He smiled. "Do you have plans tonight? I have to get back to the hotel. They let me go visit my parents in Virginia, but I have to have dinner with the guys. Then I might be able to get away, but I have to be back by 11:00. Could I meet you?"
"Well, I'll be busy for an hour or so. If you want to hang out, meet me outside the building at 8:00."
"Will you meet me?"
"If you are here at 8:00, I'll meet you."
"I just have to go back and tuck the guys in and then I can meet you. Will you be here?"
"I will be here at 8:00."
For an hour, I wondered and hoped that he would show up. I couldn't think of anything else. I was physically sitting in a chair, but inside my mind, it was blastoff. My brain was a giant firecracker bouncing off the walls. Will he? Won't he? Oh my gosh, he was cute.
Finally, it was time to find out. I walked up the darkened steps slowly. I took a deep breath and told myself, if he doesn't show up, you'll be okay. I pushed open the heavy door, and looked up. He smiled.
I smiled. "You made it. I wasn't sure."
"I had to make sure that my guys were covered. They aren't allowed out tonight because of the parade."
"How come you got to leave?"
"Because, believe it or not, they put me and my buddy in charge."
"Why wouldn't I believe it?"
"I started out at art school in New York and I failed out. My parents made me join the Marines."
He reported this information in a very matter of fact way. There was no blame. His parents didn't know we were going to war when they pushed him into the Marines. I suspect he got distracted by parties, and got carried away. I found parties and boys very distracting in my first year of college too. At once, I could see the person that he had been: a handsome, cocky, disrespectful, Animal House fraternity brother-type. But the person who stood before me looked and sounded humbled. He had a right-sizedness about him. He knew who he was and what was important. There was no ego-driven urgency like, I'm going to show them, but I am going to make this work.
We had a moment of quiet understanding. I was struck with a sense of gratitude that I didn't have to go to the Marines to straighten out. Of course, I did end up at U.S. Marketing and Refining.
"I really want to go back to school, as soon as I can. Are you hungry? I have to be back by 11:00 p.m."
I looked at my watch. It was 8:00. The sun was setting. The city was clean and the buildings and statues gleamed underneath sparkling streetlights. I grabbed his hand, "No, I'm not hungry. We don't have any time to waste. Let's go be tourists." We headed for the mall.
I guess I felt like a one woman USO. I wanted him to have fun. We walked through the city, hand in hand, smiling, talking, not talking.
I tried to keep the conversation light. I didn't ask him for any details about what he had seen or done. We talked about stuff we liked to do. I told him about my job. Where I was from.
He told me that he didn't talk to his dad anymore. He had gone to visit his mom in Virginia. His dad wanted to reconnect, but he didn't want that.
We ran up the stairs to the Lincoln Memorial and gazed at the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument. Then we walked over to the Tidal Basin overlooking the Jefferson Memorial. He kissed me among the trees. It was a tender and toe-tingling kiss.
And then it was time for him to go.
"Do you have any girlfriends? I have to march in the parade, but I have some friends maybe we could all meet and go out after that."
"I have the cutest girlfriends ever. I'll call them. Why don't you call me after the parade? I live between the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. Are you marching by there? I could look for you."
"I have to go. I wish I could take you home first."
"I'll be fine. Call me tomorrow."
No comments:
Post a Comment