Jennifer’s Search for a Monkee

Jennifer’s Search for a Monkee
By Christine K.

Summer of 1986 (yes I was 15 years old *g*)

This story was written for my friend during the summer that the Monkees had their 20th Anniversary tour. This was written from a 15 year old point of view – so you may just laugh at the context of this story – I know I do. 😉

Jennifer was standing alone on Pier 39 in San Francisco overlooking the Bay and Alcatraz. It was a slightly cool day with a nice breeze off the ocean. It was the fall of 1966 and for Jennifer, it was probably the best year of her life. She looked down at her watch: 7:15pm.

I’d better go home,” She thought, “my favorite television program will be on soon.”

That television program was “The Monkees”. Ever since “Last Train To Clarksville” was released in August of that year, she loved them. She watched the TV program faithfully every Monday night at 7:30 and enjoyed every minute of it. But the person that she enjoyed watching even more than The Monkees TV show was Micky Dolenz. With his brown hair and brown eyes and his 6′ tall self, Jennifer looked forward to watching the show every week because she knew that Micky would be on with his jokes and his cute little laugh and smile.

She hurried home, ran to the television set and turned it on. The exact minute she turned it on, the program started. Jennifer was shaking all over because she was so excited. The entire program revolved around Micky and the fact that he played the chaperone at their own party to help Davy. Yes, the whole story is Davy meets girl, Davy loses girl, and the Monkees get into a lot of trouble. The whole episode was hysterical. Especially when the girl’s father fell for Micky. When the show ended, she was upset that she would have to wait until next Monday to see another episode. But then, she got an idea. She decided to go to Los Angeles to see if she could try to meet him, but also sight see. She had never been to Los Angeles before even though she lived in San Francisco. The next day, Jennifer packed her bags and headed on a plane to LA in search of Micky Dolenz and maybe the other Monkees.

Her plane arrived in L.A. at 2:00pm the next day (November 8). She got her bags and left the airport. Jennifer walked along the streets of L.A. for a while with only one small bag of luggage because she was semi-wealthy and she could buy the clothes that she needed. Jennifer was walking down one of the streets, window shopping. Suddenly somebody bumped into her so hard that it knocked her down.

When the man that bumped into her realized he knocked her down, he ran over to help her up.

“I’m really sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I really didn’t mean it. See there was this mob of screaming, young girls who were chasing me. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yes, I’m positive.”

Jennifer wasn’t really looking at the man who bumped into her. She was trying to pick up all her stuff that fell out of her purse.

“Well I’m glad you’re not hurt. I’m sorry I have to run, but that mob of girls are back. So bye.” And he left, running down the street.

She looked up and got up just in time because the girls ran by shouting, “Micky! Micky! Come back!”

Jennifer couldn’t believe her ears. Could he…..No…but, could he have been Micky Dolenz? The man who bumped into her. How could she have been so dumb as to worrying about her purse when Micky was standing next to her asking if she was alright?

She was so angry at herself that she didn’t know what to do. So, she went to a nice, quiet out of the way restaurant. She went in, sat down and noticed that the man at the next table had his arms folded on the table and his head on his arms.

“I wonder if he might be sick?” thought Jenny. Jenny got up from her table and proceeded to go to his table. She tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Are you alright?”

At that moment, the man lifted his head and looked at her. His face was red and he was sweating. Jennifer was so startled she couldn’t believe it. IT WAS MICKY DOLENZ! STAR OF THE MONKEES! SINGER OF THE SONG “LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE!” THE MOST HANDSOME, YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, GENEROUS, GORGEOUS………

“Hey! Aren’t you the girl that I knocked down?”

“What?”

“Didn’t I bump into you outside?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Look, I’m really sorry about that.”

“That’s okay.” She said and smiled.

“I was running from these young fans and I wasn’t watching where I was going. But I think I have escaped them. Ummm….what is your name?”

“Jennifer. Jennifer Caruana.” She said still in awe of the whole situation.

“Jenny, I would like to make it up to you. Let me buy you lunch, okay? And maybe we can talk for a while.”

He gave Jenny his cute smile. Jennifer’s heart just fluttered and she was so nervous she wasn’t really sure if she could talk or not.

“Sure, that would be groovy.” She sat down at his table and had lunch with him.

They talked the whole afternoon about The Monkees and how Micky liked being a star and what Jenny did for a living and where she lived and what they were like when they were kids and on and on…..

“…..and if I stopped to help you up and picked all your stuff up, then those girls would have trampled on you me and we probably would have gotten killed. Some of these young fans can really turn into monsters when they see their favorite star. Anyway, you know that I would have helped you up under different circumstances.”

“I know you would have Micky. Stop feeling so guilty. I forgive you. What else do you want me to say or do to make you accept my forgiveness?”

“I would feel much better if you went on a date with me.”

Jenny couldn’t believe her ears. She was going to go on a date with MICKY DOLENZ! MICKY OF THE MONKEES! THE BIG M! THE MOST HANDSOME, GORGEOUS, KIND…….

“Sure, I would love to. Micky, you know you really don’t have to do this.”

“I want to. Jenny, I really like you and I would be honored if you would be my date.”

“Okay, fine.” She was so excited and nervous all at once.

“How about if I pick you up on Friday at 7:00pm. I have to be at the studio all week and that is my only free night.”

“That would be fine.”

“Great! Then I’ll see you then.”

Before he left, Jenny gave him the address of where she was staying. They said their goodbyes and left. The date of their first date would be on November 11, 1966.

That night, Jenny was so excited about meeting Micky, that she had to call somebody. She decided to call Christine, her oldest and dearest friend from

high school. She called her long distance since Christine was in New York City.

“Hi Chris, this is Jenny.”

Hi! How are you? I haven’t seen you for so long.”

“I’m just groovy. Guess what just happened to me today. Guess! Guess!”

“You met Micky Dolenz.” Chris said in a sarcastic tone.

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“Oh come on Jenny. Stop pulling my leg. You did not meet Micky Dolenz.”

“I swear to God I did. You think I would make something like that up?” She yelled into the receiver.

“Really? I can’t believe it. Where are you calling from now?”

“L.A.”

“Oh my God. I can’t believe it. What is he like? How did you meet him? Did you talk to him? Tell me all about it.” Chris was screaming into the phone.”

“This is what happened….” and Jennifer told her the entire story of how Micky literally bumped into her.

“Wow, how totally cool! I wish something like that would happen to me. My life, so far, has been pretty boring. I would love to meet Peter Tork like that.” Little did she know that one day she would meet Peter. “So, what are you going to wear?”

“I really don’t know. I’ve been so excited I haven’t even thought about it. Probably just the usual things. A nice pair of pants and a blouse.”

“Oh Jenny, you would look great in a dress.”

“I hate dresses!”

“I know you do but….”

“No way. I’m going to wear pants and that’s that.”

“But, Micky likes girls in dresses.” Chris said in a convincing tone.

“I think I’ll wear a dress.”

They ended the conversation and Jenny hung up the phone. She still couldn’t believe that she was really going on a date with MICKY DOLENZ! THE IDOL OF MILLIONS OF TEENAGERS!

First, she had to find the right dress to wear. She looked at the clothes that she had brought and realized that she left some of her really good clothes at home in San Francisco. So, after a couple of days of sight seeing, she decided to go out and buy a groovy dress. She bought in on Friday, the day of her big date with MICKY!

She walked down the streets of L.A. (at this time it was a safer place to be), being extra careful of not having another member of the Monkees running into her. She didn’t have time for another date. She went to one store and bought a yellow mini skirt that came within four inches above her knee. Then she went to another store and bought Go-Go boots and other necessities to go with her outfit. Then she went to lunch. By the time she got home, it was around 4pm, it was time for her to get ready for her date with MICKY! And she needed plenty of time to do that.

When she got to her hotel room, Jennifer dressed herself in the yellow mini dress, white Go-Go boots and some groovy looking earrings. She took her long hair and put it up in a pony tail and tied it with a yellow ribbon. She put on a nice, mild perfume just maybe to make Micky a little crazy. By the time she finished with everything it was nearly six-thirty. For a half of an hour didn’t know what to do. She thought of taking a walk, but then maybe another Monkee might bump into her and get her dirty. She sat in a chair and took her Monkees album (that she bought earlier that day) and began to look at it.

She thought that the picture didn’t do him very well. “He looks so much better in person,” she thought, “than in photographs.”

She took the record out of the jacket and began to play it on a portable record player that she purchased staring with side one and “The Monkees Theme” and ending with “Take A Giant Step.” (In both of these songs Micky takes the lead.) Every song in between she liked. She turned the record over to side two which began with “Last Train To Clarksville” and ended with “Gonna Buy Me A Dog.” Her favorite song on this side was “Let’s Dance On.” (Micky also sings lead on this one.) “Gonna Buy Me A Dog” was, in actuality, a dumb song, but rather funny. She especially liked when Micky asked, “Can I have a glass of water?” in which Davy asked,” Why, are you thirsty?” Micky’s reply was, “No, I wanna see if my neck leaks.”

Every time she would hear that, she would start to laugh hysterically. She was in such hysterics that she almost didn’t hear the knock at her door. Jenny quickly turned off the record player and walked to over to the door. She peaked through the little peep hole. IT WAS MICKY! Exactly on time. She opened the door to let him in. He looked so wonderful. His hair was neatly combed, he had on groovy boots that all the Monkees wore, gray pants with thin, light stripes and a suit coat to match. He also had on a white shirt under his suit coat. He was carrying a white corsage for Jenny to wear.

“Hi! You look absolutely wonderful. Absolutely beautiful. Oh, here, this is for you.

I didn’t know what you were going to wear. So, I bought white,” Micky said.

“Thank you. It’s really beautiful.” Jenny said, smiling.

“So are you.”

Jenny blushed. She was nervous and embarrassed at the same time. Imagine, going out with a Monkee. Christine would never believe this.

“Micky, would you like to come in and sit down for a while or what were you planning on doing tonight?”

“Well, I thought that we could go to this really romantic restaurant then back to my place.”

“That’ll be just groovy. I’ll go and get my coat.”

They left. The date itself made headlines like: MICKY SEEN WITH A NEW GIRL and IS HE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT HER? etc. ….

They went to Spago’s. They planned on a quiet evening together, but with Micky being a Monkee it was highly impossible. They had teens and older women and men coming up to Micky asking for autographs and pictures. Jennifer was kind of disappointed that the evening turned out that way instead of heading into the romantic direction.

When they were able to, they talked about Micky’s life and Jenny’s life and what they were both interested in and to see if they had any common interests. They did.

Music and acting, being the two, but they soon found out they had more. The conversation got to be involved. They talked about political affairs, whether the U.S. was really the best place to live (soon to find out that England’s better), the other members of the Monkees (Davy, Peter and Mike) and what they are like, what he thought of Beatlemania and the impact of that on themselves. They talked about everything that came to mind.

“Well, how do you like the series so far? Oh, and the album.”

“I absolutely love the series. And on the album, every song is great.”

“I have to tell you something that may seem awkward and unbelievable, but here goes. We didn’t play on that record. Actually, I really don’t know how to play the drums.”

Jenny just stared at him with her mouth open.

“You don’t play on the records?” Jenny asked.

“Yup.”

“Well, who does?”

“Studio musicians. You never heard about that before?” and Jenny shook her head.

“The public and press have been really on our backs about it. Peter and Mike want us to play on the next album but Donnie, our music supervisor, won’t let us. He won’t let us pick our own music either. We’ve been fighting for musical control for a

while, but he’s so stubborn about it. Mike has really been steaming about it. Peter doesn’t say much, he’s pretty shy. And me and Davy don’t mind. Pretty shocking about the instrument part of it, huh?”

“Yeah. I never thought that you, of all people, couldn’t play an instrument. I mean it doesn’t matter. I still like you all the same. Maybe some day Donnie will give you the control. I’m sure you’re a great musician once you learn and practice.”

“I hope so. Great musician huh? You think so?”

“Yeah, I do.”

They finished their meal, Micky paid the check and they walked out the door.

“Well, where would you like to go now?” Micky asked.

“I don’t know. What did you have in mind?”

“I thought that maybe you would like to go back to my place for a while. Where we could talk some more and have more privacy.”

Jenny thought this over. His apartment! She couldn’t believe it. This could lead to something interesting…………..

Copyright © 1986 by CDK. All rights reserved.