Giving D.C. Another Chance with #17

G.I. Joe
Height: 5’9-ish
Age: 28
Met: asking for directions
Looks like an Army guy, if you’ve spent time in a military community, you know what I mean

I went to D.C. to see a friend. Okay, I went to D.C. to see The Marine (insert lecture from little sister). My bus got in at 5:45, a half hour early, and on top of it The Marine was going to be another few hours at work. Did I mention how much he works in my first entry? I thought so. I popped into Barnes & Noble for a couple of minutes while waiting to hear if my disapproving little sister was a round for a happy hour drink. She was already committed otherwise. Instead of hanging out in a neighborhood I’m already familiar with I decided to head out to Arlington where I would have to end up eventually anyway. I’m an explorer at heart and was excited as I boarded the Metro, heading to a new neighborhood. I’m sure some of the excitement had to do with seeing The Marine for the first time in a year.

I got out to Arlington and realized I was hungry as soon as I saw Cosi, so stopped in for a quick salad. My exploring was cut short when I saw the beaconing light of a Macy’s sign in the distance. A girl’s love of shoes is hard to ignore. It didn’t take long to wander through this small store and I headed back out, looking for a place I could sit and watch the game. The Yanks were playing in Baltimore so I could see it, even being in Washington. Not wanting to go to a commercial place I had been before I passed several options and was thrilled to find a local Irish pub. Sadly, they were having a big fantasy football event and there wasn’t any baseball to watch, so I continued on.

The neighborhood seemed to go suddenly from suburban commercial to dark and unsafe. It really just happened to be part of the Capitals ice arena, the parking garage part, so I was in no danger, but I was happy to turn the corner and be back in the glow of some neon lights. I had been looking for someone I could ask a suggestion of, but so far everyone seemed to be running with headphones in. The first guy I saw walking by himself, not in running gear, proved to be helpful. Not only did he give me the name of a place where I could sit and watch the game, he offered to take me there and buy me a drink. He was pretty handsome, didn’t appear to be carrying any weapons, and the place was two doors down and busy so I happily accepted.

A formerly enlisted soldier, G.I. Joe now works in an office in the D.C. area. Really, when I asked what he does he said “I work in an office.” I came clean right away and when I told him that I was actually killing time before meeting someone else he said “that’s ok. As long as I have enough time to convince you to give me your number.” That had me sold. Unlike anyone else I know who lives in the D.C. area, he is actually from there, born and raised. Like me, he is the middle of three children. Like most of the men I have ever gone out with, he went from being totally turned on by me being so into the game, to being completely defeated and castrated when he realized I am an informed fan, not just one who wears the clothes. This is always the case. The Ramone is the only guy I’ve ever gone out with who appreciates my knowledge of stats and rules.

If it hadn’t been for the game I don’t know that we would have had anything to talk about. I had such hopes for his charm after the “give me your number” line that I was pretty disappointed that he ended up being a bit of a wet rag. A wet rag who uses the “f-word” an awful lot. I had already given him my number but by the time he left I had kind of assumed he wouldn’t use it. Fifteen minutes after he left I got a text from him, telling me if my evening with The Marine was a bust to give him a call. Then they kept coming. At first it was cute and kind of flattering that he didn’t get enough of me in the hour we spent together. But when he persisted it just got irritating. When The Marine finally arrived, I shut off me phone, knowing that telling G.I. Joe I was with company now wouldn’t stop him. And it didn’t. When I turned my phone back on later I had several messages from him.

He was a great distraction. If I hadn’t had someone to talk to the time waiting for The Marine to arrive would have been fraught with angst and nervous anticipation. Unlike any of the others, G.I. Joe is still in touch. A lot. Even if I tell him I’m at work I keep hearing from him. I’ve always been a girl who likes to be in touch often, but now I know that there is a point when it just becomes annoying. I’m making a mental note to keep that in mind when I feel the need to be in constant contact with whomever has my interest peaked. Right now, that would be The Marine, but more on that later. In the mean time, Operation Ignore is under way to see if G.I. Joe will ease up on his unlimited text plan.

Bonus Features:
*lives in the moment
*served his country

As-Is Defaults:
*swears too much
*clingy (this may not be a bad thing if I was interested)