Iris Rainbow

by Ilona Fridl

  Tim pushed the last amplifier up the ramp of the van and closed the double doors. John was already behind the wheel, and the other two followed in Roy’s Ford sedan.

  Glancing at Tim, John beamed. “The gig went great tonight, didn’t it?”

  “Sure did. I like the Scene, it’s a cool club. There was a gorgeous redhead I would love to meet.”

  “Whoa, Tim, what about Dana? A girl friend’s got rights. You two on the outs?”

  Tim was quiet for a moment, thinking about the brown-haired, brown-eyed beauty he’d dated since high school. “Dana started to put the wedding moves on me. I told her I wasn’t ready for that, not with the music career.”

  “In other words, you dumped her.”

  “Not really. Just put her on hold for a while.”

  Shaking his head, John retorted, “I swear, between you and Luke, I don’t know whose dick is going to get them in more trouble. Why don’t you find a cool chick like my Carol?”

  Tim smiled wickedly. “Are you offering?”

  John smacked Tim on the back of his head, and they both laughed.

  By now they had reached the shed behind John’s parents’ house, where the guys stored the van with the equipment. They finished putting things away, and then John and Tim climbed into John’s pickup and headed to the apartment the two shared in an older section of Burbank.

  Chapter 2

  Teri and Evie pored over the Virgin Ram fan club material when it came in the mail a few weeks later. At Evie’s house, they sat in the middle of her double bed with the warm sun streaming through the window. The girls had spent much of their childhood at each other’s homes, sharing secrets and dreams, and now was no different. They studied the bio sheets of their respective loves.

  Waving Luke’s bio under Teri’s nose, Evie declared, “It says here that Luke likes romantic walks on the beach and watching old movies. Doesn’t he sound dreamy?”

  Teri laughed. “You sound as smitten as I am.” Looking at Tim’s bio, she remarked, “It says Tim’s favorite color is blue. So is mine.”

  Evie snickered. “Good. You’re compatible.” The girls ended up giggling as Evie came across a list of appearances Virgin Ram was signed to do. “Oh, Teri, I wish we had a car to go to some of those gigs, especially the battle-of-the-bands challenges.”

  Teri bubbled over. “Well, that won’t be a problem for long. I’ve almost got my father talked into the Ford Fairlane that one of our neighbors is trying to sell.”

  Evie’s eyes grew large. “How are you going to afford it?”

  “I’ve saved a hundred and fifty dollars from babysitting, and our neighbor is selling it for three hundred, so I asked my dad for half, promising I would pay him back. Keep your fingers crossed for me.”

  There were two loud pops on the other side of the closed door and the girls nearly fell off the bed. “Sam and Andy! I’m going to get you for that!” Evie cried as she whipped open the door. Her two little brothers were already hightailing it out of the house as she leaned over to pick up the red and blue rubber pieces that once were two balloons. “Those little brats!” Evie turned and showed two open safety pins to Teri, and they both started laughing.

  At dinner that evening, Teri picked at her food. With Laura away at college, she was experiencing what it was like to be an only child. “Dad?” she said tentatively.

  Looking up from his plate, he responded, “Yes, Teri?”

  “Did you think about what I asked you yesterday, about the car, I mean?” She tapped her fork on her plate.

  “You need one hundred fifty dollars, right?”

  “Yes. I’ll pay you back.”

  Glancing at Teri’s mother, he ventured, “What do you think, May?”

  Her mother winked at Teri. “I think she’s good for the money.”

  “Teri, I will take three dollars a week out of your allowance until the loan is paid off. You will get five dollars instead of eight. You can give me a portion of your babysitting money, if you want it paid off faster. Is that a deal?” He held his hand out across the table.

  “Deal!” Teri cried as she pumped his hand with both of hers. “Thank you, Daddy!” She noticed her father trying to suppress a smile.

  The following Saturday morning, Teri drove to Evie’s house, showing off her new car. “Well, what do you think?” she called out the open window as Evie came bounding out.

  “Far out! We got wheels!” Evie shouted as she jumped in next to Teri. “Where are we going?”

  Reaching into the glove compartment, Teri pulled out the Virgin Ram info. “There’s going to be a battle-of-the-bands competition at the Pasadena Auditorium. I told my parents we’d probably be there today. Wanna go?”

  “How much?” Evie said, finding her wallet.

  “Two bucks.”

  “Got it. I’ll go tell my parents, and then let’s go cheer our boys to victory.”

  The morning was bright and shiny, with no hint of the smog that usually covered the valley and mountains, as they drove to the auditorium. Colorful banners and flags streamed against the blue sky, announcing the band contest, and the line of people at the entrance was already long. The girls decided to buy lunch before they went in, since the acts started at one o’clock. They had time to kick back and talk. As the cool of the day gave way to the warmer afternoon, they found their seats in the second tier up, where they had a good view. Scanning the program, they saw Virgin Ram was second to last. Smells of stale popcorn, cola, and sweaty bodies permeated the place.

  Teri sighed as a band exited the stage. “It seems to take forever to get through the fourteen bands ahead of them.”

  Evie nodded. “Some are very good, some are so-so, but all seem to have their legion of fans.” She pointed to the stage. “The Big Balloo is back.”

  A deejay from a local top-forty radio station, The Big Balloo, as he called himself, was stylishly dressed in a dark blue Nehru jacket and black slacks. Now was the time the girls had waited for.

  “And,” he said with a sweeping gesture, “here is a band that has been shaking up the Southland. From Encino, I give you...Virgin Ram!”

  A thunderous roar came from the crowd, while Teri and Evie jumped up and down and screamed. At the end of the song, there was an explosion of cheers. The girls clasped each other’s hands, yelling, “They’ve got it!” Teri was truly sorry for the last band to play. They were good, but Virgin Ram was a hard act to follow.

  When all sixteen bands came out for the voting, Evie grabbed Teri’s arm and said, “Come on. Let’s go down to the ground-floor level. They won’t be checking tickets now.”

  Traveling down the middle aisle, they noticed a number of fans had the same idea. The band members came out with the Big Balloo. The girls were thrilled. Virgin Ram was only about forty feet away, and Teri couldn’t take her eyes off Tim. The Big Balloo went down the line and gauged the cheers they generated. He registered the polite enthusiasm for the other groups, but when he got to Virgin Ram the crowd went wild and there was no doubt who won. Teri and Evie cheered as the group received their trophy. Teri swore Tim looked directly at her, waving. She glanced to see who was behind her and turned back to see him smiling directly at her. No, Teri, you’re seeing things.

  In the car going home, Teri told Evie what she thought she saw.

  “Teri, think about it. With all those people there, he saw just you? He probably saw someone he knew behind us.”

  Teri was silent for a moment. “You’re right. I’m seeing things. Bummer.” Giggling and heading to Alhambra, the girls turned up the radio and sang along.

  Teri and David went to the drive-in that night. She half-thought of the contest that afternoon while she watched the movie.

  Meanwhile, David put his arm around her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. “David?”

  “Teri, you turn me all kinds of on,” he whispered. “Let me love you.” Moving his hand up her sweater, he caressed her breast, and her nipple hardened and her breathing came in gasps.

&
nbsp; “Mmm, David, that feels good,” she moaned.

  They kissed deeply. When David moved his hand to her stomach, she quivered, became warm and wet―and then a warning light went off. “David, stop it. We keep up like this, we’re going to go too far.” She fought for breath.

  “Teri, I need you. Just a little more.” She saw fire in his eyes.

  “No, let’s just cuddle. Or you can take me home.”

  Slumping in his seat like a little boy in a pout, David put the speaker on the rack and started the engine. “Suit yourself.” He took her home.

  Silence hovered in the air as David stopped the car in front of her house. He sighed. “I’m sorry I acted that way. I shouldn’t have pressured you.” His hand kept a steady rhythm on the steering wheel.

  Taking a breath, she put her hand on his arm. “That’s okay. You’re forgiven.”

  He kissed her. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight, David.” As she opened the front door, she was conflicted. Why don’t I feel the same way when I see David as I do when I see Tim? David doesn’t give me that wonderful feeling. Yet I’ve never met Tim. What’s the matter with me? She tossed and turned in bed that night, wondering.

  ****

  After the contest in Pasadena, Tim was helping John load the equipment van when he heard footsteps.

  “Hey, Tim, you guys were fabulous today.”

  Turning around, Tim put on a weak smile. “Hey, Dana, I didn’t know you were going to be here.” I don’t want to deal with her now.

  Dana leaned into the van and said to John, “Can I drive Tim back to your apartment?”

  John nodded. “Sure, Dana, we don’t need him anymore. See you later, Tim.”

  Tim reluctantly followed Dana Stanley to her Volkswagen Beetle. When they had slid into the small car, she started the engine.

  “Tim, I wanted to talk to you about us,” she said, pulling out of the parking lot.

  “What about us?”

  “We’ve been going together for seven years. When are we going to get married?”

  “Dana, look, with all that’s happening with the group, I don’t think being tied down would be a good idea right now.”

  She bit her lip. “You told me you would consider it when the group was up and flying. Well, it looks like you’re doing pretty well now. My parents have been bugging me about the two of us getting married.”

  Tim turned to her. “Dana, I’m really sorry, but I’m not ready.”

  Her voice got lower. “Tim, do you remember Steve Marshall from school?”

  “Do you mean that jock who used to make those moves on you?”

  “Yeah. He asked me to marry him. I haven’t given him an answer yet.”

  Tim stared straight ahead, not answering. From high school on, Dana was a convenient screw when he couldn’t get another date. He liked her, but he didn’t love her. They could probably end up killing each other.

  Dana glanced at him with flashing eyes. “Well, you don’t seem to be putting up much of a fight. Do you even care?”

  Drawing a breath, he answered, “You know how I feel, and this doesn’t change things. You would have to wait until I was ready. The answer is up to you.” Tim suddenly realized what she’d said before and turned to her. “By the way, when did you start seeing Steve? Or are you lying to me?”

  “God damn you, Tim Olson! Don’t go acting so high and mighty with me! Where have you been all those weekends you’ve been off work? What back-street little whores have you been with?”

  “I notice you didn’t answer my question.”

  Pulling into a parking lot a few blocks away from Tim’s apartment, Dana turned on him with tears of hatred. “You bastard! You god-damn bastard!” She pounded the steering wheel with her fist, then sobbed.

  Tim’s cool facade was breaking, and he put his hand on her shoulder. “Dana, listen…” He was cut short when she slapped him hard.

  “You son of a bitch, I invested seven years in you because I thought you loved me.”

  Tim’s ears rang from the slap. “Dana, I do love you in a way…” His voice trailed off.

  “What way?”

  “Not like a husband should love a wife.”

  Dana screamed, hit the steering wheel with her fist again, then flew out of the car and pulled the door open on the passenger side. “Well, if that’s the way you feel, you can get out and walk the rest of the way.”

  “But Dana―”

  Grabbing him by the arm, she yanked him out. “Get out of my car and out of my life. I’ll get you one day for this, Tim Olson.” She slammed the passenger door shut and got in again on the driver’s side.

  He rubbed his sore cheek as he watched her pull away, and grumbled, “Women! Go figure.” John was already at their apartment when Tim came in feeling grim.

  “What happened to you?” John said, and eyed Tim’s face.

  “Dana dumped me. Literally!”

  “Why?”

  “Because she got a marriage proposal from Steve Marshall and I wouldn’t change my mind about marriage.”

  “You mean that stupid jock from school?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Bummer. Tough luck, man.” John slapped Tim on the back, then wandered into the kitchen. “Let’s get a beer.” As John came out with two bottles, he stopped for a moment. “You look almost relieved.”

  Popping the top off his beer with the bottle opener, Tim raised the beer toward John. “I am.”

  Chapter 3

  The weeks passed, and the girls were able to get to most of the gigs, appearances, and band contests that Virgin Ram was scheduled for. Some of the time, Teri thought she saw Tim smile, waving in her direction. She would freeze and tell herself, “No, you’re imagining things.”

  Ken Barnes purchased a Volkswagen Microbus, the right size to haul surfboards to and from the beach. The four friends planned a Saturday at the seashore, with a bonfire in the evening. Teri had just finished packing her picnic basket when Ken’s gray vehicle pulled into the driveway. Reaching into her duffle bag, she quickly shrugged into her white cotton lace cover-up to hide her new blue string bikini.

  “Your friends are here,” her father called from the front door. “When are you going to be home?”

  “Around eleven.” Teri moved the large wicker basket around him.

  Laying a hand on her arm, he ventured, “What are you wearing?”

  She smiled sweetly. “I have my new suit under the cover-up.” She tried to leave.

  He frowned. “I don’t see much material through the lace. Let me see it.”

  Teri chewed on her lower lip, then relented.

  He studied her critically. “I want you to change into your old one-piece bathing suit.”

  Rolling her eyes to the heavens, she explained, “Daddy, I outgrew that one, so I bought a new suit.”

  Gritting his teeth, he shook her gently. “Teri, that is not a suit. It’s two postage stamps and an envelope.”

  She set the basket down and refastened the cover-up. “Does this help?”

  He looked at her sternly. “Leave it on!”

  Picking up the basket and the bag, she waved. “Bye, Daddy,” and was out the door. Teri climbed in the back with David and the surfboards.

  “Hey, Sweet Stuff, what took you so long?” David moved the basket behind him.

  “Oh, my dad threw a fit about my new bathing suit.”

  “I told you he would.” Evie turned around in the front seat. “String bikinis always seem to set fathers on edge. That’s why I had to settle on this two-piece.” Teri had seen it a few days before when Evie bought the conservative red-striped suit.

  The ride to the beach was a little cramped. When they got there, Ken and Evie opened the back and guided the boards out while the other two pushed.

  It was a perfect day. The blue sky and sunshine made the water glitter a blue-green with a white lace of foam as the waves raised in a graceful arc that came crashing down with a roar. An ever-present
breeze blew the loose sand and blasted it against Teri’s skin. Greasy cooking odors came from the weathered stands on the pier and mingled with the ocean’s seaweedy smell and a sweet aroma of suntan lotion lingering in the air.

  Ken and David carried their smoothly lacquered boards while the girls toted the land provisions. Like a carefully measured safari, they marched through the soft sand to a spot near the water. As the girls set up camp, the boys wiped the boards before going to war with the waves. Many other girls were lying out in the sun while their boyfriends surfed.

  Teri sat cross-legged on the beach blanket as Evie opened the blue umbrella behind them and then carefully rolled down the waistband of her conservative red two-piece into a bikini look. That done, she plopped on her stomach beside Teri, watching in silence as the boys waded into the surf with their boards. A number of surfers were out, already dotting the waves over and under.

  “I heard you had a date with Tony last night. How’d it go? From what you told me, you were just following your father’s rules to go out with other guys,” Evie finally said, breaking the silence.

  “Horrid.” Teri wrinkled up her nose. “We went to see some dumb war movie at the drive-in. His hands were all over me, and he wanted me to give him a blow job.”

  “Did you?” Evie looked disgusted.

  “Oh, ick, no. He made me appreciate David a lot more.” Teri sat, thoughtful, after she pulled the suntan lotion out of the duffle bag. “I wonder if that’s why my father didn’t want me to go steady. I’d never know about the guys that come out from under rocks.” While Teri was spreading the lotion on her shoulders, she glanced at Evie. “Has Ken ever put pressure on you to go further when you make out?”

  Putting her chin on her hands, Evie gazed out on the water. “Yes, he has. We’ve been fooling around, but I’m a little afraid to go further. Has David been pressuring you?”

  Teri nodded. “It’s funny, Evie. I know I have to control the situation, but I end up enjoying the feelings myself. It seems I’m trying to control David and me.” Teri stretched out.