“Dario was in the Marines, did you know that, Elsa?” This was Dario’s friend pimping for him.

“You were?” I askedm Dario. “No, I didn’t know that.” I also didn’t know anything about the Marines and I mean not a thing.

“Yeah, he was a Marine,” the friend said. ‘Tell her. Tell her what you did in the Marines. Tell her!”

“She doesn’t want to hear about the Marines. You don’t do you Elsa?”

I shook my head, no. I was tending bar, see. I was 19. “I mean… what do you want to tell me?” I asked just in case it was something juicy.

His friend opened his mouth to say something and Dario waved him off. “Nothing. I told you she doesn’t know anything about the military.”

I spun my head around, “Yes I do! I had a boyfriend who was in the Air Force.”

“Whaaat?” Dario was instantly shocked and outraged. “You mean you actually went on a date with an Air Force guy and you won’t go on a date with me?”

I looked at him like he was crazy because I did not understand his math at all. I did not know the hierarchy, see. “I didn’t date him, he was my boyfriend,” I said. “I lived with him.”

Dario turned a whole different shade of color I had never seen before. He was completely flabbergasted. “You lived with a Air Force guy? You lived with him?”

“Well yeah. He was my boyfriend, I said.”

“Well why didn’t he marry you? How come you’re not married? Do you want me to go kick his ass? I will kick his ass for you, Elsa.”

“No, I don’t want you to kick his ass. Are you crazy? Why would I want you to kick his ass?”

“For not marrying you! What is some Air Force puke doing living with you and not marrying you? You tell me his name.”

“What are you? My big brother the Marine?” I asked in the defiantly… Mars Mercury style.

“Well, yeah! If some puke has dishonored you I am going to kick his ass. Especially if he’s in the Air Force!”

I shook my head. “He did not dishonor me. Dario, you’re crazy. Maybe I didn’t marry him, did you ever think of that?”

He slapped his forehead. “Oh, I see. So you broke his heart. Is that what you’re tellin’ me?”

“I did not break his heart. Dario, just shut up. Shut up, I said.”

“You don’t want to talk about this do you, Elsa?”

“No, no I really don’t.”

“I told you she didn’t want to talk about the Marines,” he said to his friend. “What did I tell ya? Elsa does not want to talk about the Marines.”

I nodded and then walked down the bar to have this never brought up again.

I always liked Dario and maybe you can see why. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Do you consider yourself respectful?