The Summer of 1981, Part 23: Medley

[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
Part 17: Bette Davis Eyes
Part 18: Limelight
Part 19: Cool Love
Part 20: Don't Let Him Go
Part 21: Physical
Part 22: Hold On Tight


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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On the third consecutive day with a high temperature of over 90 degrees, Tug and Ben decided to spend their afternoon at the air-conditioned Alderwood Mall. Since Tug had lost so much weight, he was in need of new clothes – not only for the rest of the summer, but also for when college started in the fall.

They took the ferry over to the mainland right after eating lunch and watching “Hawaii Five-O,” and they arrived at the mall in the early afternoon, just as the temperature was reaching its peak. Tug parked his car near Sears, and he and Ben entered the store.

They strolled over to the men’s clothing section where Tug had been looking at clothes two months earlier, but this time, he was thrilled to find a variety of shirts and pants that fit him well. Ben helped him select the best styles and colors, and he ended up with two terry cloth knit shirts, with the deep v-necks that were quite popular, along with a couple of pairs of slacks and a couple of pairs of flair-legged jeans. Tug didn't recongize any of the brands on the clothes – names like Intro, Eggermont, and Starsound – but he agreed with Ben that they all looked nice on him.

They also shopped for some new casual and workout outfits, but couldn’t find any suitable options, so they decided to peruse the rest of the stores in the mall.

As they were leaving, Tug noticed Tom Sawyer, the young, sandy-haired, and very muscular Assistant Manager who had helped him on his previous visit, standing near the exit. As they had been during their encounter eight weeks earlier, Tom’s brawny torso was poured into a too-tight green polo shirt, with his gigantic pecs stretching the material to its very limit, and his legs were encased in a too-tight pair of black slacks.

“Thanks for coming in, gentlemen. We surely appreciate that you shopped with us today,” he said, giving a quick wave with his left hand. As he did so, Tom’s left pec bounced up and down inside his tight shirt, and Tug almost ran into a rack of dresses while staring at it, but at the last second Ben pulled him out of the way.

The boys walked over to the directory, and Tug pointed out a store called Jay Jacobs in the JCPenney wing. “It used to carry just women’s clothes, but in the last few years they’ve added some stuff for guys. We could try there.”

“Lead the way,” replied Ben.

They cruised through the mall, which wasn’t too crowded for a Monday afternoon, and headed for Jay Jacobs. Tug saw that a new record store, Stars on 45, had opened up, and he made a mental note to check it out after they had finished their clothes shopping.

Upon entering their destination, Tug and Ben quickly found some shirts and shorts in the men’s section that they both liked, so they took them over to the fitting alcove to try them on. Both boys entered dressing stalls and slipped into a pair of shorts, then re-emerged to get the other’s opinions.

Ben had selected a pair of white denim shorts with a slightly frayed edge along the bottom. “I really like yours,” said Tug. “You always look best in white.”

That’s like the tenth time I have told him that this summer. He’s going to think I’m weird…

Ben thanked his friend and checked out the shorts he was wearing – a pair of dark blue corduroy shorts that came down to his mid-thigh. “Your pair also looks good, Tug, from what I can see. Your t-shirt is so long, though, only the bottom two inches are showing.”

Tug lifted up his blue shirt to give Ben a better view, hiking it up just past his belly button, and Ben’s eyes grew wide with excitement.

“What is it?" asked Tug as he dropped his shirt back down. "The shorts can’t look that nice, Ben.”

“Tug, did you know your abs are visible?”

“What?” said Tug excitedly.

“Totally. When you lifted up your shirt, I could see your ab muscles!”

“Seriously?” Tug turned toward the mirror to check them out for himself. He lifted up his shirt again and flexed his core. Sure enough, faint ridges between his abdominals were present along his stomach.

“That’s awesome – if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”

“I bet you would look great wearing one of those half-shirts now,” said Ben.

“A crop top? Oh, I don’t know if I’m ready for one of those yet. I mean, you are, but not me. Not yet.”

“Tug, trust me, you’ll look great. Wait here.” Ben dashed off and Tug turned his attention back to his abs, flexing over and over to admire them. He rubbed them with his left hand, feeling their hardness and marveling at that fact they were actually visible.

Ben reappeared a few seconds later carrying two half-shirts – one white for him, and one dark blue for Tug. “Take off your shirt and try it on.”

“You want me to try it on right here in the middle of the alcove?”

“Look, I’ll do it with you. They’re not going to kick out two good-looking studs like us.”

Tug smiled and quickly took off his shirt. Ben did the same, giving Tug another look at his fantastically developed torso.

I still can’t believe he’s so ripped…I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at him…

Tug reached over to Ben for the blue shirt. “OK, give it…”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Tug was interrupted by one of his least favorite sounds – the voice of Kitty Baker.

“Jessie, where are you taking me? Why do we have to go back here?”

Tug and Ben looked at one another – without speaking, they both knew exactly what the other one was thinking.

Hide!

The boys quickly gathered up their merchandise and headed for the nearest dressing stall. Ben didn't think he could make it back to the one he had been in, as it was too close to the alcove entrance, so he ducked into the same one that Tug entered. They squeezed in together, and then shut and locked the door just as Kitty and her boyfriend, Jessie, walked into the fitting area.

“Because I wanted a little privacy with you.”

“Privacy, huh? From Pat and Allie?”

“No, from everyone in this mall. You got me wanting you real bad.”

Ben and Tug were staring at each other as they hid in the dressing room, trying not to laugh at Jessie’s attempt at a come-on. Originally designed for female shoppers (and only one female shopper at a time), the dressing room was a tight fit as it tried to accommodate two males, both of whom were over 6’2” in height and weighed well over 200 pounds. Tug’s shirtless chest was pressed right up against Ben’s shirtless chest, making the situation a little more awkward as their pecs grinded together.

“Then let’s drive your car somewhere really private instead of making out in the mall,” said Kitty, right on the other side of the door.

“Baby, you can drive my car anywhere, anytime.”

Tug smirked at Jessie’s response.

It’s amazing that this guy has ever had a girlfriend…

Kitty groaned softly. “Is that some kind of code for sex? Come on, what is it you really want, Jessie?”

“How about just one kiss for now, honey?”

“Honey? Since when do you call me honey?” asked Kitty, with a slightly confused tone to her voice.

“Since now – it suits you because you’re so sweet, honey, honey. Like my own little candy girl.”

“Ugh. You can get really weird sometimes.”

Ben silently reached up to scratch his face, and when he put his arm back down, his hand brushed against Tug’s tricep. It sent a slight chill down Tug’s spine, which he attributed to the strangeness of the situation.

“Come on, sugar, give me one little kiss. For me, sugar, sugar,” cooed Jessie.

“First, whisper in my ear. Say the words I love to hear.”

“I’m in love with you.”

The outer chamber became silent for about ten seconds, but then Tug and Ben could hear Kitty and Jessie kissing. Both boys scrunched up their faces as they were forced to listen to the unpleasant slurping sounds emanating from the mouths of Kitty and Jessie.

Tug tried to distract himself by thinking about his dream with Captain America from two evenings prior. He looked directly at Ben’s lips and began to wonder why it had been him in the dream that he ended up kissing.

Why him? Why not Jay or Jim or somebody that I have known longer? Or better yet, why not a girl?

A few seconds later, Kitty’s shrill voice flared up again and interrupted Tug’s thoughts.

“Jessie, you were checking out that other girl WHILE we were kissing!”

“Babe, I was not.”

“You totally were. I could see your eyes in the mirror – you watched as she walked by and then you stared right at her ass!”

Ben’s eyes widened in mock surprise, and Tug stifled a giggle.

“Ok, maybe I was. But try to see it my way…” explained Jessie.

“Your way?”

“Yes, my way. I mean, I was just looking. There’s no real harm in looking, right?”

Neither Tug nor Ben could hear a sound for about ten seconds. Both assumed that Kitty was staring daggers at Jessie.

Jessie continued with his explanation. “So she was pretty. But not nearly as pretty as you – I mean, you’re the best looking girl in this mall. Come on, do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on? While you see it your way…”

“Our ways are the same, idiot! You were scoping out another girl while kissing me.”

It was beginning to grow warmer in the dressing room, and Tug started to perspire across his forehead.

“Honey…” begged Jessie.

“Don’t ‘honey’ me anymore, Jessie. You know, my mom was right – you’re a real nowhere man, living in your nowhere land. I can’t believe I got back together with you.”

“Kitty, if you want to break up, that’s fine with me. I’ll go, but you know I’ll be back again. I think if you’d just listen to me for two seconds, we can work it out.”

“We can work it out? Are you joking?” asked Kitty.

The sweat on Tug’s forehead was multiplying quickly, and a few beads dropped down onto his chest, slightly above where it was touching Ben’s chest. Ben half-grimaced and half-smiled at Tug, and then moved his hand up to Tug’s pec in order to back away from the descending sweat stream.

Tug stifled another giggle, and then mouthed the word “Sorry” to his friend. Looking down at their stance, however, Tug suddenly remembered something.

In my dream, this is the exact position we were in when we kissed as Captain America and MuscleHunk…

Outside the dressing room, Jessie continued his rant.

“Fine. I should have known better with a girl like you. I love everything that you do, but you get bitchy when I make one little mistake. Remember that time I came to your door and got no reply after ringing the doorbell about a hundered times. I knew you were home, I even saw you peak though your window, but you completely ignored me.”

“We were broken up at the time, Jessie, of course I ignored you. Aahhh!” The scream grew quieter as it went on, leading Tug and Ben to assume that Kitty had stormed off.

A few seconds later, another male voice spoke. “Hey man, what was all the yelling about?”

“I think Kitty and I just broke up again. Which sucks for her since I drove,” responded Jessie.

“One day you're gonna lose that girl for good, Jessie. What happened this time?” asked the voice.

Tug figured out the identity of the second speaker and silently mouthed the word, “Pat,” to Ben. Ben nodded in agreement.

“Well, this total fox walked by while Kitty and I were making out. You know the painting in Kitty’s house over the fireplace – the one of the goddess on the mountaintop?”

“The one of Venus?” asked Pat.

“That’s the one. Well, this chick totally looked like her – I couldn’t stop staring, you know?”

“Yeah, been there. What guy hasn’t? I mean, it’s not like you were having sex with this other girl.”

“Exactly. Listen, Pat, do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?” asked Jessie.

“Cross my heart.”

Jessie’s voice grew a little bit quieter. “Well, every time we break up, Kitty and I find a way to get back together. But I was probably going to break things off permanently with her very soon. We’re heading to different colleges next month, and I don’t think the long-distance thing will work for me.”

“I thought Kitty was planning to visit you all the time?”

Jessie sighed. “I know, but a few phone calls each week and a few visits each semester just aren’t the same as seeing that person every day, and kissing that person every day, and hugging every day, and holding their hand all the time. Kitty and I struggle to stay together when we live five minutes apart – how could we possibly stay together when we’re five hours apart?”

Pat started his reply, but his words were slightly muffled, and soon the outer dressing area grew completely quiet.

After about a minute, Ben leaned down to peak though the slats and make sure the room was empty. He then unlocked and opened the door as soon as he was sure the coast was clear. “Whew, that was a close one.”

Tug spilled out of the room after his friend. “You said it. Sorry about the sweat in there – I couldn’t help it.”

“No sweat,” replied Ben with a smile.

Tug laughed loudly at the joke, as was his custom.

“Besides, I’d rather get dripped on in there by you than deal with those two again. What a circus!”

“Listening to them argue was bad enough, but the kissing noises made it even worse. Let’s hope we don’t run into them the rest of the summer,” replied Tug. He and Ben re-donned their own clothes and started sorting through the items they wanted to purchase. After a few minutes of cajoling, Tug even agreed to get the blue half-shirt that Ben had found for him.

The boys left Jay Jacobs and visited Stars on 45, the new record store, and looked through the racks of albums. After much deliberation, Tug decided to purchase two new releases – “Escape” by Journey and “Bella Donna” by Stevie Nicks – while Ben bought “Juice” by Juice Newton and a 45 that was a medley of Beach Boys songs.

Once the purchases had been rung up, they left the record store and wandered through the halls, slowly making their way back to the car. As they rounded one corner, Ben asked, “Did you still want to get a haircut, Tug? There’s a Fantastic Sam’s right over there.”

Tug nodded. “Good idea. Mine has been getting a little shaggy.”

“Same here.”

The boys walked over to the shop, gave their names, and sat down to wait their turns.

Ben immediately grabbed a recent copy of Sports Illustrated to pass the time, but Tug just relaxed in his chair and closed his eyes. His began to mull over all the things that were floating to the surface of his mind.

Ben…all the dreams this summer about all those muscles…like the one with Tom Sawyer… and the one with him kissing Captain America…and all the working out...and Ben again…and their hug in the park two weeks ago…and what Jessie had said about long-distance relationships…and Ben leaving in a month…and always complimenting Ben on his clothes and his body…and how nice he has been to me…what does it all mean?

“Doug!” called out the stylist standing at the counter.

Tug sighed and looked around to make sure he was the 'Doug' in question - Ben turned and smiled at him, but none of the other folks looked up, so he rose and followed the stylist to her chair. She began chatting away, but Tug’s thoughts were still turning in his mind.

What does it all mean? What does Ben really mean to me? What will happen when he leaves next month? And why do I think I will miss him more than the rest of my friends?

Interrupting his contemplation again, the stylist asked Tug a question, and he replied “yes” without really thinking. She asked another, and again Tug just replied “yes.” She asked a third, and again, Tug simply replied “yes.”

“OK,” she said.

After his haircut had started, Tug looked over at his friend, still sitting in the waiting area reading his magazine. He stared directly at at Ben for welll over a minute – and then it happened. Tug had an epiphany.

I think…I think I’m…

Ben looked up at Tug at that very instant. He had been smiling, but his smile turned to a frown quite quickly, and then to a very concerned look. He dropped the magazine, stood up, and quickly walked toward Tug, who was wondering what was going on.

[Padraig]

Most of you who are unfamiliar with the music of 1981 will probably not believe me, but the song featured in the video below, strange as it may seem, was actually a #1 hit during the summer of 1981. It bumped "Bette Davis Eyes" out of the peak position (which re-ascended to the top of the Hot 100 the following week) for the week ending June 20.

The song itself, composed by a Dutch novelty act going under the name "Stars on 45," was a bizarre combination of disco beats mixed with studio singers covering a couple of late 1960's hits and various Beatles' tunes. The official title was actually 41 words long (it included the titles of all of the cover songs), but I just called it by the first one, "Medley." But I included all of the titles, along with additional lyrics, into today's chapter ? I'm sure you Beatles fans will be able to spot most of them.

The song was hugely popular, the group put out several more albums, and it actually kicked off a big medley trend in the early 1980's. The Beach Boys released a medley of their hits later that summer, the Beatles released a medley of their movie themes in 1982, and even instrumentals like "Hooked On Classics" made it to the airwaves.

So enjoy! Those Stars on 45 keep on turning in your mind...

Stars on 45 Medley

[memorex414]

Two chapters in the same weekend...most excellent. Plus being a child of the 80's I can better appreciate the music here now. Wisdom and taste do come with age...like fine wine. Kudos on a well woven tale...keep spinning.

[Padraig]

Thanks for the feedback, Memorex! I definitely enjoyed all kinds of music as I was growing up in the late 1970's and 1980's, but for the past few years it's all been about the 1980-81 period for me ? there were just so many great upbeat pop songs that came out between the end of the disco era and the rise of the MTV bands and the second British invasion of 1982-83. One day, I think my MP3 player is eventually going to revolt and tell me it's time to listen to some new stuff.

Glad you're enjoying the story!

[Padraig]

I really wanted to use these three songs (one each from Stevie Nicks, Journey, and Juice Newton) as the basis for chapters in the story, but I wasn't able to work them in.

But since they are three of my all-time favorite songs, I added the scene in the record store so they could all at least get a mention.

First up, Stevie Nicks along with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, from her album "Bella Donna." I love, love this entire album, and just as Tug and his friends debated in an earlier chapter, my friends and I talked a lot about who was hotter: Stevie Nicks or Pat Benatar. I always voted for Stevie.

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around

Then we have Journey. I'm sure many of you have heard "Don't Stop Believin'" in the last few years ? especially with its use on "The Sopranos" and "Glee" ? but "Who's Crying Now" was the first single off the album, released in the summer of 1981. Awesome guitar solo!

Who's Crying Now

Finally, a little slice of pop music heaven. Juice Newton and "Queen of Hearts," a #2 smash that received a ton of airplay that year (you can find the actual video for this song on YouTube, but the record company will not let me embed it here).

Queen of Hearts

[michaelv2]

Those boys, rubbing pecs in the "changing room" - hot. This has really been a trip down memory lane. I listened to that Stars on 45 song, and I couldn't place that little guitar riff at 0:44. It drove me crazy until I got Venus from Shocking Blue. That song is from 1969, and though the Bananarama cover is what I grew up with, I now think the original is far better.

[Padraig]

Michael ?

When I was younger, it used to really bother my dad that I preferred listening to the Hall & Oates version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" more than the original version by The Righteous Brothers. At the time, I remember telling him the RB version sounded like it was for "old people."

I still love the H&O version, but I have come to really appreciate the Righteous Brothers a lot more than I did when I was 12.