He Said -- She Said

We left off with SSG Newsome having had our first *yawn* date and yet --almost every day I'd trek my way over to the headquarters building to run errands. I had to be careful about volunteering for such tooooo often as people would get suspicious but at the same time, every day I wanted to go over and make a stop and a certain someone's office. There would be days I'd do the run and he'd not be in the office --I'd be so mad to have wasted a trip over there. It wasn't just me. He was suddenly showing up places too --even a few times came to the JAG office under some pretense of having to check on something for the Commandant. Though he lived on the economy in an apartment, he would often be hanging around the barracks. People starting asking me, "What's going on with you and Sergeant Newsome?" I'd tell them nothing -- was it that obvious?

One particular day I was in SSG Newsome's office -- we talked and he asked me out again and despite having had the worst date of my life ever with him the first time, I agreed to go out with him. It was going to be a real casual thing. He was going to Bremerhaven, Germany during the day to take a friend to pick up his vehicle but later that night we'd meet up. Keeping in mind we had no phones, no cells, no email --virtually no form of communication other than talking to one another. There is a great divide in my version of this story and SSG Newsome's version of this story so I will tell it both ways. I'm sure you'll clearly see, my side is the most accurate of the actual events.

What She Says:
SSG Newsome asked me to come over and watch a movie at his apartment on a Friday evening. He had to drive a friend to Bremerhaven earlier that day and said he'd get back late afternoon sometime and he was going to stop by the barracks to get me when he got back from Bremerhaven. I was both excited and leery of seeing him again since our first date was such a disaster --but he always had such a sincerity in his eyes and that sparked my interest. That night I ate dinner at the mess hall and then got myself ready to go out. I waited and waited and waited and --- no SSG Newsome. I was certain by now he'd be back from Bremerhaven and I couldn't understand what the hold up was . . . wait --am I being stood up? How humiliating! What a jerk! Some friends from the barracks asked me to go over to the club and I really didn't like the club much but since I was dressed and ready to go out and a bit ticked off I had been stood up, I decided to go hang out with some of the guys from my company. As we walked over to the club I noticed SSG Newsome's vehicle was parked in the HQ's parking lot! How dare he! Was he in the club? HOW DARE HE! Of course, I couldn't let on to anyone I had been stood up so I played it cool --laid back. As soon as we got into the club I scanned the place for him --but no sight of him. Oh how I wanted him to be there so I could you know --IGNORE him and when he talked to me pretend I had no clue what he was talking about, "What's that? Us? Plans for tonight? Why --I totally forgot about that!". But he wasn't there. It was eating me up. So I decided I'd let him know I wasn't sitting around waiting for him and that I did not get stood up --but f0und something better to do. I wrote a note, our only form of communication back then, and left it on the window of his vehicle -- "SSG Newsome, I'm not going to be able to come over tonight to watch movies as I made other plans. Sorry about the late notice but I had no way of contacting you earlier as you were in Bremerhaven. See you around --Melissa" THERE! Boy did I tell him or what? "see you around" clearly lets him know hey, I'm not interested. And now that I know what a jerk he is and how utterly boring he is, I'm really not interested!

What He Says:
I had asked this little Private out for New Year's and ended the date early when it was clear to me she was a little crazy --she just sat there. I had to do most or all of the talking and I couldn't get a word out of her. Sometimes I'd see her just staring off into space. After that date I couldn't shake her. Every time I turned around she was there and would often just show up at my office. She was cute, no doubt and I liked talking to her but she seemed like a little girl to me and was boarder line stalking me. I was nice to her and would often talk to her and one time while she was lingering in my office I tried to break the awkward silence and said, "Hey, you should come over and watch a movie with me sometime." I was just trying to be nice. One afternoon I took off to Bremerhaven to take a friend of mine to pick up his vehicle. On the way back we hit a huge snow storm and it took us hours to get back. It was very late when we got back to Hindenburg. I was tired and just wanted to go home. When I got to my vehicle there was a note on the windshield from that little Private. Now I was certain she was stalking me -- who leaves notes on your windshield? She was a little crazy and I had decided I probably should talk to her a lot less and let her go easy. Her note said something like, "If its too late when you get back to come to the barracks, please stop by tomorrow. Melissa" I had no intentions of stopping by the next day. I balled the note up and went home.