Can't Help Falling in Love (10 page)

  
  “There’s nothing but the moon.”

    
Allison could not believe her ears. The next thing she heard was him strumming
his guitar and softly singing just for her the upbeat, blues-flavored song
about a blue moon—his new record—the one all the local radios were playing
every hour on the hour for teenagers, but she was hearing the real, heartfelt
solo version that no one else in the entire world would ever get to hear.
Allison cherished the moment that was so special, so personal, and more
transcendent than if her blue moon had turned to gold again.

    
Allison floated through the following morning on Cloud 9. Never in her life had
she felt so alive, exhilarated, and desired, like Jane Wyman in the romantic
movie
Magnificent Obsession
, when Rock Hudson said to her, “Once you
find the way, you'll be bound. It'll obsess you. But believe me, it'll be a
magnificent obsession.”

    
Allison and Karen had tabbed the object of her magnificent obsession for his
first photo shoot the following day. Karen had booked a small portrait studio
for the occasion, but she was ill at ease over the fact that she had never
actually met him. She wanted to first experience the full impact of him in
performance so she could capture the essence of his charm on film. To fully
comprehend him, she and Allison journeyed to see him that night in an
appearance at the Overton Park Shell.

    
The Shell held court as one of
Memphis
’ most popular concert venues, an outdoor
open-air amphitheater surrounded by a huge green park, where concertgoers could
sit in chairs or spread out on blankets under the stars. When Allison and Karen
arrived about a half hour before the show, they were astounded at the turnout.
Country singer Jimmy Rogers headlined the show that day, and a few other acts
were scheduled to follow him, including Allison’s magnificent obsession in the
third slot. However, more than 500 other girls arrived who also harbored
fabulous fixations on him. The wooden fence surrounding The Shell quickly
became as useless as a strip of paper. Crowds pushed against the fence, sat on
the top rail, and climbed over to gain free admittance. The mob became too
great for the scant security patrol to do anything to halt the tidal wave of
teenagers. Karen and Allison were forced to take seats near the back, and they
were lucky to find seats at all.

    
Everyone sat patiently through poor Jimmy’s set, giving the singer a polite
round of applause, but by the time he finished, the concert promoters were keenly
aware that the fans were impatiently ready to storm the stage in their mania to
hear the hot new singing sensation scheduled to follow Jimmy. The promoter
wisely moved him ahead into the second slot. 

    
The audience was not disappointed. He strolled onstage to thunderous applause,
wearing wide-cut sequined pants that emphasized his movements when he nervously
sang and shook one leg. His glitzy attire was a powerful gimmick that had
brought Liberace much success in his shows, and a sensational attention-grabber
for wrestler Gorgeous George. The stage device worked equally well on young
music goers.

    
“I was hoping to get a good look at him,” Karen whispered, “but from this
distance, he resembles a hairy jumping bean in sequins!”

    
“He’s really a lot more handsome up close,” Allison replied.

    
“I hope so. Photographing jumping beans isn’t my specialty, you know, unless
you land a Mexican food account. In that case, we’ll talk.”

    
The band immediately launched into his second song and young women screamed
throughout. At one point, he abruptly launched into a slow, grinding tempo that
was accentuated with energetic, exaggerated body gyrations. The crowd went even
wilder, and the band’s drummer egged them on by underscoring his movements with
bump and grind drum licks that he had mastered while playing in strip clubs.
The kids may not have fully understood exactly what was driving them into
a frenzy
, but the drummer certainly did. The stunning effect
on the audience was unprecedented.

    
While the young people felt as if they were in paradise, some staid adults felt
as if the gates of Hell had opened and the Devil was at the microphone,
especially when he took over the piano during one song and began pounding
frenetic chords eight to the bar.

    
If his act had concluded with him being shot
from a
cannon, some adults viewing the show could not have been more shocked. One old
man standing next to Allison turned red with outrage. He said to her, “That kid
is a danger to this country! He’s stirring them up like—you know—it’s vulgar!”

    
Other adults nearby blushed and also chimed in:

    
“This is disgusting!”

    
“It’s animalistic!”

    
“This isn’t a family show; it’s burlesque!”

    
“That music belongs in a bordello!”

    
One appalled woman asked Allison, “Would you want your family to see
this?” 

    
Allison pointed to Karen and said, “My sister
is
here.”

    
Karen grinned, lightly waved, and winked at the woman, who gasped in shock and
then stormed off in a huff.

    
The next morning, the
Memphis Daily Appeal
carried a full report of the phenomenon that had taken place
the previous night, complete with lurid news photos of what they termed an
“out-of-this-world musical pin-up boy” that had electrified the audience.
Across the city, various pastors sharpened their pens to denounce the brazen
boy in fiery sermons from their pulpits that upcoming Sunday.

    
None of them know that a shy, idealistic,
and tender youth devoted to his mom and dad lurks beneath his flamboyant stage
act! He’s only in his early twenties, and sure, he possesses the red-blooded
passions any healthy young man would have, but he’s as gentle as a teddy bear,
a big hunk of love, who only wants to find the girl of his dreams. And that
girl is me!

    
Although she did not wear his promise ring, and in fact, had not received a
single gift from him, she thought nothing of the matter because she had only
just met him days before.
It’s
too soon for me to expect any gifts from him,
she reasoned
.
Besides, I can’t step away from the fact
that I’m here because I was recommended to him by a client because of my
ability to help businesses succeed. His business just happens to be music—and
exciting girls—but that doesn’t change a thing! Karen and I are professionals,
and no matter what we might deeply feel about a client, we’re obligated to keep
a level head about things and prove our professional worth.
She had nearly convinced
herself that her business sense would overrule her emotions, but then she could
not help picturing in her mind what her new monogrammed towels might look like
someday if his last name became hers. 

    
The hour for their first photo shoot arrived the next day. Allison made certain
that the studio was clean and neat. She found an electric coffee pot and supplies
and started a pot to boil. While she waited, she thought about her outfit. She
had wanted to create a somewhat avant-garde if not bohemian impression for
their first photo shoot. She wore a loose fitting, smock-like top that was made
of a colorful material resembling an artist’s palette at the end of a painting
session. The smock crowned a pair of tight fitting, severely tapered Capri
pants. Then, she had added high heels for a finishing touch. 

    
Karen did not want to show up early for fear that would make her appear too
anxious. Allison had a half hour to kill. She went to the employee lounge and
surveyed the soft drinks in the vending machine. While searching the selection,
she could not help but see her reflection in the glass. The smock made her look
shorter than she had hoped. She chose a root beer and sat at one of the tables
sipping her soda, waiting for half an hour to pass. Two girls from another
office came in, and Allison could not help overhearing them chatting about the
concert that had taken place at The Shell the day before.

    
“Wasn’t the show just divine? What a sweetie!” a short, plump secretary said.
“How many people do you think were actually there?”

    
“Five or six hundred, I’d guess,” her all but anorexic companion replied
in-between cracking her gum. “I just think he’s the most wonderful doll! He’s
single, right?”

    
“Foot loose and fancy free, that one is. If he’s got a girl, no one knows about
it. Frankly, I don’t expect he’s going to settle down for some time. You know
how musicians are.”

   
 “So who’s talking about settling down? I’d love to sink my hands into
that lovely, thick mass of hair . . . .” the short, plump secretary fantasized,
“. . . and he’s so sexy!”

    
Allison glanced up at a large wall clock near the entrance. She had heard
enough. Hearing them discuss the guy she was attached to left her feeling
somewhat annoyed, even though they were discussing his stage character, not him
in real life. Besides, she had only fifteen minutes until he was expected to
arrive. She got up and returned to the studio.

    
No sooner was the coffee ready than Karen arrived in a whirlwind. She burst
through the door clutching a bundle of camera bags and notes that made her resemble
a frenzied shopper at a clearance sale. She took one look at the outfit Allison
had selected and said, “Who are you supposed to be, Madame Toulouse Lautrec?”

    
Allison’s heart sank and she bit her lip. “It makes me look short, doesn’t it?”

    
“Well, let’s just say that if that smock was any lower, you’d be sweeping the
studio floor when you walk. The overnight cleaning lady will probably thank
you!”

    
Allison sighed and began fiddling with the fabric. “Maybe I can knot the front
so it looks more
Greenwich
Village
?”

    
“Never mind the smock. We’re not in
Greenwich
, we’re in downtown
Memphis
, and we’ve only got a few minutes to get
the studio set up before your Mr. Wonderful arrives. While ideas are still
fresh in my head, why don’t you scurry around and set up some
light
stands and a tripod and unroll some backgrounds? And
is that fresh coffee I smell brewing?”

    
“Yes.
Over there.
Help yourself. According to our
layouts, a sky-blue background will accent the golden glints in his hair. I’ll
start with that one.”

    
“That’s a good choice,” Karen said, as she unloaded her supplies. “Why weren’t
you thinking that clearly when you were in your closet this morning?”

    
Allison knelt and began unfurling a large blue paper roll. “Now you’re going to
make me feel embarrassed about what I’m wearing! I thought this would give me a
sort of artistic, free-wheeling look.”

    
Karen headed for the coffee pot. “It’s free-wheeling, alright. A Dior model
couldn’t roll it down a runway if she tried.”

    
The studio receptionist suddenly stuck her head in the door. “Are either one of
you named Allison?”

    
“That’s me,” Allison replied.

    
“I’m just the hired help,” Karen told her, as she poured a cup of coffee.

    
“There’s a delivery man with something for you.”

   
Allison said, “Tell him to bring it in.”

    
“He left it here outside the door. You’ll have to come and get it yourself.”

    
The girl abruptly disappeared. Allison struggled to her feet, brushed off her hands,
and went to the door. When she opened it, she gasped and screamed.

   
Someone behind the door was holding a cute teddy bear up like a puppet. Allison
heard him say, “Run your fingers through my hair and cuddle me real tight!”

    
Karen appeared behind her and curiously glanced over her shoulder.
“Hmm.
A talking teddy bear.
Either
your new client is Edgar Bergen, or we’ve got a big problem!”

    
The man said, “I’m the guy the newspapers call an “out-of-this-world musical
pin-up boy.” Is it safe for me to come in?”

    
When he suddenly showed his face, Allison burst out laughing, but Karen merely
dropped her jaw. She was speechless and took a step backward, nearly spilling
her coffee. 

    
“You’re right on
time
, as usual,” Allison said, as she
opened the door fully. She looked perplexed at Karen. “You’ll have to excuse my
sister, Karen. Usually, too much coffee makes her talk too much, so I’m not
sure why she suddenly looks so flabbergasted.”

    
“That’s because she didn’t expect to see
me
!” he said, entering. “How
are you, Karen? It’s been a while!”

    
Karen struggled to regain her composure. “I’m—I’m fine!”

    
“It’s always fun running into an old girlfriend. When Allison told me about her
sister, Karen, I never thought she meant you!”