Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. The story contains graphic descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such material must stop now. This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.
David's Initiation 10
"Hi Dan, "If you noticed my return address you know I am in Army Boot Camp. I don't have much more time until I'm finished here so please wait to write me after I get to my next assignment. I'll write again as soon as I learn my new address. "I can thank you for showing me the way; I just had to get out of that town. Your reasons for joining the Navy kept bouncing around in my head and they made so much sense I couldn't ignore them. I managed to get a special deal and only have a 2-year hitch. I plan on going to college when I get out. "So far I don't seem to have a problem although there are a lot of HOT' people around here. I plan to keep those thoughts in cold storage for a couple of years. "Kate and John got married as planned. Your parents and your sister came to the wedding and I had a chance to talk to them. They sure complained that you don't write very often. I fibbed when I told them you weren't writing to me very often either and that seemed to calm them down some. "One more thing, following your lead I am now just plane old Dave.'
"Bye for now buddy, Dave"
Dave reread the letter to Dan, folded it, placed it in the envelope, added a stamp, addressed it and laid it aside for mailing later. It was time for `Light's-out' and he was tired. Actually, Dave was having a pretty good time in Boot Camp. He didn't care for all the chicken-shit stuff that went on but the exercise, the marching, and being close to a bunch of guys in the same predicament was turning out to be fun.
Dave's next assignment was to an Army Post in Texas and he looked forward to the next phase of his adventure. He was assigned as a clerk in the motor pool and had no idea what that entailed. He would learn everything he needed to know from OJT. Transition to his new duties went smoothly but he didn't like being the unit's fucking new guy, or FNG as the guys called him. He held onto that distinction only so long as it took for another FNG to arrive.
There were two ways the guys in the unit could treat him, take him under their wing and embrace him or treat him like a runt and pick on him. Most of the men working in the motor pool were a lot larger than he was and he would have been an easy target. As it turned out, an opportunity for Dave to establish himself developed only three weeks after he arrived. The local town was planning a 10K race for charity to be held in four weeks and the Post Commander announced he wanted each unit to enter a four-man team in the competition. Dave signed up immediately, along with eight other men from the unit.
The first Saturday morning after the sign-up Captain Harvey Lewis, the motor pool commander, had all the men assemble at the track to see who was good enough to make the team. All Dave had to do was make sure he was among the final four; he wasn't out to beat anybody or set any records. The process turned out to be easy, only four guys managed to finish the practice race. Thereafter the Captain had those four men on the track every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings for practice. Dave's experience soon placed him in the lead and the other three men began asking for hints on timing, how to breathe properly and how to get better. Before long the Captain turned the coaching duties over to Dave and only showed up for practice on Saturday mornings.
When race day arrived, Dave felt good about his team's preparation but he had no idea what the competition would be like. With the sound of the starter's gun the hoard was off and running. At the 5K marker the crowd of runners had thinned and the motor pool gang was still near the front. Several of the men from the unit were stationed along the route to cheer them on. Nearing the finish line Dave gave it all he had and broke in to an all out sprint like he used to do in high school. He finished first and another teammate, Miguel Sanchez finished third. Dave could hardly believe it when Chuck Layton and Kevin Pastell, the other two teammates finished fourth and sixth. That gave the motor pool both the individual and team victories. The team gathered in a group hug and jumped around and around shouting and celebrating. But something strange happened when the four teammates were all wrapped in a hug, Dave felt someone grope him. He knew it could be only one of three guys. How should he handle it? Should he try to figure it out? He decided to let go, ignore it. That might have been an errant hand and he didn't want to start down a road for fear of where it might lead. Soon other men from the motor pool arrived and joined in the festivities.
The Captain was ecstatic and the Post Commander was very pleased. Dave was now a hero in the unit and could do no wrong. Dave noticed he seemed to have a lot of privileges other guys didn't get so he pulled back and did not abuse them so as to not make anybody else jealous and create hard feelings. However, the first time he really needed a favor the Captain would be more than happy to grant it. Not long after arriving at the Post, Dave learned that Kate and John were expecting in late December or early January. Dave was looking forward to that day with great expectation and told Kate he wanted to be there when the baby arrived. The Captain told Dave he'd do what he could and to keep him advised. Dave did a little math and determined June to January didn't add up to nine months. Kate and John must have started early on their family. Oh well!
Thinking ahead to when his two years would be up, Dave checked into the education situation and discovered that the local junior college offered classes on the Post and the Army subsidized them 100%. That was a free education in anybody's book. He signed up for Composition 101 and began his journey toward a degree. By the end of his tour, Dave would accumulate eighteen hours of credit that he could transfer to wherever he decided to go to college full time.
One day a few weeks into the new semester Dave finished work, went to the chow hall, then on to class. Upon returning to his room after class he dived into his homework for a couple of hours before deciding to take a late evening shower. He undressed, grabbed his towel and soap and headed for the showers. As he walked into the latrine he heard a shower running. He stopped and emptied his bladder, hung his towel on a hook and proceeded on into the shower room. Upon entering, he noticed one of the more senior guys standing under a shower on the left side of the room; his back was turned to Dave and from what Dave saw he guessed the guy was jacking off. Dave must have made some noise that the guy heard because he turned his head and glared over his shoulder at Dave.
"It's my body and I'll wash any part of it as long and as fast as I want," the man stated very tersely.
Dave paused for just a moment to consider what the guy had said, "Kewl," was his quick reply and he walked to a shower on the other side of the room, adjusted the water and began lathering himself up. If that other guy could jack off in the shower then it was okay for Dave to do the same. Besides, Dave's erection was already straining for release. Just thinking about jacking off with another guy proved to be highly erotic and Dave reached his climax faster than he could ever remember. When he was calm enough to think clearly he turned around and saw the other guy must have finished his business and departed. Dave sighed, relaxed and finished showering. He slept better that night than he had in a long time and late evening showers began to figure into his routine more often.
Upon checking the mail one afternoon Dave found a package from Kate waiting for him. He opened it to find a three-section-picture-frame hinged so he could unfold them and set them on his dresser. They were wedding pictures. The first frame on the left contained a picture of his dad (on the pictures left) followed by his mother then Kate and John and Dave on the right. John's right arm was around Kate's waist and his left arm was behind Dave's back with his hand on Dave's left shoulder. The middle frame was a picture of Kate and John with smiles beaming brightly as they held each other's hands. The frame on the right was a picture of him and John. The photographer had apparently caught them in a private, relaxed moment sitting on the railing in front of the altar. Dave held a plate with a piece of cake on it in one hand and in the other he held a fork with a small bite of cake on it. His eyes were focused on the cake on the plate and he had a big smile, almost a laugh on his face. John also held a plate with a piece of cake on it but his left arm was draped around Dave's shoulders and it looked like John was laughing while he talked to his new brother-in-law. They were obviously enjoying the moment and each other's company. Dave pressed his lips together and tried to stop tears from forming in his eyes. For the first time in many weeks he realized just how much he missed his family, the people he loved so much.
Dave couldn't resist his emotions; he had to call Kate to thank her for the pictures. When she answered the phone it took all of Dave's strength to control his emotions but he was a soldier now and real men don't cry -- or so he thought. Kate told him about the pictures and said how surprised she was when she saw that one of him and John together. Then she started crying. It was her favorite picture. The two men she loved most obviously shared a loving relationship and that made her exceeding happy. Then she made an announcement that almost knocked Dave off his feet -- she was having twins, twin boys. Dave began jumping up and down and shouting until he noticed some of the guys in the dorm staring at him, then he calmed down.
This was John's junior year and he got a lot more playing time. The football team was doing well and stood a chance of getting a bowl bid. The local TV station had absolutely no interest in telecasting any football game that did not have a team from one of the Texas universities in it so Dave never got to see any of John's games. His only hope was to see John play in a post season bowl game but luck wasn't on his side. On the one day in late December he could have watched John play, his unit was on some kind of exercise and they were nowhere near a TV. Such is life!
Time passed quickly. John called in early January to say Kate was in labor and hoped to deliver soon. Mark Allen Close was delivered first and Mathew Hall Close popped out one minute and fifty-seven seconds later, fraternal twins not identical twins. Dave asked the Captain if he could have some time off to go see the new members of his family and was given a three-day pass that began on Wednesday and joined with a weekend and the Captain said he didn't want to see Dave until Monday. Dave's parents paid for the plane ticket; all Dave had to do was pick it up at the airport. He couldn't remember when he had ever been more excited than when John placed one nephew in each of his arms and took a picture. Anyone looking at that picture would have thought they were David's babies judging by the broad smile he was sporting. Kate managed to diminish the size of his grin when she told him he would have to learn how to change diapers. Fortunately for Dave, before he had to do that his time was up and he had to return to the post. New pictures of the twins arrived almost every week so Dave was able to watch them grow over the next several months.
Later that year the local town decided to stage another 10K race because the last one had been such a success. This time Dave and his three compatriots finished 1, 2, 3 & 4. When Thanksgiving arrived Dave had little difficulty getting leave and was able to spend a whole week with his parents, Kate and John, and most of all with his two nephews who he referred to as `my boys'.
This time he got to experience the diaper routine. Kate caught him one afternoon and said it was time for a lesson. She took Mark and gave Matt to David (when Dave is home, he becomes David again) and they set up side-by-side on a changing table. Following Kate's instructions and actions he managed to remove the dirty diaper quite easily. He almost gagged on the smell and Kate got a real laugh out of it. He placed the dirty diaper in the designated container and when he turned around he was greeted by a fountain of pee spewing from Matt's little penis, arching through the air and splashing on his little belly. Matt's little arms and legs were waiving in the air and he was giggling like he was really enjoying this. "Oh, oh, oh, what do I do, what do I do?" David was in panic mode. Kate on the other hand was in stitches. At that very moment John appeared with a camera in hand and snapped several shots of the event. Kate calmly reached over, took hold of the end of the towel Matt was lying on and drew it between his legs to cover the flow of urine and also to soak up the mess. David noticed Mark didn't do that. "What did I do wrong?" he asked frantically.
"Sweat heart, you didn't do anything wrong," Kate replied lovingly when she regained her composure well enough to speak. "It's just that when you remove a warm diaper from a little boy you have to cover his little pee-pee quickly or the cold air around his groin will trigger a fountain of Rome." She started laughing again and David soon joined her when he saw the humor in the trick nature had played on him. Kate had a lot of fun during dinner telling the rest of the family what happened. All too soon David had to leave `his boys' and return to the Army, his two years were drawing to a close.
In late December John's football team received a bid to a bowl game which would be held in a large city not far from the Post. Kate and the boys were not able to attend and neither could either John's or Kate's parents so John asked Dave if he could get some time off to go see the game. Captain Lewis told Dave to plan on going to the game because he would make sure Dave got a pass. John sent six tickets and suggested Dave invite some of his Army buddies. Dave figured he would invite his three running buddies, Miguel Sanchez, Chuck Layton and Kevin Pastell but he couldn't figure out what to do with the other two tickets. Then he got an idea.
On the day of the game, it was a night bowl game, Dave and his three very excited friends borrowed a car and drove to the city. They found the correct gate and as they entered they asked the usher to direct them to their seats. Were they ever shocked when they discovered they were almost on the fifty-yard line in Row Two! David was also pleased to discover they were on the same side of the field as John's team and he might get a chance to see John up close. Chuck and Kevin were for the other team and Dave and Miguel were for John's team. That made for a fun competitive evening. As they sat waiting for the game to begin Dave felt a tap on his left shoulder. When he turned around there stood Captain Lewis and his 10-year old stepson.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise, sir." David said with a smile of guilt written all over his face.
"Gee, I found these two tickets in the middle of my desk and just couldn't let them go to waste. You wouldn't happen to know where they came from, would you?"
"Who, me, sir? How would I know that?"
"I didn't think so," the Captain replied with a grin and then it was time for the national anthem.
At halftime the game was tied, 17-17. When the teams returned to the field Dave and his three friends were discussing some insignificant point when someone called his name. He looked around but couldn't determine who was calling him. Then Miguel punched his arm and pointed down to the field. John was standing there trying to get his attention.
"Come to the locker room after the game and bring your buddies, okay?" John shouted.
"How do we get in?" Dave shouted back.
"Show your ticket stubs, they're special passes. Talk to you later." John turned and melted into a sea of football players.
"Wasn't that John Close?" Kevin asked excitedly. "How do you know him?"
Dave hesitated; so far he had managed to keep his family life private. It just seemed the proper thing to do. Now seemed like the proper time to break that rule. "John's my brother-in-law."
"NO SHIT!" all three men shouted in unison. Dave quickly turned and looked at Captain Lewis' stepson and then turned back to his friends. "Better watch your language, guys." When he turned back around, Captain Lewis was giving him a `thank you' smile.
The second half turned into a blowout with John's team scoring 21 more points to their opponents none. The four soldiers found their way to the locker room and, sure enough, they showed their ticket stubs and were ushered inside. Of course, pandemonium reigned as all the football players were celebrating in various stages of undress and it was a real hot scene. As the boys stood gawking at the activity, John appeared out of nowhere wearing nothing but a jock strap, wrapped his arms around Dave, picked him up off the floor and swung him around like a rag doll.
"Oh David, I'm so glad you could make it!" And he kissed his little brother-in-law on his neck. No one seemed to notice or care. He put Dave down and said, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh sure! Guys, this almost naked stud is my brother-in-law, John Close. John, I'd like you to meet Miguel, Kevin and Chuck." Everyone laughed.
John placed his arm around David and said, "Listen, we're going out for a big steak dinner after we get cleaned up, can you join us?"
"Aww John, that would be terrific but we really have to be getting back to the Post." He could see the smiles on his friends faces wilt; they knew he was right. "We just think it was great to be able to see the game and be here in the locker room." The other three guys voiced their agreement. Tell Kate and my boys `Hello' for me and I'll be seeing you some time in June. Okay?"
"Yeah, David, I understand. You men have to defend the country, right?"
"Something like that," Chuck replied.
"Somebody's got to do it," Kevin added and they all laughed.
After a few more minutes Dave and his friends said goodbye and departed for the Post. Dave had three friends for life.
First Lieutenant Paul Roehl stepped through the doorway into the weight room and allowed his eyes to scan the room's contents. `Ohh, ohh, be still my heart!' He held his breath as he watched a particularly attractive, almost beautiful, young man stand up from a weight bench and exchange one set of dumbbells for a heavier set then sit back down on the weight bench. The young man was about 5'10" tall, 150-155 lbs., very lean, nice flat stomach and narrow waist. He had broad shoulders for someone so slender, they were firm and well rounded but not ripped muscles. His chest was delicately rounded - not one the bulged out with large pectorals; he had light brown hair and thick eyebrows, long eye lashes, big and alert sky-blue eyes, and a cute nose that seemed to turn up at the end. His hips were very narrow and flowed down into two well developed but slender legs, those of a runner, Paul thought. Then he noticed the bench next to the young man was unoccupied and he moved to take possession of it.
Paul had never lifted weights in his life but he would do anything to get a closer look at this beautiful young man. He picked up a bar and began adding weights. He estimated he should be able to lift at least his own weight, which would be about 170-175 lbs., so he added that much weight to the bar th en sat down on the bench and positioned himself under the bar which was resting in its rack. All the time he kept glancing over at the stunningly attractive youth to his left.
Dave noticed the stranger who took up residence on the weight bench to his right. When he looked at the guy he discerned how good-looking he was, nice and slender, a runner-type, like himself. Then he marveled as he watched the guy add more and more weights to the bar. This could get interesting,' Dave thought, that guy sure doesn't look like a weight lifter and he sure doesn't look like he can lift that much weight. I'd better keep an eye out just in case.'
Paul extended his hands and gripped the bar. All he had to do next was lift it out of the rack and lower it to his chest then do some presses like he had seen guys do on TV. With some difficulty he was able to lift the bar out of the rack but when he started to lower it he couldn't stop it's descent. In a matter of seconds the bar lay across his upper chest and was slowly inching its way toward his neck; he couldn't stop it! He didn't know what to do!
Dave could see the guy was in trouble so he dropped the dumbbell he was working with, jumped up and moved into position straddling the guys head, reached in, grabbed the bar and lifted it off the guys throat and guided it back into the rack.
Paul was surprised and grateful that someone came to his aid so quickly and when he looked up to see who it was he found he was looking straight up both legs of some guys shorts. He was wearing old worn white briefs that probably provided some support but did nothing to hide his equipment. Paul could see two good sized balls and one very delicious looking piece of male meat. Then the shorts moved back and he look up, right into Dave's eyes. `Busted!' Paul thought. Then he saw a half-smile form on the young man's face; he wasn't angry!
After the bar was secure in the rack, Dave pulled back and looked down at the man whose life he probably saved then he saw that the man's beautiful hazel eyes were clearly focused on the equipment between his legs. Their eyes met, `Oh my, what have we here? He just checked me out, big time,' Dave thought as he had trouble suppressing a smile. He quickly glanced forward toward the man's package and then back down into two beautiful hazel eyes. The upside-down face smiled back.
"Are you okay?" Dave asked as the man lowered his hands to his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I am now, thanks to you," Paul said as he sat up, "Your reaction was pretty quick. You probably saved me from suffering a crushed trachea.
"Glad I could be of some help. There's not much call for life guards in the weight room these days," Dave replied. "Listen, I have to go but I might suggest you start with some of the light weight dumbbells and work up to the heavier stuff later."
"Yeah, I guess I'm the dumbbell here, thanks again."
"My pleasure," Dave said, "See you around." Dave turned and left the weight room.
`Well Lieutenant, this time you have successfully managed to embarrass yourself beyond any previous attempt. You just have to do a better job of controlling your lust. Time to fold your tent and move on.' Paul stood up and headed for the locker room. He had been at the Post for about three weeks already and this was his first opportunity to get back to exercising. A colleague in the Legal Office told him about this separate facility down the street from the gym, the gym-annex. The building was really little more than an old wooden shack but it had a locker room, weight room, and sauna. A one-mile running track was behind the building and it was almost always in use. This was exactly what Paul was looking for.
Upon returning to the locker room he stripped, wrapped a towel around his waist and went to check out the sauna. Using a sauna in that part of the country was pretty redundant during the summer but in late spring it was a good place to help your muscles relax. The room seemed dark when he opened the door, there was only one small, low watt bulb providing illumination. He waited a few seconds while his eyes adjusted from the brightness outside to the darkness of the room. Soon he could see well enough to discern another person was in the room so he proceeded up the second level, spread out his towel and sat down leaving about two feet between himself and the other guy.
"We must be fated to meet," the voice said. By now Paul's eyes had adjusted enough so he could see who was talking. And he was pleased to see it was the same young man he had lusted over and who had helped him escape from being strangled. "My name is Dave, Corporal Dave Baker."
"Hi," Paul was caught a little off guard but recovering quickly he extended his hand and continued, "Paul Roehl."
They sat silently for more than a minute. Paul took the opportunity to get an even better look at Dave's body with one quick glance down and to the left. He noticed how Dave's flat stomach flowed into a nice medium brown bush, out of which protruded the most beautiful flaccid penis he could ever recall seeing. It was at least four, maybe five inches long (it was not easy to make an accurate judgement in the low light condition) and rested casually on the white towel Dave was sitting on. Dave's balls nestled close to his body and seemed to be held apart by the long, weighty piece of meat they were connected to. Paul also noticed how Dave's abdomen flowed smoothly into his legs without causing a crease or fold in the skin. Most guys would have a fold of skin at those two places. Paul had to know more about this kid.
"Do you come here often?" It was a dumb question and Paul knew it. It was one of the worst pick-up lines ever spoken. Obviously the kid came there often or he wouldn't be in such fine physical shape.
Dave thought about Paul's question and just how he should answer it. He finally decided to give this guy much more information than he asked for and see where it took him. "I'm usually here at 1100 hrs. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I normally run two miles, lift a few weights, then hit the sauna and shower before going back to the motor pool. It makes for a quick lunch."
Paul absorbed that information like a sponge. `Well, he just set my workout schedule,' he thought. "Good, maybe we'll see each other because that's pretty close to my schedule. I'm new here and am just getting back into my routine."
"I'll be looking for you but it's time for me to go now. Nice meeting you, Paul." Dave had two questions he wanted to ask but decided against it: what was Paul's rank and where did he work? Was that an oversight or was it intentional? Today was Tuesday so Dave was interested to see what might happen Thursday. He stood up, picked up his towel and left the sauna for the shower.
How did I ever get through that without throwing a boner?' Paul thought to himself. That kid is even hotter than I first imagined. I'd better be careful... but... he sure volunteered a lot of information in answering my question. Maybe he was trying to send a message. Okay Lieutenant, proceed slowly, one step at a time. You must be discrete about this. Damn it's hot in here!' Paul exited the sauna and went to the shower room. The first thing he did was check to see if Dave was there -- no Dave. So he showered, dressed and headed back to his office thinking about Thursday. `Hmm, he works in the motor pool, does he!'
Dave had plenty of things to keep him busy and quickly forgot about the events at the gym-annex. Thursday as he was walking to the annex for his workout, a really neat Porsche Boxster with the top down approached from behind and sped past. He watched as it turned into the parking lot and an officer, a first lieutenant, climbed out. Dave felt his stomach jump and he stopped breathing momentarily. `Oh shit! Paul Roehl is an officer! I've got to be very careful; this could be dangerous. Whatever you do, don't volunteer any more information. If he makes a move, just follow his lead. If you don't like where it is taking you, back away. You've less than three months to complete your tour, don't fuck it up!' Dave even considered turning around and going back to work but decided that would be an act of cowardice so he continued on into the annex.
By the time Dave reached the locker room Lt. Roehl, err... Paul was already in his running shorts and shoes and was ready to go. Dave changed quickly as Paul waited patiently at the door. Dave wasn't quite sure what to expect. Was Paul planning on running with him? It sure looked that way. As Dave walked toward the door Paul spoke up.
"Mind if I run with you?"
"You think you can keep up?" Dave challenged.
"Only one way to find out, isn't there? Two miles sound okay?"
"That works for me, let's go." They walked out of the annex toward the track. Dave let the Lieutenant set the pace while he hung back slightly. That gave him a chance to get a better look at this officer who seemed to have an unusu al interest in him and he liked what he saw. Paul was about 6' 2" tall, weighed about 175 lbs. and was what Dave would call `lanky'. He had blond hair to go with his hazel eyes, a rather odd combination, and except for a light dusting of short blond body hair on his arms and legs he was quite smooth, especially his chest. As Paul already demonstrated two days earlier, he was also not very muscular. He ran with a smooth, steady, fluid motion that looked effortless but Dave was having no difficulty keeping up with him.
Just after passing the one-mile mark Dave decided it was time to find out just what the Lieutenant was capable of so he picked up the pace and moved in front. Paul wasted no time in meeting the challenge so Dave pushed it up a little faster. By the end of two miles both men were sprinting to the finish line and crossed it in a dead heat. Paul started to pull up thinking the race was finished and had to restart when he saw Dave continuing for another lap around the track. Paul never did catch Dave and finally pulled up and stopped, signaling he was finished. Dave jogged triumphantly to where Paul was standing trying to catch his breath. Dave extended his hand as a gesture of sportsmanship.
"Good run, Lieutenant."
Paul looked a little surprised as he shook Dave's hand; he had purposely avoided telling Dave his rank.
"Thanks, I guess you put me in my place."
"Hey, I'd enjoy running with you any time, sir. You're the first guy I've met for some time who could challenge me. I really enjoyed it. Think we could do it again some time, sir?"
"I'd like that, Dave. Maybe I can do a better job of acquitting myself next time," Paul said as they began walking slowly back to the annex. "By the way, how did you know I was a lieutenant?"
"I saw you drive up in your Boxster as I was walking to the annex. Nice wheels, sir!"
"Oh." Paul replied as he contemplated Dave's observations. "I apologize for not telling you; I think most enlisted men are intimidated by officers and I didn't want to intimidate you."
"Oh, I see. I'm impressed... but not intimidated, sir. I just whipped your butt on the track, didn't I, sir?" Dave said with a smile and slight laughter in his voice.
"Hey, I like your style, Corporal Baker; this is going to be fun." About that time they were entering the annex.
They proceeded to the weight room where Paul followed Dave's advice and began working with dumbbells, as did Dave but they maintained a certain level of separation so as to not give anyone the impression they knew each other. After about fifteen minutes they adjourned to the sauna for relaxation. As they sat sweating Dave took notice of Paul's equipment and estimated he would be about 6 or 6 1/2 inches when erect. He also noticed that when Paul raised his right leg and placed his ankle on top of his left knee, his right foot seemed to rotate at the ankle so that it was almost pointing toward the floor. A few minutes later Paul switched leg positions and the same thing happened with his left foot. Paul had to be the most loose-jointed person Dave had ever seen and he found it very intriguing.
Neither man had spoken much until this point; they just enjoyed the heat. Finally, Paul could wait no longer; he was ready to activate the next phase of his plan.
"Hey Dave, do you ever play tennis?"
"I had lessons when I was a kid and played some in high school but I'm not very good, sir."
"Well, I've been thinking. Would you consider playing tennis Saturday instead of coming over here?"
`Is this going to be a setup? Is he trying to pick me up?' Dave thought. "I didn't know there were any courts on the Post. You know where they are, sir?"
"Yeah, there are a couple of courts over by the BOQ. You know where that is?"
"I think so, sir, what time?"
"Is 0830 hrs too early?"
"That's fine, sir, I'll be there."
"And let me make one more request."
"What's that, sir?"
"When we are together in private, Dave, would you please drop the `SIR' shit? It'll get awfully tiresome otherwise."
"Yes, sir, your wish is my command, sir." Paul looked up at Dave and found a big grin staring back at him. The humor of the situation was not lost on Paul and he broke out laughing. Dave immediately joined in the laughter.
"Now why don't you get your ass out of here and I'll stay here for a few more minutes."
"Yes, sir, Paul, Sir," Dave said laughingly as he stood up to leave. When he bent over to pick up his towel, Paul popped him lightly on his left cheek. That surprise move caused him to straighten up and bump his head on the very low ceiling of the sauna. "Ouch!"
"Show a little respect, Corporal."
"That's what I was doing, sir, showing little respect." David was laughing as he exited the sauna and Paul was still chuckling as the sauna door banged shut. Five minutes later Paul went to the showers and Dave was already gone.
Walking back to the motor pool, Dave reflected on the events of the last hour. He was both nervous and excited. He was always nervous when he felt he was close to being discovered. Yet, he was excited at the possibilities he could see developing. The lieutenant really seemed like a very nice guy, someone he could trust. The speed at which their cordial relationship had developed was almost beyond belief. Dave had never warmed up to anyone so fast as he had to Paul. Something just seemed to click. Still... he had to be careful. The lieutenant seemed to be pushing things along at a pretty good clip and Dave decided to hang on and see where the lieutenant was going. Dave was slightly distracted for the rest of Thursday and all of Friday. He didn't know what to expect Saturday morning.