Chapter 13: Terry’s Story 03 – As Far As I Recall

April – June – Year 2 I don’t know where I learned to work a forklift, but I was very good at it. My supervisor told me that I was fast and safe and that was a great combination. My pay went from minimum wage to about $3000 a month. After my second month, I was able to get a cheap car and an apartment, and I moved out of the church. After the third month, I was sending money to Father Mulcahey to help his efforts with the lost and homeless.

On one Friday, the other guys were going to a titty bar again. I was feeling good and had settled into my new life, so I ended up back at my favorite country bar. I didn’t even have to order since I was now a regular and shortly one of the cute servers had a Shiner Bock and a plate of Nachos on my table. I relaxed and drank and munched as I watched the many good-looking women butts taking line dance lessons during happy hour.

It did not take long for several women to get me into the line dance lessons and before I knew it I was line dancing with the best of them, even though I never thought of myself as a dancer, as far as I recalled. A couple of the women told me that I should come out for better lessons on Wednesday nights. They said that the instructor was a lot better and she taught swing and two-step as well.

I had been in Houston for almost nine months and outside of the night at the titty bar I had not been with any woman. I was in need of a little female companionship, so I showed up the next Wednesday night after work. Well I went home first and showered and changed and then went. I may not know who I am, but I know what I am and a slob ain’t it.

I walked in to the shouts of my two lady friends. They ushered me over to my normal booth and I ordered my Shiner and nachos and then it was dance on. We started with the two-step and that went pretty well. It is an easy set of moves and my two friends seemed to enjoy squashing their boobs against me. My jeans had their burst pressure tested a few times.

After the lessons an announcement was made that karaoke would start in about thirty minutes and sign up was open. My two friends, Yolanda and Sparkles (I kid you not, that is their names) said they were going to go, they did not care for karaoke. They asked me to come with them, but there was something about the idea of karaoke that hit a nerve. I told them that I was going to stay and have dinner and see what the karaoke sounded like.

I parked myself back in my booth and ordered the chicken-fried steak with tater tots. At 8pm the show started. Several folks got up to sing and some sucked and some were pretty good. I was sitting there enjoying myself when the dance instructor walked over to my table.

“May I join you?” She smiled, and I noticed the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

“Um, yes please do.” I stood as she scooted into the booth.

“I have never seen you here before and I wanted to say that you dance well; are you a beginner?”

“Thanks. I have been coming on Fridays but some of my dance partners told me I should come on Wednesday. If I am doing ok, I think maybe it is the quality of the instructor.” I smiled, and she flashed those eyes.

“My name is Blossom Martinez.” She extended a friendly hand.

“Nice to meet you Blossom. Mine is Terry Smith.” We shook. Her hand was warm and soft.

“It was nice to meet you Terry, just wanted to meet you and didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner.” She started to get up.

“Please, don’t be in such a hurry to go, unless you have somewhere to be or someone to be with.”

She looked at me for a moment, shook her head and smiled.

“No and no.”

“No as in no to my two statements or no and no to you don’t want to sit with me for a bit?”

“No, I don’t have to be anywhere and no, I don’t have anyone to meet.” She smiled a billion- watt smile.

“Well then would you like to have a bite with me and would you like to have a drink?”

“Yes, and yes.” She flashed her eyes and I fell deeply into them.

Her eyes were sort of brown, but they weren’t exactly brown. I took a moment to look at them and there were almost flecks of gold in them.

“Terry, you are going to make me real self-conscious if you keep looking into my eyes like that.”

“I’m sorry, but you have the most alluring eyes I have ever seen.”

“Alluring? Now there is a word that I have never heard to describe anything. Is that your go to pick up line?”

I smiled at her and waved at the waitress. Blossom ordered a salad and a Dr. Pepper. We sat and chatted, but every once in a while I would stop and sing along with a song.

“Terry, do you like to sing?”

“I don’t know. I have never tried to sing.”

“Not even in the shower?”

“Not that I recall. Do you?”

“I have been known to let out a note or two.”

“In the shower?”

“Now if I answer that, you are going to get me in trouble.”

We sat and talked some more, and the waitress returned with the salad while we listened and occasionally sang along with the singers. Blossom had a wonderful voice to match those eyes. When she was done with her salad, she wiped her lips and set down her napkin. I looked at the napkin and there was no lipstick on it. Her lips were that color all on their own.

“Ok! Let’s look at the book and figure out a song to sing together.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“Come on this is going to be your night of firsts.”

She got up and walked over to a table with a book on it. When she brought it back, she sat next to me, opened the book, and asked me what kinds of songs I liked.

“I don’t know. I like most music.”

“Well, what do you find yourself singing in the car when the radio is on?”

“I guess blues and country and some classic rock.”

“Ok I know just the thing. A Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash duet called Jackson. Have you ever heard it?”

“I think so.”

“Ok, I’m going to put us in.”

Blossom put in the song and then we sat and listened. She drank Dr. Pepper and I changed over to the same. I was trying to carry the conversation without going into my lack of memories and although I stumbled a few times, I didn’t let the cat out. The host called out Terry and Blossom and she stood and grabbed my hand. It was the first time she had touched me, and I felt a shock.

We walked hand in hand up to the stage and sang ‘Jackson’ and we crushed it! I sounded like Johnny Cash! Everyone applauded, and Blossom hugged me. I didn’t feel anything because I was still in shock. I loved singing! It was fun and easy, and Blossom was there, so how could it be wrong?

“Terry Smith! You are a cotton-picking sandbagger! You can sing.”

“I really have never sung, that I can recall. That was a big surprise for me.”

“I really need to call BS on that. You have a great voice and your timing was right on.”

“Beginners luck, I am sure that with the next song I will royally mess up.”

“Well if you will excuse me I need to use the ladies room.”

I stood as she did and watched her walk away. I really looked at her for the first time. She was a small woman, maybe 5’2” and maybe 90 or 100 pounds. Her hair was black and came down to the middle of her back. She had narrow, yet rounded hips, more like a girl growing into her womanhood. Her butt was almost too small but well formed, but what she had, moved well. It occurred to me that maybe I like butts.

FLASH!

Again?

When she came back, I took in her shape from the front. Her shoulders were squared, and her arms swung effortlessly. She had small breasts and the point where her legs met her hips showed just a little gap. When she sat back down, I took a moment to examine her face. She wore very little make-up, maybe a little eye liner. Her warm brown face had a few subtle wrinkles. It suddenly struck me that this was not a young woman. This was a small, mature woman, no, a lady. Overall, she was just beautiful.

Dance lessons became my Wednesday night thing as did karaoke. Yolanda and Sparkles would dance with me and then take off, and I would sit and sing with Blossom. In a short amount of time, I was a local favorite and Blossom had to fend off hungry women on several occasions.

“Look sugar, that man is mine. You need to find another.”

“Sweetie, that man needs a woman with at least “A” cup titties. You look like a little junior high girl.”

“Well how are you going to feel when this little junior high girl sneaks up on you and beats you over your skanky head with a bat.”

That was one of the interactions that I actually heard. Blossom was a great date and a great dancer. So, after a few weeks I was no longer on the market, if I ever was. Yolanda and Sparkles often sat with me until Blossom came over after the lessons were over and then they left. Blossom usually had to answer questions and offer advice on dance steps after the lessons were over.

I saw guys hit on her on several occasions and she always was nice and polite as she deftly shot each and every one of them down. We spent each evening having dinner and singing and getting to know the other person. One night I had just finished singing when a guy came walking up to our table.

“Excuse me, my name is Ryan Tucker. I am putting together a band and would like to talk to you about being a member of it.”

“What?”

“I am serious as a heart attack! I have watched you over the past few weeks and I like what you do. You have a great voice and you have a very good stage presence. I would like to seriously talk to you about a project.”

I looked at Blossom and she was smiling wide-eyed.

“As far as I recall, I have never even thought about singing in a band. I don’t know.”

“Well I want to assure you that I am very serious. I have all the other players in place and at various times over the past weeks each of us have come to hear you. I wanted to do that before I spoke to you. I want you to know that I am serious.”

“I know, as a heart attack.” We all laughed.

“Here is my card. I own a small music store that will provide us with rehearsal space. We will have access to whatever equipment we need. Hell, I even have a guy who will travel with us and do the sound for us. Everything is in place, except you.”

“Let me talk to my girlfriend here and I will let you know later this week. Ok?”

“Fair enough. Thank you for letting me interrupt your dinner.”

I looked at Blossom and she had a huge smile on her face. Her eyes were sparkling and bright.

“Your girlfriend!?”

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you? We are an item. People are even talking about it. Did you know that I haven’t been hit on by any random women in three weeks?”

“Your girlfriend. I like the sound of that.”

That weekend Blossom and I talked a lot, I called Ryan and accepted his offer. Ryan said that the band had been rehearsing for a few weeks already on Saturday afternoons at his place. He gave me the address and asked me to not bring my girlfriend since they always seemed to be a distraction. I walked into the store and was immediately approached by a sales girl.