Chapter 54: You Can Leave Your Hat On

UWO Alumni Hall

2:10pm, Saturday, March 17, 1979

“Come on, Jennifer! You can do this!” Andy Lunby yelled down at his girlfriend from the stands at the Ontario high school gymnastics championships being held at Alumni Hall on the University of Western Ontario campus. Our beautiful school mate, Jennifer Rathje stood at the end of the runway at the vault competition.

Jennifer’s earlier performances at this meet could best be described with a ‘toilet-seat‘ analogy. She was amazingly up when she absolutely nailed her floor routine and won the championship with a score of nine-point-five-five. Unfortunately, Jennifer was equally down after she fell to the ground during her balance beam routine. Jennifer also finished a very respectable fifth on the uneven parallel bars. Because of her dreadful, seven-point-eight score on the beam, Jennifer was all but eliminated from the ‘overall gymnast’ competition.

Everyone in Medway crowd was going nuts over the impressive performances put forth by our school mates. Our diminutive ninth grader, Kathy Stash had already won two silver medals from her performances on the balance beam and the floor competitions, and looked like she had a top five spot in the all-round competition. Miram Sastarzic earned All-Ontario honors with her fourth place finish on the uneven bars. She also could finish no worse than fifth on the vault, as her score of nine-point-three-five was currently fourth best in the event with only Jennifer’s second vault remaining in this competition.

I was super excited, yelling my guts out from the fifth row of seats during this final event as Jennifer prepared herself for her final attempt at the vault. She scored a nine-point-two-five on her first attempt, which had her tied for seventh spot. My former band member had an uncharacteristic spread legs fault as she flew through the air on her first vault.

Even though I wanted Jennifer to nail this attempt, I was silently praying, along with Jason Duffy, that Kalena Kharlamov my incredible ‘five-months younger than me‘, daughter’s score of nine-point-five-seven-five would hold up and earn her the gold medal in her one event here at OFFASA. Kalena absolutely nailed her ‘Round-Off-Double-Twist-Layout’ vault on her first attempt. Because of the forceful, double pounding of the round-off and the punch off the vault, Kalena re-aggravated her previously injured right thumb, and wisely decided to pass on her second vaulting attempt.

The crowd was going berserk as Jennifer acknowledged the judges, then took one rock back step before she began her short power sprint down the runway. Jennifer was doing the exact same vault as Kalena, and based on my untrained eyes she appeared to nail it as she stuck the landing. Jennifer once more acknowledged the judges as the crowd at Alumni Hall roared their approval at her highly skilled vault.

The packed house was buzzing as they waited on the score to be posted and announced. Kathy, Miriam and Kalena all rushed to meet up with Jennifer as she jogged back to hear her results.

In the stands, I heard Mr. St. Georges say to Ms. Kitely, Jennifer and Kalena’s private gymnastics’ coach, “You know, Kris, it’s a crying shame that Kalena’s and Janie’s injuries prevented us from having the girls in the team competition. With the scores our girls have put up here, we would have won the team title with just decent scores from those injured girls.”

“I was just thinking the same thing, Paul,” Ms. Kitely said as she leaned into the girls’ head coach with her bend right forearm. She then matter-of-factly stated, “I’m not sure how they’ll score Jennifer’s vault. I couldn’t tell if her legs came apart again from up here. Could you? That to me will be the difference in Kalena’s score and Jenn’s score.”

“Honestly, Kris,” Mr. St. Georges said as he looked down at the petite coach, “I think her legs split apart again during the twists. Her landing was perfect, but her wider than normal legs there...”

“Suggested that she let them split during the flight,” Ms. Kitely finished our PE teacher’s statement.

“With the final vault in the competition,” the PA announcer called, “Ms. Jennifer Rathje earned a score of nine-point-five ... five.”

The Medway girls at the vault area hugged and kissed each other at that announcement, and lifted Kalena’s tiny body up on Jennifer’s and Kathy’s shoulders. The crowd continued to roar their appreciation for the excellent performances. The Medway contingent was the loudest group though as we screamed and yelled at the recognition that two of our girls were medalists on the vault.

The PA Announcer shortly made it official when he said, “The top three performers on the vault at today’s Ontario Championships are in first place, Ms. Kalena Kharlamov from Arva, Medway with a score of 9.575; and tied for second place with scores of 9.55, Ms. Jennifer Rathje, also from Medway, and Ms. Colleen McGinny from Toronto, St. Michael’s.”

During the excitement of watching my Medway schoolmates perform, I tried to mentally keep track of one other special girl’s scores during the day’s events. With her score of 9.55 on the vault, I was near positive that Colleen McGinny was going to claim the overall Ontario Championship to go along with her gold medal on beam and silver on the vault. I didn’t think any other girl had the required top-five scores needed to overtake that redheaded beauty’s total score.

In a break from the usual gymnastics’ meet procedures, the individual event results were all announced at the conclusion of that event instead of at the concluding presentation. However, the PA Announcer now said, “We will give all the competitors a fifteen minute break, and then we will reconvene on the main floor to hand out the individual event awards, as well as announce the team and overall championship winners. Gymnasts, please be seated on the main floor in ten to twelve minutes time. Thank you.”

Medway’s group of four competitors hustled over to our section and shared hugs and kisses with their boyfriends, family members and coaches. I did my best to listen in on the myriad of conversations taking place around me, but Kalena’s and her mother, Viktoriya Kharlamov’s conversation definitely captured the majority of my attention.

“I so, so proud of you, Water-Baby!” her Ukrainian mother said in broken English as she cupped her daughter’s face in her hands. “I know your father is ... uh, he would be very proud of you, also.” When Viktoriya said that first aspect, she either purposely or unconsciously looked briefly at me before she made that slight correction in her statement to her daughter. After giving her daughter’s face a loving pat, Viktoriya then turned her attention to Kalena’s ice-wrapped right hand. “You did well to fight through pain, Water-Baby. How does thumb feel?”

“It’s real sore, Momma, but the pain was worth it. I got my first gold medal in Canada!” Kalena cried as she held up her injured hand and then touched her chest through her damp Medway leotard with her left fingertips. “This is way better than being forced to do gymnastics in Kiev or Moscow.”

“I agree,” her mother replied. She then pulled her daughter into her chest for another tight bear hug. “All time in prison was worth seeing you here, now, enjoying self ... having good time with good friends.”

“I love you! Momma!” Kalena cried as she buried her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“You were spectacular, flying through the air like nobody’s business, Kalena!” Jason said as he put his right hand on the weeping gymnast’s right shoulder.

At Jason’s words, Kalena lifted her head up from her mom’s shoulder and smiled at Jason. She then said, “Momma, I’d like for you to meet my new boyfriend, Jason, Jason Duffy.”

Jason gulped down a large breathe of air at Kalena’s statement and looked like he was about to faint. Just from the looks of things, I took it that Jason and Kalena hadn’t really formalized their budding relationship and that this new identifier, ‘boyfriend’, caught him slightly off-guard.

“Pleased to meet you, Jason,” Dr. Kharlamov said as she extended her right hand back towards Jason. “My Water-Baby has told me much about you.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you, too, Ms. Kharlamov,” Jason haltingly replied as the two of them shared a firm handshake.

“You come eat with us, after competition, yes?” Dr. Kharlamov asked Kalena’s new boyfriend.

“I’ll have to let my dad know, but, uh, that ... would be great,” Jason said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jason mouth to Kalena after her mom turned away from him, ‘Boyfriend, me?‘

Kalena quickly smiled and nodded her head affirmatively at Jason’s silent query.

Just as I was about to say congratulations to Kalena, when I heard a familiar voice calling, “Cuda, look who I found wondering around the neighborhood. I’m pretty sure I found the All-round Champion, Colleen McGinny.”

“Hey, Mike!” Colleen said with a huge smile on her sweaty but sweetly beautiful face.

“Congrats, Colleen and you, too, Jennifer!” I shouted over the still buzzing crowd. “I never knew both of you could fly like Superman out there.”

“Don’t you mean, Superwomen?” Colleen jokingly corrected me as we both stepped together and I gave her a good hug and kiss on the top of her auburn head.

“They were definitely Superwomen, Cuda!” Lynette exclaimed as she leaned towards Colleen and gave the young redhead a soft pat on her left shoulder.

“Yeah, Cuda! Damn powerful Superwomen!” Sammy added as she reached up with her right hand and gave Jennifer an ‘air-high-five’ as they weren’t able to physically connect in the cramped seating areas.

“Five minutes, Gymnasts!” the PA Announcer called as Lynette and I moved back to our seats. I then saw Jennifer reach for and take Colleen’s hand in hers before she leaned in and whispered something in the young redhead’s ear.

Colleen’s eyes grew pensive as she listened to Jennifer’s private message. The sweaty redheaded gymnast then looked past me and stared at Lynette who was now leaning forward to give Kalena a congratulatory hug.

With the help of my primitive lip-reading skills, I barely made out Colleen’s whispered words to Jennifer. “You’re sure Mike’s girlfriend is okay with us?“ Colleen softly asked Jennifer as she stared at Lynette.

“Ladies!” Mr. St. Georges bellowed to interrupt Jennifer and Colleen’s soft conversation. “You best get your tails down on the competition floor!”

“We’ll talk shortly, Cuda. Come on, Champ!” Jennifer said as she pulled Colleen out into the aisle. The petite redhead turned to give Lynette and me one more glance before she hustled after the four Medway gymnasts as they darted through the railing separating the stands from the competition area.

We already knew all four Medway gymnasts at this championship medaled and earned All-Ontario honors. I was surprised to see that Kalena, who I always saw as a tough as nails girl, openly wept as the head of the judge at the OFFASA meet put the gold medal for the vault around her neck. She then took the medal in her left hand and held it up towards her mother and shouted, “This is for you, мій Герой моя Мати (My Hero, My Mother in Ukrainian)!”

“Я люблю вас, Водний Малюк!” Viktoriya Kharlamov shouted down to her daughter (I love you, Water-Baby).

“Way to go, Toxic!” Sammy and Lynette shouted as Kalena raised both of her arms up and waved as gymnasts are known to do.

“You’re the best, Baby!” I shouted as my ‘time-line-daughter’ returned to her place on the competition mat. I wasn’t surprised when Kalena’s mother, and my time-traveling lover, turned and blew me a kiss at our shared, private acknowledgment of our daughter’s achievement.

“Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to announce the three All-round medalists from the best OFFASA Gymnastics’ Championship ever held!” the PA Announcer exclaimed after they finished giving out the silver medals for the vault event to Jennifer and Colleen.

“With a new Ontario High School record score of thirty-eight-point-zero-five on the four competition events, your 1979 Ontario Girls’ All-round Champion is ... Ms. Colleen McGinny from Toronto, St. Michael’s High School!”

The crowd gave the green and gold, sweat-suited redhead a huge standing ovation as Colleen slowly stood up from her Indian-style sitting position. My future college girlfriend glowed as she made her way from the right end of the competition mat to the center presentation table.

“Hot damn! Mike!” Lynette shouted in my ear so I could hear her over the raucous crowd noise. “Did you know that she was going to win this championship?”

“I, uh, knew she had won an Ontario championship, but I really didn’t recall that it was going to be the 1979 one,” I loudly said back in Lynette’s ear.

Sammy then leaned around Lynette and yelled at me, “You are one lucky dude, you know that, Cuda? You best be careful that those two gymnasts don’t kill you, later on tonight!”

“I was just thinking the same thing, Sammy!” Lynette chuckled as she gave me a semi-hard punch to my right shoulder. “Plus, there’s ANOTHER certain redhead, who shall remain nameless,” Lynette elbowed Sammy in her taut stomach at her not so subtle attempt at keeping this redhead anonymous, “who has requested a certain special talent of yours in the not so distant future. So make sure you return to me...”

“To us! Cano!” Sammy quickly interjected.

“Yes, sorry, Flames. Make sure you return to us ... alive and fully functional!” Lynette forcefully stated as she tugged on my still smarting right arm.

“Hey, you were the one who agreed to tonight’s little arrangement,” I shouted to Lynette. I then waved my hand at both my girlfriend and Sammy and added, “You realized I still haven’t talked with Paul about your proposed tryst, so don’t go counting your chickens before they hatch!”

“I have faith in you, Cuda!” Sammy loudly replied. The knock-out redhead then alternated her gaze between Lynette and me, and chuckled in a deep, James T. Kirk impression, “To boldly go where no man has gone before!“

“That’s awful! Flames!” Lynette laughed and repeated, “Where no man has gone before ... that’s not right!”

“But you seem to love it when Cuda goes there!” Sammy chuckled in response.

“Ladies! Enough!” I said trying to mercifully end their ‘backdoor-jam’ discussion as the PA Announcer finished introducing the second and third place winners in the All-round competition.

“Speaking of later,” Lynette said as the crowd noise dropped to allow a more civil volume level to be used. “What do you and Paulie have on tap for tonight?”

“Nothing, actually,” Sammy replied, “His mom and dad are taking him and Cathy out to dinner, down at some Lakeside restaurant in Port Stanley, I think.”

“Any idea what that is about, Cuda?” Lynette asked.

“Not a clue. That’s the first I heard of those dinner plans.”

“What’s you doing, Cano?” Sammy asked.

“Not much. Relax in the Jacuzzi, possibly read Cinderella.” When Lynette mentioned that children’s book title, she gave me a hip-check and then burst out laughing at our shared moment from last Saturday night.

“Okay, spill it!” Sammy fired as she gripped the back of Lynette’s neck with her strong left hand.

“That’s the opening line of the song, Mike, wrote for me last Saturday,” Lynette quickly replied as she twisted and turned, trying to break free from Sammy’s neck grip. “Help me, Cuda!”

I loved that someone besides me was now getting tortured here, but I figured I’d do the good boyfriend routine by singing:

“They read you Cinderella,
You hoped it would come true.
And one day your Prince Charming
Would come, rescue you.“

My acapella version of the opening to I Can Love You Like That accomplished the trick as Sammy quickly released her grip on Lynette, and simply shook her auburn tresses with her trademark smile on her youthful face.

“Your voice is still sweet as I remember from long time,” Viktoriya Kharlamov said as she stared at the three of us from her seat in front.

“It was just last Saturday, Dr. K, that he, we ... were singing in Chatham,” Lynette stated.

“Ya, ya, you right. It just,” Viktoriya replied; yet I could see it in her eyes that she was referring to our shared 1962 time-travelling event, where I serenaded her and we created our daughter together in the Dnister River Tributary. For a brief moment, I truly believed I saw the young, twenty-one-year-old Viktoriya Kharlamov in place of the thirty-seven-year-old beauty staring up at me.

As usual, one of girls quickly refocused our conversation to the prior one, when Sammy asked, “Why don’t you come over to the Big-House with me? Katie bought a large hot-tub last fall, and I doubt it’s been used more than five times, now.”

“But I don’t have a suit with me,” Lynette stated with a frown.

“Were you going to wear one at your house?” Sammy rhetorically asked.

“Nooooo!” I replied, which earned a few laughs from the other students around us especially Andy Lunby.

“So there’s no reason not to come over, then,” Sammy said with a grin.

“We’ll join you!” Jon Lunby said as he raised his right hand, which also raised his girlfriend’s, Andi Whiting’s left hand.

“So will we!” Heidi Amstrong quickly added as she pointed between her boyfriend, Andrew, and herself.

“Aaahhh, sorry guys, no boys allowed, tonight in the hot-tub,” Sammy replied with a shake of her head.

“We’ll come without them,” Andi chuckled as she held her other hand up to get a high-five from Heidi.

“Hey, what about our plans?” Andrew cried as the two girls locked hands in celebration at their supposed win.

“Let’s see,” Heidi replied as she lifted her hands up and pretended they were a scale-balance. “Dinner and Star Trek: The Motion Picture with the guys, or lounging around in a hot-tub with the girls. Dinner and Star Trek ... Lounging in a hot-tub. What say you, Andi?” Heidi’s comical act even had Mr. St. Georges and Ms. Kitely chuckling at her routine.

“Hummm, tough call, Heidi. Hanging with the guys or really hangin’ with the girls,” Andi answered as she shock her small boobs on the second half of her reply.

“Come on, now! Really?” Jon stated with a tinge of ‘you got to be kidding me‘ in his voice.

“Oh, alright,” Heidi sighed as she tilted her head up towards her six-foot-five boyfriend for a kiss.

“I’ll arrange a Mani-Pedi-day at the spa for us, girls, and then we’ll end it in my hot-tub over spring break, ‘kay?” Sammy stated as she pointed to Heidi and Andi, plus Jennifer and Kalena, who had just arrived back in the stands with their medals around their necks.

“What about me and Cathy?” Lynette asked in faux disappointment.

“You two can’t go ... just kidding! Of course my besties are included in this. That’s a given!” Sammy stated as she gave Lynette a big hug.

With the gymnasts back up in our mix, I could tell that Andy Lunby was experiencing a bit of mixed up emotions. He obviously was excited and proud of his girlfriend, Jennifer, but he also was a little down in the dumps as I knew Jennifer had told him previously that she was going to go over to the Armories Hotel with her new friend, Colleen and Colleen’s team mates to have dinner and take a dip in the hotel pool.

Andy’s turbulent emotions bubbled up to the surface when he sadly asked, “Are you sure you won’t come to dinner with us and go to the Star Trek movie, Jenn?”

“Sorry, Andy, but I’ve already told Colleen, Lily, and the rest of the St. Michael’s girls that I’d meet with them in the locker room, and then head over to the Armories. We’ll have all spring break together to go eat and see a few movies. Promise!” Jennifer replied as she slipped in beside her dejected boyfriend. When she moved in to give him a kiss, I wasn’t shocked to see that he hesitated for a moment before he leaned down and accepted the brown haired beauty’s smooch.

As I watched that part of our devious scene play out a couple of rows below me, I was grateful that no one, especially the girls had publicly asked what my plans were for the evening. Even though I was majorly excited about being with Colleen and Jennifer, I still had mixed emotions about how my friend, Andy was being misled by Jennifer, me and the complacent members of our band. I definitely didn’t want to have to develop a deeper ruse to cover my evening’s plans.

“If I could have everyone’s attention, for a moment!” Mr. St. Georges called out to the Medway contingent. Once our crowd settled down, the girls’ coach proudly stated, “Normally, after a super event like this we’d have a get-together at my house or Ms. Kitely’s or Mr. Litticker’s house. However, the young ladies said they were good with going to their own way after the competition. Therefore, I’d like to say how proud I am of all you girls on the team, both those who competed today and those who unfortunately didn’t get that chance. You, ladies, were by far the most talented group of gymnasts I have ever worked with. More importantly, though, you were the best group of young LADIES, I have had the pleasure of coaching. To you parents, I’d like to say that you’ve done a marvelous job raising such outstanding young ladies. Thanks!”

“I’d like to echo, Paul’s words,” Ms. Kitely added as we gave the parents a small round of deserved applause.

“You girls were great today, this whole season, actually, and thanks again to you, parents for all you’ve done in helping these girls become outstanding young ladies,” Mr. Litticker stated as he hugged his star athlete, Kathy Stash to his side.

“We may have won these medals and various ribbons at our meets, this year,” Miriam Sastarzic said with a few tears running over the ‘horseshoe’ decal on her right cheek. “However, I doubt we’d have accomplished so much without all of our great coaches this year, and in years past. For our coaches, ‘Hip-hip’...”

“Hooray!” the other gymnasts called out in response to Miriam’s cry. The gymnasts then shouted in unison, “Fight on, you, Cowgirls!” The Medway contingent echoed the girls’ final rallying cry, and then burst into a loud frenzy of whoops, yells and cheers.

6:20pm

London Armories Hotel Restaurant

“My God! Mike! What brought you by? Colleen, you remember, Mike, Mike Nevins? You met him when you were down here after the Forest City Challenge a couple of weeks ago.” Jennifer said if faux surprise as I walked to up her and the St. Michael’s team dinner at the Armories top-of-the-line restaurant.

“Nice to see you again, Mike,” Colleen replied with a wink.

“Hello, Ladies,” I said as I waved at Jennifer, Colleen and the other four St. Michael’s girls who were dressed in their green and gold sweat-suits. “I just finished eating at that great Italian place, Amechi’s, just down the street on Dundas, and I knew you’d be here ... so I thought I’d stop by to offer my congratulations to Colleen and to all-y’all for taking second place in the team competition.”

“Thanks, Mike,” Colleen replied for her team mates. “Oh, crap! Please forgive my manners for not introducing my friends, here.” Colleen then pointed to each of her four team mates as she said, “Mike this is Evy, my best friend. These two are Toni and Tawni, obviously, identical twins, and last but not least, the baby of our bunch, Lilly, Evy’s sister.”

“Younger sister!” Evy added while giving her sister a playful sneer.

“Nice to meet you, ladies,” I softly said in the crowded restaurant.

“Mike is an amazing guitarist and the lead singer in our band,” Jennifer said as she discretely reached out and handed me a small, folded envelope, which contained the key to Colleen’s room. “He’s also the starting point guard, and a wide receiver and cornerback on our school’s basketball and football teams.”

“A man of many talents, I hear,” Colleen replied and then imperceptibly ran her tongue over her bubble-gum pink lower lip.

“I wouldn’t mind finding out just how talented he is,” Evy surprisingly said which caused the twins to squeal out in laughter.

“So that purple vibe you have hidden in your night stand, isn’t enough for you?” Lilly uttered in a thankfully subdued voice.

“Lilly!” Evy shrieked and buried her suddenly crimson face in her hands.

“Well, with you girls sharing such a wonderful topic of conversation,” I said as I rested my hands on Jennifer’s and Colleen’s shoulder, “I think this is a fine time for me to gracefully take my leave. Congrats again, and have a great evening, ladies.”

“That would be the only thing graceful at this table, right now,” Tawni guffawed as she gave a comforting neck and shoulder rub to a still embarrassed, Evy.

“It was real nice to meet you, Mike,” Lilly said as I started to turn and walk towards the restaurant’s entrance. This gorgeous fourteen-year-old blew me a kiss, to doubly enhance the meaning in her vocal gesture.

I left the Armories and walked down to the nearby Tim Horton’s store, where I enjoyed a medium – double-double and a chocolate chip muffin, heated with butter. As Jennifer and I had arranged after the girls’ qualifying performances on Friday evening, I gave her and Colleen a half-hour from leaving the restaurant to become presentable and ready for our evening’s experience.

At 7:15pm, I knocked on Room 519, slipped the gold key into the lock and slowly turned it until the door opened slightly.

“Come in and make yourself comfortable,” Jennifer called from behind the nearly closed bathroom door. “We’ll be out in a few.”

“Your wish ladies, is my command,” I softly said as I stepped into the king-suite, and put the ‘Privacy’ door hanger on the outside handle. I flicked the dead-bolt on the door as an added precaution, and then walked past the bathroom to the seafoam green, leather loveseat. After I parked my tail on the comfortable loveseat, I wondered just how much longer these two beauties would take in the bathroom.

Not five seconds later, I heard the unmistakable sound of a hair-dryer which probably meant I had a good five to fifteen minutes of time on my hands with two girls in the bathroom. Therefore, I reached for the remote control and turned on the TV set to check on the days NCAA Elite-8 basketball games.

As I already knew, the Cinderella squad from Penn had defeated St. John’s by a bucket, 64-62, to earn their surprising spot in the Final Four. The classic battle between second-seeded, DePaul Blue Devils and the top-seeded UCLA Bruins was just underway on the 26-inch solid-state, color TV in the hotel room. I let out a few whoops and hollers as I watched DePaul’s All-American, Mark Aguirre and UCLA’s top forward, David Greenwood make some amazing plays on the Sony Trinitron TV.

“Aren’t we a little more deserving than that basketball game of your attention, Cuda?” Jennifer called out from the area between the bathroom and the bedroom.

I don’t know how I managed this but I somehow grabbed and lifted the strange remote control up from the arm rest, and hit the power-button to turn the game off. With two drop-dead gorgeous beauties standing a mere ten feet from me, it was unbelievable I hit the correct button on that remote.

Jennifer looked delicious with her long brown hair loosely held in a ponytail and with just a slight touch of pink eye shadow and matching lipstick. She wore a form-fitting wrap-around, sleeveless satin, navy blouse, which was held closed by a single pink clasp located just under her high set, firm ‘B’ sized breasts. Her lower body was artfully covered with a mid-thigh length, pink and navy plaid skirt, and a pair of white fishnet thigh-highs. To complete her incredible outfit, Jennifer wore a pair of pink Mary Janes, which matched the color of her frilly scrunchy.

When I took a moment to gaze at the PHAT redhead standing alongside Jennifer, a blast from my past-future hit me squarely between the eyes. Colleen had apparently hunted down the exact same outfit she had on that night of our first incredible lovemaking session in November of 1984. Her shoulder length auburn hair had a slight under curl to it, just as I remembered. Her expressive blue eyes were outlined by a thin trace of black eyeliner and had just a hint of light green eye shadow on her eyelids. Colleen’s plump lips were skillfully done up in a soft shade of pink, which if I remembered correctly, matched perfectly with the color found between her lower set of lips.

Colleen’s outer ensemble was a tight pair of candy-apple red leather pants and a torso-hugging, hunter green angora sweater. The only difference I could discern between her current outfit and the one she wore in 1984 was her choice in footwear. Because of the temperature difference between that chilly November night and now, I recognized that Colleen’s current, strappy, three-inch stilettos may not have been a good choice of shoes on that future evening.

As the two beauties stood there with their arms around each other’s neck, I leaned forward from the loveseat and rhetorically stated, “Good Lord, what have I gotten myself into?”