Soldierboy

Chapter Five

Once again Kelly found herself dancing with Danny, as the live band played a slow ballad. This time he held her a little closer, and she was quite comfortable with it.

Then he noticed the way she was staring at him a little wonderingly.

“What’s wrong?” he then asked.

“Nothing,” Kelly replied with a small shake of her head to hide her embarrassment, realising she had been caught out staring at him.

“Well its just after tonight, and being here with you, it has made me think about the army in a different way” she then explained.

“Oh?” he eyed her questioningly.

“Yes,  well what I mean is, that I have grew up with soldiers like yourself patrolling the streets here, and seeing army land rovers everywhere, Then hearing about them in the news when they get killed or injured, or the arguments about the army getting pulled out. But I have never really stopped to really think about you as individual people until tonight, and that you have homes and families and everything else.. Before, you were just always there, in the background. and I never give  a second thought how you might even feel about it.” she admitted a little guiltily.

“I see,” Danny replied, “I don’t suppose you are the only one with those indifferent views,” he then said, “ but I guess its better than hating us, and wanting us dead”

“It must be really hard for you, no wonder you want to leave the army.” Kelly then said sympathetically.

“Don’t start feeling sorry for me now, it might make you want to start liking me more, and we can‘t have that,” Danny warned light heartedly. He did not want to ruin the night by going into the rights and wrongs of his presence in Northern Ireland, as it tended to darken his mood.

His interest in pursuing Kelly had been a pleasant distraction from all that, which was what he was looking for, so he steered the conversation away from that subject.

“I never said I didn’t like you,” Kelly replied, in the same light hearted tone.

“But now you are admitting it aloud, so I guess I must be making progress,” he then said in satisfaction pulling her a even closer to him.

“I think you have been taking tips from your mate Craig,” Kelly returned a little reproachfully, but he noticed that she didn’t try to put a distance between them again either.

When the song ended, they went back to the table to finish of their drinks.

Then things got a little more boisterous as the microphone was now handed over to one of the officers attending, who decided to join in the entertainment by singing a song.

Kelly didn’t know the song, though recognising a few rude words in it, that made her laugh. But it was obviously one familiar to all the army officers in the room. as they joined in singing along in raucous chorus, and stamping their feet.

Kelly found it all  very entertaining, but then she felt Danny nudge her. Looking round, she found he was smiling, but then he flicked his head indicating he wanted to take her somewhere, so after a moments hesitation, she let him take her hand and lead her away, then realised he intended to take her outside.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Danny then said when they stood outside in the cool night air, “Only you can’t hear yourself think in there, and I need some air.”

“As long as you are not planning on taking me over to those army huts,” Kelly then warned with a grin.

“Oh no, actually I have my own little private spot, and its not too far,” he winked, then led her around the side of the building