Chapter 9: Connie

The weather in Kansas during the summer is hot and dry. 2nd Lt Bob Lacy was trying to think of something to take his mind off the heat. St. Judith's College was out for the summer. Go going over to see Jackie was not an option. The Officers Club this Saturday night for the buffet and some adult beverages was a strong possibility. It was only Thursday evening but Bob thought that you always need to plan ahead. He remembered the eight P's that were drilled into him.

Bob came back from his evening jog and ran into Ken Maggio. Bob thought that Ken was turning out to be the social chairman of the BOQ. Ken asked Bob if he had any plans for this weekend. Bob told him nothing was planned as Jackie was home in Denver till late August. Ken asked Bob if he wanted to go with him to a wedding in St. Louis this weekend. One of Ken's cousins was getting married and it was an afternoon wedding. After the wedding they could go out and see what was going on in St. Louis. They would stay at Ken's parent's home who lived just over the Mississippi River in Collinsville, IL.

Bob wasn't overly enthused with this idea, but the last time he went out with Ken had resulted in meeting Jackie. Because that worked out, Bob agreed to go with Ken. He knew the odds of lightening striking twice were slim to none. Since the wedding was Saturday, Bob needed to get the morning off. His Company Commander, Captain Gene Cramer said it was no problem and gave him a 3 day pass.

On Saturday they started the drive at eight in the morning for the trip to Collinsville where they would shower and change and then go to the afternoon wedding in St. Louis. There was a reception that was to be held immediately after the wedding. The great majority of the driving was on an inter-state highway and traffic was light. They made the trip to Collinsville with time to spare. Ken's parents had already left for the wedding.

The wedding was nice and was held at a Church that was of a different denomination than was Bob's faith. He was interested to see how the ceremony differed from his faith. After watching the ceremony Bob concluded there was not much difference. The meat of the ceremony was the vows which were incorporated in all marriage ceremonies. Bob watched and thought, "I hope it works out for this couple as the current divorce rate in the country was increasing and now it was at 40%."

He wondered if people understood that when they get married they make a vow, and that's a solemn promise to love, honor and cherish. During the ceremony both the Bride and the Groom give their solemn promise to do this. Yet later they may change their mind and get divorced. Some people don't understand what a vow is and think it's just some words they utter, so they can legally get into their partners pants. Bob knew that when he asked someone to marry him it would be a commitment for life.

After the wedding ceremony there was a reception in the church hall. All of the attendees at the ceremony were there and Ken introduced Bob to his parents as well as some of his relatives and friends. No alcohol was served and that was not a problem. Iced cokes were quite refreshing in this heat. Ken left Bob and said he needed to check something out and would be back. Bob talked to Ken's father about the Army and what his experiences were to date.

Ken came back and pulled Bob to the side.

He said "I have just been introduced to two girls that are here because they went to school with Penny the bride. They are single and they don't have any plans for this evening. Why don't we take them out? There is a riverboat that leaves at eight this evening for a four hour trip on the Mississippi. The riverboat is huge and there is live music. I think you will like it"

Bob said, "It sounds good. Where are these girls?"

Ken said, "One more thing. I have my heart set on the dark haired one and that leaves you with the blond. This is non-negotiable. Please don't screw this up and make sure you treat the blond nice."

Bob wondered how bad the blond was. Ken had been nice to him, so he would try and help him out. Bob nodded his agreement as they walked over to meet the girls.

Ken introduced him to Patricia and Constance or Pat and Connie, as they preferred to be called. Bob could see why Ken wanted Pat as his date. She was classy and cute. Maybe a little on the short side for Bob but she was good looking. The other girl, the blond was taller with average looks. She seemed like a nice person as they conversed, but her looks were average and didn't excite Bob. He did notice that she had a nice figure and it wouldn't hurt him to be nice to her. After all he had to remind himself that he wasn't God's gift to women either.

The girls wanted to change clothes and they had time before they left for the boat. Bob and Ken followed them in the car to Pat's house. Pat lived with her parents in St. Louis. Connie had come down from Peoria for the wedding and was staying with Pat. Pat's parents were in Europe and the girls had the house to themselves.

At the house they all had a mixed drink. Bob looked at the house or should he say the small estate. He thought the house made a statement and that was that Pat came from money. They still had some time to kill so they all had another drink and then the girls went to change.

The girls came back and were ready to go. Connie had on a loose pleated skirt and a white blouse. Pat was dressed similarly but she just radiated class. He again could see why Ken's was interested in her and wished him luck. In looking at her body language he thought that Ken was going to have his work cut out for him as she didn't seem to be overly interested in him.

On the way to the riverboat they stopped at a liquor store to pick up a bottle. Alcohol wasn't served on the boat but you could bring it on. Mix was available for purchase.

Bob was surprised at the size of the boat. It was four stories high and probably as long as a football field. The third floor was missing which resulted in the second floor being the dance floor with a high ceiling. A band at each end would alternate playing. There probably were 1500 people on the boat.

When the girls left to go to the washroom, Ken again asked Bob not to screw this up for him.

"Please try and show an interest in Connie. Pat is very protective of her," he said. "If she isn't having a good time the evening is over."

Bob assured him he wouldn't let Ken down. Pat's body language was showing him the evening was already over for Ken but he wasn't going to be the one to break the news to him.

The girls came back and Bob went to get some mix. When he was back he made some high balls for the four of them. The band started up and when Ken asked Pat to dance, Bob asked Connie. Connie was an average dancer. She was challenged with a fast tempo song but Bob's ability made her look better than she was. For the slow tempo numbers they did the basic two- step and that was not a problem. Connie realized that Bob was a good dancer and she enjoyed dancing with him.

After they danced five songs they took a break and went back to the table where they finished their drinks. Bob made new drinks for everyone. The booze was starting to flow and getting to them. There were laughs and giggles all around with everyone seeming to enjoy themselves. After about a half hour Bob asked Connie if she wanted to dance some more and she happily accepted his invitation. He watched her backside as she walked to the floor and saw that it was starting to look better and better which he was attributing to the alcohol he consumed. In spite of the drinks there still was a nice sway to her hips when she walked. They danced five more songs when Bob noticed during a slow song Connie was closing the distance between them. Connie had moved so close to him so that her breasts were now pressing against his chest. This intimate contact was happening because of her actions, not Bob's.

They took another break and went back to the table were they sipped on their drinks. As the drinks were finished Bob saw that Connie was starting to show the effects of the alcohol. Bob thought that she probably hadn't been exposed to too much drinking and it would serve no purpose for her to get drunk or sick. He asked her if she wanted to keep him company and explore the ship. Connie stood up and accepted his offer.