Endless Love (Elvis Presley Story)

Part 2 - The Meeting

It had been three months since Elvis Presley bought his sprawling Audubon home in March of 1956, and the young heartthrob was eager to christen his new abode with a bang. With his parents and grandmother out of town, the timing couldn't have been better for Elvis to throw an epic housewarming party. The guest list would include a troop of stunning beauties and his closest friends, including Red West, Alan Fortas, Marty Lacker, Lamar Fike, and his cousin Billy Smith. Among the invitees was also George Klein, a local disc jockey and fellow Humes High graduate who had long been a fixture in Elvis's inner circle. 

However, there was also a new face in the crowd - Mark Lockwood, a young man who had caught Elvis's eye with his easy charm and devil-may-care attitude.

As they waited for the party guests to arrive, Elvis and his entourage grew restless. The night was young, and the boys were looking for a little excitement. Suddenly, George Klein had an idea: "Let's go drag Main!" he suggested with a grin.

Elvis, chomping on some snacks, looks puzzled. "Drag what?" he asks.

"Drag Main, man. Now, E, it's when you cruise down Main Street and scope out carloads of girls. You circle back up Third Street and do it all over again until you get connected to the right car and the right girl," George explains, laying out the plan.

Elvis raised an eyebrow, then burst out laughing. "Well, ain't that the stupidest goddamn thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, GK. Let's do it!" he exclaimed.

The guys hollered with excitement as they made their way to the driveway, almost filling up two Cadillacs. Elvis took one of the driver's seats and revved the engine, leaving tyre marks as he reversed out of the gate, his foot heavy on the gas pedal as they sped off.

A while later, they returned home with three cars full of giggling girls following in tow, lining up like geese in a row outside the property. As Elvis stepped out of the car, he sauntered over to George with a grin, his eyes fixed on the parade of ladies making their way up the driveway.

"I take back what I said earlier," he said with a chuckle, his hand resting on George's shoulder. The two friends exchanged a knowing look, their eyes sparkling as they stood, gawking at the yard full of girls.

******

Mark Lockwood was the epitome of all-American good looks, his broad shoulders and dirty blond hair adding to his rugged charm. Standing tall at 5'9", he had recently graduated from high school and landed a gig at a local radio station. It was there that he met George Klein, who quickly became his friend, and they started hanging out after work. 

The two became close, and George was eager to introduce Mark to Elvis. He knew Elvis would love Mark's sense of humour. And boy, was he right! Elvis and Mark hit it off immediately, and soon enough, Elvis asked him to join his entourage and run special errands for him. He even offered Mark a job as his driver. Mark jumped at the chance — after all, who wouldn't want to work for the King of Rock and Roll?

******

On the day of the party, Mark decided to give Elvis a call. He picked up the telephone and dialled Elvis' number. "Hey E, it's Mark," he said. "Remember I mentioned my sister is Brandi Lockwood? She's also new to the showbiz scene like I said, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce the two of ya,"

Elvis paused for a moment, thinking about what Mark had said. He had heard of Brandi Lockwood, of course—who in Memphis hadn't? 

"Sure thing, Mark. Sounds good," Elvis replied. "I'll catch you later, then."

Little did Elvis know that this chance phone call would change everything.

After wrapping up his chat with Elvis, Mark made his way over to Brandi's room. Leaning against the door frame with folded arms, he flashed her a charming smile. "Hey, sis, wanna go to a party tonight? And yeah, before you ask, Edith can come along too."