... chills deep in my soul

I knew he was a creep when I shook his hand. I have met many high ranking people in the Military but I could tell this man was my mortal enemy when I looked into his eyes. He gave me the chills deep in my soul. 

I was called to the base for a film shoot. I was working for the Producer on a very big film. Big and green, they were blowing stuff up and setting it on fire. Like usual they were behind schedule. Nothing new to me, I have worked for the film industry before.

The Producer asked if I could set the tent up a 6 AM the next morning and have it ready to serve lunch under by noon. No problem I said. This was three days late from the initial set up time. I told him I would bring enough people to have the tent ready to seat 200 people by 9 AM. Then I said “zero nine hundred” just to be a smart ass in front of the military dude guy.

Then the Producer asked this macho military dude if he could have his troops ready for 9 AM the next day. The Military dude went on and on about how it was supposed to happen three days ago and he didn’t know if he could do it tomorrow. He made a list of problems and concerns. I thought what would happen to this guy in battle? Finally a woman in uniform spoke up that was quietly standing beside him and said confidently to the Producer, “no problem sir”.

She was a very attractive woman, a healthy happy Canadian female. Except that she was in the Air Force I could tell we would like each other. She had that look, that confidence. She looked at me and smiled. I wondered if she was single and if I had seen her profile on a dating site. She seemed familiar. I never fraternize with people that I meet at work… I was hoping that I had already made contact with her. (This dating site will be mentioned in other stories.)

Then the Producer told us that because of the type shoot he could not promise when he would be done. He asked me how long I needed to strike the tents. “Three hours” I told him. He asked how much warning I needed. I told him that if he paid me and my crew to be on standby we would be here in an hour or if we were not on call I then I would need four hours to call a crew in and get here. He took the four hour option and I gave him my card with my cell phone. Done.

Then he asked the military dude about the troops, that he would need them on call for the next two to three days depending on the weather and light. The military dude in his flight suit went on and on about what a problem this was. I was thinking again how this dude would be a big fail in a war. Finally the woman spoke up and said to the Producer, “not a problem sir”.

I went back to my truck and got in. My employee served in the military. “Do you know who you were talking too?”

“Ya, some arrogant cocky asshole that could not find his way out of the officer’s mess tent without that woman beside him.”

“That was the Base Commander; no one gets to talk to the Base Commander.” 

“Well, he’s a creep; just here to hang with the movie stars I bet.”

The Base Commander is now a very famous “not” Colonel.  

And I think the female officer was one of his victims.