She walked into the bar to meet a man she hadn't seen in years. She couldn't believe how her stomach was clenching and her blood was pounding. "Get a grip," she whispered to herself, "we're just meeting for a drink."
She scanned the crowd, wondering if he had changed since their last encounter. It had been seven years ago, just before he was leaving for Afghanistan. She met him one night at the local pub where she had gone for a drink with a friend. She had been depressed, working at a retail job that offered no satisfaction. And through a mutual acquaintance, they had begun to talk.
She had been convinced, at first, that he was arrogant and self-serving. Nothing in his demeanour had given her this preconception; however, he was undeniably handsome, sexy in an unassuming way that made her believe that he just passed time with women the same way he passed through town -- detached and with his own agenda. But as his warm hand found hers under the table, the heat began to flood her unprepared body. That first night had passed innocently enough -- playing golf in a public park at three in the morning, occasionally holding hands.
That first encounter left her heart pounding and her head spinning for days. She would find herself gently stroking her hand at work, emulating his soft caress. She found herself daydreaming, picturing his intelligent eyes and full lips, imagining what it would be like when those lips met hers. In the middle of her shift, overcome by desire, she phoned him, nearly in a panic. The conversation had been stilted and awkward, yet he had agreed to dinner.
As she got ready for dinner, she began to doubt both him and her desire. He was in the army, how intelligent could he be? To purposefully offer himself on an alter of violence must mean that he supported armed resolutions to international conflict, which must mean that he had conservative politics. However, at dinner, he was polite and well spoken. He casually ignored her blushes and stammers. As he was driving her home, she realized that her initial opinions of him were suspect, even stereotypical. He was more than a right-wing war monger.