London, Washington (Richmond), Anywhere You Are I'll Run

It's been a very busy and active summer around the Beaumont household.  We "finished" our basement over the winter months and over the past month finally found time to relocate one daughter's room from upstairs to her new room in the basement.  That was then followed the next weekend by moving daughter #2 to daughter #1's old room and then followed by cleaning daughter #2's room and making it ready for future use as an office or other miscellaneous activity room.

Imagine Ryan moving your bed

What that means is that Ryan has been doing a TON of moving of "stuff" over the past several months.  I actually feel so relieved though for having purged so much junk; it's amazing what we acquire over a lifetime.  But having moved so many times in life and knowing how particular and yet detached Shannon is during the moving process, I know to be very careful to examine every last nic nac to insure that nothing valuable is discarded.  As tedious and arduous as that may be it does give one an opportunity to revisit old treasures such as mementos, pictures, trophies, and maybe even an old record or tape.

I came across one tape that simply said "Shannon 1989."  Curious, I played it on the way to the dump (one of those many purging missions) and got a wonderful memory from Shannon's past.  Of course I was not a part of that memory but it helped me travel back to Ryan's world circa 1989 and remember what I was doing one state to the north during that same year.

Oh, the other thing I just realized is that it's summer.  And that means Ryan kicks back a bit and reminisces about days gone by and enjoys writing about "Old Flames."

Yes, I did play the tape for Shannon.  She smiled and laughed and then gave me the back story on the tape which leads to her memory of an Old Flame from days gone by.  Which of course is another one of my favorite writing exercises, writing in Shannon's voice.  So let's take a trip back in time, back to Big State U in fall, 1989 and hear about one of those Old Flames from Ryan's past.  And then let's go one state south to Shannon's Big State U and hear about Shannon and her tape.  Let's start with Ryan.

Of a Girl and a Governor, Ryan circa fall, 1989-winter, 1990

I don't talk politics much in this blog but I've always been fascinated with and active in politics.  I suppose my parents, both active Democrats in county affairs, inspired me.  I think the thrill of the competitive aspects was always attractive as well and to feel as if you are part of a movement; to be in the scene and breath the same air as that man who is inspiring us to act.  I suppose the apex of my political involvement was in the late 1980's.  Like me, my state always seems to have a contrarian streak.  If the country is going one way we tend to go in a slightly different direction.  The 80's of course were dominated by Reagan conservatism.  By 1989 the country was feeling pretty good about itself but perhaps starting to wake up to the hangover that was the less taxes, more drink defense spending the Russian's under the table/party all night atmosphere of the Reagan years.  After converting to a red state through the 70's and continuing on a red state path in national politics, my state began favoring an urbane, socially moderate/fiscally conservative Democratic model for Governor.  Quite in contrast to the nation and particularly the South, we had elected two such Governors earlier in the decade amid the Reagan revolution.  We were that model of the "blue-dog" DLC Democrat that America would fall in love with three year hence when "a man from Hope" would come onto the scene.  The second of those Governors had an African American as his Lieutenant Governor.  And so long before a young African American with a funny name from the Midwest came onto the scene that very same African American Lieutenant Governor from my state started to have an audacity of hope that he could step up and be the nation's first African American Governor.  Now, it seems as if by 1989 America would certainly be ready for an African American Governor but this was not Massachusetts, this was the Old Dominion; the former seat of the Confederate capitol.  This was that moment and that well dressed, urbane gentleman with the smooth slight bourbony southern accent created just the atmosphere I wanted to be a part of.  He was someone I could champion, follow, and would aspire to emulate.


I've mention my friend Jules once in the blog (here). She was a fraternity little sister and a very sweet girl.  We were always good friends but I'm quite sure she had a "thing" for me early on.  However, early on I was not so interested.  She was fairly nice looking but sometimes I am just too choosy for my own good.  We went out often as friends, we even went to a frat formal once.  I'm quite sure I could have taken her home and we surely would have had sex but I passed for some reason.  I remember later, after the formal, I realized the error of my ways.  But unfortunately at the point I realized sex with Jules might be rather satisfying, Jules had other ideas.  So things just never came together for us.

That fall of 1989 I helped out here and there with Democratic party endeavors in support of the campaign for Governor.  What that really meant was stuffing envelopes, counting votes at party caucuses, answering the phones at HQ, and on big occasions I was the go-to bartender for big-wig fundraisers.  So not that fascinating but I did get to meet some influential people and did get to shake hands with the candidate on a few occasions.  It wasn't much but it felt like I was in the moment, if only to pass out wine to people writing checks.  At the end of an exciting campaign our guy won and of course to the winning team go the spoils.  For all my hard work I landed an invite to the Governor's Inaugural Ball!  Well maybe it was the check Father Beaumont wrote, but let's just assume the invite was for all that fantastic bar-tending Ryan, Jr. did.

Regardless of why I got the invite I decided it would be fun to go but I needed a date?  Most girls in my surroundings didn't seem to be interested in politics as much as I.  But I got around to asking Jules and now seemed to be just the right time.  She was getting over another guy who had sex with her and dumped her and I think getting out of town felt right for her at the moment.

So we made the trek to the capital city on a Friday afternoon.  That night we hung out with friends and crashed at their place.  It was friendly and chummy but I noticed a few times Jules looked at me across the table with that look and you just know.

The next morning we were up early for the Inaugural parade and the actual Inauguration.  After the speeches we waited well over an hour in a line to shake the new Governor's hand.  It was cold but all this still felt very much part of a movement.  I don't think Jules was as into the movement as I but she seemed to enjoy being together.

We were not going to crash at the friends house that evening so we checked into a cheapo hotel on the outskirts of the city.  We dressed for the ball but went down to the chic brick road downtown of the capital city for a drink.  After a drink we proceeded to the capital colosseum for the Inaugural Ball.  While it was a reception one found that simply serving drinks at fundraising parties didn't merit heavy hors d'ourves.  We got a few baby carrots and I think the edge of a piece of cheddar cheese.  We walked around and viewed the beautiful people.  Jules looked great btw.  Her silky blue gown set off her sparkling blue eyes.  She was not a fashionista, mostly a jeans and sweater gal, and so her tall frame often made her appear frumpy.  However, in that well fitting gown she was very shapely and rather sexy.  I could see myself and started to imagine myself with her.

About an hour after we got there the new Governor was introduced and he and his wife took the first dance.  Now I say that as if we were just across the floor waiting to catch the bouquet of flowers or whatever is done in there types of things.  But our tickets didn't get us on the floor, rather in section 399, row ZZZ, seats 68 and 69 if I remember correctly.

We watched the festivities for a time, walked around the concourse several more times looking again at the beautiful people.  Jules was a real trooper and smiled through it all but I could tell she was bored.  At one point she stopped and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and pulled off her high heels.  Between the parade, standing in the hand-shake line, walking in downtown, and walking around the colosseum she had rubbed a wicked, now bleeding, blister on her Achilles heel.  We decided to leave.  She leaned on me on the way to the corner to catch a cab.  I was practically carrying her and rather enjoying it in spite of my embarrassment at seemingly causing the nasty blemish to her foot.

Once in the back of the cab she meekly thanked me and apologized for having to leave.  I felt bad.  She looked at me with those solemn almost sad eyes of hers.  I could feel that her eyes yearned for a kiss and I slowly moved forward to do just that.  She passively accepted my kiss, at first a peck and then a deep kiss once I realized I was welcome.

At the hotel I again had to help her out of the car and up to the room.  Once in the room we just collapsed on the bed.  At some point she rolled over slightly placing her hand on my chest and gently stroked and again apologized.  I told her there was no need.  I asked her if there was anything I could do to help.  She said she would like to soak her feet.  She went to the bathroom to start a bath and I went to get two drinks.

When I got back she was in the tub.  I told her I had our drinks and she said "bring it to me, I need a glass of wine asap," giggling.  I gingerly peered through the door.  Jules was in fact in the tub albeit still partially clothed from my angle as I walked in.  She smiled and said, "you can come in, oh thanks that is just what I need."  I sat down on the floor next to the tub, she smiled at me.  I asked it there was anything else I could do for her.  She smiled and said "I need a foot rub."  She lifted her feet to the edge of the tub and I obliged.  As I rubbed at the other end of the tub she sipped her wine, rested her head against the wall, and sighed.  After several minutes of satisfying her feet I decided her calves probably needed a massage as well, so I massaged my way up her legs.  Again, Jules sighed in calm contentment.

Almost looks like us  :)

She then invited me in.  I took my clothes off and got in, nestling myself behind her.  She then leaned back, her back to my chest.  We sipped our wine, me stopped occasionally to kiss the nape of her neck.  I ran my hands along the inside of her thighs and she sighed and arched her back slightly giving the clue that she wanted more.  She still had panties on so I reached inside and pressed my finger into her.  Again she archer her back, and tilted her head to me as if to beg for a kiss.

It was not long before we were out of the tub and onto the bed.  The next 15 minutes was the release of two years of circling one another and wondering what this would be like.  And it felt incredible.  She was wrapped tightly around me looking directly into my eyes, fingers deeply intwined into my hair, pulling me into her as she moved her hips into mine.  The euphoric exhaustion from the day running into the mounting anticipation eclipsed into what I can honestly say was the most powerful, voluminous orgasm I have ever had.  I was not sure I would ever stop.  The tingling at the ends of my toes and fingers almost hurt at the end.  We both shrieked at once as Jules came just behind me.  My entire body shivered in response to the tingling feeling.

Not us, just looks like us

We lingered side by side for some time after, giggling at one another and yet within minutes we were in conversation again with one another as friends even as our naked bodies were still draped onto one another.

The next day we were friends again.  By the time we were back at Big State U I think Jules' boyfriend wanted to reconcile or maybe I was chasing someone else.  I don't know.  It seemed like we were always friends.  I now have so many fond memories of throwing darts with her and just handing out around Big State U.  Even now as I see her on Facebook I can feel the intimate connection we shared.  Thinking back she is probably the one that if I had dared take the plunge, she would have been so much fun.  We were always chasing something else but at least we always knew something very good was close by.  Perhaps that allowed us to pursue other people knowing something so good and comfortable was just a friend away.

So that's Ryan's sexy retro-1989 memory.

Come back next week for Shannon's mission to 1989!

And here are the Smithereens with one of those 1989 chart toppers!