area separated by the bar from the real gathering place, a pool room.
Picking me up wasn't simply a matter of Mark knocking on the front door and waiting for whoever answered to come get me. He parked several buildings away and at a pre-arranged time I met him there.
Thank goodness he hadn't parked under a street light. As soon as he had closed my door and scampered around to the driver's side we were in each other's arms. Before we got to the restaurant I had to reapply my lipstick as it was all over Mark's face.
It was a lovely little place. The side we were on was quiet, although laughter drifted from the area on the other side of the bar. Small tables were scattered about the room. With delight we occupied a small two person table near to the dancing flames of the large fireplace that filled most of the front wall.
"This is perfect," I smiled as I sat down, Mark pushing the chair forward that he had held for me. Sitting down on the other side, he reached across and took my hands.
"Yes, you are."
"Flatterer," I smiled again. "I'm too short, too wide and too muscular. And, Mark," I hesitated, then plunged ahead, "I have a secret that I need to tell you." I had decided that this night would be the night I told him about Jeremy. The more I saw of Mark, the more I talked to him, the more we made love, each little thing made me realize I was falling in love with him. Not just lust. Mark was in my dreams at night. I had no choice but to be honest with him if I hoped one day that he might feel the same way about me.
"Good Lord, so serious Kelly?" He tightened his grip on my hands. "I hope this secret is NOT that you've fallen for some other guy."
"Oh My God no. But Mark, before I came in the Army, I, well, you see..."
"Kelly?" Mark interrupted. "Is this about your son?"
I must have looked like an idiot. I KNOW I sat there with my mouth open. When I tried to ask him how he knew, nothing came out.
Mark rolled his eyes. "Honey, I was the company XO (executive officer). I've seen your service abstract. And of course your record of emergency data at the unit. You told me you were divorced and you had taken back your maiden name. When I saw the beneficiary of your life insurance was one 'Jeremy Strang', age 2, who has the same address as your parents, well, it didn't take a genius to figure it out."
I buried my face in my hands. He reached out and carefully lifted them away.
"I'm so sorry Mark. Its not like I'm ashamed of Jeremy. I love him to death. I just couldn't figure out when to tell you. At first I wasn't sure where we were going, and then I was falling in love with you and I didn't want to scare you off by telling you about him and..." Thank God Mark stopped my babbling with a kiss.
"Its okay." His eyes sparkled and he grinned. "Confession is good. Its certainly made you tell me one thing you hadn't before, something I've been waiting to hear." When I looked puzzled her added, "Its about time you admitted you're falling in love with me. I sure am in love with you."
My heart leaped, and then I'm afraid the waterworks started again. I drenched Mark's handkerchief and finally gave up and went off to the Ladies' Room to repair my face. I bounded back out, as happy as I had ever been in my life, and then jumped back through the door and peeked through the crack. For standing besides our table was my section sergeant. What in the world brought him there? Well, that was simple, he had his family with him and they were there to eat dinner too.
I saw Mark smiling and nodding. When the waiter came back there was a conversation that I couldn't hear. The waiter shrugged, smiled when Mark tipped him and gathered up the stuff from our table. I slipped out of the door and slid along the wall until I reached the bar. When Mark nodded I dashed around the bar and exited through the pool room area, meeting him in the parking lot.
I almost giggled when Mark joined me. The lights in the parking lot showed he had a hang-dog expression to end all such expressions. I suppose the reason I didn't laugh was because I was pretty sure my face looked exactly the same.
Well, we did manage to eat out that night, but chili-dogs from the Diary Queen were not even close to the steak we had planned for. Still, the after dinner desert was wonderful, even if soft-serve ice cream is still very cold when its dripped up and down your body.
Fate, or two friends anyway, came to our rescue. One day I found a message to call a certain familiar number. When Mark picked me up we went off-post to a new house in one of the sub-divisions that were springing up all over. He knocked at the door and we were welcomed by a woman in her late twenties who introduced herself as Martha.
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Keywords: Fraternization, Ch., 02,