Hustler at the Capitol
By: Kenneth Kirk
(© 2022 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

kkirk@tickiestories.us

Chapter 11

Mike did go to Los Angeles in the fall of 1980, where he became a successful model.  I’ll never forget the thrill I got the first time I saw him, in this pink suit in an add in Gentlemen’s Quarterly.   I laughed that he didn’t look terribly hetero in this photo.  He had several print ad campaigns and made some national commercials for a couple of years before finally snagging a role as a newbie fire-fighter in a TV series called California Burning.  The show lasted two seasons and by season 2 he had become a popular character with his own fans.

In 1982, George became George Franklin, PhD, and was hired to teach voice at The University of Texas.  So, we moved back to Texas that July, settling in the exciting, but hot and humid, young capital city of Austin, where I went into the University Bursar’s Office.  We were happy to get out of the cold climate, although several months of the year in Austin were brutally wet and hot.  My parents in Dallas and George’s parents in a place not far away called Sulphur Springs were excited to have us closer to them.  They all accepted our orientation and our relationship fairly well and grew to love us both.

It was in Mike’s 1984 Christmas greeting to George and me that he told me his good news.

“Dec. 13, 1984

Dear Art and George,

I can’t believe it’s Christmas again.  This year has flown past.  I’ve been so busy with a couple of big trips for modeling jobs as well as an on-location shoot for my next movie – “Surfers on the Run” – out in the spring – where I play one of 3 best friends who are surf bums who turn to bank robbery to get rich.  Watch for it.  There’s quite a bit of male flesh on display, including yours truly.  I know you will both appreciate that!

My career is going better than I ever dreamed, Art, so thank you once again for encouraging me way back when I was down on the farm.

But the best news yet is in this photo.  I’m in love!  At long last, I have met the one who makes my heart sing.  (Maybe not as tunefully as George, but sing nevertheless.)  I met Kathy in a summer production of “West Side Story” where I was a Greaser and she was a Jet girl.  Woo—the dancing was a killer for me!  But she was gorgeous and sweet and we really hit it off.  She’s from Lexington, Tennessee, so we spent Thanksgiving there.  And decided to get married!  I’m so happy, dudes!  Isn’t she beautiful???

We think the wedding will be next summer in Lexington.  I’ll let you know as soon as we set the date.  You guys HAVE to come.  I want you to be a groomsman, Art.  And, doc, maybe we can get you to sing a little something for us?  I can’t wait to see you and to have you meet Kathy – and of course have George meet the famous Mike!!

I can’t wait to get this year’s newsletter, Art, as you always write so eloquently about the exploits of the gorgeous doctor and yourself.

Gotta run, my lovelies.  Have a spectacular Christmas.  See you in the summer!

With hearts full of love,

Mike and Kathy

In the envelope, Mike had included this photo:

George and I agreed that Kathy is beautiful, “almost as gorgeous as Mike,” my lover laughed.

I called Mike a few days after receiving his letter.  It was only the second time we’d spoken by phone ever.

Mike: Hello?

Me: Hey, dude!  It’s Art and George.

Mike (laughing loudly): Oh, hi!

He apparently turned aside.  “Kathy!” he yelled.  “It’s Art and George!”

We could hear a high-pitched squeal in the background and more laughter from Mike.

Mike: She’s excited and so am I!

Me: We just had to call to congratulate you two on the upcoming nuptials.

Mike: Thanks, guys!

Kathy: You’re so sweet!

George: You two make a gorgeous couple.

Mike: Yes, we do, don’t we?

Kathy (laughing): Mike!

Mike: Well, you know, dear, they like guys so they appreciate my beauty, too.

Me: That we do, buddy.  But we think you have found one of the few women in the world who is as beautiful as you.

Kathy: Oh, I love you guys already!

Mike: So, how are you guys?

Me: Marvelous!  George is the greatest lover!

Everybody laughs.

George: And I’m not bad outside the bedroom either!

Mike: You’d better not be!  Did our boy ever tell you that I will rip your heart out and stomp on it if you hurt him?

George: He did!  But I’m not afraid of that happening because I’d die before I hurt him.

Kathy: I can’t wait to meet you two!

Mike: You are coming to the wedding, aren’t you?

Me: Definitely.  As long as you have it in the summer.

Mike: That’s a promise!  If Kathy doesn’t get knocked up.

Kathy: Mike!

Me: Well, dude, I think you can make sure that doesn’t happen if you try.

Mike: The withdrawal method is not exactly fool proof.

George: We’ll send you a dozen rubbers.

Mike: What about the next week?

We all laughed.

George: Wow, Kathy, I can see why you like this guy.

Kathy (laughing): We don’t need condoms to prevent an unexpected blessed event.  You’ve heard of the pill?

We laughed.

After almost half an hour, we said good-night, promising to stay in touch.  George and I were both uplifted by the hilarious and loving conversation.  I picked up a box of a dozen condoms at the drug store, strangely embarrassed when I checked out.  I was 27 years old and I’d never purchased rubbers before in my life.  I put a note in the package that said, “When you care enough to send the very best!  Love, Art and George.”

A week later I received a Fleet enema and a squeeze bottle of KY personal lubricant with a note signed, “For those special occasions, love, Kathy and the Dude.”

*********

The wedding got scheduled for June 29 in Lexington, Tennessee.  George and I decided to take a big vacation so we could drive to Tennessee for the festivities.  We spent a couple of nights in Dallas with my parents, a couple of nights in Sulphur Springs with the Franklins, and a night in Memphis.  There we enjoyed some Memphis bar-be-que and George wowed the locals at Karaoke when he sang Moon River followed by Oh, Danny Boy.  I was so proud of him.  Of course, it was no big deal for my doctor of voice.

We arrived in Lexington a couple of days before the wedding and the long-anticipated meeting of the four of us occurred in our room at the Holiday Inn.  Mike and I burst into tears as we hugged while Kathy and George exchanged a more polite hug and a few words.  Mike and I just clung together for a while until, finally, he pushed me away so he could hug George and I could hug the bride.

The next day we met Mike’s mother and father, brothers, and three sisters, sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law, 7 little nephews (the oldest about 5), and 5 little nieces (the oldest about 5).  We also met Kathy’s parents, sister, brother, brother-in-law, and two nieces (3 and 5).  We were introduced to everyone as “Art and his boyfriend George.”  Obviously, news of our orientation had preceded the meeting because no one appeared surprised or shocked.  Everyone was gracious and friendly toward us, which was a big relief.

In the wedding, I was so pleased to stand with my old friend along with his two brothers, more beautiful blondes who were as friendly as they could be.  Kathy was simply luminescent in her bright lacy wedding gown.   I could easily see the love each of them had for the other.  George gave the most amazing rendition of We’ve Only Just Begun and later sang The Lord’s Prayer in the most heavenly baritone anyone ever heard.  He wowed the audience when the dance part of the reception commenced, with the couple’s first dance as they had requested.  George’s beautiful baritone made Unchained Melody more spectacular than the very popular Righteous Brothers’ rendition.  This was followed by an old love song from Lou Rawls called You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, then How Deep Is Your Love? and More Than a Woman from the movie Saturday Night Fever, Hopelessly Devoted to You from the movie Grease, and The Carpenters’ Close to You. 

By the time George was done, everyone was clapping and whooping.  Mike and Kathy gave him giant hugs, she kissed his cheek, Mike kissed his cheek, and they hugged again.  Many people, especially the ladies, told me how lucky I was to live with such a handsome and talented man.  I noticed Kathy’s and Mike’s sisters and several friends clustered around George as if some lucky lassie might be able to steal him away from me.  He sort of gave them a clear and disappointing answer by hugging and kissing me (on my lips) when he was finally free of admirers.

*********

As the years went by, we all did well in our careers.  George spent several summers at the Santa Fe Opera, became the department head at UT, and made a few successful albums.  I worked my way up in the financial parts of the university until I was the Assistant Comptroller by 2002 and was promoted to Comptroller in 2009.  George and I had an excellent relationship with some hiccups but no major ruptures. 

Mike’s fame as an actor grew rapidly through the late 80’s and 90’s until he could command millions for a starring movie role or 6-figures per episode of a TV series.  Kathy’s career was solid, too, until she decided to step back to have kids.  She gave birth to Justin in 1987, Helena in 1989, and Foster in 1991.  In the late 90’s she began acting a little again and had a rebirth in her career that lasted well over a decade.

We had so much fun together at Mike and Kathy’s wedding that we began to vacation together when we could fit it into all our schedules. 

A year after the wedding, the four of us spent a week in a gorgeous condo unit in Vail, Colorado, where Mike and I laughed about the time we shared an ice cream cone on the Main Street.  It was then that I found out Kathy knew all the details of how her husband met me and how we became friends.  I was a little shocked Mike had told her about his sordid past, but he said, “I didn’t want to keep her in the dark about anything.  I figured if she dumped me because of my past, I’d be best to be rid of her.”

“I told him he couldn’t get rid of me that easily,” she said.

“What she really said, guys, was that the experiences I’d had in my past had made me into the man I was then and that she happened to love the man I had become, so she was glad I’d had exactly the experiences I did.”

I looked across the table at the posh restaurant where we were dining, focusing my moist eyes on Kathy.  “I’ve known from the moment Mike told me about you that you were an incredible, very special lady.  I’ve just realized once again how special you really are, dear.  I’m so glad Mike found you!”

I told George when we got to our room later that night, I was very glad that secret was out.  He nodded then proceeded to pop it to me with a fierceness he hadn’t exhibited in quite a while.  We were teased mercilessly the next morning about making it impossible to sleep in a place with such thin walls.

Once the kids started arriving, it got even more challenging for us to carve out a week to spend together on vacation, so we settled into a pattern of spending Labor Day weekend at Mike and Kathy’s spacious Santa Barbara house.  We became Uncle Art and Uncle George to the kids.

*********

George proposed to me on Valentine’s Day in 2005 and we planned a June wedding in Provincetown, since Massachusetts was the first state to make it legal.  Mike and Kathy were our only attendants, but they brought all the kids, who all seemed to be thrilled to watch us take the plunge.

The kids grew up and George and I were honored guests at graduation parties and weddings.  Uncle George was always pressed to sing something, which never failed to touch my heart and the hearts of the others, too.  Usually, when he would sing, Mike and Kathy would come to me, one on each side, and hug me as we watched and listened to my husband. 

We were there for each other in the sad times, too.  We flew out to California when Mike was severely injured in a fall while filming a mountain-climbing scene.  Thank God, he recovered fully.  They supported us when our home burned down one hot Augut night in 1998.  We spent the rest of that summer in Santa Barbara with our dear friends.

As I write this memoir for you, I realize it was over 40 years ago that I drove around the Colorado capitol building that summer evening in 1979.  I couldn’t have imagined the hot blonde who approached my car would turn out to have such an impact on my life and to be the very best friend I would ever have.  George was and is the love of my life, without a doubt, just as Kathy is the love of Mike’s life.  But, Mike and I, we have a bond of love that is as special as our love for our spouses.  It’s just a little different.  I guess you can never tell who might turn out to be important in your life until you actually get to know them. 

I have never regretted picking up a hustler in the circle around the Capitol, not even for a moment.  It turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve ever made.  Thanks, Mike, for being such an amazing friend and so much more!

The End.

Posted: 03/25/2022