Chapter 2

18:35 Friday, 10 May 1991
Building 102, Ft Huachuca, AZ

Sandy spilled out of the door, and fetched up against the car's door handle. She threw a small overnight bag into the back seat. "Drive!" she ordered, as she dove into the passenger seat.

Ben grinned, happier than he could remember being since he joined the Army. "Yes, Ma'am!" he said, and eased the ratty Pontiac T-type from the curb. Sandy caught his eye as they left the barracks area, then Sandy, her eyes laughing, scooted over and pressed against him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

The drive went quickly. Ben found himself constantly surprised at how easy talking and joking with Sandy was. From discovering a shared love for Science Fiction to discovering both had gotten cable television in the same year, and watched the same movies for a whole summer, Ben found himself amazed his usual awkwardness with girls was gone. Sandy was different.

Sandy's stomach growled as they descended the hill toward Tucson, audible over the wind, engine, and the one-speaker FM radio. Ben pulled into the TTT truck stop. Sandy bought something resembling burgers, while Ben filled the car. They ate as they drove into Tucson, where Ben stopped at a convenience store to look at the Yellow Pages for nearby cinemas. Five quarters later, standing in the late evening heat beside the pay phone, they'd realized they'd missed all the early showings of any movie they wanted to see.

Ben watched Sandy take a deep breath. "Ben. Let's just get a room."

He went back into the convenience store, his heart pounding. It was a near thing, but he managed to purchase the small box of condoms before his courage failed.

05:40 Saturday, 11 May 1991
Holiday Inn, Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ

"Yech." Sandy grimaced into the mirror. "Tell me what happened to my toothpaste?" It was a rhetorical question. Ben pretended to not hear it while toweling himself off.

"Babe." Ben had just pulled his shirt over his head, about to tuck it in when Sandy's soft voice interrupted him.

He crossed to where she stood, watching him. "Yeah, Sweetheart?" Sandy noted how naturally he spoke the endearment.

"Are we OK?" Sandy hoped her voice was as level as she needed it to be.

"Sandy, I'm more than half in love with you. I am in total infatuation with your body, and I've never ever imagined what this could be like, what we experienced with each other last night." Ben sounded sincere. She really, really hoped he was.

"Ben. I loved what we did. And I want to do it some more."

He smiled into the mirror from beside her and put his hand on hers. "If you'll be my girlfriend, I bet we'd get to do it some more."

Sandy gazed into his eyes, trying to make sense of her emotions. He wrapped his arm around her, kissing her softly. She found herself leaning into his embrace. "Yes, Ben. I'd like that."
The time to leave in order to make it back to Huachuca and meet the Border Patrol came too soon.