"So how's my college girl doing?" I asked her. She was sitting at the dining room table pouring over her notes and writing. "Learning a lot?"
"Oh Jack, I hate having to do papers," she whined. "I just don't get anything out of it and he just doesn't like the way I write. I wish I could just get credit for how good I can be with kids."
"I'm sure papers do you more good than you think. It won't hurt you to learn to be a little more organized in your thinking. That's what the writing is all about."
"I AM organized," she protested. "but he keeps giving me Cs or worse. I think he just doesn't like me."
"C'mon baby, everyone likes you," I smiled. "I like you; Javon likes you," I teased.
Her brow knitted as she looked at me. "I hope that's true." She looked down at her hands.
"You actually wonder about that? He really played it cool when your parents were here. If he didn't like you a lot, why would he do that? Not only that, but The guy has been over here a coupla times a week all semester fucking your pretty little white brains out. And you wonder if he likes you? Really?"
"I know," she said pensively, "but have you noticed that he's coming over less often? I mean, he's only come to see me once this past week. And it just doesn't feel right when he is here. Something's different."
Hmmm. How do you use logic when a girl argues feelings. "Well I like you. I love you Ains, and I always will. I hope that feels right."
"You're weird," she grinned, "but I know you love me. It's just that everything is so, hard."
A few days later I bumped into Brown in the motor pool. "Hey dude, whadda you gettin' tired of white pussy or what. Ainsley's really missinthat black dick." It was a playful jab, but he just brushed it off telling me he'd been busy. I wasn't sure how to take that but I'd been pretty busy myself since we were still working off gigs from the IG inspection and now I had a new LT following me around, getting ready to take my job. I was getting moved over to the supply office.
Later that day Bob, the newbie, and I went to the snack bar for lunch where we met his cute young wife, Lisa. She was bubbly and flirtatious with short blond hair and a curvy figure she didn't seem hesitant to show off. I struggled to keep my eyes off of her ample cleavage and was very glad to be able to follow them out after lunch so I could watch that delightful wiggling butt. And I was by no means the only one who noticed her. They were from Boston, just out of school and newly married. Probably that's why Ainsley and I were supposed to sponsor them--show them the ropes.
*****
"Listen honey, I don't mind having people over. It can be fun, I know, but I just have too much to do. Homework, keeping this place half way decent, hell, I haven't even been to the grocery store in two weeks. Can't you just get someone else to have them over?" He just sipped his morning coffee listening to me patiently.
I had to give it to my long suffering hubby. He explained again that we were supposed to be hospitable and helpful to people we were assigned to sponsor and that stiff arming them wasn't exactly the way to do it. Extracting a promise from him that he'd get to the commissary over lunch and help me clean and straighten up, I let him reassure me. "They're kind of a neat couple. You might get a new friend out of this if you just give them a chance." That was a nice thought. But I decided I had to let him in on what was really bothering me.
"Javon might come over," I told him plaintively. "He hasn't been here since last weekend." Jack kept cool, patiently reminding me that he usually came over on Friday nights so he can fuck me all weekend. "Yeah, I know," I whined a little, adding hopefully, "but maybe he'll come before that."
"That's why I invited them for Thursday night," he smiled, very self satisfied at anticipating me.
"Okay," I finally relented. I wrote out a shopping list for him and gave my sweet husband a kiss on the cheek, sending him off to work. Dropping my notebooks in my school bag I went upstairs to try on the short dress Javon had asked me to buy. I loved the dirty thoughts running through my mind as I wondered if how long it would take for Javon to toss it on the floor!
*****
I was at the new captain's office that afternoon when I happened to glance out the window and see the delectable Miss Lisa getting the come-on of a life time from our dear Private Brown. She was buying what Javon was selling and she didn't seem the least bit shy about letting him know what she had to offer. Oh no, I thought. Now what? How do I tell Ainsley about this? What do I tell Ainsley about this. Is there anything I dare try to tell Ainsley at all?
Bob came up beside me just then and asked what I was looking at. "You better watch your wife with that black guy," I told him. "He's a pretty aggressive, a real pussy hound."
Bob just laughed. "Don't worry bud, she can take care of herself."
"Really," I told him. "He's after her for real. Actually a lot of them will be. She looks a little naive about it too. He's not just joking around."
"You need to mind your own business, bud," he said. "Lisa's a real live women's libber. She gets to do whatever she wants to. We both figured that out a long time ago. Don't let that little miss innocent face fool you. She's not as naive as she looks. She was living with a guy on and off until the week we got married. And he was only one of a bunch of them. She's a real live walking talking Penthouse story in action!"
"Really? You're okay with that?"
"Look bud, times are changing. We both like the arrangement. I've got a good job so we can have fun in a new place and get to do it with a sexy bunny. So far she likes it here a lot. Just look at her batting her eyelashes at that guy!"
"So why'd you get married if that's how it is?"
"'Cause I like being with her and she wanted to get out of her hometown. That, and her parents really really wanted us to get married. So we figured it would be a hell of a party, a great send off, then we could do whatever we wanted when we got down here."
"Well it's not like that in the South," I told him.
"Is that so," he sneered at me. "That's not what I hear."
**********
I was still in the blouse and shorts I wore to class when Jack came in with the groceries. I had already straightened up and wanted to get dinner ready. Whining about how much I hated vacuuming, I got Jack to do that while I made up the hamburgers and sipped my first gin and tonic. Everyone, even Boston yankees could be tolerated if one drank enough gin first!
We didn't get to talk until he switched off the vacuum, put it away and came up next to me in the kitchen to make himself a drink. "I looooove the way you fill out those shorts," he teased me with a little slap to my rear. "I'll go grill once they get here. They're supposed to be here about 6:30. How was class today?"
"Fine," I lied. I'd gotten a C on my paper, didn't really understand our next assignment, and was getting tired of listening to Brenda this Pious blabber non-stop every time the car started moving. Fortunately he just nodded, not really listening. That was okay with me since I didn't really want to tell him anything. Not so deftly, I just changed subjects. "So, did you see Javon today?" My husband's expression, or perhaps it was his unusual manner, bothered me. He hesitated to answer, kind of looking away, not looking me in the eyes. "What?" I asked suddenly feeling a little nervous. "Is he not coming this weekend?"
Composing himself, Jack smiled and told me, "He told me the other day he'd be over, and lately he always comes on Friday." He took a big sip of his bourbon. "You worry too much. He told me a coupla days ago he's just been busy." Deciding I got rattled for no reason, I finished my drink as the doorbell rang. "Now go be a nice little hostess," he teased, smacking my butt again as I went to the door.
Bob and Lisa were a nice enough couple, bubbly and lots of fun. Despite their weird Boston accents, I could usually figure out what they were trying to say. Bob went out to keep Jack company while he grilled so Lisa followed me into the kitchen. It turned out we liked a lot of the same music and things to do and were just married and deliriously happy to be away from suffocating parents. Then, out of nowhere, Lisa scared me. "Have you ever seen so many hunky guys as there are on this base? I mean there are sooo many good looking black guys here!"
At first, I wasn't sure I'd understood her right. Then I almost froze, panicking at what she might mean. So I just gave her this lame, "Yeah, I guess so." She was super cute with her short blonde bob and cleavage that left me wanting to hide. She looked soooo good. I'm sure guys had been after her since she first sprouted them. I was really surprised at how "open" she was until I realized she hadn't had the benefit of a superior classic Southern upbringing like me. She probably didn't know she was supposed to act like a lady. Realizing the irony of me, of all people, thinking that spurred me to make us all a round of drinks.
Dinner was fun. We laughed and talked like old friends. Bob and Jack seemed to enjoy each others company and the more I got to know Lisa, the more I thought Jack could be right. This might be my new best friend. She wasn't as know-it-all as Carolyn or as motor-mouthed as Brenda. And she was no prude. I momentarily thought to myself that she might not be to judgmental or condemning of me if my 'secret' ever got out. That's when the front door opened and everything changed on the spot.
*****
Javon was in one of his black mesh shirts, the kind that showed his muscular chest beneath the gold chains that were just coming into fashion back then.