Out of My League Ch. 01

In the summer of 1969 I had a girl named Beverly. I had always thought she was out of my league.

Everyone called her Bev. We went to high school together, a couple of years apart, but were never close. I thought she was unfriendly and didn't like me, almost to the point of being a bitch, and too obviously considered herself comely. She was comely indeed, gorgeous in fact, but she gave me the impression that I was merely something unpleasant that she wanted to avoid stepping in. What changed all that was a party in the woods we had each gone to one night in the spring. It was four years since I'd graduated. I went part time to the local community college and most of the party goers were home from college, big universities and expensive private colleges, for the summer.

There weren't a lot of people there who were friends of mine. It was a small town so I knew nearly everyone there but never hung out with any them. They were the rich kids and jocks from the good side of the tracks, and I was just a farm kid. But there was nothing going on this particular night with any of my gang and a guy named Pete, who I liked, had suggested I come out and party. I was kind of a bookish guy and for all Pete's higher social status and jock club charter membership he was a reader too. He wasn't embarrassed to have read poetry and we talked easily about how different things we'd read affected us. So I decided to go to the party and see how it went.

Since I already didn't fit in I kind of mingled unobtrusively and made mental notes about the behavior and appearance of the attendees. My own crowd behaved every bit as foolishly as these kids but I could be as big a snob as any of these rich pricks. It's how cliques work. I wandered around not caring if I was a fish out of water and watched and listened. Things were beginning to take on the atmosphere of a drunken orgy. Young men and women were pairing off and making out and groping each other openly. Couples were fucking in cars and a couple of girls were dancing nearly naked in front of a bonfire. After about a half hour I noticed that Bev was there and looking quite perturbed. She was having what appeared to be a heated argument with a guy who I assumed at the time to be her date, possibly even her boyfriend. It was Ron Jackson, one time captain of the football team, a guy I judged to be a singularly obnoxious asshole. I headed over their way to listen. Who doesn't enjoy watching a good fight? He was apparently trying to get her to do something she objected to. She kept repeating "No!" over and over again. I eavesdropped shamelessly. It didn't matter. No one was paying any attention to me.

I thought Beverly Parker was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. I thought it then and I still do. I reckon that's why it irked me so much that she was utterly indifferent and even hostile to me. I didn't expect her to gush over me and declare her love and admiration, but she could have at least been polite. I dated some fine looking girls when I was a young man. Two or three of them were more than just pretty, they were objectively beautiful. Nobody was in the same category as Bev though. She had the deepest, darkest large brown eyes under dusky natural eyebrows. Those eyes were so dark as to appear almost black until you got close and gazed into them, set wide in a subtly round and pale face. Her nose was perfection itself, straight until it finished above a wide soft mouth in what was not quite a button tip. Bev had densely thick and luxuriant dark brown hair that began above an intelligent forehead. She wore it long and parted in the middle. She stood about five three or four and her shapely legs appeared firm but feminine rather than athletic. Just looking at her made me ache to touch her and kiss her. She had spent her freshman year at State University and like a lot of the party goers was freshly home for the summer.

In dribs and drabs I gathered that their argument came down to him wanting her to blow him right there and then in front of everyone. She wasn't having it. She finally grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him off into the area where all the cars were parked. The light of the bonfire didn't reach there completely but you could see pretty well in a flickering light. I wanted to see what was going to happen so I followed by a circuitous route, staying out of sight. Bev and Ron ducked behind a big Lincoln Town Car. I hid between a pair of Chevys and watched.

Bev clutched at Ron's jeans and slowly yanked down the zipper but she didn't appear to be particularly enthusiastic about it. She kept looking around guiltily. He began breathing harder as she reached in and fished out his cock. As I watched she knelt, took him into her mouth and began bobbing her head on his hard dick. She blew him for two or three minutes and then he pulled her up and pushed her back onto the trunk lid of the Lincoln. She protested, saying she didn't want to fuck. He asked her why, was she on her period and she told him no, she didn't want to have sex with him. She didn't want to take her pants off where other people could see her- which was exactly what he was trying to do while they argued and struggled. I heard her say at least four times that she did not want to have sex. I half considered going over there and trying to put a stop to it. But it wasn't my business and she didn't even like me. And I wasn't anxious to get my ass kicked by the star quarterback, a very likely outcome. Christ knew how many of his buddies were close by. So I hesitated but continued to stand there and watch. He finally succeeded in stripping her pants off and with one pant leg stuck around her left foot, he bulled and pried his way in between her thighs and it looked like he was probing for her pussy with his cock.

This looked like rape and I was just crouched there like a pervert and a coward, afraid of taking a beating. And I had no doubt it would be a beating. I probably couldn't whip this rich bastard. Oh, I'd get my licks in and maybe he'd know he'd been in a fight, but it meant a certain ass kicking for me. Throwing caution to the wind on impulse I took a deep breath and charged out from between the two Chevy's. I was only fifteen feet away but I had a head of steam up by the time I arrived and drop kicked that son of a bitch right in the nuts. Captain Ron dropped like he'd been shot. I struggled to untangle the pant leg twisted on Bev's foot.

"A bunch of his friends are here." she hissed at me and I whispered yeah, probably about a hundred, but she was on the same page as me, worried I'd get a serious beating. She shook her head and whispered back "Only maybe ten!"

I looked at her. "Really?' Only ten? What a fucking relief!" Suddenly her pants came unstuck and and I grabbed her hand and told her "Run!", hoofing it for my truck with Bev in one hand and her blue jeans in the other. I drove an old '53 GMC pickup- primer gray, of course- and I opened the driver's door and pushed her in and across the bench seat, tossing her britches at her and jumping in after her. I turned the key and punched the starter button on the floor with my toe.

Nothing. The old foot starter buttons were notoriously cranky.

"Fuck me runnin' " I muttered and stomped it again, harder. This time it caught and the six volt starter cranked over slowly, but the engine fired instantly. I tuned it up often, more than I needed to, but it always started immediately because of that. The old timers who laughed at me for being so fussy about tuneups could go fuck themselves. It was my pickiness and obsession that saved my ass that night. Probably it saved Bev from a bad night too, although I didn't think Ron would be in the mood to fuck anybody for a while. He would likely not be engaging in any self abuse either.

I sprayed gravel leaving and heard it pinging on the sides of a few expensive cars, Camaros and Road Runners and a Mustang or two. I didn't spare my beloved truck that night. I hauled ass out of there and when I came to the road I started to chuckle. I'd kicked Jackson in the balls and lived to tell about it! So far. I was in my element now, country roads and farm land that I knew like the back of my hand. I had smoked dope and swigged beer with my friends out there cruising the back roads and I could drive it blindfolded. I had not switched on the lights and kept them off. I wasn't sure anyone had seen me drop the hammer on Ron, and I was pretty sure he didn't know who or what had hit him. There might not even be anyone chasing us but I wasn't going to hang around to find out.

I flew down Bald Hill Road in the dark praying I wouldn't hit a deer and Bev clutched her jeans on her lap. She hadn't even tried to put them back on yet. I stayed on Bald Hill Road all the way til I came to County Line and pulled the light switch as I turned north. We were getting onto some roads where there might be a little traffic and it wouldn't do to drive with no lights now. I barely slowed down to turn at Coon Hollow and when I got to my folks' farm I pushed off the light switch and swung into their drive.

"Maybe we'll take a minute here so you can get dressed." I told Bev. She looked embarrassed now, like it hadn't occurred to her that she was sitting bare assed on the seat next to me.

"Thanks." She pulled on her jeans and asked "Where are we?"

"This is my mom and dad's place. We're safe here and if they come out to see what's going on they'll just figure....well,you know...that I brought you here for...ahhh...some privacy." I grinned at her. That girl looked awful good sitting over there half naked, just a couple of feet away. I hated to see it end, but I was sure she was in no mood for romance, especially with the likes of me. But she grinned back at me and said "You've got balls, Hunt. Thanks."

"I aim to please, young lady. I wish I'd had the balls to take a crow bar to that asshole."

"You got me out of there without getting raped, Hunt. You did fine. You're my fucking hero, you know that? I couldn't fight him off by myself. He's too strong. If he ever tries that shit with a girl again he's gonna have the memory of your boot up his ass to think about. It looked like you really hurt him." She giggled merrily.

"Probably did. I got him square in the cojones. It's entirely possible that he'll be singing soprano now. And it doesn't bother me one fucking bit."

"Nor I compadre, nor I." We grinned sappily at each other. Then she asked "So, are we staying here a while?"

"Oh! Fuck no, we don't have to. I just wanted a safe place to park for a minute and sort of take stock, let you get your pants back on. We can go now if you're ready."

"I'm in no particular hurry. I did dodge a bullet and although I'm mad as hell at that fucking Jackson I feel kind of, I don't know, exhilaration? Relief? I mean it was a near thing back there and out of nowhere this knight charged up and saved my ass. Really. My ass. And it turns out he's pretty cute. You never had the time of day for me before tonight. What's up with that?"

"Bev, you always looked at me like I had the plague. I'd have sworn you thought I had cooties. But...I couldn't let him just force you."

"What the fuck, Hunt...." she started but I cut her off.

"My name is Bill, Parker. I've seen your naked ass. You can call me Bill now. Any woman I've seen naked can use my first name."

"Sorry, Bill. But I never looked down on you. You kind of intimidate people, you know? I'm not the only girl who thought you were always laughing at us. You looked at me like you thought I was an airhead."

"I didn't. It's just that you're so pretty and never answered me when I spoke to you that I thought you were stuck up." But I thought over what she'd said. I guessed it was possible. I was always watching and listening and when I saw something that struck me as funny it never occurred to me that my failure to say what I was grinning about would give the wrong impression. Maybe I was the one who looked stuck up and arrogant. I looked at her. "Well, that's all behind us now right? We pals now?"

"We are Hu...Bill. We are bonded for life."

"So, speaking of-" and then Bev screamed. A bright light flooded the interior of the truck and the source was right outside the Bev's window. It was my old man and he had a big flashlight, one of those long chrome cylinders cops carried. Bev was plastered to me and trying to get between me and the opposite door. I was sorry she'd put her britches back on. I leaned across her and cranked down the window. "Hey Dad. What's up?" He was holding his shotgun in the other hand.

"Well, I didn't know it was you til I got close enough to recognize your truck so that's why the shotgun. I thought long as I was out here I'd ask what the hell you're doing just parked in our driveway. But I guess I don't need to ask now." Bev was still trembling, but she was calming down a bit and holding a hand over her heart. "So are you going to introduce me?"

"Bev, this is my dad. Dad, meet Bev Parker."

"I think I know your father. He's at the bank Parker?"

"Yes" she managed to squeak out. "Robert Parker."

"All right. You kids behave, okay? And looking hard at me he said "And don't let your mother catch you out here like this. Maybe you ought to find a different parking spot if you want to keep peace in the family."

"But we weren't...." I started but Bev interrupted and said "He's hard to resist, Mr. Hunt. But I'll make him take me home." She turned to me and gave me a sly smile, then snuggled into me and clung to my bicep clasping my right hand with hers. She put my hand on her thigh and held it there, smiling sweetly. The little vixen. My old man rolled his eyes and told me "You heard the girl. Get her on home." Bev turned and kissed my cheek and now my old man winked at me. "Nice to meet you Bev Parker." And he tipped his hat and walked back toward the house.

"You little minx. Don't be starting shit you don't intend to finish." I pouted.

"Home, William" she ordered. I waited a moment for her to scoot back over to her side but she didn't move a muscle in that direction and stayed glued to my side. "Who says I don't intend to finish, Hunt? Uh, Bill."

With a new hope beating in my breast, I fired up the Jimmy- this time the starter functioned perfectly, of course- and spun it around. We headed for Bev's house.

When we got there she released me. She had clung to me during the drive and I loved it. "My folks are out of town. I want you to come in but I don't want to fool around. I just want you to stay with me, okay?"

"Okay, Bev. I'd like that a lot." Was she kidding? I could sit with her for a week and not get tired of it.

Once inside, she led me to the family room and tossed me the TV remote. She pointed to the sofa and told me not to go away, she'd be right back. Maybe ten minutes later I heard her call to me "You want a beer?"

"What I'd really like is just a glass of ice water if that's okay." I called back. I monkeyed with the remote control. A television with a remote control. I figured I was lucky to even have a TV.

"Coming right up" she answered and a minute later she was back in the room with me. Her hair was damp. She'd had a shower. She set a glass of water on the end table next to me. She had changed out of her jeans and blouse and into a pair of Donald Duck print pajamas.

"Any girl who sleeps with Donald Duck is all right in my book."

"Me too, hence the P.J.'s." She sat down by my side, then scooted over even closer. The warmth and the scent of her was making my head spin.

"You smell all Downy fresh now, Bev."

"I took a shower. I had to wash the stink of Ron off me. I feel cleaner now."

She turned toward me and took my head in her hands and kissed me softly. The she straightened back up and sighed. "Watch a movie?" she asked.

"Movie or music, I'm good either way. Whatever you want."

"You like blues right?"

"Blues, rock and roll, jazz. What have you got?"

"Sgt. Pepper?" she suggested and I gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, that'd be great." In a minute she came back to me and slid right in close again. What ever happened afterward, my night had definitely taken a pleasant turn. I put my arm around her and pulled her even closer. We sat for a long time and just listened to the music, cuddling, Bev stroking my chest all the while. Finally she patted my stomach and asked "Hungry?"

"Not really, no." Mostly, I just didn't want her to leave the room. "This is feeling wonderful, Bev. She smiled at me and we stayed put. "Do you want to talk? A lot of weird stuff happened tonight." I asked.

"Later, maybe. I think this is feeling pretty wonderful too, Bill." Can you stay the night?"

My heart soared! "Um....sure." I managed to croak. Then I came back down to earth. You mean like, here on the couch, right?"

"That or we have spare bedrooms. But if you stay on the couch I'll stay here with you. I'm not in the mood for anything heavy but I want to keep you close mister."

And so that's what we did. She got a big comforter and we eventually relaxed into lying together wrapped around each other and drifted off to sleep, our faces touching and occasionally waking to kisses and deeper hugs.

When I woke, it was Bev who woke me. "I gotta pee" she told me and was gone a few minutes. When she came back she slid under the comforter again. "I had morning breath." she told me and asked if I wanted breakfast. So I said sure. I was hungry now. And we reluctantly got up. It was reluctant as hell for my part, but I needed a visit to the bathroom myself. I scraped my teeth with a finger and found some mouthwash. It was the best I could do in a strange house but it made me feel a bit cleaner. Bev scrambled eggs and fried bacon and I inhaled it. I knew I should probably leave but I was afraid to break the spell. So I asked if she had plans for the day.

"My only plans are you, William Hunt. Are you tired of me yet?"

"I am in no way tired of you Bev Parker. I'd like nothing better than to spend the whole weekend with you. What do you want to do?"

"Let's just hang out, okay? You have anyplace you need to be?"

"I've got a couple of errands to run but nothing that'll take long. Want to come along later?"

I don't want to let you out of my sight so yes I do want to tag along. If I won't be in the way."

"I'm feeling quite attached to you too, so, no you will not be in the way. I hesitated, then ventured "Hey Bev?"

She looked over at me, waiting.

"I like you a lot. I don't want to pry or piss you off, but..." I hesitated again, wanting to get it off my chest but not sure if I should ask.

"C'mon Hunt. Out with it."

So, um, what's up with you and Jackson? If it's none of my business, that's cool I guess, but I'm kind of confused by you being with him. You and I didn't really click until last night but it turns out, you're pretty fucking cool. So I just can't see the attraction for him."

"Jealous already?" She smirked at me and I wasn't sure if she was disgusted with me or amused.

"Yeah." I told her. "Yeah, I really am jealous, but mostly I just don't get it. You're far too smart and too much fun to waste your time with a dickhead like Jackson. And way too sweet."

"You say what you think, don't you? You get points for that William Hunt. Okay. There is no attraction to Ron Jackson. I went out with him at state- three times, and I don't really have a good answer for why because frankly he's a dullard. He's stuck on himself and can only carry on a conversation about football or basketball or golf. He does like to talk about his physique, God's gift to women that he is. He really stretched himself and managed to talk about skydiving and how much fun that was for him. Didn't invite me to try it or ask if I might want to go sometime. (I don't.) Wherever we went he was rude to the wait staff and other underlings. He never once asked about me or what I was interested in. All he did was stare at my tits and ass and talk about himself."