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On occasion back in North Carolina, he’d had a beer with so hole, and they’d talked work and sports Mostly he’d listen, adding little to the conversation He was used to the jokes about hi hi in at all times, but it never happened It never would because it wasn’t an act He just had no desire to open up to anyone and talk about his personal life As he told them all, he didn’t haveto talk about

Now that he was at a new base, he already knew the invitations to have a beer with his "brothers" were going to be inevitable But just like back at his old base, he didn’t want his lack of socializing to do just the opposite of what it was supposed to do--keep the attention off his personal life It seemed thehe became to those around him

Already, he’d only been there a few days, and the questions had started He’d been asked twice by a couple of his superiors why he lived off base if he was single "Why fight the traffic everywhen you could just be here already?"

Another one of the single DIs had questioned if there were other motives "Is it so the chicks here don’t see who you take hohed when he’d also asked, "You don’t want the with the previous Gunnery Sergeant in charge of the platoons and lower ranking DIs that Brandon would now be in charge of He wanted to touch base with Brandon and show hi home for the better part of his weekdays

"It’s been under construction for soeant Carter said "When it’s all over, there’ll be a new building over there with a bridge that connects to this one and an underground tunnel that will connect both buildings as well" He pointed at the area in question as they walked around so they were headed into "In the meanti you’re working on often because even though they’re supposed to tell us when they’ll be shutting off the electricity for a few minutes, they don’t always do Some of us have learned the hard way that we should’ve backed up our shit more often"

Carter shook his head as he walked on before continuing "So Letting them borrow a couple of offices and conference roo in a tealow for the civilians in civilian clothing coeant turned back to where they were headed but continued talking "It’s usually during the week, but they’re all on strict orders to wear their photo ID badges at all times So if you see anyone in here without one, feel free to question hilanced back at him very seriously, "you’re supposed to Civilians without photo ID are not allowed in this building at all Those photo IDsthe sergeant into an elevator as he continued to talk They got off on the second floor, and Brandon followed hi hallway A couple of plain clothes men walked out of one of the doors, and Brandon took note of how the sergeant scrutinized thee photo IDs around their necks Brandon took in what the IDs were supposed to look like for future reference The door to the ladies’ room next to the room the other men had walked out of opened, and a woman also dressed in a plain clothes skirt suit walked out The clinking of her shoes that echoed through the stark hallway as she walked caught Brandon’s attention Not often did you hear that on the base He glanced down to take a look and saw the high-heeled shoes she wore

The shoes had obviously caught the attention of the sergeant too because he actually stopped and looked her up and down then focused on her ID badge for a eant to proceed That’s when he recognized her She slowed, staring at the sergeant a bit perplexed It was the princess fro hair was up in a twist today, and she wore glasses now, but there was nothose eyes and those lips What the hell?

Glancing down at her badge, he read her na firm she ith, her title, the title of her project, and soeant nodded at her and started walking again just as Brandon and Regina’s eyes ues at the airport as well, so he figured if he recognized her so easily, even as different as she looked now, she’d easily recognize hihtened and she saze for aaway and walking off without a word

When they were a bit further, the sergeant turned back to hiain "She must be new I haven’t seen her before"

Without comment, Brandon walked into the room where his desk awaited There were two other desks there, also occupied by two other sergeants who quickly stood as Brandon and the sergeant walked in and saluted theuez and Sergeant Evans Evans was obviously younger than Brandon, but Rodriguez appeared to be the sae as he was Brandon, like any other soldier, immediately took note that he outranked them both