Iris Rainbow

by Ilona Fridl

  Gazing deep into her eyes, he brushed a stray curl from her forehead. “Speaking of last night, sex with you was fabulous.” He kissed her, and Teri felt her body tingle.

  “Wonderful. Mmm, wonderful.”

  “I have to go back.” He caressed her face before he rose and returned to the stage.

  Saturday passed with a carnival atmosphere. The balloons added their colors to those of the flying banners while Teri strolled to the different stages, listening to the famous, the not-so-famous, and the as-yet-unknown. The crowd was so big she couldn’t get close to some stages. When he wasn’t playing, Tim wandered around with her, enjoying the many music styles. That night, when the crowds thinned out, some of the bands got together in a huge jam session that lasted late into the night. Teri settled under a tree near the stage to listen, fell asleep, and was only vaguely aware when Tim spread a blanket over her and curled up beside her.

  When she woke the next morning, still under the tree, lacy shadows fluttered over her. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Tim’s Corvette parked a hundred feet away, with him and the rest of the group helping the roadies load the equipment. Suddenly, Teri felt something on her legs and, glancing down, saw there were several ants crawling on her. She shuddered and headed toward the trailer. Once inside, She removed her dress, and put a towel around herself as she looked around for her suitcase. Tim must have packed all my things in the car. She shook the dress out the open door and put it on the bed. After a quick shower, she stepped out and heard a loud whistle and glanced out of the bathroom, only to see Tim waving her dress at her as he ran out.

  “I got you back!” And he took off, running into the park.

  “Come back here with my clothes!” Teri screamed, hastily wrapping the towel back around her. It barely covered her body, but with no thought for that she took out after him. She found him on one of the park benches, a naughty little boy look on his face. “Give me back my clothes!”

  “Say pretty please.”

  “Tim Olson, you son of a bitch, where are my clothes?” Teri hissed.

  “Oh, ouch! That didn’t sound like pretty please.”

  Making a low growl in her throat, she said between clenched teeth, “Pretty please.”

  Tim held up her dress. “Come on. Say it like you mean it.”

  “Tim Olson, you bastard!” she exploded with the towel flapping up and down while she stamped her foot.

  “Oh, and Teri, I really wouldn’t jump around like that if I were you.”

  Roaring at him, she grabbed her clothes and ran back to the trailer with a round of applause from a crowd that had gathered.

  Later, Teri sat on a picnic bench, loosening her hair and brushing out the braid. Tim came over with a couple of Styrofoam cups of coffee and some doughnuts. As he set them down, she glared at him. “You embarrassed me.”

  “Hey,” he said, putting up his hands. “You don’t think I was embarrassed when you turned me on in front of the press corps?”

  Teri tried unsuccessfully not to smile. “Yeah, I guess I had that coming.” They finished their breakfast, enjoying the sea breeze and the warm sunshine.

  “Come on, we’d better start back.” And they got into the Corvette and headed to Los Angeles.

  A few hours later, Tim pulled up at Teri’s apartment and cupped her face in his hands, giving her a long kiss. “I really enjoyed being with you this weekend.”

  “Thank you for asking me along.” Teri gave him a wide grin.

  “I’ll call you,” he said as she exited the car, waving as he pulled away.

  Teri was so high in the clouds, her feet never touched the ground as she danced to the apartment. When she opened the door, there were her parents, waiting with Laura.

  There was a cold hard look on her father’s face that she had never seen before. “Teri, where have you been this weekend?” he said between clenched teeth.

  “I—I went up the coast to a music festival.”

  “Who went with you?”

  “A guy I met a while ago. Why?”

  “Why did you lie to us, Teri?” her mother broke in.

  “I didn’t lie to you.”

  Glaring, her father asked, “Then why didn’t you tell us about Tim?”

  She suddenly turned on Laura. “You rat! I told you—”

  “Answer me!” her father thundered.

  “Okay, Dad, I’ll tell you why I didn’t say anything about Tim. Because if you found out he was twenty-four, you wouldn’t let me go out with him.”

  “You’re damn right! He’s too old for you.”

  “Daddy, I’m eighteen. I can decide who I go out with.”

  Her mother regarded her sadly. “Teri, is it true you’re on the pill?”

  “Yes, Mom.” Turning to her father, she asked, “Doesn’t that show I’m responsible?”

  He pounded his fist on the coffee table and everything bounced. “No, that shows you’re a whore. Now you either come home with us or get out of your sister’s apartment.”

  Trembling, she stood there, stung by her father’s rage. Laura sat on the couch with a troubled face, not looking at Teri. Teri turned on her heel, striding to her bedroom. Glancing back, she hissed, “Fine! I’m leaving this apartment, and I’m not going home!” Slamming the door, she began to pack.

  Teri’s emotions were on a roller coaster. From the high of a few minutes ago, she was now hurt, angry, and confused. The world she’d set up was unraveling before her eyes. Stifling a sob, she opened her suitcase. She would never let her father see her cry. Opening the tote bag she’d brought back from the festival, she pulled out a tissue-wrapped package Mindy had given her. Inside the tissue were three fresh joints.

  She put her clothes in two large suitcases and her personal things in the tote and had just taken them off the bed when there was a knock. Teri quickly put the tissue into a pocket of her suitcase as the door opened and her mother said, “Teri, please think about what you’re doing.”

  “Mom, I can’t live with Dad if that’s what he thinks of me.”

  She crossed the apartment and her father called after her, “Don’t expect me to fund your college education!”

  “Don’t expect me to go to college!” Giving her mother a hug, she transported the suitcases to her car, put them in the trunk, and opened the driver’s door. Looking back at the apartment, she heaved a big sigh.

  Sitting in the car a few minutes, she wondered where to go and decided on the YWCA on the main street in Glendale. There she parked her car and went inside. A pleasant-looking woman at the desk smiled and said, “May I help you?”

  “Do you have a room I could rent?”

  “Sure. That will be five dollars a night.”

  Teri gave her the money and received a key to room thirty-six. After going up a flight of stairs, she unlocked the door to one room with a bed, sofa, and a table. A small kitchenette completed it, with a bath down the hall. Setting the suitcases down, she shuddered. How can my father do this to me? She cried for a while, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  Finally, pulling herself together, she set her jaw. I’ve got to go on and quit feeling sorry for myself. I’ve got a job and money. I can take care of things. She marched out and had dinner at a restaurant across the street. While there, she noticed a book of matches and put it in her purse.

  On her way back to the Y, she picked up a few things at the supermarket, then put them away in the small kitchen. Settling in, she tried to read the newspaper, but started trembling. I’ve got to talk to someone. Drumming her fingers on her knee, she opened her purse, shaking out some change. Teri found a pay phone in the hallway and tried to call Evie, but there was no answer. Tapping the receiver on her forehead, she sighed. There is only one other person I can call. She dialed Tim’s number, and he answered the ring.

  “Tim, this is Teri.” Suddenly, her voice broke and tears started rolling down her face.

  “Teri, what’s wrong?”

  “My father threw me out of my sister’s apartment,�
�� she said between sobs.

  Tim was silent for a moment. “Because of me, right?”

  She told him what had happened. “Tim, I don’t know what to do.” She started crying again.

  “How about moving in with me?”

  “What?”

  “A lot of people I know are living together now. It’s not that big a deal anymore.”

  Feeling a little like a child learning to swim and being asked to jump into the deep water for the first time, she still knew she would like to be with him. She struggled again with her moral self for a few moments, hemming and hawing. What can I do?

  “Well? What’s your answer?”

  “Okay—yes. I guess that will be all right.”

  “Good. I’ll come pick you up.”

  “No, I have my car. I can pack up tomorrow and drive over after work.”

  “Do you remember how to get here?”

  “No.”

  Tim gave her the address and directions. “And I have a two-car garage. I’ll watch for you and open the garage when I see you coming.”

  “I’ll be there after work, around five o’clock.”

  “I’ll make sure I’m home then.” He hung up.

  Teri hung up and automatically checked for change in the pay phone. Then she went into her room and closed the door and locked it. Digging into the deepest pocket of her suitcase, she drew out the small tissue-wrapped package. Teri looked around and noticed an ashtray on the small table. She pulled the book of matches from her purse and lowered herself into the chair. What have I done?

  She opened the tissue, took out one of the three joints, and lit it with a match, breathing in the sweet smoke and then letting it go slowly out of her mouth. Teri sighed and watched the sunset as she thought about how her life had changed. This was not the same Teri that had left for the music festival. My father doesn’t understand true love. The thought startled her a bit. Do I really love Tim? What is love?

  Teri thought about her family. My mother was upset at what I did, but my dad seems to hate me. And why did Laura tell? We were able to share confidences before and I could trust her. Was she jealous? These thoughts swirled in her head like the smoke flowing from the joint. And what about Tim? Will he turn out to be like Luke? Can I trust him or is he using me until he gets bored? Sighing, she put out the joint and walked to the window to close the curtain. Well, I guess I’ll see what tomorrow brings.

  ****

  The next day, at the recording session, Luke greeted Tim at the door of the lunch room at their midday break.

  “Hey, Tim, you finally nailed Teri, didn’t you? How was she?”

  “How about that flower child I saw you with Saturday?”

  Luke grinned widely. “Man, that chick could give head like nobody’s business. But you didn’t answer my question. If you nailed her, can I have her next?”

  “No. And Luke, I’m not playing that game with you. Not when it comes to Teri. She’s moving in with me this evening.”

  “You’re kidding. You went and bought an old lady?” Luke shook his head. “This competition isn’t going to be as much fun.”

  Tim patted him on the back. “I’m out of the game for a while, Studley. Teri’s worth it.”

  “When you’re through with her, let me know. She must be great in bed.”

  Tim poked a finger at Luke’s nose. “Stay away from Teri!” He was feeling very protective of her. “This is one girl you’re not getting away from me.” He pushed past a startled Luke.

  Chapter 7

  Teri pulled into the apartment complex, scanning the numbers above the garage doors. When she found Tim’s, the garage door was already going up. Driving her Ford in, she parked it next to the Corvette, and Tim helped carry her luggage. Taking the last two bags, he set them inside the door, then turned and gave her a long kiss.

  “You’re home now,” he said with a smile.

  “Uh—um, I have to go unpack.” She still reeled from the kiss.

  “There’ll be plenty of time for that.” He swept her off her feet and carried her inside. “I’ll take you on a tour of our apartment.” He passed the steps going to the living room. “You’ve seen that.” Across from them was a dining tier with a wooden railing overlooking the living room, and up a step to the right was the kitchen, with a window above the dining room. Continuing through the kitchen to a hall that connected with the stairs to the other side, he breezed past a guest bathroom that was stylishly gray, with a sink and toilet to match. He carried Teri down the hall to a huge bedroom with a full blue-tiled bath. “This is our bathroom,” Tim said as he turned on the light. “And this,” he said, dropping her on a big, royal blue, king-sized bed, “is our bed.” Plopping down beside her, he gave her a deep kiss. “Welcome home, baby.” There was a beautiful fire in his eyes, and she put her hand on the hard bulge in his pants.

  “Now teach me how to pleasure you,” she cooed. A slow smile spread over his face.

  The next morning, Teri awoke to the smell of coffee. She stirred in bed and opened her eyes. Where am I? Oh, yes, I’m with Tim now. She got up and, after freshening up in the bathroom, she shrugged on her robe and padded to the kitchen.

  Tim grinned and kissed her. “Morning, sunshine.”

  She melted into his kiss, then glanced around the room. “Let me make some breakfast for us.” Teri opened the fridge. There was plenty of beer and Coca-Cola, but a quarter carton of milk, one egg, and a half stick of margarine was all she found useful. She crossed her arms and tapped her toe.

  Tim coughed. “I guess I forgot to get more groceries yesterday.” He went to the cupboard and pulled out a box of corn flakes. “There should be enough milk for two bowls.” He dug out some chocolate donuts. “There. Breakfast!”

  With a sigh, Teri determined, “I’ll take care of the food situation today.”

  After Tim left for the recording studio, Teri went to work changing her life. Calling the bank, she asked to transfer to their Hollywood branch and made arrangements to see Mrs. Costello the next morning. That gave her a chance to settle in. She was still in awe of Tim’s spacious apartment. It was as big as her family home. Teri knew she was supposed to start college in a couple of weeks, but that didn’t fit her life right now. Instead of thinking about it, she busied herself restocking and making the kitchen her own.

  That evening, she searched through the sparsely equipped cupboards. “Tim, we need more pots, pans, and utensils if you expect me to cook for you.”

  “Make a list of what you need, and we can pick things up tomorrow night.”

  The next day, Teri called her mother to tell her she was all right.

  “Where are you, Teri?”

  “I moved in with Tim in his apartment and I’ve transferred to the Hollywood branch of the bank I work for.”

  “Why are you doing this? You know it’s wrong.”

  “Mother, I also know I wouldn’t be able to see Tim otherwise. Daddy would forbid it.”

  “It’s really not like you to be so defiant. What’s happened to you?”

  “I love him, Mom. It’s as simple as that.”

  She heard her mother sigh. “Take care of yourself, Teri.”

  “I will. Bye, Mom.” Hanging up, she was torn apart. She loved her family, but had such a strong pull toward Tim. I don’t know what else I can do.

  Later that week, Luke and Roy stopped over with their girlfriends. Sue Thomas was a young actress, the latest of Luke’s many women, and Linda Denton, who had been dating Roy for a year, was in a folk-rock band on the Strip called Just Folk. They all sat around talking and Teri got to know these new friends.

  “There’s something I’m curious about,” Teri said to the guys. “How did you come up with the name Virgin Ram?”

  Roy smiled. “Two of us were born under the sign of Aries and two under the sign of Virgo.”

  Giving Teri a leer, Luke said, “Yeah, I wanted to call us Ram Virgin, but the others thought it was a bad idea.”

  John and his li
ve-in love, Carol, came to visit a few days later. Carol was the only girlfriend besides Teri who wasn’t in show business. Tim made the introductions. “You know John,” he said with a sweep of his hand. “This is Carol Wehring, whom he never stops talking about. Carol, this is Teri Darden.”

  “Who Tim never stops talking about,” John added with a wry grin.

  Both girls put out their hands. “Pleased to meet you,” they said at the same time, then laughed. Teri tried the hostess skills she’d learned from observing her mother, sending them to the living room and then bringing down drinks and snacks.

  Before long, Teri sat studying the pretty blonde. “What do you do? I heard you’re not in show business.”

  Carol’s eyes sparkled. “I was in college a couple of years, studying to be a nurse. But then I moved in with John and decided to put off the studies. I work as a receptionist in a medical clinic.”

  “Did your parents get upset over that?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think we were ready for marriage. I want to go back to college in a year or two.”

  Teri nodded. “I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

  By the end of the evening, Carol and Teri were close friends.

  Teri didn’t forget her best friend, Evie, and they often had long phone conversations. On a bank holiday, she invited Evie to see the apartment. There were several parking places across from the garage, available for guests, and Teri gave her the address and directions.

  Watching for Evie’s car from the bedroom window, she saw the Buick drive into one of the spaces and she ran out to greet Evie. After the two friends had hugged and exchanged exclamations, Teri took Evie by the hand and led her into the apartment.

  “Oh, Teri, this is beautiful!” Evie’s eyes were wide.

  “Go down and sit on the couch, and I’ll bring us something to drink.” Teri soon came back with a couple of bottles of Coke. “What’s happening in Alhambra?” She put two coasters on the glass coffee table.

  “Well, I heard from my mother that your father is kicking himself around the block. He blames himself for driving you into Tim’s arms and now you’re living in sin.”