There's Always One but This Time Two

In every group I've been a part of in the Navy there is usually one guy who doesn't like to shower, one who's a slut, there's an athletic guy and a funny guy, and usually there's a smart guy. But invariably, there is always one cocky, self-obsessed guy who decides he's going to hit on me.

In homeport, a week or two before we left, I had a prime suspect: a loud and narcissistic EO1 who was slated for the position of AOIC. On the morning we deployed one of the other EAs in my shop, one who deployed with me two summers ago, pulled me aside and said, "I predict that guy's going to hit on you." My reply was, "I predict you're right."

In the weeks after we landed on the island other people noticed his interest in me, too. I put on my feistiest personality whenever he was around, didn't give him an inch, and he was frustrated. Then he was angry, and then he tried to humiliate we with inappropriate jokes as I drove him around in a pick up. Time has passed and he's in the angry indifferent phase which, for him, involves several passive-aggressive comments tossed in my direction every day (I'm cool with aggressive because it's a license to fight back, and I have no problem with passive because it's easy to ignore, but passive-aggressive pisses me off and I think he knows it).

Time for round two.

On the way out to the project in the mornings the bridge crew sits in the back of a truck, or more recently in a van, listening to music, reading books, and passing around pornographic magazines. One of the SW3s sometimes passes me his head phones and plays me some music. Recently the music has been very sexually suggestive. He asks me how I like it. I shrug my shoulders because I'm not sure of what else I should do.

Last Thursday he asked me,

"What do you say after your roommate goes and does her Mexi-freaky thing down the hall I come over with a movie and we'll cuddle. I'll have you asleep in minutes. I promise. Right around 2145? What do you say."

I say,

"I don't think it's a good idea."

The next morning, minutes after we arrived at the job site he pulled me aside:

"Hey, Jess, check this out. These van rides are really getting to me."

He pointed to his crotch to show me an erection bulging from under his camouflaged uniform pants. I walked away.

Protecting myself if exhausting; I'm mentally tired. And today I'm wet too because we spent the afternoon working in a downpour. I'm in the mood for a break, for an outside influence, for something to pull me away from here. The deployment is 40% finished but it is too soon for time passed on this island to be a comfort.