I'll Follow The Sun •Elvis Presley•

21: Anyway You Want Me (Thats How I Will Be)

-This is gonna be a long story. Just saying that now.

~~~
"I have a project for you Lizzie." Red said to me. "What?" I asked. We were seated in a car driving to Elvis' childhood home in Tupelo, MI. We left California yesterday. I had sadly bid goodbyes to my friends, old and new. I promised to call and have them fly out to Memphis soon.

"During Elvis' concerts, will you take pictures? I can supply you with cameras and film if you need it." I nodded. "Of course." I replied with a grin. I loved photography. Then Elvis tapped my shoulder while eagerly looking out the window. "We're here," he said. We pulled in front of a small white house.

We all got out of the car. Elvis now having to walk around with bodyguards was quite irritating but you get used to it. We stepped inside the vacant house. It was so small... It's what people call a "shotgun house" because you could shoot a gun and the bullet would go straight through the house and outside the back door. It was only two rooms so the tour wasn't long, obviously.

"Yknow, here was where Dodger got her nickname." Elvis said while looking at some of his old furniture. I looked over at him. "How?" I asked. It had never occurred to me to question the reason behind her nickname.

"I threw a temper tantrum once, and I threw a baseball out of anger," the pretended to throw an invisible ball. Then he chuckled to himself. "And she dodged it quickly. Faster than I'd ever seen her move. Gave me a spankin too." He laughed and I joined him.

Red snapped some pictures of us together in the house to show to Vernon and Gladys once we returned to Memphis.

The next day I was helping Elvis get dressed for his concert. He was dressed in all black which wasn't too smart for such a hot day, just to absorb all the sun and overheat.

We were standing in the hotel bathroom and I reached for my mascara. I uncapped it and moved towards Elvis' lashes.

"Woah," he put his hand up. "I don't know what you're thinkin honey, but I ain't no girl." I gave him a dirty look. "It will make your lashes look longer. Guys can wear it too. What do you think Clark Gable wears to make his lashes look long?" I asked and proceeded to paint his lashes.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He said. "Always Clark Gable. I don't think you even love me." Elvis laughed. I stuck my tongue out as I finished doing his lashes. "Maybe because he isn't afraid of mascara." I joked. Elvis raised his eyebrows. "Ouch," he said flatly. I set down the mascara.

I swatted his arm. "Don't," I said. "Frowning gives wrinkles. You're too beautiful."

"You're too sweet." He said. I rolled my eyes. "Cmon, lover boy. You have a concert to get to."

Elvis slayed the concert. Girls were crying and screaming and reaching for a touch of Elvis. Elvis was dancing and having a blast. Even I felt jittery along with the girls.

I was doing what Red asked and was snapping pictures and videos of Elvis.

As I stopped recording, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw a girl. "Are you Lizzie?" She shouted over the noise of screaming and Elvis singing. I nodded. "Yeah?"

"Can I have your autograph?" She asked. "Okay, sure." I replied. Stop being awkward, I told myself.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a receipt and a crayon. An odd combination. I quickly signed my name and handed it back to her. Then I high tailed it out of there before anyone else noticed me. Maybe have even gotten angry out of jealousy that I was dating Elvis and they weren't.

I went behind the stage to the restricted unless you have permission area and sat against the stage, on the grass which came above my head. Nobody was around except for a few back here. I sat there, leaning with my back pressed to the wood and listening to Elvis sing and fans screaming.

When his song ended, Elvis said "I got a new song and I wanna dedicate it to my girlfriend...wherever she is," and the audience laughed. "It's called Anyway You Want Me."

I smiled to myself. Even though I couldn't see him since I was facing the opposite way, I still felt my stomach doing summer salts.

Then a sad tune began playing. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them.

"I'll be as strong as a mountain
Or weak as a willow tree
Anyway you want me
Well that's how I will be," he sang.

I hate to admit it but I felt tears in my eyes.

"I'll be as tame as a baby
Or as wild as the raging sea
Anyway you want me
Well that's how I will be

In your hand my heart is clay
To take an mold as you may
I'm what you make me
You've only to take me
And in your arms, I will stay-ay-ay

I'll be a fool or a wise man
My darling, you hold the key
Yes anyway you want me
That's how I will be
I will be-e-e."

~~~~~~

"It was released." Sam said to me at Sun Records. "Last week actually. While you were in California."

I pulled my feet off the desk when Johnny Cash came inside the studio.
"They say you are your own category now, Lizzie."

I couldn't help smiling. "I'm proud of you." He added. I didn't honestly know what to say.

"Hey Lizzie. I bought your record." Johnny said. I smiled at him. "Thanks, I said, then tried to change the subject. It was embarrassing to know he had heard it. "Hey, wanna get something to eat? Before you record." I asked. He nodded. "That would be nice." He responded.

I told Sam I was taking my break and hopped up and grabbed my jacket and bag. Johnny and I were about to walk out the door when I turned said over my shoulder, "I was in Tupelo, not California." Then we left.

******

"Elvis, I want to move out. I'm twenty one years old. Please. Can we find somewhere to live?" I begged Elvis one day while he was watching tv. He had finally returned home from touring and was leaving next year, almost a few months away to film another movie, Jailhouse Rock. The script was laying in his lap.

"Yes, I'm taking care of it, okay?" He sounded irritated. His eyes were glued to the screen. It was rerunning scenes from the Tupelo concert. I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest.

I saw Elvis look at me out of the corner of my eye. "Tomorrow. We'll go look, okay?" He said. I looked over at him with a frown. "Promise?" I asked. He held out his pinky with a sly grin. I reached out to link our pinkies but he suddenly reached both hands out and pulled me on top of him

"Elvis!" I cried as he began to tickle my sides.  The papers rustled beneath me and I struggled against him. "Shh, momma and daddy might hear you." He whispered. It was well past midnight and everyone was in bed - except us. Elvis was making me practice lines with him. He stopped tickling me and held me there.

"You're an ass." I said. He chuckled. "I'm your ass," then he looked up at the ceiling. "Well...that sounds strange. You have a cute butt though." He said and I punched his arm and climbed off of his lap.