Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. - Abraham Lincoln
"See you later, guys."
BA waited until Face had crossed the street before putting the van in gear. Hannibal, in the middle of lighting a cigar, looked over at him when the van didn't move.
"Problem, BA?" He started glancing around, expecting to see Army green coming around a corner.
"You see that, Hannibal? You see what Face is doing?"
Frowning, Hannibal looked across the street to see his lieutenant strolling alongside a well-built brunette. The couple stopped outside the glass doors of an expensive hotel; Hannibal chuckled as Face held the door for the woman and followed her inside. The chuckle died when he turned back to BA and saw the scowl on his face.
Hannibal had to ask, although he knew the answer already. "Problem?"
BA shook his head, jerking the gear shift and pulling out into traffic. "And I was feelin sorry for him. Him and his girlfriend turned nun!"
"I don't think he expects you to feel sorry for him, BA."
"No, but he sure acted like he was all torn up about it. Guess not that torn up."
Hannibal sighed. One more time he found himself trying to excuse Face's behavior to BA, and not for the first time he wished he could just tell the man to lighten up. But BA adding patience to his repertoire was about as likely as Face ignoring a good pair of legs.
"You know the old saying about getting back on the horse."
"Didn't say nothing about riding the whole herd."
Hannibal's patience was starting to run out now.
"What do you want him to do, BA? Walk around in sackcloth and ashes?"
"Well, no, but -"
"He's doing what he always does, BA. What we all do - making the best of a bad situation. If it makes him happy, or makes him think he's happy, I'm all for it. And I don't want you making any trouble about it, understood?"
BA was quite clearly taken aback by the vehemence in Hannibal's voice.
"But -"
"No buts, BA. He may put up with your crap about his other girlfriends, or the apartments he's scammed, or any of the many things he does that you don't approve of - but you keep your mouth shut about Sister Theresa. And the same goes for any woman he's with."
BA cocked his head at the colonel. "Any woman? For how long?"
Hannibal grinned, lighting his cigar.
"Give it a week."