Buzz was a dancer, a young, immature Hollywood “Prep Boy,” child of a working character actor who she met on the set of Pajama Game. He took a liking to Kristie when he heard her belt out the opening to Hernando’s Hideaway. He was determined to see how many bases he could run. Kristie in turn thought Buzz was pretty cute, an older boy with a spiffy blue sports car, who was a really hot dancer. Really hot! Too Darn Hot!
Buzz was one of the featured dancers in that number in the show along with his aging father who was one of the leads. The number was so well choreographed and performed that the whole cast would linger in the wings to watch it every night. The stage manager kept oxygen available for the trio of dancers when they got off stage… that’s how hot it truly was. Really Hot!
Kristie’s parents stood firm on the no dating rule. She was just fifteen, another year to go before she would be allowed to date. They allowed Buzz to visit her in the afternoon hours. He drove up from Hollywood to hang out with her at her parents’ house. To sweeten the pot, he presented Kristie with a stunning star sapphire set in platinum. She wore it everyday to her junior high classes wrapped in fuzzy white angora
The relationship was doomed from the beginning. One afternoon they were doing their usual teenage boredom routine. All they really wanted was to get their hands on each other. They had already been caught “sparkin'” by her grandad who caught them in the garage with their tongues down each others’ throats. Grandad had been cool about it, “Oops, sorry,” he said as he quickly backed out and closed the door to give the lovers some privacy.
The little love affair lasted for about three months until Buzz finally got the clue. He would never be able to get her alone in his spiffy new car without her parents looming over her. The final straw was when Kristie’s mom asked Buzz if he wouldn’t mind taking Kristie to the laundromat as she had six loads of laundry to do and the washer was on the fritz.
He agreed to this only because he thought there would be some time to get Kristie in the alley or the rest room so he could get into her pants at last. It never happened. The laundromat was busy with lots of women doing their laundry and kids running amok. Buzz spent three hours helping Kristie wash and fold clothes. Not a very exciting date for a horny young couple.
He helped carry each of the baskets filled with the carefully folded clothes back into the house at the end of the afternoon. They made out in the garage for a few minutes, and then Buzz told her that he needed to take the sapphire ring back to have it sized especially for her.
Her heart sank. She immediately felt that the whole day had been a ruse. Her mother had been in on it. Her father might have pulled Buzz aside to tell him to move on. Hell, Buzz’s father probably counseled him on how to finesse getting the ring back without hurting her feelings.
At any rate she never saw or heard from him again. But she did retain a desire and appreciation for sparkly rings and sporty cars.
(First published 6/4/12)
