Shopping - Part Three
He sits at his desk in his office. His computer screen is lit before him. He is searching for something, but he is not finding what he wants. His search terms are not correct.
He thinks about who he could ask for help in this matter. The only person who occurs to him he will not approach with this question. It is to be a surprise. However, it finally occurs to him that he has heard discussions of similar topics between young male cadets in the past. Perhaps he can eavesdrop?
He shuts down his computer and heads for the mess hall. He obtains a small plate of food and scans the tables. He selects a table in an area of the hall where he seldom sits because it is always full of rowdy young males talking loudly. He sees a face he remembers and seats himself at the next table, with his back to the young males there. He pretends to eat the food on his plate while he listens very carefully.
"Well, Jim, which young lovely do you plan to conquer this weekend and how to you do plan to accomplish it?"
"Now, Bones, you make it sound like I don't really care for the young ladies."
"Well I don't suppose I think that you do. There's a new one every time I turn around. You don't seem to stick around for seconds."
"What would be the fun in that, now, I ask you? You need to sample life to the fullest while you're young! Wouldn't hurt you to loosen up some, you know. You're not dead yet."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I've had my fill. But you didn't answer my question."
"I found a lovely young thing in the computer science lab. A double handful, if you know what I mean. And she's raring to go. I rented one of those cabins up north on the coast, you know the ones set in little groves of trees, all cozy and private, with a beach close so you can go skinny dipping. And I called ahead and had the kitchen stocked with food and liquor, so we don't even have to leave the bedroom for the whole weekend."
"You do think of everything, don't you?"
He had heard all he needed to, perhaps more than he needed. He rose from the table, dropping his tray in the recycle slot on the way out, and returned to his office. He had his search terms now.