Our Hearts' Desire (The Monkees Family Vol. 2)

Chapter 7

The meeting adjourned and everyone milled around, making separate plans for the rest of the day. Wendy sensed lingering disunity and mentioned it to Mike. They felt this was a threat to the group's harmony and must be addressed immediately. After a quick conference, Wendy made an announcement.

"Okay, family, we need to do something fun and get away from the bad vibes. Since we have to keep a low profile, let's head south down the coast to Palos Verdes. The last time we went, it wasn't perfect. Davy was starving under the shadow of death trying to flunk his military draft physical , Lynda couldn't be there, and we didn't know Jan or Robert yet. What do you say?"

Lynda said without a beat "I'll call Robert at the store and see if he can get away."

That seemed to determine the matter and no one objected. Wendy asked, as if it were a settled matter "Is everyone up for Marineland, or do you just want to hang out at RAT beach?"

Dawn curled her lip and sneered "Ewww, are there really rats there?"

Wendy rolled her eyes and said "No, princess, it's an acronym that stands for Right After Torrance Beach. We could also hit Casa Pulido again and Davy could eat like a human being this time."

Lynda returned from phoning Robert and said he'd be free for them to pick him up whenever they were ready.

Wendy looked to Gabby for support. Gabby sighed and yelled "Okay, gang, listen up. Get your asses out to the cars. Pete and Dawn, you can ride with Micky and me, and you can even go at it like rabbits in the back seat and we won't give you the blues about it. Jan, can you and Davy go with Mike and Wendy in the Monkeemobile? There should be room for Lynda and Robert as well."

Gabby put her arms around Peter and Dawn and said "Okay, you two, your sin wagon chariot awaits. Just make sure you use protection." Dawn couldn't decide whether to clobber Gabby or crack up laughing, but being of a basically peaceful and loving nature, she opted to laugh. Plus, she was hungry for Peter, and she knew a good shagging would help him calm down after the trauma of the day. She decided not to press her luck and told Pete to put the joint he was about to blaze up back in his pocket, explaining that Gabby's generosity had its limits.

The guys grabbed their swimsuits and Dawn and Gabby loaned the suits they kept at the Pad to Lynda and Jan. They made a quick stop at the girls' apartment to pick up more swimwear and then swung by Robert's apartment to collect him. They finally set off for Marineland and Micky and Gabby had to blast the radio to cover up what was going on in the backseat of her car. It was a relief when they were heading up Palos Verdes Drive West and Gabby snarkily gave them the ten minute warning to finish up as Micky sniggered into his T-shirt to muffle the sound.

After entering the park, Davy dragged everyone over to the cliffs so that they could see and hear the barking seals sunning themselves on the rocks below.

"The last time I was here I couldn't believe me eyes. Oy, Jan, look at this! Isn't this wild?"

"I feel the same way," she responded in wonder. "I'm a Vermont gal, Davy. I've never seen anything like this either!"

As they clasped hands and shared the moment appreciatively, Davy remembered that he had wanted to share that moment with Lynda the first time he'd seen them when she'd been absent from their group that day. But now she was there with Robert, so he decided not to say anything to her. That moment was in the past. Best to move forward with Jan and give her his best effort. He found her attractive, fun, bright, savvy, mature and not repulsed by his past, which he had disclosed upfront to avoid leading her on or to at least hasten the process of being dumped unceremoniously if she was turned off. She seemed to have it all, yet he still felt off-kilter, like he was unsure of his footing and like his whole heart wasn't in it. There was a stray piece of his heart pulling in another direction, towards Gabby, and he berated himself daily for his ungovernable thoughts and urges. He shook his mind from the fruitless contemplation of a woman he couldn't have that he went through over and over, though less frequently now that he'd met Jan. He really enjoyed her company and hoped she'd stick around. He reflected for the hundredth or more time the irony that his love 'em and leave 'em lifestyle had left him such an empty husk that now he found himself grateful to any girl willing to stick around and date him for longer than a week.