Lake Pathos Marina, Saturday, June 17, 1989
As the sun sank beneath the treetops across the lake, the DJ ramped up the mood for the evening as the younger set continued to fire up the party into the night. Gone was hot afternoon air filled with Carolina beach music that appealed to the more conservative, older crowd— The Drifters, Fats Domino, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The O’Jays, The Spinners, Otis Redding, and Etta James. The older crowd, wealthy from years of wise investments, remembered the style of swing dance known as the Carolina shag, the official state dance of the so-named states. Back in the 50’s and 60’s, the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach was where the beach/shag phenomenon had its most enormous impact on vacationing teenagers and college students. Daytona Beach had replaced this mecca in the 80’s, and it was with this transition that the music meisters switched the beat to alternative rock, new wave, and glam metal.
A bonfire torched on the sand point that jutted into the cove of the glen. The dance platform with its teepee of party lights led out onto the sandy beach where the group that stayed for the night festivities milled around the fire, now clad in cuffed denim shorts and chic, chambray summer shirts—
I can’t stop,
The way I feel,
Things you do,
Don’t seem real.
Tell you what,
I got in mind,
Because we’re runnin’,
Out of time,
Won’t you ever,
Set me free,
This waiting’round’s,
Killeen’ me.
She drives me crazy,
Uh uh,
Like no-one else,
Uh uh,
She drives me crazy,
And I can’t help myself,
Uh uh.
Jessie, dressed in her white Lycra mini and bandeau top, wore a pair of pink high-top Keds with crunchy white socks rolled back over their tops. She looked particularly punk with her hair blow-dried big and midnight blue eye shadow—a not so quick makeover in the big tent. Tugging Sherri by the arm to the dance platform, she took the floor before anyone else.
“Come on, girl, let’s shake it!” Jessie said.
The guys edged closer as Jessie and Sherri spun and robot-danced across the floor. The dance was theirs—no one dared to compete. Lars and Antonio looked on, smiling. Nice pickup, they mused.
All you got is this moment
Twenty-first century’s yesterday
You can care all you want
Everybody does yeah that’s okay
Lars and Antonio stepped onto the platform. They ripped into dance, one heading to Jessie the other to Sherri.
So slide over here
And give me a moment
Your moves are so raw
I’ve got to let you know
I’ve got to let you know
You’re one of my kind
I need you tonight
’Cause I'm not sleeping
There’s something about you girl
That makes me sweat
The two couples broke the hesitation from the crowd as it filled with girls and couples, guys still milled about, tugging on beer. Lars took Jessie in his arms, and the two meshed, now comfortable pressing their flesh together. Jessie broke away with a spin and free-styled. Lars likewise, then mirrored her moves from behind, her tight mini edging up with her dance. He pulled her in close, and he silhouetted her, her body pressed back against his as he pressured in.
I’ve got to let you know
I’ve got to let you know
You’re one of my kind.
Jessie fell back into his arms. He lifted her up and turned her towards him. She gave him a sultry look but broke free and cast a gaze over her shoulder with—Come get me. She exited the platform and headed towards the bonfire encircled by young adults—a BYOP party where they passed around a bottle of Cuervo Gold. A young blonde hosted shot drinks with a platter of lemon quarters and a pile of salt. The night land breeze stoked the fire ablaze, its flames and sparks shooting skyward. Jessie licked the curve of her thumb and forefinger and pressed it in the pile of salt, others took a pinch—but she was Jessie, bold and bawdry. She took the bottle of gold liquid reflecting in the firelight and poured a shot, then tossed it to the back of her throat, licked her salted hand clean with her tequila tongue, then sucked on the lemon quarter, giving the crowd a yellow, lemon-skin smile. Spitting out the sour quarter, she yelled, “This tequila is diesel!” She looked across the fire at a guy that eyed her curiously, nodded to her, and smiled, his expression said—It’s mine. She watched the flames as the liquor had its intended effect warming her euphoria. The bottle continued its pass around the fire until ended with the guy across from her. He poured while looking at her and then tossed it back. He raised the bottle up and with his eyes asked—Another? She nodded and disappeared into the dark of the night beyond the fire. She had to pee. Squatting with her spread legs pressing the mini to her waist, she parted the G-string. She watched the fire from a distance as the DJ slid the vinyl back and forth under the needle as he introduced the next cut, “Maybe, just maybe, naughty girls need love too—”
I’ve been told time and time again
That you can’t treat love like a game
But I play rough with hearts that never mend
’Cause some guys like you do the same
Love was just a four-letter word
The guy broke from the fire—his black silhouette against the flames as he approached her, bottle in one hand, shot glass dangling from the other—
Used to be so good and so bad
Sex was something I just had
Used to always know what to do
Now you’ve got me confused
She walked towards him out of the dark edge of the woods. The DJ scratched the vinyl and faded out to bleed in—
Here comes the woman
With the look in her eye
Raised on leather
With flesh on her mind
Words as weapons sharper than knives
Makes you wonder how the other half die
Other half die
He looked different from the rest of the crowd, a bit out of place. She wanted another shot. She wanted to dance. The music revved her up—
Here come the man
With the look in his eye
Fed on nothing
But full of pride
Look at them go
Look at them kick
Makes you wonder how the other half live
The devil inside
The devil inside
Every single one of us the devil inside
He poured the liquid Gold. The DJ scratched the vinyl cutting the song out to bring up midstream—
You see I raise a toast to all of us
Who are breaking our backs every day
If wanting the good life is such a crime
Lord, then put me away
Here’s to ya
Poison’s lead guitar wailed.
She downed the shot.
He matched her.
She took the bottle and poured her own and handed it back to him.
He poured another and handed it to her.
She threw it back, the liquid Gold smooth, running down her numbed throat.
Don’t need nothin’ but a good time
How can I resist
Ain’t looking for nothin’ but a good time
And it don’t get better than this
He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him.
Her knee jolted in reflex.
He doubled over.
She ran.
“Gonna slow this vibe and mellow this night . . . ” The DJ overlaid the cut and announced, “And bring out the dancer in you.”
Jessie slowed as she approached the group that mingled by the bonfire. She was dizzy, filled with panic and adrenaline, breathing fast, now lightheaded. The fire swayed before her.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna tell a lie—echoed in her head. Brad. Who was that friggen tequila freak? Her mind jarred, she looked for Lars. And hurt you. The DJ slid Robert Palmer over the trail of Rick Astley. No Lars. The guitar strummed her head. Where’s Sherri?
How can it be permissible?
She compromise my principle, yeah, yeah
That kind of love is mythical
She’s anything but typical
She stepped onto the dance platform, and her mojo kicked in. Had to get through that rush. Her hips swung in the white mini, arms dramatic with a sashay of moves.
She’s a craze you’d endorse; she’s a powerful force
You’re obliged to conform when there’s no other course
She used to look good to me, but now I find her
Simply irresistible
Simply irresistible
Her loving is so powerful, huh!
It’s simply unavoidable
The trend is irreversible
The woman is invincible
Dizzy. Gotta pee. Fuck. Where’d they go? She left the platform and looked at the bonfire, but her vision doubled. She held onto the railing surrounding the platform. I gotta fuckin’ pee. She looked in the opposite direction, then left, then right. Everything spun. Fuck. That last shot . . .
His face moved in and out of her double vision, the music faded and then rolled louder in her ears, her head swimming disoriented to her surroundings. Where am I? He took off her bandeau top. Her breasts goose bumped with nipples tight and stiff in the cool breeze of the night. He straddled her. His hand pressed her under the mini. She willingly spread. He pulled her bikini sliding it down to her knees, then to her ankles. She saw the firelight reflect off his belt buckle as he unzipped. She opened to him. Hot and full, he pressed until he filled her sheath, and then gently receded. He pushed her wings back, the mini a simple strap of spandex encircling her waist. He thrust deep and waited. She groaned. He pulled and thrust again—then again and again and again. She felt his fullness pulsating. Her body shuddered. He lowered his bare chest to hers, their flesh meshing together as they had during the heat of the day. They rolled on their side. His hotness warmed her inner depths.
Sleep stole her consciousness.
Her mind woke to the silence. White light from above, she squinted. Her thoughts were in a fog. She felt cold and rolled onto her side. She pulled her legs up to her chest. Her insides hurt. She opened her eyes. Sand. Water. Water as smooth as a mirror—hazy movement over it. She blinked. Again. Foggy.
It was foggy over the water, smooth as a mirror reflecting the haze. Sand cushioned her face. Her insides were on fire. She had to pee. She propped herself up on one arm. She could not see beyond her face. She lowered her shoulders to the sand. The fog floated two feet off the ground. She could not see but a few yards around her. She pulled her legs underneath her and squatted. Steamy fluid splattered the sand and made a slight bowl as it pooled. Plop . . . Plop. She looked between her legs at the milky substance that dripped slowly from her crotch. She brushed herself with her finger and felt the sticky ooze. She sniffed. Musty.
Where’s my bikini?
She crawled to the water’s edge to rinse her hand. Her head throbbed. She sat back with her legs folded beneath her. She lowered her face into her hands and cried.
Fine Young Cannibals, “She Drives Me Crazy” lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Royalty Network
INXS, “I Need You Tonight” lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing
Samantha Fox, “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)” lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
INXS “Devil Inside” Copyright: Chardonnay Investments Ltd., Xl Publishing Pty. Ltd.
Poison, “Nothin’ But A Good Time” Copyright: Cyanide Publishing
Rick Astley, “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Robert Palmer, “Simply Irresistible”
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