The Summer of 1981, Part 17: Bette Davis Eyes

[Padraig]

For those of you who would like to catch up, here are links to the earlier chapters:

Part 1: The Best of Times
Part 2: Wasn't That A Party
Part 3: The Boy From New York City
Part 4: The Voice
Part 5: Feels So Right
Part 6: Sausalito Summernight
Part 7: The Waiting
Part 8: All I Have To Do Is Dream
Part 9: Urgent
Part 10: The Theme From The Greatest American Hero
Part 11: Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through
Part 12: Life of Illusion
Part 13: America
Part 14: Deep Inside My Heart
Part 15: Mister Sandman
Part 16: Hard To Say


Any feedback is very much appreciated - I would love to hear from those of you who have been reading. Or if you just want to reminisce about some of your favorite music or memories from 1981, please feel free to share. Thanks!!


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Tug sat on his bed and looked at the clothes surrounding him. He had t-goofy shirts, well-worn terry cloth sport shirts, polos with gigantic pastel stripes, faded corduroys with patches on the knees, and one pair of oversized overalls that he once thought would disguise his belly, but in actuality made him look like he had gained another 50 pounds.

When I lose a little more weight, I am definitely buying some grown-up clothes…no more of this kids’ stuff for me…

He got up and went back to his closet to see if he could find something else to wear. He and Ben were going into town tonight to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which had gotten great reviews and was breaking box office records across the country. Tug liked to dress up as much as possible when he went into Everett, which really didn’t have more than 60,000 people, but it was like a night into New York City when compared to the after-hours excitement level on the island.

He sighed when he looked at the items remaining on the rack, wishing that he had more of an interest in clothes like his brother.

I wonder…I wonder if they’re still there…Tim would probably have a fit if he found out I borrowed them…but it’s worth a look…

Tug strode across the carpet to his doorway, and then glanced down the hallway. His mother and dad were sitting in the living room watching Tic Tac Dough, listening to Wink Martindale tell the contestants about the fabulous prizes they could win, and both had their backs toward the upstairs. He carefully cracked open the door to his brother’s bedroom and peered inside. The room was dark and quiet, as he had expected it to be, but he still crept forwardly cautiously as if he were a cat burglar on the prowl. He silently shut the door after he entered, and then tiptoed across the room.

When he reached the opposite wall, Tug opened the closet door and flipped on the light. A soft glow filled the chamber, gently illuminating the clothes that his brother had left behind. Not much remained, but there amongst the faded jeans and old football jerseys Tug located his Holy Grail for the evening: a pair of gray, flare-legged woven gabardine slacks, and a deep-necked powder blue short-sleeve shirt with an custom-embroidered leaf pattern down the front that resembled the letter Y. The outfit had been a gift from one of Tim’s old girlfriends, and even though he hadn’t worn it since they had broken up, he had kept it in the back of his closet as a reminder of their time together.

Tim always said he had looked his best in these clothes…I just hope they fit…

Tug gingerly took the clothes of their hangers, and then shut off the light and closed the closet. He walked back to the door of the bedroom and listened to make sure neither his mom nor dad was walking down the hallway, and then cracked the door open for the second time in less than two minutes. His parents were still engrossed in their game show, so he quickly left the room, shut the door, and raced back to his own room.

He was about to try them on, but decided to take a shower first. Tug carefully folded the clothes and hid them in the back of his closet, and then walked across the hallway to the bathroom that, at one time, he had shared with his brother. He took off his clothes from that afternoon, tossed them on the floor, and then jumped into the shower.

After nearly fifteen minutes of soaping up and rinsing off, to the bedevilment of his mother who could never understand why both of her sons would need to spend such a long time in the shower, Tug turned off the water and picked up a nearby towel to dry off. He tied it around his waist after patting himself down, walked over to the mirror, and used his left arm to wipe away the steam so he could see his reflection.

As the summer had progressed and he had lost weight, Tug was beginning to resemble his brother more and more. The roundness of his face and body were disappearing, being replaced with angular features and a greater physical development. The muscles in shoulders and arms clearly visible, no longer buried under mounds of flab, and his pecs looked taut and square instead of like a pair of sagging breasts. And best of all, Tug’s belly no longer jutted out far from his body; although his abdominal muscles were not yet evident, his front section was quite a bit flatter than it had been in years.

He still had a long way to go before anyone would mistake him for a pro athlete, but those meeting him for the first time would probably think his body to be slightly thicker than average, but certainly not fat.

I’m getting there…

Tug spent the next twenty minutes drying and styling his hair, something he normally would have only spent a few minutes on, but again, he wanted it to look really nice this evening. He had never been happy with the way his hair looked when parted down the middle, but it was too long to part at the sides, so he feathered it back to the best of his ability.

Next time I get a haircut, I’m going to have them lop a bunch of this off…

After he finished his hair, he brushed his teeth and put on some deodorant. As he was putting the deodorant canister back, he noted a small bottle of Tim’s cologne in the drawer. He picked it up, removed the lid, and took a quick sniff.

Mmmm…nice…he won’t miss a little…

Tug gently applied some of the cologne on his face and behind his ears, as he had seen Tim do before, then replaced the cap and put the bottle back in the drawer. Satisfied with his grooming efforts, he picked up his clothes and returned to his room, where he tossed his towel in his hamper and put on a fresh pair of boxer shorts.

He retrieved Tim’s clothes from their hiding place and pulled the shirt on over his torso, being careful not to muss up his hair. It was a tight fit, but he was able to get it on, and it actually looked pretty good. The light color of the fabric complemented his dark tan, and then deep neck helped to show off some of the development in his chest muscles. It was a little loose across his belly, which hid the remaining pounds of fat still accumulated there, but nice and tight around his biceps. Tug hit a double bicep pose and was impressed that the bulk of his arm muscles grew large enough to really give the fabric of the sleeves a challenge – not nearly big enough to rip them apart, but certainly big enough to give them a good stretching.

Tug grabbed the slacks and tried them on. Fortunately, the material was stretchy and he was able to get them on over his thighs, but it took a little effort to get them buttoned. Still, he was elated at the fact that he was wearing the same size as his brother.

I can’t believe I can fit in Tim’s clothes! This is so awesome!

Tug took a belt from his closet and placed it through the pant loops – even though he didn’t need it for the pants to stay on, he wanted them as an added precaution in case the button popped off. He then picked out a pair of black dress shoes that he had only worn once before, when he was an usher at his cousin’s wedding, and slipped them on to complete his ensemble. He took one last look in his mirror before heading out.

I’m getting there…

Tug left his room and slithered down the hallway without his parents hearing. Once safely in the kitchen, he called out to tell them he was leaving for the movie, and both told him to have a good time. He told them goodnight in return and left through the door to the garage.

A few minutes later he pulled up to the ferry terminal and parked his car. Ben had spent the late afternoon running errands for his aunt’s friend, Elvira, and said he would meet Tug at the terminal just before the 8:00pm ferry. Tug looked at his watch, which read 7:45, and he was glad to have made it with more than a few minutes to spare.

Tug locked his car and walked over to the section of the terminal where the walk-on passengers entered, and then stood near the doorway and waited for Ben to arrive. After about a minute, he quickly ducked into a nearby men’s room to re-check his hair, and then just as quickly made it back to the agreed upon waiting spot by the terminal’s front door. Tug didn’t quite understand why he felt a little giddy and a little nervous, but he chalked it up to being excited about the movie.

Tonight’s going to be so much fun…I wonder if Ben will notice my clothes…

Tug continued to wait, searching for signs for his towheaded friend. A steady stream of passengers was departing from the ferry that had just arrived on the island, but not too many people seemed to be arriving for the return trip to the mainland. He listened as the Muzak played “Bette Davis Eyes” on the outside loudspeaker, and he tried to remember when he had last heard the song.

And she'll tease you
She'll unease you
All the better just to please you

She's precocious
And she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush

She got Greta Garbo stand-off sighs
She's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll let you take her home
It whets her appetite
She'll lay you on her throne
She got Bette Davis eyes

She'll take a tumble on you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She's got Bette Davis eyes

Eventually, Tug spotted a tall man with broad shoulders walking along the sidewalk in his direction – he was pretty sure it was Ben, but with the sun low in the horizon, it was difficult to tell from just a silhouette. As the figure approached, Tug could make out the blond hair, v-shaped torso, and beefy arms and chest that could only belong to his workout partner. He smiled and was about to put his hand up to wave when a familiar voice called out his name from behind.

“Tug Yates? Is that you?”

He turned around to see Kitty Baker, wearing a bold-patterned sundress that seemed to suit her bold personality, and a group of three other people walking up to the ferry terminal from the other direction. One of them was her ex-boyfriend Jessie, or perhaps current boyfriend, since they were holding hands, and they were accompanied by another unfamiliar couple. Tug kept the smile plastered on his face and waved to the quartet, but secretly wished that Kitty and her entourage had chosen a different night to ride the ferry into town.

The group approached the terminal doorway and stopped a few feet away. “Hey Tug, you know Jessie, of course. We’re back together, by the way,” she said pointing to her left, not seeming to notice the physical changes Tug had gone through since their last meeting..

Jessie smiled and offered, “Hey, man, nice to see you again,” and then gave quick salute with two fingers bouncing off his forehead. Like Don, Jessie had been one of the premier athletes in Tug’s class, with a body sculpted from years of team sports. Jessie also had a handsome face (some saying he resembled a younger version of soap opera star and singer Rick Springfield), friendly disposition, and outgoing nature that had made him very popular with the female population of the school, but unfortunately for him, he had hooked up with Kitty early on, and they had broken up and made up at least 1,000 times in the past four years. He was dressed much more casually than his girlfriend, wearing a red tanktop, a pair of khaki shorts, and a pair of beat-up leather sandals.

Jessie started to add to his greeting to Tug by saying, "You look like you've...", but was cut off by Kitty, who was moving ahead with the rest of the introductions. “These are my cousins Allie and Pat. They’re from Arizona and are staying with my family for a few weeks. Guys, this is Tug Yates."

Allie was somewhat tall, very shapely, and, just like her cousin, clad in a bold-patterned sundress. Her skirt wasn't as long as Kitty's, however, so Tug could see that she was wearing laced-up espadrilles on her feet. Allie had long blond hair that cascaded down to her shoulders, and big bright blue eyes that Tug imagined could easily express every emotion in the book – and allow her to get whatever she wanted as well. He thought back to something his dad had once told his brother, Tim, before going out on a date.

Be careful of the girls with the movie star eyes, Tim. They'll get you in trouble every time...

The remaining of the foursome, Pat, was a gangly teen with an unruly mop of auburn hair atop his head, taller than everyone but Tug, and wearing a plain white t-shirt, jeans, and black high-top sneakers. He was also wearing an expensive-looking pair of mirrored sunglasses, like the ones worn by the cops in CHiPs, so Tug was left to wonder if he had the same expressive eyes as his sister.

Both Allie and Pat simultaneously mumbled, “Hi, Doug,” and if their tone of voice was any indication, neither was particularly thrilled to meet him.

Befofe Tug could correct them, Kitty was moving on. “So what are you doing just standing here in the doorway, Tug? Are you waiting on a la-a-dy, or are you just watching girls passing by?” She smiled, thinking she might get to find out a little island gossip.

Tug shook his head and was about to tell her that he was just waiting on a friend, but he was interrupted by a voice behind him. “Hey there, Tug, sorry I’m late. Are these some of your friends?”

Tug turned back to the direction he had originally been facing to see Ben standing right behind him. Backlit by the setting sun, with his golden hair, muscled physique, and wearing the same ‘peek-a-boo’ yellow shirt from the day before, he resembled a drawing of the Greek god Apollo that Tug had once seen in his World History textbook.

Kitty recognized Ben as the 'Boy from New York City' that she had seen at the market on the first day of summer vacation and excitedly uttered, “You! Where have you been hiding?”

The look on Ben’s face changed from happy to confused as he turned towrd Kitty. “Do I know you?”

Jessie glanced at his girlfriend, looking for an explanation for the exclamation. Kitty instantly regretted her outburst since her boyfriend was righ by her side and managed to keep her cool. “Sorry about that – you just startled me. My name is Kitty Baker. I’m a good friend and classmate of Tug’s. And you are?”

“I’m Ben. I’ve been hanging out with Tug this summer.” He reached out to shake her hand, which she quickly accepted. Kitty then introduced the rest of her party, all of whom were now staring at the handsome blond hulk.

“Are you guys getting on the ferry, too?” asked Ben.

“Why yes, we are,” said Kitty with a big smile. “Let’s go before we miss it. We can definitely chat more once we’re all aboard.”

The sextet climbed the short steps to the ticket booth and paid their fares, with only Tug hoping that they would go their separate ways after boarding. His hopes were dashed, however, when Kitty and company followed Tug and Ben to an indoor table – Pat, Jessie and Ben sat on one side, and Tug, Kitty, and Allie sat on the other.

Kitty had been fervently whispering something into Allie’s ear prior to sitting down, and her cousin was clearly taking in every word. Tug could only imagine what she was saying.

Kitty is most likely telling the tale of when she first spotted Ben in the market and all her carnal thoughts that followed...

After they were all seated, Jessie spoke first. “So Ben, what’s your secret?”

“Secret for what?”

“For getting so huge, man! I’ve been lifting and lifting and lifting, and I cannot get any bigger than 180 pounds. What’s the trick to getting arms like yours?” Jessie reached over and tugged on Ben’s sleeve, suggesting that he wanted to see Ben flex.

“Yeah! I’d like to know, too,” added Pat. I’ve been trying to gain weight but haven’t broken 150 pounds. How do I get a body like you?”

At the last question, Allie began whispering back to Kitty, and this time, Tug was close enough to hear: she was wondering how she could get his body, too. Kitty responded with a faint giggle.

Ben didn’t seem to mind the boy’s directness, as he talked about his lifting regimen and diet. Jessie eventually asked Ben to flex his biceps, to which he obliged, and both boys grew wide-eyed at the sight of them.

“Geez, how big are those monsters?” asked Pat, raising his hand as if he wanted to touch them, but then pulling back at the last second, as if he realized it wasn’t the manly thing to do.

“The last time I measured, they were 20 inches,” said Ben matter-of-factly.

“Good Lord!” exclaimed Jessie. He flexed his nice-sized bicep and added, “Mine taped out at only 15. Ben, seriously, you have got to let me come lift with you. I want to see exactly what exercises you are doing to put on that kind of size.”

Pat agreed. “Me, too. My girl back home would do just about anything for me if I could put on that kind of muscle.”

Tug frowned at the suggestion that somebody else would butt into his workouts with Ben.

What? Wait a minute…I’m his lifting partner…that’s our time together…

“I’m sure I could show you a few things that would really add some mass to your frame. Within a month, you’ll be bulging out of all your clothes.”

They boys both nodded toward each other with big smiles on their faces, thinking about growing huge muscles like Ben, and Allie began whispering anew to Kitty. Nobody seemed to notice that Tug had folded his arms across his chest and that his frown had deepened.

Kitty must have decided enough time had passed without anyone hearing her voice, so she decided to speak up. “Jessie, I’m all for you getting stronger, but don’t get too much bigger. I like your flat tummy just the way it is.”

“Sweetie, look at this guy,” replied Jessie, pointing at Ben. “Does he look fat to you? Ben, pull up that shirt and let’s see what you’ve got underneath.”

Tug was surprised at the request, but assumed that must be how athletes talk about one another’s bodies.

Ben again didn’t seem to mind and stood up in the aisle. He pulled up the bottom of his shirt with his left hand and flexed his abs, and as usual, they responded in all their rock-hard glory. Although Tug had seen them many times in the past month, the other four reacted as he had the first time – by staring, either due to lust or envy.

Allie, however, brazenly spoke the words the others were probably thinking. “Can I touch them?”

“Sure,” said Ben. He took a step forward to her side of the table, and she reached out to pat down his abdominals. After about ten seconds she tried to pinch one, but with no fat on his mid-section, they remained unmovable in her hands. Some of the other passengers from nearby tables stared on in amazement, and had they been bolder, definitely would have asked if they could feel Ben’s abs as well.

“Wow!” exclaimed Allie. “Can I feel your arm, too? I’ve never seen one so big before.”

“OK.” Ben put his shirt back down and re-flexed his left bicep, which Allie had her hands on in under a second. She seductively massaged the giant muscle, looking as though she had more experience than she was letting on, and her smile grew ever bigger as she fondled it.

Ben began to blush with all the extra touching from Allie, so he straightened back up and offered, “Anyone else?” Everyone at the table may have wanted to, but nobody put their hand up. Ben smiled and then sat back down, leaving Allie with a very special memory from her ferry ride.

“So why are you guys going into town?” asked Kitty.

“We’re gonna see ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ at the Paradise Theatre,” said Ben. He smiled across at Tug, who was still frowning.

“Oh, us too, us too!” shrieked Allie with a huge smile on her lips. “You boys have to sit by us. We can share a big tub of popcorn.”

Tug rolled his eyes, knowing that Allie just meant Ben when she said ‘you boys.’

The conversation continued during the ferry trip, with all but Tug chiming in from time to time. Eventually they reach the Everett terminal, disembarked, and walked down the waterfront and then up the hill a few blocks toward the downtown core. Pat and Jessie stuck close to Ben, still asking questions about working out and building big muscles, and the girls followed close behind in full-out ‘whisper and giggle’ mode. Tug brought up the rear of the group, still sulking about the turn of events that had changed his plans for the evening so drastically.

A short time later they arrived at the Paradise Theatre, where their movie was being shown. When first built in the 1928, the Paradise had been one of the grandest showplaces in the country – it had a huge lobby with a grand staircase, yards and yards and yards of red velvet all around, ornate chandeliers, richly detailed wall panels, and well-padded seats for its wealthy patrons. Originally designed for plays and operas, it was converted to a movie house in the 1950’s and continued to show first-run films for almost thirty years. Though it had started to fall into disrepair during the 1970s, it was still the best place to see a film in the entire greater Seattle area, especially a big budget action flick with lots of special effects.

After purchasing their tickets, the group brought some candy and popcorn and took their seats in the auditorium. Everyone tried to end up next to Ben, but only Allie and Jessie were successful – Pat took a seat on the other side of Allie, and Kitty took a seat on the other side of Jessie. Tug sat down next to her and could sense that she wanted to ask her boyfriend to swap places, but she couldn’t quite figure a way to ask without him wondering why she needed to sit closer to Ben.

As they waited for ‘Raiders’ to start, Jessie continued to ask his new hero, Ben, about his physique.

“Say Ben, can you bounce your pecs like those famous bodybuilders?”

Ben didn’t reply verbally, but rather demonstrated his prowess with his chest muscles. His beefy chest muscles bounced up and down without any noticeable movement of his arms and shoulders. The entire group was mesmerized by the display, just as they had been earlier when he showed off his abdominals.

“Cool!” exclaimed Jessie. “Can you show me how you did that?”

“Sure thing,” replied Ben, who pointed out the slight clenching of his arms and the effect it had on his pecs. Jessie’s attempts to emulate Ben were valiant, but he didn’t have enough development in his chest to recreate the bouncing. “But I bet after a few weeks with you in the gym, Miss Kitty here won’t be able to keep her hands off of them.” Kitty turned to her boyfriend and smiled, and then looked down at Allie and smiled at her, too.

By this time, Tug was angry that Ben hadn’t told Jessie and Pat that he already had a lifting partner – he tried to come up with something to say in protest, but the movie began before his mind could effectively form the words without seeming like a raving lunatic.

All through the picture, Tug tried to focus on the screen adventures of Indiana Jones, but he was distracted by Allie’s lingering attention to Ben. He continually craned his head around Kitty and Jessie, who were apparently attempting to break the world record time for “Longest Make-out Session in a Darkened Theatre, to see what the vixen was doing.

She’s not even watching the movie…she’s spending the whole time looking at him and eating his popcorn….is her hand on his thigh?

Eventually Tug excused himself, not that Kitty or Jessie noticed, and went to the lobby. He bought himself a tub of popcorn with extra butter and ate it alone on a bench for about 45 minutes – the ticket taker, the two ushers, and the two counter girls gave perplexed looks from time to time, but nobody bothered him during his pity session.

Why would he want to sit next to Allie and not me? Did he even notice that I got all dressed up? And why do I even care anyway?

When he had finished his popcorn, he went back into the theatre, sat in his seat, and caught the final five minutes of the movie. Jessie and Kitty were still making out, Allie was still gazing over at Ben, and none of them seem to realize he had been gone.

The house lights came back on as the credits rolled, and the group filed out with the rest of the audience. They walked quickly back to the terminal to catch the next ferry back to the island, and then sat at a table similar to the one they had been at on the ride over to Everett. This time, however, the girls sat on each side of Ben and asked him questions about life in New York City, and Pat and Jessie sat on the other bench and talked about sports. Tug sat next to Pat and listened in on both conversations, but didn’t have anything to add to either.

They arrived back on the island just after midnight and walked to their cars in the terminal parking lot. Tug had planned to drive Ben back home, but Allie suggested that the movie had whetted her appetite for adventure that night.

“Let’s all go back to Ben’s place – I’m sure we could find something fun to do there.” She looked up into Ben’s eyes to see if he was agreeing with her, but Ben was looking over at Tug, who had his eyes on the ground.

“Yeah, let’s do that, Ben,” agreed Kitty. “You were saying how great the beach was, and how private it was. It would be a blast and we wouldn’t have to worry about any parental interruptions.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me!” added Pat.

“Same here,” said Jessie. He put his arm around Kitty and whispered something in her ear, and her eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“What do you think, Tug?” asked Ben, still looking over at his friend. Tug looked up and smiled weakly, and then gave a quick thumbs up in the direction of the gang.

"OK, sounds like we're all in," said Ben.

“Great, you come with us girls, Ben, and show us the way,” said Allie. She grabbed the blond beefcake by the hand and dragged him to Kitty’s car. Allie hopped in the back, Ben got in the passenger side, and Kitty took the wheel. Pat followed Jessie to his car, and Tug walked slowly to his car.

About thirty seconds later the caravan headed out of the parking lot and drove down the road to Ben’s aunt’s house. The first two cars passed the Yates home, but the third car, with Tug in it, slowed and pulled into the driveway. He parked in his usual spot and then climbed the steps to his front door.

I doubt they’ll even notice that I’m not there…I hope those movie star eyes don't get Ben in trouble...

Tug unlocked the front door and opened it a few inches. Seeing all the lights off, he knew that his parents were alseep for the evening, so he went inside and headed up to his bedroom. He sat down on hs bed and kicked off his shoes, and then took off his brother’s shirt and pants. After the events of the evening, however, he no longer cared about preserving their condition and carelessly tossed them on the floor.

Now wearing only his boxers and his socks, Tug climbed into his bed and fell fast asleep.

[Padraig]

Today's installment was inspired by the song "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, which was ubiquitous during the summer of 1981. It was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, and you couldn't turn on the radio anytime from May through August and not hear it within 15 minutes.

In my story, I had the song playing on the radio in the third chapter just before Kitty made her entrance at the Burger Palace, and then again today before she made her return appearance (though obviously the lyrics were more about her cousin, Allie).

Here's a fanvid of the song:

Bette Davis Eyes

I'm sure many of you caught on the fact that Jessie not only looked like a younger version of Rick Springfield, which only made sense since Kitty was "Jessie's Girl." That song was my absolute favorite for about two years - I thought Rick was just the ultimate in cool - and I begged, begged, begged my parents to buy me a coat like the one he is wearing at the beginning of the video (that shiny gray one - so hip!). The song, by the way, topped the Billboard charts during the first two weeks of August 1981.

Jessie's Girl

Finally, I make reference to "Paradise Theatre" in this installment, the 1981 concept album by Styx (containing the song from the first chapter, "The Best of Times") that featured a crumbling theatre as a metaphor for the crumbling of America in the 1970's and early 1980's. So upbeat! Anyhoo, since Jessie and Kitty were "rockin' the paradise" during the film, I'll leave you with this live version of that song.


AD 1928 / Rockin' The Paradise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODqxUgDP4Q0

[Padraig]

Oops! I just remembered that I borrowed lyrics from "Waiting On A Friend" by the Rolling Stones for this chapter as well. It came out in late 1981, after their massive hit, "Start Me Up," but "Waiting" was always my favorite song off of "Tattoo You" - I loved the sax solo, the breezy rhythm, and Mick's effortless vocals. I could only get this not-so-great fanvid to embed here, but you should definitely check out the original video on YouTube if you like the song.

Waiting On A Friend

[michaelv2]

Hi Padraig, this was a sad little chapter, but a good one. I know that maybe not so many people are reading, but I hope you keep writing - this has been my favorite summer reading.

Cheers, Michael

[Padraig]

Thanks, Michael - I really appreciate the feedback. I know my style is a little different than others, and it's not the typical type of story that is posted here, but hopefully the payoff will be worth it for those who continue all the way through.

I guess if I wated to get more readers, I could alway change the title to something like "Super Muscle Super Cock Super Jizz" - I bet each chapter would have 3,000 views just a few minutes after being posted. :-)

Take care! New chapter to be posted soon!

[TKnTexas55]

It was a little sad... but that is what made the characters real. I check every day for the next chapter. I have been getting a little antsy waiting.

[Padraig]

I'm sorry for the delay! I made some last-minute changes to this chapter right before I posted it, so now I have to make some additional changes in the next chapter before it will be ready. Unfortunately I was overwhelmed with work this weekend and haven't had a chance to make those adjustments.

Soon, I promise...