When I originally wrote this, I wrote it to the lyrics of J.Geils Band "Centerfold". I included the lyrics in the story as bridges from paragraph to paragraph. For copyright reasons and Literotica rules, I needed to remove most of the lyrics. If you know the song, you know the lyrics anyway ...
I hope you enjoy.
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"She was pure like snowflakes
No one could ever stain ..."
As the plane began it's descent into Los Angeles, I found myself reflecting back on my high school years. I really couldn't believe ten years had passed since graduation but here I was flying into town for my ten-year high school reunion. I had thought seriously about not going, but had a change of heart at the last moment. My assistant talked me into going, telling me I needed a break from work and that I would probably have fun seeing old friends. I've learned in the three years she has worked for me that Tracey is usually right on social matters. Why doubt her now.
The ten years since high school had been exceptionally kind to me. I'd started college as I always had planned but got sidetracked in my junior year. I met a couple guys in a computer class my first semester and we became fast friends. Each of us was from different backgrounds and parts of the country, but we just felt a closeness between us that turned into friendship. In any event, they introduced me to the Internet at a time when it was really that well known. They started doing some graphics work and soon found themselves with a growing business. I had always been sharp with numbers and they soon drafted me into the company to run the finance side of things. I helped them on the graphics side when they needed me, but my focus was steering us to success.
By January of my junior year, the business was doing quite well and I decided to join the guy's full time in the business. The world was waking up to the web and it seemed we were really on to something big. Flash forward seven years and we are all worth far more than we had ever dreamed possible. The business really did take off and we became the toasts of Silicon Valley as one of the pioneers. That brings me to the plane descending into L. A. I had a couple meetings scheduled on the East Coast, but Tracey was able to rearrange my schedule to allow me a couple nights in town. I hadn't seen any of these people since I left for college ten years earlier. I wondered about a few of the people that I used to call friends and hoped they would be there to see. One person of particular interest was a girl named Robin. I had quite a crush on her in high school but I never had the guts to ask her out on a date. We knew each other but we definitely ran with different crowds. She was a cheerleader and dated the jocks. I played sports but definitely hung out with a more academic crowd. She was really a pretty girl in high school and always had a great smile. When Tracey suggested I go, Robin was the first person I thought about seeing and wondering if she would be at the reunion.
"Years go by I'm lookin' through a girly magazine
And there's my homeroom angel on the pages in-between"
My hope that she would be there grew substantially as I glanced at the magazine rack while waiting for my flight. I usually time it so my airport stay is at a minimum but bad weather in L. A. had delayed the flights and I had time to kill. Walking by one of the many kiosks at the airport, a picture caught my attention. Peering at me from the cover of Playboy magazine was a familiar face. I walked past it thinking I was just imagining things, but I had to take a second look. I picked up the magazine and stared at the cover. It was she, I was sure about it. Of course it was wrapped in plastic but I took it to the register and bought it. I tossed it in a side pouch of my carry-on. I really didn't want to open a Playboy in the middle of the airport.
About twenty minutes later, I boarded the airplane for the seventy-five minute flight to L. A. After the door was closed, I reached into my bag and pulled out the magazine. I was pleased no one sat beside me. I opened the plastic and just stared at the cover. Flipping through the pages, I found the pictorial of her. It was Robin … in the flesh! She was even more beautiful than I had remembered her. Her eyes still had the twinkle and she still had the long, wavy blonde hair that captured my attention in eleventh grade history! I didn't remember her breasts. Of course I never saw them for real but I sure didn't remember them being as pronounced as they were on the glossy pages in my hands. Just then the first class stewardess offered me a glass of wine or some other beverage. I'm sure I blushed a bit when I realized she glanced at the photos. I accepted her wine with red cheeks. The pictorial was excellent, done with Playboy's usual good taste. I closed up the magazine and slid it back in the side pouch of my bag. I thought about the four years of high school and how far I had come since those days.
"My blood runs cold
My memory has just been sold
My angel is the centerfold"
I landed in L. A. and grabbed my bags. Tracey had arranged a driver to be waiting for me. I asked him to drive to the suburbs where I spent my youth and I took in the town. I was feeling very nostalgic as the reunion grew near and found myself wishing I had stayed in touch with some of my old friends. As the hour neared eleven, I headed south to the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna. It's a beautiful place overlooking the Pacific Ocean in South Orange County. Tracey always books me into the Ritz when I'm in OC. I had a room on the top with an incredible view of the coastline. My two suitcases arrived at the room just after I had. I pulled out my laptop and checked my mail but soon found myself pulling out Robin from my bag. I flipped through her pictorial once again and smiled. Damn she's beautiful! What are the odds that she'll be at the reunion? I shook my head and told myself 'no chance'! Then I realized that's probably what anyone who remembers me is saying about me being there. It was pushing one, so I tossed the Playboy on the floor. I flipped off my light.
Tracey had tracked down a couple of my old friends, or at least she thought she had. She had tracked down their names. While eating breakfast on the balcony, I dialed up the three numbers she had given me. Two of them were actually right. Jason was living about an hour away, but Jeff was living about ten minutes from my hotel. I arranged to meet Jason and his wife at a bar near the party around five-thirty but Jeff said he'd drive over to the hotel. Just before noon he knocked on the door. It was great to see him and we talked about the last ten years. Life had been good for him as well and he had been married the last three years. We spent the afternoon by the pool talking about the old times and wondering about the girls who wouldn't give us a second thought ten years ago. He agreed to meet us at five-thirty.
I had the front desk arrange a car for me. I told them something flashy and fun. I went to the lobby and passed the concierge. The lovely lady handed me a set of keys "Michael has it waiting in front." It was certainly flashy. A dark blue Porsche 996 Cabriolet was waiting with the top down. It purred like a kitten as I started it up. I drove to the quaint Italian restaurant we had selected to meet. They had a small bar off to the side and Jeff knew the owner. Jason and Jeff arrived with their wives. The guys had stayed in touch but hadn't spoken in about six months. I had ordered a bottle of champagne and we drank to old friends and new. We arrived at the reunion a little before seven. It was already well attended but we had a very large high school. Besides, who leaves Southern California?
Jason's wife found us a table and we staked out our base for the evening. It seemed like a constant flow of people stopped by to say hello. I'm sure it had to do with my 'fame' because I was not that well known in school. It was great seeing as many old friends as I did. At one point, I was getting drinks for the table and I thought I saw Robin across the room. After handing off the drinks I went for a stroll around the room. She was with her former cheerleader friends. This was not my circle of friends and I really didn't think she'd remember me anyway. She was as beautiful in person as I had expected.
