Part 1

After Regina left Ft. Bragg for Ft. Gordon, we agreed we'd try to make the long distance thing work. It was only about a 3 hour drive and we felt that our relationship wouldn't suffer too much. Around that time, though, my R&B group was beginning to get a little attention around town and we had to start getting serious about putting some music together. Since the four of us worked different schedules, the best time to practice was on the weekends. When she came up, I still spent a few hours with the crew and even though she'd come to the rehearsals, she always made it clear that she'd rather just spend time with me. I understood but I was still caught between a rock and a hard place.

One Wednesday evening, Gina and I had gotten into it on the phone because I wouldn't be able to make it to Ft. Gordon that coming weekend. I had studio time blocked with my group on Saturday and Sunday because we were in a crunch to get some music to the local radio stations and it wasn't an option for me to miss those sessions.

We had been going back and forth at least once a month each for the three months she had been stationed there and that was working for us at first. However, she wouldn't be able to roll up to Bragg that weekend because her unit had a 12 mile ruck march planned Saturday morning and she knew she'd be in no condition to even attempt to hit the road afterward. Scheduling conflicts had already caused us to miss two weekends together in a row. This would be the third.

 

The in-between time, the week or two that we weren't able to see each other, was hard for me but my 'Friend-With-Benefits', Alana,was there occasionally to help me relieve some of the sexual tension but she was also someone I could talk to and get an unbiased opinion about situations I was dealing with. Our relationship was mutually beneficial and we had a strict NSA (No Strings Attached) 'policy.' She knew I was trying to see where things were gonna go with Gina, was having problems dealing with the long distance thing and assured me I needed to keep things in perspective. A long distance relationship,no matter how 'strong' the individuals, is always difficult.

Once Veronica (Roni, my ex-wife and son's mother) found out Gina had left Bragg, she began putting the 'sexual full court press' on me. My weakness in the absence of Gina caused more than one 'slip up' with her.

After arguing with Gina- and I've never been one to argue- I wanted to go out to relax and chill for a bit. I didn't even feel like hanging with my boys; I just needed a little ME time. My life was becoming more and more problematic and I just needed a moment to get away from it all. I decided go solo, have a couple of drinks and listen to some music. I'm not much of a drinker, but this particular night I felt one or two wouldn't hurt.

I got to the club a little early just to make sure I was able to get a drink and a good table to see the 'Guns' come in ('Guns' was the Click's CODE for women).

As I sat sipping my drink and chillin', I noticed this young lady who seemed to be checking me out but anytime I'd give her direct eye contact, she'd turn away. She was standing near the stairs and looked to be alone. It was still early and the lights weren't as low as they would be when things began to heat up so I was able to get a pretty good look at her. She was light-skinned, long hair and had on some jeans that were doing a poor job of concealing her 'thickness that was my sickness.' Baby was a 0.45' at least but close to a 0.357 (Once again, you'll have to resort to The CODE).

At first I thought it may have been the alcohol clouding my perception. I hadn't had a drink in a minute and the Long Island Ice Tea I ordered was no joke. It had been hand poured by a generous bartender looking for big tips. Still, I decided I'd make my move and be sure. 'What did I have to lose? Worst case scenario, I'd get shot down; best case, maybe some nice conversation.'

I decided to play it cautious so I didn't wanna step straight up to her. I hadn't been out in a minute and was a little rusty when it came to the etiquette of approaching a woman in a club/party environment. My plan was to hit the bar once again for some 'alcoholic courage' and head over to where she was chillin'. By the time I'd gotten another drink and headed to her spot, she was gone. 'Snooze ya lose! Oh well.'

I headed back toward my table but it had already been taken over by a group of women. My plan had fallen apart almost before being implemented so I had to take a few minutes to regroup. While re-familiarizing myself with 'club dynamics', I took refuge in the spot she'd vacated next to the stairs and nursed my drink.

As the night wore on,the influx of people went from a steady trickle to a mad rush. The atmosphere intensified, the lights went down and the DJ started dropping some hits to get the party started.

I made mental notes of a couple of honeys that caught my eye and had come in alone, so I figured I'd at least step to one or two of them in an attempt to reestablish my 'game' prowess. The year or so prior, Gina kept me pretty 'busy' and after she left, it wasn't hard for me to find time for Alana. Every now and then Roni and I would hook up-we had that 'comfort zone' thing going on-so it had been a long time since I'd been out and had a chance to actually test my "skills" on the club scene. I felt that it was gonna be a nice night; if not, I knew I could make a call if I decided I didn't wanna be alone.