The Gatekeeper

Part III Love Child Chapter 8

I KNEW THAT CERTAIN people follow certain bands from week to week. I took a chance and went to the next gig for the band that had been performing the night I first saw her. 

Waiting impatiently for the week to pass, when the anticipated night arrived I was admittedly nervous, but hopeful.

A different club, but the same band and a similar crowd, there she was, back on the dance floor and looking even more otherworldly irresistible than I’d remembered. She chose to wear a revealing outfit—black tights, black leather high-heeled boots and a white silk shirt open and showing off perfect C-cups which were only partially covered by a loose-fitting black bra. 

I didn't know it at the time, but she’d recently begun prancing as an exotic dancer, which probably explained why she was comfortable displaying her private parts in public. I watched her from a distance, long enough to learn that she was somehow involved with the lead singer of the band.

I certainly didn't anticipate having to compete with a rock-star stud like that, but I couldn't keep myself from approaching her. 

"Hello, I'm sure you don't remember me but I noticed you dancing at Club Starz last week," I began.

"Oh really, how thoughtful of you to mention it," she politely responded.

So far, so good . . . and that’s rarely the case when flinging a flimsy pick-up line in a beautiful woman’s face.

"Where did you develop up your dancing style? No one else around here moves anything like you."

"Well, I'm not from here. I'm Canadian, from Vancouver actually." 

To my complete surprise, she opened up and we spoke at some length until the lead singer came by during a break between sets. 

I didn't know the guy personally, but I knew of him, having seen his band perform many times. On the fringes of the rock club scene, I often came to the shows alone, sat alone, and rarely approached people for conversation. I did, however, always manage to connect with a few very stimulating and unique people in the entertainment world.

I’D DO ANYTHING TO GET close to band members because I was so fascinated with the exotic women who seemed to surround them constantly like winged fairies swarming around a ring of toadstools. 

One year I got to know the members of the leading rock band in our area by videotaping one of their concerts for them. They were great to me, and I was welcomed into their inner circle of friends and activities. Unfortunately, there was a lot of drug use going on, and I had given up subjecting myself to that kind of toxic trauma years ago. I wasn't about to get back into that destructive mode for any reason. Anyway, I had some idea of what to do to break bread with this band that she was following.

I decided that since she was obviously involved with the singer, I should respect that and present myself as a friend and not a suitor. After observing the situation long enough to formulate this reasonable course of action, I played it cool and did things like getting her cigarettes, paying for her drinks, and protecting her from all the other guys who were coming on to her. 

It worked out well. Though involved with the lead singer in the band, she kept close to me to give the impression that we were involved so she wouldn't be bothered.

MY OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP was sincere, but a burning desire to get closer was always there. I was willing to wait however long it might take for our relationship to deepen. 

To me she was a priceless treasure, a precious jewel, a woman any man would in an instant obsess over and be willing to risk anything to be with. That said, had I a crystal ball, and could have looked into the future to see what was coming down the road, I would have stepped away, turned around, and never looked back.