Helping a Friend & Light Conversation

 

Helping a Friend

Month 11, Day 30

1850 Hours

Tall Bear

 

The smell of lilacs tickling his nose told him whose light step was approaching, and he smiled as he watched YD complete her current set under Ferguson’s direction. “Welcome back, Short Stuff.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked a familiar masculine voice.

Why am I not surprised? Tall Bear turned his head, to see that Bugalu was with her. “She hasn’t been working out for a while. Didn’t you know?”

“Over a week,” Mac confirmed. “Almost 2 weeks? I’ve been letting Bugs get back to his usual social life, instead of bothering with mine. So it’s likely I won’t remember how to do anything! I don’t even remember whose turn it is to spot for me.”

“Ferguson is busy, so I’ll do it, Bear volunteered. They moved over to Weight Station C. Bugalu was careful to stay outside the colored circle on the floor.

As Mac began stretching before her work out, Tall Bear caught a slight nod from Bugalu, and veered closer to see what he wanted. “You ready for another date with Mac?” Bugalu asked in a slight breath of air, as if he didn’t want to be overheard.

“Things have been busy for me. I haven’t had a chance to ask her.”

“She’s here now,” Bugalu pointed out.

“Point taken,” he agreed.

“Just remember the rules,” Bugalu added.

“Yours? Or hers?” Bear grinned.

“Same thing,” Bugalu responded. “She’s been getting inundated with requests for dates, and she’s a nervous wreck.”

“Come on, Tall Person, I’m ready to start,” Mac called to him. He moved toward her, and she instructed the computer to adjust the gravity.

Somewhat later, as she paused between sets, he calmly asked her. “Would you like to see a movie, Mac?”

Green eyes flashed his way in something that might have been surprise. “Ahh, I’m with Bugs tonight,” she stated softly.

“I can see that. But I didn’t mean tonight,” he answered smoothly, and pretended to be thinking it out. “Let’s see, I’ve got the night after tomorrow free, if you do.”

She glanced towards Bugalu, and then at other men who ‘just happened’ to be standing nearby. “Um, I’m busy for the next week,” she offered.

“Well, can’t say I’m surprised,” he told her, and sent his gaze over those congregated men within earshot. “What about a week from tomorrow?”

“Let’s see. Tomorrow is Sunday. Okay,” she answered.

Her quick reply surprised him, but he felt it was probably not a good idea to question her about it. “Good. Next set, then. Get to it.” We can settle the details later.

 

 

Final Instructions

Month 11, Day 30

2250 Hours

Bugalu

 

 “Not bad,” Bugalu congratulated himself as they entered the main mess hall at the end of the evening. It was time for Mac to have lunch before she went on duty. Bugs had decided to join her for a piece of pie. “Not bad at all,” he repeated as they sat down at a table. “By now, word should be getting around that you’re busy for the next week, so let’s hope that gives you a little peace and quiet for a few days.”

Mac grimaced at the idea and started mixing her mashed potatoes and gravy. “It won’t. That just means they’ll start asking for a date for after that week is up.”

Bugalu waved that minor problem away. “Tell them you don’t make plans that far in advance,” he told her. “That way, you only have to consider one day at a time; a week from tomorrow. You don’t actually have to have a date on any particular day; just say you’re already busy. But if you want that certain someone to notice you’re dating, you need to have some dates. Just don’t make it the same guy too often. That might make it look like you’re getting serious.”

“As if I could.” She considered that bit of information carefully. “So, for instance, how often can I safely date Tall Bear?”

“That’s up to him. Well, and you. You’re coming awfully close to making him another brother, you realize that, don’t you?”

“For your information, I’ve already offered him the position. I thought he’d be good at it. He turned me down. But he’s still a good friend.”

“And if I know you, his having turned down the position won’t stop you. Well, don’t expect to date him any more than every 2nd or 3rd week, would be my guess. Any more than that, and women may start wondering what hold you have over him. And like I said, there’s the whole idea that you two might be getting serious that you want to avoid. Can’t have you-know-who thinking that!”

She took a bite of meatloaf and frowned at her tray as she chewed. “So, I should only expect to have dinner with you every 2nd or 3rd week, also?”

He shook his head as he swallowed a piece of his pie. “No, I can see that I can’t abandon you like that,” he told her seriously. “You already have Mondays booked. So let’s book an evening together every Friday, okay?”

“Every Friday?” she asked in surprise.

“Consider it family time.”

“According to you, that’s not what others will be thinking.”

“We know better, and that’s who matters, isn’t it?”

“But what about... him?”

He stopped with another bite of pie half-way to his mouth. He put it down. “Okay, no hand holding if we go to the movies. And everything we do will be in full view, either in the gym or a rec room. We can’t be seen being lovey-dovey. We’ll just be 2 friends having fun together.

She gave him a confused look, her eyebrows scrunched together. “Will that work?”

He didn’t know. Rumors were easy to start, and hard to combat. He wasn’t going to suggest it yet, but if conditions got too bad, he’d pick a fight with her, and they’d stop ‘dating’. But he hoped that wouldn’t be necessary. “Of course it will work.”

She still seemed uncertain. “Well, if you say so.”