Jennifer made it back for the unit's deployment ceremony. Since it was intersession, school would start in three weeks. She temporally moved into the Major's apartment until the semester started. They saw each other in the evening but the Major was called to San Antonio for a meeting and was gone for three days.
Jennifer sat in her office in the Reserve Center; she looked over the reports from the clerks who answered the questions from the dependents. The tough questions were forwarded to her. She was beginning think that her old job would have been better but she realized that they were handling the problem at that end. She returned phone calls reassuring dependents that their husband or wife was fine and that the unit was not going into a war zone. Rumors were flying around the dependents that the deployment would be extended and that they would be sent to the Middle East.
She drafted an email to the unit commander asking him to send a message to the dependents reassuring then that this was a short-term deployment. She sent the message and figured that she would hear from him on Monday.
She looked up at the clock and it was 18:00, all of her calls were made and she and one other unit member were the only people in the building. She debated about going back to campus or just sleeping in the Center dorm. Since she didn't have the duty the next day, she opted to head back to the Major's apartment. She and Corporal Carter left at the same time and she got in her car and headed back to campus.
She unlocked the apartment and collapsed on the couch. On the coffee table were her books for next semester. She opened one book and was soon reading her assignment for the first week of class. Even sooner she was asleep. She was oblivious to the Major entering the apartment.
After dropping his bag on the floor he slowly pulled the book from her hands and decided that she needed to be in bed. He picked her up and he was surprised that she did not wake up. He laid her on the bed and went to the other bedroom and stretched out on that bed.
"Hey when did you get in?" asked Jennifer who stood in the doorway of the second bedroom. The Major looked at his watch and saw that it was 01:30.
"I don't know about 21:30 you were sleeping on the couch when I walked in and carried you to the bedroom," replied the Major.
"I was wondering how I got there, now I know. I am wondering why you didn't undress me?" asked Jennifer.
"I was surprised that you didn't wake up when I carried you to the bed, I decided just to let you sleep," said the Major.
Jennifer walked over and kissed him. She then turned and went back to bed leaving the Major in the other room. She undressed and climbed in to bed. The Major fell asleep, in his clothes in the spare bedroom.
It was 06:30 when Jennifer walked into the bedroom that the Major occupied. She passed a cup of coffee under his nose and he woke up. "I don't know how you drink that stuff Major."
The Major took the cup and drained the contents. "Because you know how to make it," said the Major.
Jennifer took the cup and put it on the nightstand. She climbed next to him and kissed him. "I am all for going to the 69 Dinner and I will buy if you are up for it?" said Jennifer.
"Don't you have to go to work this morning?" asked the Major.
"No I don't have the duty, if I did I would have spent the night at the center. Come on let's go. She kissed him again. They got up and Jennifer walked him to her car.
After they were headed to the restaurant Jennifer asked him how his meetings went.
"Fine, it was a gathering of the ROTC unit commanders from around the state. How was your week?"
"I am beginning to think that the Colonel did not do me any favors by leaving me at home. Dependent services are hard; I feel for the problems the dependents face. Solders leave a well paying job and suddenly the family needs to survive on Army pay. I found out that one of the troops would be coming home because he could not keep his pants zipped. And he is married, but that is for Monday."
They entered the café and found a table. "I have a question that has been bugging me since we started seeing each other. Why did you play along with my prank?" asked the Major.
"Oh we are not going there are we?" said Jennifer.
"Humor me why?"
"I can't tell you why I responded I guess I needed to find out who would do something like that. Plus I am a lusty girl and don't get that upset at sex, as you well know. I could have easily told you to go to hell when we met the first time in the lobby of my residence hall. But I was in for a dime in for a dollar. Hey we have made a good relationship haven't we?" said Jennifer.
"It has been the best ten months of my life. I thank you for that," responded the Major.
"I don't know if I like where this is going," said Jennifer.
"Have no fear I am not going anywhere. I am more worried about where you will go after you graduate,"
"Well you have about three and a half months and then I will have six weeks of bar review sessions and then I sit for the bar. I have heard rumors that I will be assigned to Joint Base San Antonio, but that is a rumor."
"What surprised me was that we didn't attack each other last night, maybe we are getting too comfortable with each other," said the Major.
"No I was dead and you were tired coming off the road, but I think that I will make up for it when we get back," said Jennifer.