Graduation day required them to be dressed up to the nines in their fancy uniforms, with everything polished to a perfect sheen and every hair in place. She’d been looking forward to this since day one, the chance that she’d have to move up the ranks and prove that she was capable of doing what she was told. Of course, it had been difficult with a sandy-haired sergeant around. Flirtations and social graces had never been taught to her, not where she’d come from, but that made it easy to do her job. After all, she wasn’t here for fun or to make friends. She was here for order and duty.Too bad that the affairs of the heart always had a way of taking those simple things and making them more difficult. Even so, she’d been aware of his reputation, the “one to look out for”, and it had been easy to see why back then too. But it was stupid to think she even had a chance. Notwithstanding her inability to speak to people in social situations, she’d taken notice of his increased interactions with a certain woman, his superior officer. The way he’d quicken his steps to catch up with her so they could have more time to speak to each other. How clear his laughter rang across the yard. Only he would dare to flirt with a superior officer; she had no such bravery or social skills to do so.And that made the after-graduation party that much more difficult to bear. A room filled with people laughing and drinking together, some even dancing within the large area cleared out in the middle. It was nothing short of a celebration, and it allowed everyone to cut loose after the many torturous months they’d been through. But not her. She stood in a corner with a glass of untouched champagne, not knowing what she should be doing. They’d taught her to shoot, run, crawl under barbed wire, and carry every heavy thing they could give her for miles upon end. They didn’t teach her how to have fun.Or how to dance.“You standing over here all by yourself? C’mon, live a little.” The familiar voice startled her somewhat, and she straightened even more. She almost saluted and spilled the contents of the glass all over herself but for the weight of it reminding her that it was there.“Sir.”“There’s no sir around here. Just Axton.” He toasted his glass with hers before downing the whole thing and placing the empty reservoir on a table. “Please tell me you dance.”“No, s-... Axton.” She glanced past him to see if there was someone who could save her from him. Maybe that Sarah woman he was so fond of...“See, I don’t believe you. It’s as easy as rapelling. Once you know where to put your feet and get a good rhythm, there’s nothing to it.” He plucked the glass out of her hand and did the same before dragging her out onto the dance floor, each of her hands in his. They started off easy, a little rocking back and forth just to gain a feel for things, until he drew her a little closer with an arm around her waist.“Just follow my lead. Trust me.”It was like a switch being turned on. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel his movements, which direction he was going and turning in. Trust... trust was something that was earned, not given freely. Trust meant you had to bear yourself to someone else, for them to see all your imperfections and still accept you. Trust...... could she?“See? You’re getting it...” He whispered in her ear as he leaned in, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose to meet him. She wished now she’d had that drink to steady the fluttering in her stomach. If only she could ease it out with words, to tell him everything. But what happened next quickly took care of that.“Sarah! Hey!” He was still there but gone at the same time, out of her reach. He was never going to utter her name with that same tone.“Thank you for the lesson, sir. I’m sure I’ll be able to put it to good use.” She stiffened and drew herself out of his arms. The object of his affections drew closer, and she tipped her hat before returning to her corner. It was better to save herself than to be witness to what she could never do. Or have.
