Tight FittinÕ Jeans

by Jake Rivers ©

 

AuthorÕs Note:

 

This story is based on the song by Conway Twitty.  I was driving down to the CherokeeStrip museum in Perry, Oklahoma and heard it on the radio.  An old favorite of mine – itseemed like it would be fun to write.

 

Thanks to Techsan for his editing support.

 

Tight FittinÕJeans

Composed by Michael and MikeHuffman

Performed by Conway Twitty

 

 

THE STAMPEDE, BIG SPRINGS, TEXAS

 

She tried to hide it by the fadeddenim clothes she wore

But I knew she'd never been insidea bar before

And I felt like a peasant who justhad met a queen

And she knew I saw right throughher tight fittin' jeans

 

IÕd been coming to The Stampede since I was old enough to drinkbeer.  It was a well-knowndance/music hall a few miles east of the Midland-Odessa area in Big Springs,Texas.  My mom and dad had startedgoing there when Hoyle Nix and his brother Ben built it in 1954.  Dad had gone to school with Hoyle andknew him pretty well.

 

The brothers Nix had formed a band a few years earlier, somewhatpatterned after Bob WillsÕ Texas Playboys, called The West Texas Cowboys.  The two bands played together a numberof times and, after Bob Wills disbanded The Texas Playboys, Bob played off andon for NixsÕ band until he had his stroke in Õ69.

 

HoyleÕs son, Jody, took over both his dadÕs band and TheStampede.  He wasnÕt what I wouldcall a best buddy but we ran across each other once in a while at barbeques andsuch and would chat over a beer. Before my ex, Dixie and I had split we came down from my ranch southeastof Lamesa to dance and drink every Saturday night.  Sometimes JodyÕs band would be there, other times –when The West Texas Cowboys were on tour – there would be other localbands.  All in all it was a greatplace for music and dancing.

 

Dixie was a piece of work. I donÕt know how I ever wound up with her.  The first time I met her, when I was introduced as JakeDancer, she smirked and commented, ÒDamn! That means if we got married IÕd be Dixie Dancer!Ó  She broke out laughing like it was thefunniest thing ever.   But shewas appealing, a short, buxom, high-energy blonde.  One thing led to another and we were married six monthslater.

 

She was, for sure, a high-maintenance gal. She Ôbout ran the ranchbankrupt before we both figured out that the only thing we had in common wasgreat sex and our love for dancing.  Maybe it could have worked out but the constant fights over money keptan edge on both our tempers.  Truthbe told I think she hated the ranch and ranch life.

 

It all came to a head when she met an oil lawyer in Odessa andnervously asked for a divorce.  Itried to look sad but I had her packed and moved to Odessa that weekend.  On the way home I stopped at CC Liquorsand picked up a case of Chicken Killer Barley Wine - known as the finest drinkever to be named after a death-dealing dachshund - from Santa Fe.  It was beer but they called it winesince it was as strong as many wines. This was great tasting stuff and at ten percent alcohol it wasnÕt forthe young and innocent.

 

I remember sitting on my back porch when I got home, watching thesun set on the broken hills rising to the north of my ranch.  My place was more east than south ofLamesa, and backed up against the edges of the hills.  I put the beer in a tub of ice and as I finished the firstbottle I started getting a slight smile on my face.  By the time IÕd consumed about four or so the smile hadturned into a grin then a full fledged shit-eatinÕ grin.   I felt really relaxed sittingthere in the now dark night for the first time in months.  The still warm fall evening and thehigh-octane beer were working well together.

 

This was all about six months or so ago and I kept going to TheStampede every three or four weeks or so just to drink beer and watch the girls.  A lot of them knew me and knew I was agood dance partner so I did my fair share of whirling around with theladies.  Once in a while I gotlucky and spent the night with one or another of my dance partners but I wasnÕtreally looking for or pushing it. I was a month short of thirty-five at that time – a bit over sixfeet, lanky, and had what a couple of the girls had told me were Órugged goodlooksÓ with black curly hair.

 

Now it was a pleasant April evening and I was back at The Stampedeslowly working my way through a couple of longneck Lonestars and idly watchingthe girls dance.  Jody was in townwith his band so there was a pretty good turnout but it wasnÕt really crowded.  IÕd been talking to the bartender,Molly, and swiveled on my barstool to check out the action.

 

About ten feet in front of me was a tall – the better partof five-eight – girl with long brown hair.  She was curvy in an understated way and an air of É well,elegance about her.   ItwasnÕt in the clothes – she had on a white lacy blouse, an old blackdenim jacket, and faded black jeans that were sure enough tight fitting.  She also had a red bandana around herneck.  IÕd guess sheÕd had thosejeans for a long time and had filled out some, making them nice and snug.

 

I knew right away she was a lady.  The way she moved was graceful but with a bit ofawkwardness, like she wasnÕt used to the two-step and maybe hadnÕt ever been ina place like this before.  Therewere a couple of other tip-offs. The black, tight fitting jeans had a Gucci label and flared legs.  I knew what they cost Ôcause Dixie hadcome home from a shopping trip to Dallas with a girl friend with two pair ofthem – at the better part of over four hundred dollars apiece!  The fight that led to was really thebeginning of the end for us because I needed that money for a couple of bulls.

 

The other tip-off was the new Justin Black Lizard boots she had on– those had to run over three hundred.  All together she looked like she had made an effort not tolook out of place but for me she failed miserably.  I thought she looked like a queen and she made me feel likea peasant.

 

The next time she came around the dance floor she saw me watchingher and she knew at once that those tight fitting jeans hadnÕt fooled me abit.  Something changed on herface, a sort of pinched, embarrassed look come over it, and when the danceended she walked over to where I was sitting. She plopped on the empty stoolnext to me, and looked a bit tired with a fine sheen of sweat on her upper lip.

 

I had to ask, so I looked at her and said, ÒWhatÕs a woman likeyou doing in a place like this?  Ican see you are used to champagne but IÕll buy you a beer,Ó as I held up myalmost empty bottle.

 

She didnÕt say anything so I waggled by bottle and held up two fingerstowards Molly who was down at the other end of the bar.  When she brought the two beers, sansglasses, we both swiveled back to the bar.  I was looking at this out-of-place woman, discretely Ithought, in the mirror behind the bar. She was one lovely lady. She caught my eye, an enigmatic look on her face, and turned to me asshe put her hand on my arm.

 

ÒI saw you admiring these tight fittinÕ jeans I have on,Ó here sheflushed a little, Òand for a dance or two IÕll tell you the story behind them.Ó

 

She grabbed my hand on pulled me onto the dance floor.  The band had just kicked in with afaster number, ÒPlay Me Something I can Swing To,Ó and she was clearly muchmore comfortable with this type of dancing. The band played several more fastones then segued into a slow version of ÒNight Life.Ó  She tentatively moved in closer, then after a minute slidfull into my arms, with her head on my shoulder.  I could feel the faint whisper of her breath and when theband took a break after that number I could see her eyes were a bit damp.

 

We sat down at the bar again, Molly bringing a couple more beersunasked.  We were quiet for aminute, me wondering how come this classy lady was sitting next to me while shewas moving the bottle around in a slow circle on the polished pecan wood bar,looking intently at the patterns she made.

 

Looking over at me she opened up a little, ÒI guess you have mefigured out É IÕm not what I seem. I came from a well known family and I married money and, yes, IÕm usedto wearing pearls and drinking champagne. But IÕve always had this dream of just being a Ògood olÕ boyÕsÓgirl.  Tonight I walked away fromthose crystal chandeliers in that big mansion in Preston Hollow in Dallas tolive this dream IÕve had.  And,partner, let me tell you, there is a tiger in these tight fitting jeans.Ó

 

We danced every one of the dances from then on, and, oh Lord, thebeer we went through.  I knew itwas just a fantasy for her but for me it was a bit of heaven.  As she played out her dream right beforemy eyes, it seemed a cowgirl had come alive in those jeans.

 

We wound up at a nearby motel.  She already had the key so she must have go there earlier inthe day.  That night, I experienceda passion IÕd never known existed. IÕm satisfied I did my best to make her dream come true.  As I lay there in the dark, passionspent and her head on my chest in an exhausted dreamless sleep, I knew I hadcome to love her.

 

I finally drifted off and when I woke she was gone, leaving herfaint, sweet scent behind.   Sheleft her bandana on the bed next to me. I saw that as a sign that this was a one-time thing for her.  She had lived her dream and had goneback to her world É and leaving me here in mine.  I think thatÕs why she left the scarf - she wouldnÕt need itanymore.  She would go home andfold up those tight fitting jeans and put the new Justins in the back of hercloset.

 

In my mind I know sheÕs a lady and IÕd never tell anyone what hadhappened that night É that story of a queen that wanted to spend a night withthe likes of me.  We had parted butshe took a large part of my heart with her.  I knew IÕd held more woman in my arms that night than mostmen would ever see. I know she will always remember that night, that time acowboy had lived a millionaireÕs dream. Lord, I loved that lady with the tight fitting jeans.

 

She was gone now and all I knew of her was her name, Laura, andthat she had been raised in Boston and had gone to school at Wellesley.  She was a class act all the way.  And that she had left me with a broken,sad heart.

 

It was hard to get back to what I now knew was a boring humdrumlife.  Laura had made all the otherwomen I knew seem like pale shadows of the real thing and I lost interest inany ongoing social interactions.  Itended to stay at the ranch and bury myself in work.  I was lucky I didnÕt have to pay alimony to Dixie and weÕdnever had children so I was gradually able to make improvements and put theranch on a sounder financial footing. But É well, I wasnÕt kidding myself. Every day I lived in various shadesof gray.

 

I think I faced up to it okay – anyway I did my best.  But there was this hollow place in methat nothing seemed able to fill. IÕd still go to The Stampede once a month or so, more out of lonelinessthan anything else I guess.  Imaybe had this subliminal thought - buried so deep I didnÕt even want to voiceit – that one day IÕd see that longhaired beauty again.  Oh, I danced once in a while with oneor another girl, but I never went home with any of them again.

 

About three months after all that, on a cold, windy night a coupledays after a lonely ValentineÕs Day, I was sitting at the bar and Jody walkedover and offered me a beer.  We chatted for a while – about this and that - when he looked atme curiously and asked, ÒI saw you dancinÕ with Laura West a while back ÉdidnÕt figure you would know her. SheÕs married to the guy that owns the better part of that fancy newbank in Dallas; he comes from old time Texas money.  He hired my band for a barbeque party a year or so ago.Ó

 

I was excited for a minute. Now that I knew her name I knew I could find her.  But I slumped down on thebarstool.  SheÕd had her dreamfulfilled and would not be happy if I showed up.  IÕd just be an embarrassment to her.

 

I looked over at Jody and answered his unasked question.   ÒShe was just passinÕ through andwanted to dance a bit.  You knowhow the girls all like to dance with me.   I dance well and treat them nice É and with respectand they like that.  I guess shecould see that in me.Ó

 

He looked unconvinced but patted me on the shoulder and walkedaway.

 

It went on like that for a long time – the ranch was doinggreat and I was drifting.  I raninto Dixie one night at a club in Midland.  We shared a couple of beers and a few dances É talkedsome.  I was getting vibes that shewanted to come back but I made sure she could see I wasnÕt picking up on them.She did look good though.

 

It was two years after that episodic, life changing night ofpassion and dancing that I was sitting at the bar at The Stampedehalf-heartedly flirting with Molly when I felt a hand on my shoulder and a hotbreath in my ear.

 

ÒHey, Cowboy.  TheyÕreplaying our song.Ó

 

I turned around fast and almost fell off the stool. It was Laura,and sure enough she was wearing those tight fitting jeans and the boots stilllooked brand new.  I started to askher something but she kissed me lightly on the lips and whispered, ÒLater.Ó

 

So we danced and danced and drank some beer É thought not as muchas the first time.  She wouldnÕttalk and wouldnÕt let me.  She wassomewhat stiff for the first couple of slow dances and then seemed to decidesomething and flowed tightly into my arms.  I wanted to ask her É so much!  But she had her own agenda and I was happy to get even a fewmagical moments.

 

Time came when she took my hand and led me out to a dustyBMW.  She drove over to the samemotel as before and already had a key. I wondered if she had done this before: rented the motel room and thenwent looking for me.  I had a fewagonizing moments thinking of this, and then we were in the room.

 

ÒI know you want to know whatÕs going on, but please donÕttalk.  Pensively, she added, mostlyto herself, ÒI just need to make sure.Ó

 

She grabbed me a beer from the mini-bar and disappeared into thebath area.  I heard the showerrunning and she came back in a few minutes wearing a diaphanous black dressinggown that left little to the imagination. She had a new bandana, yellow this time, and she laid it over the lampon the desk and turned the other lights off.  Turning the covers down she sat on the edge of the bed andheld her hand out.  I took it andslowly sat down on the bed next to her and put my arms around her, squeezingher tight. 

 

ÒLaura, that night, so long ago É I fell in love with you.   You havenÕt left my heart for aminute. I ÉÓ

 

ÒIknow, Jake.  WeÕll talk ...sometime.  Now, just love me!Ó

 

Wecame together with a mutual passion born of a deep longing.  Later we loved with a gentleness thatseeped into my heart and healed the lingering pain.  Once in the night I went to the bathroom to get a drink andlooked at her lying there, the gown discarded and looking like a lovelyalabaster statue in the dim light sneaking around the edge of the curtain.  Her slim body wasnÕt perfect but it wasas close to as I would ever see. 

 

WhenI woke the next morning she was gone again but this time left a note instead ofher bandana: ÒJake, dearest Jake, I fell in love with you that night so longago É but it was É complicated.  Bepatient with me for a while longer – I had to know for sure.  Laura.Ó

 

Iwas left with mixed feelings – this was more that I ever hoped for and itsuddenly came to me that she didnÕt have any rings on her finger thistime.  I lay there a while, tryingto figure it out, but finally gave up and took a taxi over to pick up my truck.

 

Iwent into a period of stasis, drifting along through my lonely life again.  I did the chores, went down to BigSprings to JodyÕs once in a while but mostly just sat and thought.  On a late summer afternoon towards theend of August, I was walking back from the barn and saw a cloud of dustpursuing a long, black car down the gravel road to the ranch.  I stood waiting, my heart lurching.  The car pulled to a stop about twentyyards from me and Laura stepped out.

 

Shegave me a funny look and opened the back door, fiddling around with somethingfor a few minutes.  She turned andplaced an adorable toddler in a pink dress with curly black hair and shortchubby legs on the ground.  Laurawhispered something in her ear and pointed her towards me.   The little black haired beautywalked slowly over to me as her mom watched me intently as she leaned backagainst the car.

 

Iflicked my eyes back and forth between them – kinda figuring out what wasgoing on but not really believing nor accepting it.  When the child got close to me she put hers arms out,tentatively saying, ÒDaddy?Ó  Iknew she had been coached, but what the heck!  I scooped her up and held her against me, believingnow.  Laura had followed over andthe three of us shared a lasting, cathartic hug, the baby the only one withouttears flowing.

 

Laurakissed me and whispered in my ear, ÒYes, Jake, sheÕs yours.  Wait until I feed her and put her downfor a nap and we will talk.Ó

 

Icarried the stuff into the house, which thankfully was clean.  Besides the stuff for the baby therewas a small bag of what I assumed was clothes for Laura.  Maybe I was just wishing this, but É

 

Iwatched, entranced as she took care of the baby and then gave her to me to hold– an armful of naked squirming girl child - while she got her bathready.  When she was asleep we wentto the living room.  It was cool soI made a fire in the large stone fireplace.  Laura wanted a beer so I grabbed a couple and sat down in mybig leather easy chair; Laura was standing by the fire.  She looked at me and taking the bottlesettled down on my lap, wiggling around until she was comfortable.

 

Sheleaned her head back a little and smiled at me.  ÒI guess IÕd better explain things, you think?Ó

 

Inodded, not really caring as long as she stayed where she was.

 

ÒIguess when I came out I was a little rash, maybe not really believing I wasdoing it.  I didnÕt even thinkabout any kind of protection and Melody is the result of that.Ó

 

Shemust have seen the question in my arched eyebrows.

 

Shehit me on the shoulder and laughed, ÒMelody for the music you made me feel thatnight.  IÕm not insensitive, Jake.I knew when I left that you had strong feelings for me – as I did foryou.  I was confused by theintensity of what I felt for you É and it scared me.  Bill and I were having problems.  I wasnÕt really what he wanted.  He needed someone to stand pretty at his side and be thegood corporate wife. 

 

ÒOurmoms had gone to Wellesley and shared a room together.  They are still best friends.  It seemed like they had always beenplanning to have us marry.  Billwas handsome and fun but I didnÕt know that his heart was locked in a bankvault.  The bank came first, secondand third.  He became cold andstandoffish and we were drifting apart.

 

ÒIknew there had to be more to life that what I had.  You canÕt drive a car around Texas without hearing countrysongs and I started listening to them. I got this girlish fantasy of a cowboy throwing his arms around me andriding off together into the sunset on his big white horse.

 

ÒIgot the name of the club from a girlfriend; she said the music would be goodand to be sure and go when JodyÕs band was playing – that there would bea good crowd on those nights. 

 

ÒJake,what I never expected was for you to be such a dear, sweet man, full of caringand tenderness.  I donÕt think youwere really the Ògood olÕ boyÓ I was thinking I was looking for É you were somuch more.  I believe I fell inlove with you before we even went to bed. And that was so very, very wonderful.  IÕve never been loved like that.  It was such a sharing I was almost overwhelmed.

 

ÒAcouple of months after I got back I found out I was pregnant and I knew it wasyours.  I guess I should have letyou known what was going on.  IdidnÕt tell you but when you went to the restroom I got the scoop on you fromthat girl behind the bar, Molly.  Iwas a bit afraid to go to the motel with someone I didnÕt know, but Molly setme straight about you É and gave me your address and phone number.  I have to confess that I called Mollyonce in a while to see if you had found someone else.Ó

 

Shegot up and went to the kitchen for more beer.  She pulled me down on the big bear rug in front of thefireplace and we sat close together looking at the fire.  She took my hand, rubbed the calluses,and kissed my knuckles.

 

ÒBillnever said anything about the baby but IÕm sure he knew it wasnÕt his.  I wanted to tell you about Melody but Iwas so confused – it was a hard time for me.  Melody was born on Christmas Eve, by the way.  Bill came home one night, told me hehad found someone he thought would be better for him.  It was strange; he was quite detached about it.  He offered me a good settlement, buthell, IÕve got twice the money he has from a trust from my grandfather.  He wanted the house because of theprestige and because it had been in his family for several generations.

 

ÒImoved back to Boston with my mom; she was pretty good about it.  Sorry, Jake, Melody is not aTexan.  She was born inMassachusetts.Ó She laughed at this and continued,Ó After the baby was born Iwas wrapped up with her for a while É then I started thinking about you.  I guess I was afraid of rushing intoanother bad marriage.  Then I justhad to know if the magic of that night was real.  I was afraid I might have over-glamorized it into somethingit wasnÕt.  That was what the lasttrip was about.  I just knew itwould work out okay, but, still É anyway it was magic and, if youÕll have thiscity girl, IÕm yours!Ó

 

IdidnÕt answer.  I put the emptybottles away and we loved on the soft rug in front of the fireplace.  Later the baby started crying and Lauraslipped away.  She came back a fewminutes later and asked where the bedroom was.  I led her and we crawled into what had been a big lonely bedfor me for so long.  This time wemade love with a slow, sleepy touch and fell asleep still coupled, the bed nolonger lonely.

 

 

THEDAYS OF HAPPINESS

 

Sheand Melody stayed on at the ranch with me.  She had several more suitcases in the trunk and a van boughtthe rest her belongings a couple of weeks later.   She loved the ranch and the three of us settled incomfortably.  The daughter of aneighbor would sit for Melody so we could go out once a week or so.

 

Wemarried a few months later.  Hermom and dad came from Boston and some of her friends came from Dallas.  We were wed at a church in Big Springsand had the reception at The Stampede. Jody Nix provided the music and a good time was had by all.  I hadnÕt known I had that manyfriends.  Over two hundred peopleshowed up, including my ex. 

 

Dixiehad separated from the lawyer and cried a little when she saw Melody in herlittle white dress with the pink trim. She was a good soldier about it though and I gave her a hug and told hershe would find the right person.

 

Beforethe wedding, Laura and I had a talk about her money.  I told her I didnÕt care one way or the other – to meit was just a tool and if she could do things with it that made her happy Éwell, great!  I had no problem withhaving a wife with a smile on her face.

 

Webought a couple of nearby ranches and a farm.  I hired a manager and turned the operation over to him.  He lived in the house on one of the newranches.  IÕd known his wife all mylife and we all got on well.  Iswitched from cows to horses for the home ranch.  Laura got interested in miniature horses and we bred themfor show.  They were sure a hit forthe kids.

Weremodeled, expanded and modernized our ranch house but kept its essentialcharacter.  I put up a couple barnsand a workshop where I could go and putter around.  We hired a cook/housekeeper and a nanny – that workedout well and allowed us to keep going down to JodyÕs place.  We had a lot of fun with that andLaura, of course, became very popular. 

 

Melodyis showing all the signs of being the classic beauty her mother is - for sure alot of boys will hear music in their heads when she is around.  Jake Jr. is now five and Travis threeand they keep their mom slim chasing them around the ranch.  We will have the money to let them maketheir own choices in life É and I was comfortable with that.

 

Laurawas still wearing her jeans but now they were mostly LeeÕs or LeviÕs.  Status just wasnÕt important toher.  And, yeah, she still looksdamn good in those tight fitting jeans!